Scholar Tokusan – who was full of knowledge and opinions about dharma — came to Master Ryutan and asked about Zen. At one point, Master Ryutan re-filled his guest’s tea cup but…

After winning several archery contests, a young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when…

Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river. The current of the river swept silently over them all – young and old, rich and poor,…

There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma. Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the…

A young man caught a small bird and held it behind his back. He then asked, “Master, is the bird I hold in my hands alive or dead?” The boy thought this…

A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could ensure the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family could cherish…

The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national hero for his success both as a statesman and a military leader. But, despite his fame, power and wealth, he considered himself…

A martial artist knelt before his master sensei in a ceremony to receive the hard-earned black belt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached a pinnacle of achievement in…

It is said that soon after his enlightenment the Buddha passed a man on the road who was struck by his extraordinary radiance and peaceful presence. The man stopped and asked, “My…

Abraham Lincoln once asked one of his secretaries, “If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a horse have?” “Five,” replied the secretary. “No,” said the President, “The answer…

Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a student: “What is the most valuable thing in the world?” The master replied: “The head of a dead cat.” “Why is the head…