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  • Mandela’s humility

    Pippa Green recalls the man who shunned pomp (Dec. 12, 2013) Shortly after he turned 80, Nelson Mandela received an honorary doctorate from Harvard at a special convocation. “I know that through…

  • Buddha with a black nose

    This is a famous story about a Zen nun. She had a beautiful golden Buddha, a very artistic, aesthetic statue of Buddha, made of pure gold. And the nun used to carry…

  • The first principle

    When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto, one can see carved over the gate the words “The First Principle.” The letters are unusually large, and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as…

  • The crystal cup

    A Zen master was given a beautifully crafted crystal cup. It was a gift from a former student. He was very grateful. Every day, he enjoyed drinking out of his glass. He…

  • Be the boss

    A horse suddenly came galloping down the road. It seemed as though the man had somewhere important to go. Another man, who was standing alongside the road, shouted, “Where are you going?”…

  • The symmetry of kindness

    The train slammed into the station, injuring hundreds. The engineer was critically hurt. People toppled over each other, bouncing across seats and against windows. There was blood and glass everywhere. One woman…

  • Clay balls

    A man was exploring the caves by a seashore when he found a bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. The balls looked like someone had intentionally rolled the clay and…