Once upon a time, there were three trees which resided on the top of a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams for the future when the first…
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True to one’s nature
There was this man who saw a scorpion floundering around in the water. He decided to save it by stretching out his finger, but the scorpion stung him. The man still tried…
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Concentration
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…
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Follow your bliss
Author Joseph Campbell often talked about ‘following your bliss.’ I heard of a bus driver in Chicago who does just that. He sings while he drives. That’s right… sings! And I don’t…
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The king’s humility
One day, a wise old man came to visit a king. He had to wait for a long time because the king was very busy. Finally, the king said he could come…
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The saviour
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,…
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Worse than a clown
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…
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Buddha’s path
The lamp contains its oil, which it holds securely in its close grasp and guards from the least loss. Thus is it separate from all other objects around it and is miserly.…
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In your hands
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…
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Faith
Once there was a drought-hit village. There were absolutely no rains for three to four years. The villagers, who were solely dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, were almost starving to death.…