A monk asked Fuketsu, “Without words or without transgressing silence, how can one be unmistakably one with the universe?” Fuketsu said, “I often think of March in Konan (Southern China). The birds…
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Publishing the Sutras
Tetsugen, a devotee of Zen in Japan, decided to publish the sutras, which at that time were available only in Chinese. The books were to be printed with wood blocks in an…
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No work, no food
Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labour with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds and pruning the trees. The pupils felt sorry to…
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Muddy Road
Two monks, Tanzan and Ekido, were once traveling together down a muddy road. It was raining heavily in those parts. Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk…
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How grass and trees become enlightened
During the Kamakura period, Shinkan studied Tendai six years and then studied Zen for seven years; then he went to China and contemplated Zen for thirteen years more. When he returned to…
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Naivedyam: Does God eat our offerings?
Here is a very good explanation about Naivedyam offered to God. Does God eat our offerings? Many of us could not get a proper explanation from our elders. An attempt is made…
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The right teaching
Once, there was a renowned monk who lived in a beautiful monastery with many of his pupils. His teachings were known to be very effective and many of his students grew up…
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The forgetful genius
Albert Einstein’s name is synonymous with ‘genius.’ We know he was a simple soul but it is hard to believe that the propounder of the most complex Theory of Relativity and quantum…
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A special teacher
Years ago, a Johns Hopkins professor gave a group of graduate students this assignment: Go to the slums. Take 200 boys between the ages of 12 and 16 and investigate their background…
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You are wonderful
It happened several years ago in the Paris Opera House. A famous singer had been contracted to sing, and ticket sales were booming. In fact, the night of the concert found the…