An old man lived in the village. He was one of the unhappiest people in the world. The whole village was tired of him; he was always gloomy, he constantly complained and…
-
-
Egotism
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…
-
The black belt
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…
-
The awake
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…
-
Heart of a mouse
According to an ancient Indian fable, a mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it and turned it into a cat. But…
-
Frugal life
The great Greek philosopher Socrates believed that the wise person would instinctively lead a frugal life. He himself would not even wear shoes; yet he constantly fell under the spell of the…
-
Finest things in life
There was a group of elderly gentlemen in Japan who would meet to exchange news and drink tea. One of their diversions was to search for costly varieties of tea and create…
-
True satisfaction
A Quaker had this sign put up on a vacant piece of land next to his home: THIS LAND WILL BE GIVEN TO ANYONE WHO IS TRULY SATISFIED. A wealthy farmer who…
-
Create and heal
Buddha was once threatened with death by a bandit called Angulimal. “Then be good enough to fulfill my dying wish,” said Buddha. “Cut off the branch of that tree.” One slash of…
-
The man who never turned back
Zen master Gudo was the emperor’s teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once, when he was on his was to Edo, the cultural and…