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  • 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…

  • Everything is best

    When Banzan was walking through a market he overheard a conversation between a butcher and his customer. “Give me the best piece of meat you have,” said the customer. “Everything in my…

  • Children of His Majesty

    Yamaoka Tesshu was a tutor of the emperor. He was also a master of fencing and a profound student of Zen. His home was the abode of vagabonds. He had but one…