Short Stories Zen | Sufi | Children's | Inspiratioanal | Fiction | Online | Love

A collection of best short stories with varied interests will be published on this blog from classic stories to modern. Stories would be Inspirational, spiritual, full with wisdom, famous, fiction, funny or humorous to stories for children, adult, fiction, non fiction, bible stories,social stories, follkore . So feel free to find a story to read online be your mood happy or sad. Navigate through the list of labels like Zen and Sufi.

Showing posts with label Short Zen Stories. Show all posts

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Strength of being or physical strength and sharp techniques ?

Again one another Zen story to ponder upon.

This one is called 'Great Waves'.

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensely strong and knew the art of wresting. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

A wrestler called O-nami, meaning the great waves, was immensely strong and technically sound with the moves of wrestling. His physical strength and the techniques were so sharp, that he would defeat even his teacher, not to mention the fellow wrestlers in the private bouts.

The story was altogether different when the bouts happened in public. Even the even his own pupils would throw him. The fear to be in public seemed to work on this physically strong and so sound with sharp techniques of wrestling art. However a man may be strong physically and endowed with the sharpest of the techniques in any field, it loses it's importance when the strength draining impulses or feelings like fear attacks the system. Out of fear the body would tremble the wits will lose it's sharpness, all the hard work done for years for physical strength and sharpening of the techniques, vanishes in moments.

That's the reason more emphasis should be put on the strength of being along with the strength of physic and strength of technique. Unless freed from feelings and impulses that drains the strength.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami went to see him and told him of his great trouble.

The great waves felt he should go to a Zen Master for help. Perfectly a right decision. He has already trained under a reputable instructor dealing with techniques and physical strength. He himself is an instructor. A Zen Master or a spiritual master is the one who carries the spiritual wealth that washes away the negative impulses and feelings. The presence, the grace, the divine love, the compassion of the Spiritually perfect Master is most important for washing away impulses like fear. Hakuju was a wondering teacher. Some Zen Master wanders from place to place bestowing their grace and compassion to the ones who receptive. O-nami was in the receptive state humble with no pride of strength or sharpen techniques. He really needed the help and hence was humble at heart and mind. With a receptive and humble heart and mind, he presented his problem to the Zen Master.

A receptive and humbleness is the most essential quality one requires when seeing a spiritual perfect master. A mind puffed with pride of it's own accomplishments, or a mind that goes with the attitude i know a lot or i am something would definitely come without gaining much. It's like pouring water in already filled cup, most poured water will overflow, the rest gets contaminated with the water already present inside.

"Great Waves is your name," the teacher advised, "so stay in this temple tonight. You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid."

The master advises him to stay in the temple. Near his overflowing presence. This one might be overlooked and the technique given by the Master would be pondered upon by the most readers. The real secret lies in this short advise most than what has to follow. A temple is a sacred place were much is done to evoke the sacred energies. Moreover wherever a Master is the sacredness flows in torrents. Only a receptiveness and humbleness is required. Not humble and i know much will not find much there. There would not be much difference for the one to be in presence of Master, in temple or in market place. In fact a market place would be much comfortable and friendly.

For humble, receptive and with faith, the presence of the Master is a place overflowing with great treasure. The treasure that would fill the one with grace, love compassion and bliss. Removing feelings like anger, fear, frustration and such.

Then the Master provides him with a simple technique.

"Imagine that you are those billows."

Looks simple but if one tries to put it in practise it becomes apparent that that's not so simple as it looks. The thought process one has been with attacks and takes away one from feeling the of raging waves. The mind has this quality of wandering in the known. Of what it has already known and feels most comfortable with the known. It fears with something new.

"You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid."

This one is difficult too. Losing the identity. Nobody would like to lose the identity one has build up. That holds much importance. A wrestler, a scientist, a thinker, a rationalist, a businessman every body would cling to their identity. Letting go of the identity and be receptive and open, to be intelligent in that sense is also a huge arduous task.

For the wrestler who approached the Master it shouldn't be that arduous. He is there to get free from the fear. And with that fear the identity of the wrestler has also to be given up. It would have been much difficult for a successful wrestler. Rather a successful wrestler would least care going to the Master, be with his fears and enjoy the success.

"You are those huge waves sweeping everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Do this and you will be the greatest wrestler in the land"

If the above mentioned hurdles are absent or weak, there should be no problem for the elimination of the fear through the presence of the Master grace.

The teacher retired.

This one is a paradox. Physically it may seen that the teacher is retiring, but He never retires. The flow of grace, love and compassion is ever flowing through Him. The greatest of the forces for the receptive is always at work, it does not require and rest and never retires.

O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. He thought of many different things. Then gradually he turned more and more to the feeling of waves.

Onami sat and made the effort of imagine himself as great waves sweeping everything. The force of the conditioned thoughts would not allow it in the beginning. Gradually he turned more and more towards the feeling of waves. Just imagination or thoughts are not of much importance. The feel, one should be so one with the thoughts, that the thoughts disappears. The totality is and intensity is most important. The waves does not think, they just flow with vigor. The actual feeling of the waves is required and he was turning towards the same.

As the night advanced the waves became larger and larger. They swept away the flowers in their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated. Before dawn the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow of an immense sea.

As the night advance, with the help of overflowing grace of the Master, the identity of the wrestler was lost. Only the waves were their. There was no self centered self meddling with the waves. Hence the waves became bigger and bigger. The waves cannot get bigger it the self centered identity is there. The mind would be occupied in solving the problems identified with the self. Since there were only the waves they swept away everything. Before the dawn there was nothing but the sea.

This could be also understood symbolically. The waves is the grace of the Master. Felling the grace the grace takes over wrestler's identity. Along with the identity everything negative with that identity is lost. Only the grace, the divine love and compassion remained. The fear was of the wrestler, since the wrestler was not there and only the powerful grace was working, it took care of sweeping away everything. Nothing but the grace, the divine love and compassion was present.

In the morning the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face. He patted the wrestler's shoulder. "Now nothing can disturb you," he said. "You are those waves. You will sweep everything before you."

The next morning the Master saw the disciple immersed in the meditation. The mind that thought itself as a wrestler and that was afraid was not present there. A new spiritual mind filled with spiritual strength, Divine love and compassion was there. The old fearful mind had died. This brought about a faint smile on Masters face, whose heart is still sending the strong waves of compassion and divine love. He knew nothing could disturb this new mind. The wrestler himself had become the master. He would not just sweep away the opponents in Wrestling matches, but would sweep away the fears of many. A perfect wrestler in true sense.

The same day O-nami entered the wrestling contests and won. After that, no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

More inspirational short stories to read online on this blog

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Obedience - A Zen Story

Zen stories are wonderful stories with deep insight. Every individual understands the story in one's own way. Only the masters have the true understanding of the zen stories. Here i would write down what my mind understands through this story.

Readers are welcomed to write their own understanding in the comments.

The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras nor indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.

The master Bandei's talks were not just attended by the students of Zen. This is the quality of the true Zen master. A master is like a huge magnet attracting so many people from all sects and worldly ranks. That is that something great they carry, that makes it irresistible for people. It is not the words that attract them, but their presence. Same talk could be given by any other person with exactly same words and punctuations, but that won't carry the essential and would not be a center of attraction. Few people engaged in mind gymnastic might go there.

He never quoted, Sutras. A true enlightened master does not need to quote any Sutra or any other words. He does not rely on borrowed words. What comes out, comes out of direct perception. He does not require any other source than himself for the wisdom. No scholastic dissertations are required for him. It is not reading and acquiring information and dishing out again. The words are spoken from the powerful source of heart and thus it has capacity to pierce the heart and soul of the listeners. The words falling from their mouths carry a special power which falls like seeds in the heart of the listeners and germinates. Same set of words from weak at souls would not carry any weight and the listeners would soon forget them and carry on with their daily routine cores, never pondering on what has been said, but when those words from Masters pierce their hearts, they can't but ponder on what has been said and proceed towards freedom.

The words germinates in the heart of the listener and the listener then feels grateful for attending a Master's talk.

His large audiences angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to debate with Bankei.

The Master seldom worries or craves about a large audience. What he is concerned is about the freedom and well being of the people and all living beings. On the other hand the priests and scholars are too attached with the the largeness of the audience. They feel large if large audience attends them. They are at the mercy of the audience. When the priest of Nichiren sect saw that his audience was attracted by the Master, Anger and jealousy took over him. The priest who should be responsible to free his audience from negative feelings like anger and jealousy falls victim of the same. A true priest concerned with the benefit of his audience would have felt great joy, on seeing his audience attracted to the true source. The master does not consider any number of people attending as mere audience. He communicates with each being one on one. Each one's heart and soul is penetrated individually according to one's conditioning of mind or sanskaras. The priest must scholarly and with crafted with intelligence of information and logic. Hence he decided to debate with the Master, gain victory over him and hence gain the large audience, to make himself greater again.

"Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Whoever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

He goes to the Master and challenges him. The challenge comes from his self centered mind. He says whoever respects you. The Master is not at for gaining respect, he does not need it. What he wants is the freedom, love and compassion to develop from those attracted towards him. A scholar or a priest is too much after respect. A slave of people's opinion. If people respects them they feel great else their mind and hearts are at great turmoil. Master's peace and strength of mind and heart is least affected by any disrespect shown to them. Now here was a challenge thrown with disrespect shown towards the master.

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said Bankei.

The master does not show any reaction towards the harsh challenge thrown at him, by a proud priest in presence of so many listeners. He remains cool, that is the strength that a master carries.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

The priest blinded by his arrogance and the ambition to win over the Master's audience pushes his way from the crowd. The ambition to get back his lost prestige, makes him push from the crowd. So many individuals is crowd for him. No respect or love for them flows through him, hence the pushing. Pushing his way through the mere crowd for his glory.

Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The Master smiles at him. Looking at the arrogance and disrespect shown towards him and individuals connected with him does not break the strength and silence and smile of His heart. And very softly he ask him to come over to his left side.

The priest obeyed.

The priest obeyed but was not at all aware of it. His mind was crowded with the thoughts and feelings of defeating the Master. To show to people and himself that he did not obey the master and was not a part of herd.

"No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

So naturally and coolly the masters asks him to step over on the other side where he was sitting. The master knew what he was doing and the proud priest totally unaware and blinded with pride was following what master asked him to do.

The priest proudly stepped over to the right.

"You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen."

The master gestures did not show that any challenge was faced. Unperturbed he points to the priest that he had been obeying him. There was no need of scholarly talks. Regardless of all the pride and arrogance shown by the priest, Master points him out the gentle quality in him that obeyed.

Since the title of the story is obedience the mind ponders a little more on the obedience

- Obedience brought about by love, gentleness and compassion is far better than Obedience brought about by harshness, ambition and glorying the self centered self

- There no way out of Obedience either obey the self burning qualities like anger, jealousy and greed or obey the love, compassion and togetherness.

More inspirational short stories to read online on this blog

Thursday, January 10, 2008

A Zen Story - Still Carrying Her

Obsessed

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.

As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"

"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."

This is a wonderful Zen Story, intact all Zen Stories amazes me for the fact that profound meanings are hidden in seemingly short simple stories.

This story about the two monks on the way. When they find a woman unable to cross the river and asking for help, the first one hesitate. He remembers the teachings of keeping himself away from woman. The other monk does not give much of the thought, lifts her up put her on the other side of the river and keeps moving.

The first monk though has not touched the woman physically is still not free of her and the thought of his friend breaking the laws harass him all the way. At last he could not hold it any longer and inquire about the same to is friend. The monk points out to him that he had left her long ago, but he is still carrying her.

The freedom of mind is important, it is more important that the mind is free, totally in the present moment gathering energy. It is very easy to be lost in the past or projected future and lose the energy, lose the present moment. Quite arduous to be free from the time, the past and the future, and be totally in the present.

A Zen Story - The Great Crossing

The Great Crossing

The Buddha said:

"A man beginning a long journey sees ahead a vast body of water. There is neither boat nor bridge. To escape the dangers of his present location, he constructs a raft of grass and branches. When he reaches the other side he realizes how useful the raft was and wonders if he should hoist it on his back and carry it with him forever. Now if he did this, would he be wise? Or, having crossed to safety, should he place the raft in a high dry location for someone else to use? This is the way I have taught the Dharma, the doctrine - for crossing, not for keeping. Cast aside every proper state of mind, oh monks - much less wrong ones - and remember well to leave the raft behind."

This parable told by Gautam Buddha was and is a caution for the truth aspiring seekers. Buddha indicates that the teachings of Dharma (religion), the doctrine should be used for transcending the mind and self. They are much useful for that purpose, once that is done, the work of doctrine the guidelines is over and should be left for other seekers. It would be unwise to carry it once the objective is achieved.

This reminds of Shirdi Sai Baba who used to suggest the reading of spiritual books to many and to some He used to say, "They people try to find Bhrahma (reality or God) in these books, but it is only Brahm (illusion) that they find.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Zen Story - I am awake - Lord Buddha

Following is a short story of Gautam Buddha. Since Zen is a product of Buddhism which traveled with Buddhist monks from India to China to Japan and Zen became popular in Japan. Most Zen master rather that giving teachings and discourses, would create conditions or use absurd looking techniques to awaken the disciple. Because meditation is not a process of learning, the way we understand learning, gathering information of mind. But it is to get awaken to the mind and self, and be aware of the working of mind and self which brings an understanding which cannot be conveyed through words. Words are just indicators to help the subject to reach a state of awareness in self.

Zen is creative. It brings about creativeness in ones self. The popularity of Zen is such that the word has taken the place in normal modern life with Zen accessories like Zen clock or Zen Alarm Clock, Zen Garden, Zen Furniture, Zen Mats.

Zen stories are not the fiction. These stories are the incidents which really happened with the Enlightened beings and the Zen Masters, who worked or answered the disciples in order to point to bring the awakening in the self. These short story can have a profound effect on the readers as they did to the listener, or might just pass away as an amusing, entertaining story, or even a meaningless story for some. The stories are there, Readers are free, what to take from these stories. However it is due to the profound meanings in these very short stories, these have been favorites for many. Books still gets printed telling these stories and one can find good resource online too.

Here is the story

"

It is said that when Buddha was first Enlightened he was asked,
"Are you a God?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you a saint?"
"No."
"Then what are you?"

And he answered, "I am awake." "

Lord Buddha did not answered in affirmation to the God, as the word God had already a meaning for the questioner. It had a meaning an idea of God, which essentially is not God. Buddha just gave him an indication which could make him realize, what God is ?

More inspirational short stories to read online on this blog

Monday, November 19, 2007

A Short Zen Story No Compassion

The following Short Zen Story, points to the progress of the one on the path of meditation.

"There was an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating.
Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.

To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. "Go and embrace him," she told her, "and then ask him suddenly: 'What now?'"

The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it.

"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."

The girl returned and related what he had said.

"To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!" exclaimed the old woman in anger. "He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain
your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he could have evidenced some compassion;"

She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down."

The Story starts with a old woman of China who wanted to support a monk. Zen originated from Buddhism in India. In India meditation is called Dhyan, one of the meaning of Dhyan can be consciousness or awareness. Buddhist monks were the one who where suppose to dedicated all their energies on Dhyan (Meditation) and thus unravel their true nature. The monks were free from the daily chores of life, like earning money as they are not suppose to hoard any money. They do not marry so they don't have the responsibilities to support wife and children, however they are expected to shoulder higher responsibilities to the society on whole by spreading love and compassion to the human kind on whole.

In return or for the inner or spiritual progress of these individuals, the house holders provides these monks (bhikhsus as called in India, Bhikshus comes from the word bhiksha which means begging, though not exactly begging as there is a differnce between ordinary beggar and a monk. The ordinary beggar is the one trying hard for worldly gains but have failed or just because he does not have means of success he begs for survival. The monk has his mind fixed on God or inner growth or transcendence of mind from selfish activities to selfless activities.)

So the old women with the good heart provides the monk with the basic needs of the monk that of food and shelter, so that he does not have to care anything else than the transcendence. This she did for twenty years.

After 20 years of providing the monk with small shelter to live in and the food, she wondered about the progress of the monk. The patience and the test that followed by the old lady shows, she was far more advanced than the monk.

To test the progress of the monk she sent a young girl rich in desire. It is generally known and accepted that the one who attains to the meditation is free from lust. This maxim was and is taken very seriously by the monks, and in attempt to win over the lust and the sexual passion, most of the time it was fought with by wrong means of making themselves dull. The one progressing in mediation is not supposed to be a dull good for nothing being, rather full with spiritual energies and love and compassion. It is not about controlling the mind, but the energy of consciousness or grace of the God working so much in him that the pleasure of physical vanes.

The girl rich in desire was sent to him was told to give him a passionate embrace, which she did. The response from the monk was to tell if is mind was getting charged with the higher energies of love, compassion and grace or was it being made dull.

"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."

The answer was not the sign of the mind getting charged with immense energy of compassion and love. The mind like a cold rock in winter with no warmth is no good. She got raged that no consideration was shown for her need, no disposition was shown to explain her condition and guide her to higher self. Showing of responding to her passion was not required , but compassion for her present state was what was expected from a monk dedicated totally to meditation for 20 years.

Alas, the old woman burnt down the hut of the monk. To feed him and shelter him for 20 years was a waste.

This story brings the remembrance of story that happened during the time of Lord Buddha. A disciple of Buddha was invited by a beautiful prostitute to stay at her home for one night so that she could get some spiritual benefit from his stay, the disciple on asking Lord Buddha for the permission was promptly denied. Another disciple whose mind was filled with immense energies of compassion, higher than that of lust was allowed to stay in the house of the same beautiful prostitute.

Not the comments on the stories are of the writer or author of this blog. Zen stories are short stories which reflects and points to the highest knowledge. And the comments or interpretations may vary from different readers. Readers are free to write their interpretation of these stories in the comments.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

A short Zen Story - Is That So?

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents very angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parents went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else the little one needed.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

This one is one of my favorite short Zen story, full with insight and inspiration. I have couple of books featuring only Zen stories and I love to read this one again and again.

The story starts with how Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as living a pure life. Certainly the neighbors did not find any faults in the Zen Master, as he lived the simple peaceful life and was not in anyway creating any disturbance in their life.

Then comes the part of society life, where a beautiful girl, daughter of food store owner, gets pregnant. Since she was not married, naturally it was topic of great disturbance and rage, for the parents and for the people. The girl was much coaxed for the name of the person responsible. The girl gave the name of peacfull and unattached Hakuin.

The anger in the parents worked and they rushed to Hakuin, it is not difficult what the anger might have made the parents behave with the great Zen Master. What was the Master's response to the behaviour from the anger? Is That So? was all that he replied. The answer must have been came from a cool, undisturbed state of being, not the least disturbed with the rude behavior, from the girl's parents.

After the child was born, as a thing and not a living being, small and fragile, it was got rid off, the plus point was it was taken to the master, as he was thought to be the owner of the child. How do we think we are the owner of the children? Is a question we must ask ourself.

And on the words of the girl, the Master had lost his reputation. Well, for this reputation most of the people shed their energy, people forget the love and the loved ones, the reputation which is so fragile and unworthy that, a girl's comment, make it lose for the great Master. The Master being aware of the unworthiness and the fragility of the reputation, was obviously undisturbed, with the fact.

He took great care of the child, much more than the real parents could have taken. The real parents have a thousand and one other matters to distract them, while the Master had nothing but the immense love, which was given to the child. Everything the little one needed was obtain from the same neighbors, to whom the reputation was lost. There was no ego, that could get hurt, while doing so for the little being.

After a year the natural tendency of a mother could not stand any longer. The call, to be with the soul which she carried in her womb made it's way, through the fear of society. She revealed that the child's father was not the Master, but a young man who worked in fish-market.

The parents of the girl on learning this, rushed to the master to get their heir, and apologized at lengths, to which the Master must have be oblivious. When loosing the reputation did not disturb the Master, so mus be the lengthy apologies did not bring about any change in him. Any one other form the neighborhood, might have felt a false sense of greatness, by lengthy apologies.

The Master as cool as ever, returned the child with the magical words Is that So? Not for a moment his hands were shaken that the child whom he raised with greatest of care and love was taken away from him.

Indeed this three words. Is That So? can bring about a great transformation in human beings.

Friday, August 3, 2007

A Zen story empty your cup

This is a beautiful animation of Zen Story called Empty your cup.

A seeker of truth goes to a Zen Master. The seeker's head was full with ideas about the truth, life, spirituality. It was read by the The Zen Master's eyes.

The Zen master started pouring the tea in the cup, he continued to pour the tea even after the cup was full and the tea began to spill over from the cup. The seeker on seeing this pointed out to the Zen Master that cup was full and the pouring more tea was pointless.

To this the Master replied, "Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Indicating that unless one goes with the calm and attentive mind free from ideas, the master cannot help.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Is That So - A Zen Story

Lao Tzu, traditionally the author of the Tao Te Ching (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is that so?"
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.
For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin said as he handed them the child.

You might like A very similar Taoist story called Maybe with the same moral.

You might enjoy some Zen quotes sayings and koans in following video from youtube.

May Be (A short Zen Story)

"Golden girl" – Horses (unknown breed, Isabelle or Palomino coloured): Mare with a foal, somewhere in Surrey, UK (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. "Such bad luck," they said sympathetically. "May be," the farmer replied. The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. "How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed. "May be," replied the old man. The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. "May be," answered the farmer. The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. "May be," said the farmer.

Prosperity A Zen Story

A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that could encourage the prosperity of his family for years to come. It would be something that the family could cherish for generations. On a large piece of paper, the master wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."

The rich man became angry when he saw the master's work. "I asked you to write something down that could bring happiness and prosperity to my family. Why do you give me something depressing like this?"

"If your son should die before you," the master answered, "this would bring unbearable grief to your family. If your grandson should die before your son, this also would bring great sorrow. If your family, generation after generation, disappears in the order I have described, it will be the natural course of life. This is true happiness and prosperity."

Sounds of Silence - A Zen Short Story

Four monks decided to meditate silently without speaking for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day, the candle began to flicker and then went out. The first monk said, "Oh, no! The candle is out." The second monk said, "Aren't we not suppose to talk?" The third monk said, "Why must you two break the silence?" The fourth monk laughed and said, "Ha! I'm the only one who didn't speak."

Full Awareness A Zen Story

After ten years of apprenticeship, Tenno achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in, the master greeted him with a question, "Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?"

"Yes," Tenno replied.

"Tell me," the master continued, "did you place your umbrella to the left of your shoes, or to the right?"

Tenno did not know the answer, and realized that he had not yet attained full awareness. So he became Nan-in's apprentice and studied under him for ten more years.

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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Related Short Inspirational and Spiritual Stories

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Monday, November 19, 2007

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Friday, August 3, 2007

Thursday, May 10, 2007

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