Buddhist Anecdotes
Everything Changes
During a Q&A session a student said to master Roshi he’d been listening to his lectures for years but couldn't understand. So he asked Roshi to reduce Buddhism to one phrase. "Everything changes," Roshi said. Then Roshi asked for another question. Being aware of the ever-changing nature of reality and appreciating the present leads to peace in everyday life.
6 Awesome Zen Stories That Will Teach You Important Life Lessons
Empty Your Cup
A university professor researching Zen sought master Nan-in, who served him tea. Nan-in poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!” “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?”
Non-Judgment
A farmer was consoled by his neighbors who claimed it was bad luck his horse ran away. The farmer replied “Maybe.” The horse returned with more horses, so his neighbors said it was luck. The farmer said “Maybe.” Later a horse broke his son leg and the neighbors said it was a misfortune. The farmer said “Maybe.” The next day his son escaped conscription thanks to his broken leg and the neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out. The farmer said “Maybe.” Time goes on and good and bad are two sides of the same coin. Being aware of this allows us to find peace and happiness.
Right And Wrong
A meditation pupil was caught stealing. Master Bankei ignored the case. It happened again and Bankei disregarded it. The other pupils, angered, said they would leave if the thief wasn’t expelled. Bankei said they could leave for they already knew right from wrong but he would keep the thief, as he was the one who really needed help. Hearing that brought the thief to tears and vanquished his desire to steal. We are often too quick to punish , forgetting some just need to be shown the right path. Being compassionate is hard but the alternative is guaranteed to perpetuate negative behavior.
Be The Boss
A man came on a horse galloping down the road. Another man asked him where he was going. The rider answered to ask the horse as he didn’t knew. The horse symbolizes our habits , often established not by our intentional actions, but by our surroundings and mindless activity. The question is supposed to make us reflect on our actions and prompt us to be more proactive.
Watch Yourself
A master acrobat would walk around while balancing in his head a bamboo pole where his pupil stood on. One day, the teacher said they should watch each other to help maintain concentration and balance. The pupil answered :" I think it would be better for each of us to watch ourself. To look after oneself means to look after both of us." Taking care of yourself is important in order to take care of others.
Cliffhanger
One day a man stumbled upon a tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As he hung there, 2 mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
10 Short Zen Stories
It Will Pass
A student went to his meditation teacher and said, “My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I’m constantly falling asleep. It’s just horrible!” “It will pass,” the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his teacher. “My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It’s just wonderful!’ “It will pass,” the teacher replied matter-of-factly.
Moving Mind
2 men were arguing about a flag flapping in the wind. One thought the flag was moving the other thought the wind was moving. A Zen master, who was walking by, overheard the debate and said: “Neither the flag nor the wind is moving,” he said, “It is MIND that moves.”
Time to Die
Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. Once, he broke his teacher's teacup. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him and asked the teacher why did people have to die. The teacher answered that everything has to die and has just so long to live. Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: “It was time for your cup to die.”
The Other Side
A young Buddhist on a journey pondered for hours on how to cross a wide river he came upon. As he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river and yelled asking how he could get to the other side. The teacher ponders for a moment looks up and down the river and yells back, “My son, you are on the other side”.
The Gates of Paradise
A soldier named Nobushige asked Hakuin if heaven and hell were real. Hakuin answered with provocations until the soldier drew his sword. As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: “Here open the gates of hell!” At these words the samurai, perceiving the master’s discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed. “Here open the gates of paradise,” said Hakuin.
A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master , received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor said. “It is overfull. No more will go in!” “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?”
The Moon Cannot Be Stolen
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived a simple life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain . One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal. Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may have come a long way to visit me and you shoud not return emptyhanded. Please take my clothes as a gift.” The thief was bewildered but took the clothes. Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon.”
Working Very Hard
A martial arts student went to his teacher and asked how long it would take to master his system. The teacher answered 10 years. The student got impatient and said he would work hard and practice many hours everyday. The teacher pondered and said: “20 years.”
A Useless Life
An old farmer that couldn’t work anymore spent days sitting on the porch. His son, still working the farm, got so aggravated that his father was useless, that he built a wood coffin and told his father to get in. The son closed and dragged the coffin to a high cliff , where he heard a tapping on the lid and opened it up. Peacefully lying there, the father said: “Throw me over the cliff, if you like, but save the coffin. Your children might need to use it.”
The Power Of Choice
Our thoughts can become our worst enemy if we let them. Think about how you may be “feeding” your negative thoughts by allowing them to rule your mind. If you analyze what a negative thought is doing for you, you will find that it often is disempowering you . You can immediately feel more empowered by focusing on something good in your life and cultivating the practice of gratitude.
Two Wolves - Virtues For Life
The Cherokee Indian Legend Of Two Wolves
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. He tells him a fight between two wolfs rages inside him, and in every other person too. One wolf is filled with good emotions and another filled with negative ones. The youth asks which will win. The old man answers: “The one you feed.”
Counteracting Negative Thoughts
If negative thinking becomes incessant, it can lead to depression and self-destructive behavior . At minimum, negative thinking saps our energy, erodes our self-confidence and can put us in a bad mood. Certainly, many would agree that our thoughts come and go so quickly that it’s seems impossible to notice them, but with awareness and an attitude of self-compassion, we can redirect our negative thoughts to more positive ones.
The Parable Of The Burning House
A fire broke out in the house of a wealthy man. He tried to warn the children inside the burning house but they were too absorbed in their games to pay attention to him or the flames. Then, the wealthy man shouted there were incredible toys outside. And the children rushed out. Relieved, the wealthy man gave the kids even better toys than the ones he had mentioned.
Burning House Parable - Lotus Sutra
The meaning behind the parable of the Burning House
The father is the Buddha and sentient beings are the children. The Burning House represents the world burning with the fires of old age, sickness and death. The teachings of the Buddha are like the father getting the kids to leave their pleasures for a greater pleasure, Nirvana.
A Story Of Buddha
An old devotee of Lord Rama was close to his death. He heard of Buddha and wanted confirmation on God’s existence. Buddha, knowing the man was a devotee, said there was no God. Later a devout atheist who dedicated many years to spreading the atheist message came to Buddha and asked if there was a God. Buddha, knowing that man was an atheist, said firmly that there was a God.
Does God Exist? a story from Buddha's life
The meaning behind Story of Buddha
Atheism and theism are equally useless, one has to realize the truth in himself with diligent self-effort. Buddha had told both men what they needed to know in order to get stronger on their spiritual quest.
Be A Lion Not A Dog
Dada Vaswani when he was a small boy asked a monk to give him some wisdom. The monk advised "My child, Be a Lion, not a dog. - When you throw a ball in front of the dog, it will run after the ball. When you throw something at the Lion its attention is still on you, not on the object you throw. It will be waiting to grab hold of you. Always focus on the source, not the incidents, not the effects. Go to the source ".
Be a Lion not a dog: a Story told by Dada Vaswani
Religions and storytelling
Religions from all over the world have used storytelling as a medium to convey their messages of wisdom. One such religion is Buddhism, which for centuries has used parables, anecdotes, fables and tales to help people develop awareness by offering them enlightening insights and moral life lessons. This culminates in the teachings of Zen Buddhism, a tradition famous for using short stories extensively to arise in Buddhist monks and students a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of reality.