101 Zen Stories

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. This Zen classic includes the following stories: 1. A Cup of Tea 2. Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road 3. Is That So? 4. Obedience 5. If You Love, Love Openly 6. No Loving-Kindness 7. Annoucement 8. Great Waves 9. The Moon Cannot Be Stolen 10. The Last Poem of Hoshin 11. The Story of Shunkai 12. Happy Chinaman 13. A Buddha 14. Muddy Road 15. Shoan and His Mother 16. Not Far From Buddhahood 17. Stingy in Teaching 18. A Parable 19. The First Principle 20. A Mother’s Advice 21. The Sound of One Hand 22. My Heart Burns Like Fire 23. Eshun’s Departure 24. Reciting Sutras 25. Three Days More 26. Trading Dialogue For Lodging 27. The Voice of Happiness 28. Open Your Own Treasure House 29. No Water, No Moon 30. Calling Card 31. Everything is Best 32. Inch Time Foot Gem 33. Mokusen’s Hand 34. A Smile in His Lifetime 35. Every-Minute Zen 36. Flower Shower 37. Publishing the Sutras 38. Gisho’s Work 39. Sleeping in the Daytime 40. In Dreamland 41. Joshu’s Zen 42. The Dead Man’s Answer 43. Zen in a Beggar’s Life 44. The Thief Who Became a Disciple 45. Right and Wrong 46. How Grass and Trees Become Enlightened 47. The Stingy Artist 48. Accurate Proportion 49. Black-Nosed Buddha 50. Ryonen’s Clear Realization 51. Sour Miso 52. Your Light May Go Out 53. The Giver Should Be Thankful 54. The Last Will and Testament 55. The Tea-Master and The Assassin 56. The True Path 57. The Gates of Paradise 58. Arresting the Stone Buddha 59. Soldiers of Humanity 60. The Tunnel 61. Gudo and the Emperor 62. In the Hands of Destiny 63. Killing 64. Kasan Sweat 65. The Subjugation of a Ghost 66. Children of His Majesty 67. What Are You Doing! What Are You Saying! 68. One Note of Zen 69. Eating the Blame 70. The Most Valuable Thing in the World 71. Learning to Be Silent 72. The Blockhead Lord 73. Ten Successors 74. True Reformation 75. Temper 76. The Stone Mind 77. No Attachment to Dust 78. Real Prosperity 79. Incense Burner 80. The Real Miracle 81. Just Go to Sleep 82. Nothing Exists 83. No Work, No Food 84. True Friends 85. Time to Die 86. The Living Buddha and the Tubmaker 87. Three Kinds of Disciples 88. How to Write a Chinese Poem 89. Zen Dialogue 90. The Last Rap 91. The Taste of Banzo’s Sword 92. Fire-Poker Zen 93. Storyteller’s Zen 94. Midnight Excursion 95. A Letter to a Dying Man 96. A Drop of Water 97. Teaching the Ultimate 98. Non-Attachment 99. Tosui’s Vinegar 100. The Silent Temple 101. Buddha’s Zen

This is a new release of the original 1940 edition.

"It has stayed with me for the last 30 years, a classic portraying Zen mind to our linear thinking." --Phil Jackson, Head Coach of the Chicago Bulls and author of Sacred Hoops Zen Flesh, Zen Bones offers a collection of accessible, primary Zen sources so that readers can contemplate the meaning of Zen for themselves. Within the pages, readers will find: 101 Zen Stories, a collection of tales that recount actual experiences of Chinese and Japanese Zen teachers over a period of more than five centuries The Gateless Gate, the famous thirteenth-century collection of Zen koans Ten Bulls, a twelfth century commentary on the stages of awareness leading to enlightenment Centering, a 4,000 year-old teaching from India that some consider to be the roots of Zen. When Zen Flesh, Zen Bones was published in 1957, it became an instant sensation with an entire generation of readers who were just beginning to experiment with Zen. Over the years it has inspired leading American Zen teachers, students, and practitioners. Its popularity is as high today as ever.

Buddhist parables for children.

Abraham Lincoln once asked one of his secretaries, "If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a horse have?". "Five," replied the secretary. "No," said the President, "The answer is four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg." _____ A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep it was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. She fell down and died. The other frog continued to jump as hard as she could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at her to stop the pain and just die. Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku. Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do...

A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted! 101 Zen Koans for Daily Zen What is a koan? A kōan is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and test a student's progress in Zen practice. Wriitten late in the thirteenth century by the Japanese Zen teacher Muju, and from anecdotes of Zen monks taken from various books published in Japan around the turn of the 20th century TIP: Take time to ponder and read at a leisurely pace

In The Gateless Gate, one of modern Zen Buddhism's uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the Mumonkan, one of Zen's greatest collections of teaching stories. This translation was compiled with the Western reader in mind, and includes Koan Yamada's clear and penetrating comments on each case. Yamada played a seminal role in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West from Japan, going on to be the head of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Community. The Gateless Gate would be invaluable if only for the translation and commentary alone, yet it's loaded with extra material and is a fantastic resource to keep close by: An in-depth Introduction to the History of Zen Practice Lineage charts Japanese-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-Japanese conversion charts for personal names, place names, and names of writings Plus front- and back-matter from ancient and modern figures: Mumon, Shuan, Kubota Ji'un, Taizan Maezumi, Hugo Enomiya-Lasalle, and Yamada Roshi's son, Masamichi Yamada. A wonderful inspiration for the koan practitioner, and for those with a general interest in Zen Buddhism.

Zen tales are a unique and powerful form of storytelling that originated in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Typically short and straightforward, the Zen tales convey complex philosophical and spiritual messages in a way that is accessible and relatable to people of all ages and backgrounds. One of the most distinctive features of Zen tales is their use of paradox and humour. Many of these stories involve unexpected twists and turns that challenge people's assumptions and invite them to see things differently. Another principal theme in Zen tales is the idea of non-dualism, which is the belief that all things are interconnected and interdependent. Many of these stories emphasise the importance of seeing beyond surface appearances and recognising the fundamental unity of all things. Overall, Zen tales are a powerful tool for spiritual and philosophical exploration and offer valuable insights into the nature of reality and the human experience. Whether read as a form of entertainment or serving as a guide for spiritual growth, the Zen tales inspire and challenge people around the world. In this book, the readers will discover 101 famous Zen tales of all time that will ignite their souls with enlightenment.