zen-women

When the nun Chiyono studied Zen under Bukko of Engaku she was unable to attain the fruits of meditation for a long time. At last one moonlit night she was carrying water in an old pail bound with bamboo. The bamboo broke and the bottom fell out of the pail, and at that moment Chiyono […]

eye for an eye

  Fran the Frog was the best chef in the whole swamp, and all the toads and frogs of the region enjoyed coming to her very select restaurant. Her ‘Flies in spicy bug sauce’ and her ‘Caramelised dragon flies wings with honey of bee’ were the kind of delicacies that every self-respecting frog should try; […]

the birdcage

A man was on the side of the road with a large birdcage. A boy noticed that the cage was full of birds of many kinds. “Where did you get those birds?” he asked. “Oh, all over the place,” the man replied. “I lure them with crumbs, pretend I’m their friend then when they are […]

the power of words

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Thousand Words Last night, the wife, my little 9 year old daughter and I watched the movie, “A Thousand Words.” I was taken by the movie’s ‘zen’ appeal and of course ‘Eddie Murphy’s’ comic charm. Even my lil girl laughed and loved the movie that was charming and filled with a wonderful message of, “the […]

What’s important to you?

A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan.  It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with people.  Cars were honking their horns, taxicabs were squealing around corners, sirens were blaring, and the sounds of the city were almost deafening. Suddenly, the […]

handsome is as handsome does

Handsome is as handsome does Every morning, before leaving his home, the great philosopher Socrates used to stand in front of a mirror and gaze attentively at his reflection for several minutes.   One day, a disciple came upon him doing this, and was unable to suppress a smile at the sight of his master […]

Unity

Once, an old man was very ill and lay dying in his bed. He had four sons who were al­ways fighting with each other. He always worried about them and wanted to teach them a lesson and asked his sons to come to him. When they came, the old man gave them a bundle of […]

zen masters (3 tales)

The Emperor asked Master Gudo, “What happens to a man of enlightenment after death?” “How should I know?” replied Gudo. “Because you are a master,” answered the Emperor. “Yes sir,” said Gudo, “but not a dead one.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The master walked with his disciples. He taught using questions full of content, riddles that kept within […]

Fireflies and inch worms

There were two fireflies buzzing around the woods one night. One claimed it was enlightenend because of its ability to shine in the darkness. The other was a clown/comedian, always laughing and playing, saying, “My butts on fire,” or “Lightening struck my back side.” The two fireflies happened upon a cabin in the woods and lighted […]

stop and smell the roses

In our busy, hustle and bustled busy lives we tend to forget to stop and smell the roses. To stop for a moment and live in the NOW! “To live in a painting,” is what I call the moment where I remember to look up and see the clouds in all their glory for this […]