Interesting/Inspirational Stories, Proverb and Saying

All these stories help me understand about life. I never get bored reading them again and again. Though some were not from Zen/Buddhism but I think they very interesting too. Different people will interpret the stories differently and I certainly hope they help you too.

The great Buddhist saint Nagarjuna moved around naked except for a loincloth and, incongruously, a golden begging bowl gifted to him by the King, who was his disciple.

One night he was about to lie down to sleep among the ruins of an ancient monastery when he noticed a thief lurking behind one of the columns. "Here, take this," said Nagarjuna, holding out the begging bowl. "That way you won't disturb me once I have fallen asleep."

The thief eagerly grabbed the bowl and made off -- only to return next morning with the bowl and a request. He said, "When you gave away this bowl so freely last night, you made me feel very poor. Teach me how to acquire the riches that make this kind of light-hearted detachment possible."

My Reaction:
How I wish I can detachment from this materialistic world;)

To embrace all is to be selfless - Lao Tzu

The perfect man has no self; the spiritual man has no achievement; the sage has no name. - Chuang Tzu

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. - Buddha

Even if a fool lived with a wise man all his life, he would still not recognise
the truth, like a wooden spoon cannot recognise the flavour of the soup. -
Gautama Buddha"

All fear violence, all are afraid of death. Seeing the similarity to oneself,
one should not use violence or have it used. - Gautama Buddha

Do not think lightly of evil that not the least consequence will come of it. A
whole waterpot will fill up from dripping drops of water. A fool fills himself
with evil, just a little at a time. - Gautama Buddha

The Secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.- Buddha

Conceit of Views

The Buddha said, "To be attached to a certain view and to look down upon other views as inferior - this the wise call a fetter."

From the Sutta Nipata, Translated by K. R. Norman
(Book: Teaching of the Buddha, Edited By Jack Kornfield)

Is that so?

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.  

People's View
No matter what your reputation is, no matter how much your virtue is praised, because it depends on the opinions of others, it does not reflect the Real You.

Truth is what you make it. In a Society Truth is what most of the people think it is -- or is it ?

People saying something does not make it true...Knowing yourself is the most importent thing.

My ViewThough admitting to accusation would without doubt jeopardize his reputation, the Master willing take full responsibility in order to protect the baby.

ADMONISHING OTHERS

One who is brought to admonish another must realize herself or himself five qualities before doing so. [he or she must intend] thus: "In due season will I speak, not out of season. In truth will I speak, not in falsehood. Gently will I speak, not harshly. To one's profit will I speak, not to one's loss. With kindly intent will I speak, not in anger."

Adapted from the Vinaya Pitaka, Translated by F.L. Woodward
Book Title: Teaching of the Buddha
Edited By: Jack Kornfield

Agul

lyhmsia,

Please do not stop posting this beautiful stories...



It's okay if you just want to put some time gap between them btw.

It can be bedtime stories also. So, we have a collection of Zen stories is this board. Saves time from searching. Also got people can explain if there's problem understanding.

Once a group of beggars afflicted with leprosy came to the assembly of Zen master Bankei, a great-hearted
teacher of the masses. Bankei admitted them to his company, and when he initiated them, he even washed
and shaved their heads with his own hands.

Now as it happened, there was a certain gentleman present, the representative of a baron who had faith in
Bankei and had already built a temple in his province where the teacher could train disciples and lecture to
the people.

Revolted by the sight of the Zen master shaving the heads of untouchables, the gentleman hurriedly brought
a basin of water for Bankei to wash his hands. But the master refused, remarking, "Your disgust is filthier than
their sores."

An old man says he complained only once in all his life -- when his feet were bare and he had no money to buy shoes.

Then he saw a happy man who had no feet. And he never complained again.

Settan once wrote a set of guidlines for Zen monasteries:

"An ancient said that Zen study requires three essentials. One is a great root of faith. The second is a great
feeling of wonder. The third is great determination. If one of these is lacking, you are like a tripod missing a
leg. "Here I have no special stipulations. I only require that you clearly recognize that everyone has an essential
nature that can be perceived, and that there is an essential truth that everyone can penetrate; only then will
your determination continue. And there are sayings at which to wonder. If people go off half aware and half
awakened, they cannot really succed in Zen. It is imperative to be careful and thoroughgoing."

Source: Zen Antics

I love this poem a lot and I hope you guys/gal love it too.
Please Call Me by My True Name

by Thich Nhat Hahn

Do not say that I will depart tomorrow
because even today I still arrive


Look deeply: I arrive in every second
to be a bud on a spring branch
to be a tiny bird, with wings still so fragile
learning to sing in my new nest
to be a caterpillar in the heart of flower
to be a jewel hiding itself in stone


I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry,
in order to fear and to hope,
the rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that are alive.


I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river,
and I am the bird which, when spring comes, arrives in time to eat the mayfly.


I am the frog swimming happily in the clear water of the pond,
and I am also the grass-snake who,
approaching in silence, feeds itself on the frog.


I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,
my legs as thin as bamboo sticks,
and I am the arms merchant selling deadly weapons to Uganda.


I am the 12 year old girl, refugee on a small boat,
who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate,
and I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving


I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands,
and I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood" to my people,
dying slowly in a forced labour camp.


My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom in all walks of life.
My pain is like a river of tears, so full it fills up the four oceans.


Please call me by my true names,
so I can hear all my cries and my laughs at once,
so I can see that my joy and pain are one.


Please call me by my true names,
so I can wake up,
and so the door of my heart can be left open,
the door of compassion.

A wise Zen frog was explaining to the younger frogs the balance of nature:
"Do you see how that fly eats a gnat? And now (with a bite) I eat the fly. It
is all part of the great scheme of things."
"Isn't it bad to kill in order to live?" asked the thoughtful frog.
"It depends . . ." answered the wise frog just as a snake swallowed the Zen
frog in one chomp before the frog finished his sentence.
"Depends on what?" shouted the students.
"Depends on whether you're looking at things from the inside or outside,"
came the muffled response from inside the snake.

Traveler: "What kind of weather are we going to have today?"

Shepherd: "The kind of weather I like."

Traveler: "How do you know it will be the kind of weather you like?"

Shepherd: "Having found out, sir, that I cannot always get what I like, I have learned to always like what I get. So I am quite sure we will have the kind of weather I like."

The Fir Tree & The Bramble
An Aesop's Fable

Deep in a lush, green forest, a tall fir tree stood beside a twisted, thorny bramble. One day it grandly said to the thorny bush, "Bush, if you had one wish in all this wide world, wouldn't you rather be a tall, straight fir tree like me?"

"No," said the twisted bush, "Just like you, I'm proud of what I am. Besides, I wouldn't take the gamble. When the woodcutter comes to cut tall, straight firs, wouldn't you rather be a bramble?"

The Lion & The Rabbit
A Fable from India

The animals of the forest made a bargain with a ferocious lion who killed for pleasure. It was agreed that one animal each day would willingly come to the ferocious lion's den to be his supper and, in turn, the lion would never hunt again. The first to go to the lion's den was a timid rabbit, who went slowly.

"Why are you late?" the lion roared when the rabbit arrived.

"I'm late because of the other lion," said the rabbit.

"In my jungle? Take me to this other lion."

The rabbit led the lion to a deep well and told him to look in. The lion saw his own reflection in the water and roared! The sound of his roar bounced right back at him as an echo.

"I alone am king of this jungle," he roared again.

His echo answered him, "I alone am king of this jungle."

With that, the lion became so enraged, he charged into the deep well with a great splash! The lion attacked his own reflection and was never heard from again.

The Boatman
A Sufi Story from the Middle East

A scholar asked a boatman to row him across the river. The journey was long and slow. The scholar was bored. "Boatman," he called out, "Let's have a conversation." Suggesting a topic of special interest to himself, he asked, "Have you ever studied phonetics or grammar?"

"No," said the boatman, "I've no use for those tools."

"Too bad," said the scholar, "You've wasted half your life. It's useful to know the rules."

Later, as the rickety boat crashed into a rock in the middle of the river, the boatman turned to the scholar and said, "ardon my humble mind that to you must seem dim, but, wise man, tell me, have you ever learned to swim?"

"No," said the scholar, "I've never learned. I've immersed myself in thinking."

"In that case," said the boatman, "you've wasted all your life. Alas, the boat is sinking."

Though these stories are from other sources but from my perception they are very much related to Buddhist teaching.

My Opinion:
We constantly read buddhist literature or chanting but never put Buddha's teaching into practice or seek deeper understanding of the Dharma. Thus, we're still unable to realize the truth.

[ Last edited by lyhmsia on 1-7-2004 at 09:23 PM ]