Zen Stories

KickChick · Black Belt

I really like this one!

A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students,Why are you riding your bicycles?

The first student replied, The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back! The teacher praised the first student, You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do.

The second student replied, I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path! The teacher commended the second student, Your eyes are open, and you see the world.

The third student replied, When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo. The teacher gave praise to the third student, Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel.

The fourth student replied, Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings.The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, You are riding on the golden path of non-harming.

The fifth student replied, I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle. The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, I am your student!

LeaF · Black Belt

Great one KickChick, heres another...

A Zen master out for a walk with one of his students points out a fox chasing a rabbit. According to an ancient fable, the rabbit will get away from the fox, the master said. Not so replied the student. The fox is faster but the rabbit will elude him insisted the master. Why are you so certain?, asked the student. Because the fox is running for his dinner and the rabbit is running for his life replied the master.
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Goju Ryu Karate-do and Okinawan Kobudo, 17 Years Old 1st kyu Brown Belt in in Goju Ryu Karate-do, & Shodan in Okinawan Kobudo
Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both....and surpass the result.
I AM CANADIAN

diamondick · Orange Belt

Really enjoyed it.
There are very weird ones out there were the masters are not so kind, they strike their students after each question has been answered.

LeaF · Black Belt

here is another

A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. "I'd like to improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you, I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What do you think of this idea?"
"The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither one."
_________________
Goju Ryu Karate-do and Okinawan Kobudo, 17 Years Old 1st kyu Brown Belt in in Goju Ryu Karate-do, & Shodan in Okinawan Kobudo
Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both....and surpass the result.
I AM CANADIAN

LeaF · Black Belt

here is 2 more I just found....

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!" Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target. "You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his
challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

An old man stooped by age and hard work was gathering sticks in the forest. As he hobbled painfully along, he began to feel sorry for himself. With a hopeless gesture he throw his bundle of sticks upon the ground and groaned"Life is too hard, I cannot bear it any longer, If only death would come and take me." Even as those words were out of his mouth, death in the form of a skeleton in a black robe stood before him. "I heard you call me sir." he said, "what can I do for you?" "please sir" replied the old man, "could you please help me put this bundle of sticks back on my shoulder again"
_________________
Goju Ryu Karate-do and Okinawan Kobudo, 17 Years Old 1st kyu Brown Belt in in Goju Ryu Karate-do, & Shodan in Okinawan Kobudo
Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both....and surpass the result.
I AM CANADIAN

LeaF · Black Belt

The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he thought to himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"

There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"
"Bed... hard..." said the monk.
"I see," replied the head monk.
Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?"
"Food... stinks..." said the monk.
"I see," replied the head monk.
Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, "What are your two words now, after these ten years?"
"I... quit!" said the monk.
"Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is complain."
_________________
Goju Ryu Karate-do and Okinawan Kobudo, 17 Years Old 1st kyu Brown Belt in in Goju Ryu Karate-do, & Shodan in Okinawan Kobudo
Given enough time, any man may master the physical. With enough knowledge, any man may become wise. It is the true warrior who can master both....and surpass the result.
I AM CANADIAN

ZeRo · Black Belt

i love all those storys. some very full of wisdom and some funny. keep them comeing.

Radok · Brown Belt

Zen sure is strange. Whoever invented it must have been a little awkward.
_________________
If you can't laugh at yourself, there's no point. No point in what, you might ask? there's just no point.

Many people seem to take Karate to get a Black Belt, rather than getting a Black Belt to learn Karate.

Martial_Artist · Pre-Black Belt

A young man searched long for a martial arts master. He found the master by a river one day meditating. The young man approached him and asked to be taught. The master asked, "How badly do you want to learn?" The student replied, "Oh, very much master, I want to learn very badly." The master answered, "I see."
The master waded into the river and bade the young man to follow. Standing together waist deep in the water the master took the young man by his head and forced him under water. The young man struggled and fought hard to break the master's grip and stand up, but he couldn't. When the master was certain the young man had had enough he let him out of the water and stated, "When you want to learn as badly as you wanted to breathe; return."
_________________
"I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my imagination.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." Einstein

Aikidoka · Orange Belt

Three more:

Nine years had passed and Bodhidharma now wished to return westward to India. He called his disciples and said: The time has now come. Why does not each one of you say what you have attained?
The disciple Tao-fu replied: As I see it, it neither adheres to words or letters nor is it separate from them. Yet it functions as the Way.
The Master said: You have attained my skin.
Then a nun, Tsung-chih, spoke: As I understand, it is like is like the auspicious glimpse of the Buddha land of Aksobhya; it is seen once, but not a second time.
The Master replied: You have attained my flesh.
Tao-yu said: The four great elements are originally empty: the five skandhas have no existence . According to my belief, there is no Dharma to be grasped.
To him the Master replied: You have attained my bones.
Finally, there was Huike. He bowed respectfully and stood silent.
The Master said: You have attained my marrow.

A monk had come to see Kuei-tsung and after a very brief stay was making his departure. Kuei-tsung said, Where are you going? The monk replied, Im going all over the place learning the five flavours of Zen.
Kuei-tsung said, Yes, there are five flavours of Zen in various places, but here I have only one.
The monk asked, And what may be your one-flavoured Zen? Kuei-tsung struck him. The monk said, I understand! I understand! Kuei-tsung said, Tell me what! Tell me what! And as the monk began to speak, Kuei-tsung struck him again.

A monk came from Ting-chous assembly to Wu-chiu, who said to him, What do you find in Ting-chous teaching? Is there anything different from what you find here?
The monk said, Nothing different,
Wu-chiu said, If there is nothing different, why dont you go back there? and he hit him with his stick.
The monk said, If your stick had eyes to see, you would not strike me like that.
Wu-chiu said, Today I have come across a monk, and he gave him three more blows.
The monk went out. Wu-chiu called after him and said, One may receive unfair blows.
The monk turned back and said, To my regret the stick is in your hand.
Wu-chiu said, If you need it I will let you have it.
The monk went up to Wu-chiu, seized his stick, and gave him three blows with it.
Wu-chiu said, Unfair blows! Unfair blows!
The monk said, One may receive them.
Wu-chiu said, I hit this one too casually.
The monk made bows.
Wu-chiu said, Monk! Is that how you take leave?
The monk laughed aloud and went out.
Wu-chiu said, Thats it! Thats it!

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