Zen Stories

When Bear returned from getting his lunch and marking the boundaries of his territory, Girl was again asleep in the rocking chair. One hand was trailing down the side, her head lolled against a shoulder, and she was drooling slightly. He stopped to look at her, and again shook his head. “Poor kid.” He gently picked her up and carried her into the great room of the cabin. She stirred, smiled, leaned her head against his ch...

Once upon a time, there was a very ill-tempered woman. She could rage over a silly little thing always. She understood that was wrong. She consulted a Zen Master for improvement one day.   The Zen Master led her into a room after he listened to her distress. He locked the door up and walked away without saying a word. She had lost her mind completely in a flash. She jumped and screamed for a very long time. Then, she shou...

I, as Teishu, invite him in  to our tea house for chanoyu slide the newly papered shojis  leftward two thirds, with the left and the remainder with my right hand having prepared already  the zen garden outside carefully raking the sands in waves  breaking 'round each island itself a cleansing, calming act a light course of stone soup, made in advance have swept the heavy cedar beams and steps and bathed in deep hot spring...

I once read, probably in Trout Fishing In America, or maybe in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, or maybe I didn't read it at all; maybe I just thought it, and thought I must have read somewhere that the art of Zen is not to think about God while peeling potatoes. The art of Zen is just to peel the potatoes. I know I read in Time Enough For Love , by R.A.Heinlein, "...take big bites. Moderation is for monks."And...

My knees began to wobbleas I heard your final gobbleand the ax came down and severed off your head.I knew you had a brotherand a father and a motherbut I chose to see you just as food instead.It must be so unnervingknowing you will be a servingand that being eaten is your final fate!It must be quite distressingknowing that with some brown dressingyou will be a meal on someone’s plate.But come the morning afterwhen there w...

“It is better to travel in hope than to arrive..”I heard this quote from a thoughtful man who had heard it in the past. He apparently was well traveled, as the quote had an Eastern cast. It suggests that unlike in the West where we emphasize the goal, perhaps enjoying the honest attempt would be better for our soul. If I only think of arrival and concentrate on the trip’s end, a straight line gets me there fastest. I want...