4 Delightful Short Zen Stories About Women & Love!

Reading stories is my all time favorite hobbies. I read a lot of short stories
and I am sharing a few best Zen stories I have been reading recently.

1. Carrying A Woman!
Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy
rain was still falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk kimono and sash,
unable to cross the intersection.

"Come on, girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her
over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging
temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself.

"We monks don't do near females," he told Tanzan, "especially not young and
lovely
ones. It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"

2. If You Love, Love Openly

Twenty monks and one nun, who was named Eshun, were practicing
meditation with a certain Zen master.

Eshun was very pretty even though her head was shaved and her dress plain.

Several monks secretly fell in love with her. One of them wrote her a love
letter, insisting upon a private meeting.

Eshun did not reply. The following day the master gave a lecture to the group,
and when it was over, Eshun arose. Addressing the one who had written her,
she said: "If you really love me so much, come and embrace me now."

3. Too Much Love

An aged monk, who had lived a long and active life, was assigned a
chaplain's role at an academy for girls. In discussion groups he often found
that the subject of love became a central topic.

This comprised his warning to the young women: "Understand the danger of
anything-too-much in your lives. Too much anger in combat can lead to
recklessness and death. Too much ador in religious beliefs can lead to close
mindedness and persecution. Too much passion in love creates dream images
of the beloved - images that ultimately prove false and generate anger. To
love too much is to lick honey from the point of a knife."

"But as a celebate monk," asked one young woman, "how can you know of
love between a man and a woman?"

"Sometime, dear children," replied the old teacher, "I will tell you why I
became a monk."

4. Change!
A Chinese emperor known for his foul temper entered the bedroom of his
soon-to-be-bride, who was one of the most beautiful women in all of China.
She was being made to marry him against her will, as her parents were
forcing her into it.

Little did the emperor know however that she had also been taught by wise
sages as a child. She sat expressionless, staring at the wall. "Hello, pretty,"
he said to her, but she didn't respond.
"I said hello to you, and you will respond when I address you, do you
understand me??" he snarled. But still, she didn't reply.

Most people would have answered him by now, so despite himself he grew
curious, and gruffly asked, "What is it you are thinking?"

Finally she answered him. "Two things. One, that I do not wish to marry you
because you are so callous and mean-spirited. And the other thing, is that I
was wondering if you have it within your power to have a certain something
changed."

"What?!" the emperor exclaimed with outrage. "You bitch! How dare you
question my authority! ... But ... I admit I'm curious. Since I have it within my
power to snap my fingers and whatever I command within my kingdom will
be obeyed, what is it you are wondering if I could change?"

"Your attitude," she replied. And with that she got up and walked out of the
room, leaving him in stunned silence.

8 Zen Master Stories That Illustrate Important Truths

Claudia Azula Altucher View Comments
4k
You probably heard some of these, maybe all. I thought about stories that
touched me or made a big impression and that came from Zen or Taoists
masters. Here are the eight I compiled. Do you have others you like, that
inspire you?

How Fast Can I Learn?

A martial arts student went to a teacher and declared he wanted to learn the
system, he was devoted and ready. How long would it take? The teacher
replied: Ten years.

The student, a bit impatient and not satisfied with the answer went ahead
and said: But I want to master it faster than that, I will work every hard,
practice 10 or more hours a day if necessary. How long would it THEN take?
The teacher replied: Twenty years.

I Left Her At The River

A senior and junior monk are walking down a path together and they come to
a river with a strong current. As they prepare to cross they see a young,
beautiful woman in need of help to brave the waters. She notices the monks
and asks for help. The senior monk carries the woman on his shoulder and
lets her gently down on the other bank. They part ways. The junior monk is
upset.

Hours go by and the senior monk noticing the discomfort on the younger
monk asks: Is something in your mind? The junior monk says: As monks we
are not permitted to touch a woman, how could you carry her across the
river? The senior monk replies: I left the woman hours ago at the bank,
however, you seem to still be carrying her.

8 Zen Master Stories That Strike A Nerve Because Of The Truth In Them
Must remember to leave her at the river. / Shutterstock
The Difference Between Pain and Suffering

There is a Buddhist teaching that says that when you get hurt, say, by an

arrow, that is pain. The arrow hitting your arm, it hurts. Pain. However, there
is a second arrow, which is your reaction to the arrow, the getting angry, the
planning revenge, that is beyond pain, that is suffering.

Is That So?

I learned this story from A New Earth, Tolles book, which I keep reading and
re-reading:

There was a zen master who enjoyed a good reputation in his community.
One day the neighbors came to his door enraged and furious, accusing him of
having fathered the child that their teenager was about to bear.

The zen master said: Is That So? The rumors ran wild and the master lost
his reputation. A few months later the child was born and the baby was
brought to the zen master, who accepted and cared for him or her.

A year later the daughter of the neighbors admitted that the father was
actually the butcher of the town. The parents, mortified, went back to the Zen
masters house and confessed, apologized and asked for the child back. The
zen master said: Is that so? then returned the baby.

Nobody In The Boat

The Taoists have a famous teaching about an empty boat that rams into your
boat in the middle of a river. While you probably wouldnt be angry at an
empty boat, you might well become enraged if someone were at its helm.

The point of the story is that the parents who didnt see you, the other kids
who teased you as a child, the driver who aggressively tailgated you
yesterday are all in fact empty, rudderless boats. They were compulsively
driven to act as they did by their own unexamined wounds, therefore they did
not know what they were doing and had little control over it.

Shutterstock
Shutterstock
Just as an empty boat that rams into us isnt targeting us, so too people who
act unkindly are driven along by the unconscious force of their own wounding
and pain.

Until we realize this, we will remain prisoners of our grievance, our past, and
our victim identity, all of which keep us from opening to the more powerful
currents of life and love that are always flowing through the present moment.

Archery

A Zen Master observing students at archery practice notices one of them who
is consistently missing the mark, and says: It is his desire to win that drains
him of power.

Psychiatry

Upon meeting a Zen master at a social event, a psychiatrist decided to ask

him a question that had been on his mind. Exactly how do you help people?
he asked.
I get them where they cant ask any more questions, the Master answered.

Moving to a New City

I heard this one a long time ago.

There was a person coming to a new village, relocating, and he was

wondering if he would like it there, so he went to the zen master and asked:

do you think I will like it in this village? Are the people nice?

The master asked back: How were the people on the town where you come
from? They were nasty and greedy, they were angry and lived for cheating
and stealing, said the newcomer.

Those are exactly the type of people we have in this village, said the master.

8 Zen Master Stories That Strike A Nerve Because Of The Truth In Them
Shutterstock
Another newcomer to the village visited the master and asked the same
question, to which the master asked: How were the people in the town where
you come from? They were sweet and lived in harmony, they cared for one
another and for the land, they respected each other and they were seekers of
spirit, he replied.

Those are exactly the type of people we have in this village, said the master

THE 10 VERY BEST ZEN STORIES FOR TRAVELERS

BY IAN MACKENZIE
APRIL 2, 2009

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Photo h.koppdelaney
These classic Zen stories speak of death, life, and the perfect journey.
Truth has nothing to do with words. So say the various Zen masters
throughout the ages.

Words, in this case, can be likened to a finger pointing at the moon. The
finger can point to the moons location, but to truly look at the moon, it is
necessary to look past the finger.

Similarly, these Zen stories are not truth themselves they merely aim to
illustrate various elements of truth.

Think of these tales as conversation pieces, writes John Suler, as handy

tools that you can lift out of your pocket to help you and others talk, think,
and laugh about the wondrous and mysterious details of this thing we call
Life.

I chose the following from the brilliant collection 101 Zen Stories, based on
the merit they present to travelers of all ages, religions, and nationalities. I
follow each with a short commentary on how I interpreted them.

Enjoy! And dont forget to share your own thoughts at the end of the post.

1. A Cup Of Tea

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a

university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitors cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself.
It is overfull. No more will go in!

Like this cup, Nan-in said, you are full of your own opinions and
speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?

The best travelers head out with no preconceptions about the cultures they
will visit and the people they will meet. They remember to pack the most
important thing: an open mind.

2. Muddy Road

Tanzan and Ekido were once travelling together down a muddy road. A heavy
rain was still falling. Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk
kimono and sash, unable to cross the intersection.

Come on, girl, said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her
over the mud.

Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging
temple. Then he no longer could restrain himself. We monks cant be near
females, he told Tanzan, especially not young and lovely ones. It is
dangerous. Why did you do that?

I left the girl there, said Tanzan. Are you still carrying her?

Sometimes the right decision means not following the rules. The important
thing is to act, then let it go and move on.

3. The Moon Cannot Be Stolen

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot
of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was
nothing in it to steal.

Ryokan returned and caught him. You may have come a long way to visit
me, he told the prowler, and you shoud not return emptyhanded. Please
take my clothes as a gift.

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away.

Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. Poor fellow, he mused, I wish I
could give him this beautiful moon.

On the road, dont be too paranoid about losing your stuff. Material
possessions are useful, but pale in comparison to the true riches of a journey.

4. Your Light May Go Out

A student of Tendai, a philosophical school of Buddhism, came to the Zen

abode of Gasan as a pupil. When he was departing a few years later, Gasan
warned him: Studying the truth speculatively is useful as a way of collecting
preaching material. But remember that unless you meditate constantly you
light of truth may go out.

While traveling, it can be tempting to focus only whats in your guidebook

and on the web. This speculative studying is helpful, but no substitute for
using your own awareness as a guide.

5. The Gates of Paradise

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: Is there really a

paradise and a hell?

Who are you? inquired Hakuin. I am a samurai, the warrior replied.

You, a soldier! exclaimed Hakuin. What kind of ruler would have you as his
guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar. Nobushige became so angry
that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: So you have a
sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head.

As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: Here open the gates of hell!
At these words the samurai, perceiving the masters discipline, sheathed his
sword and bowed.

Here open the gates of paradise, said Hakuin.

The difference between heaven and hell is often a matter of perspective. How
will you choose to perceive the experiences of your journey?

6. Killing

Gasan instructed his adherents one day: Those who speak against killing and
who desire to spare the lives of all conscious beings are right. It is good to
protect even animals and insects.

But what about those persons who kill time, what about those who are
destroying wealth, and those who destroy political economy? We should not
overlook them. Furthermore, what of the one who preaches without
enlightenment? He is killing Buddhism.

Be wary of travel companions who speak one way and act another. They can
inadvertently kill a trip faster than you think. Learn how to execute your
escape.

7. Inch Time Foot Gem

A lord asked Takuan, a Zen teacher, to suggest how he might pass the time.
He felt his days very long attending his office and sitting stiffly to receive the
homage of others.

Takuan wrote eight Chinese characters and gave them to the man:

Not twice this day

Inch time foot gem.
This day will not come again.
Each minute is worth a priceless gem.

No matter how uncomfortable the bus ride, how horrendous the airline food,
or how saggy the bed, remember: this moment will not come again.

8. Learning to Be Silent

The pupils of the Tendai school used to study meditation before Zen entered
Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to
observe seven days of silence.

On the first day all were silent. Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but
when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim one of the pupils could
not help exclaiming to a servant: Fix those lamps.

The second pupils was surprised to hear the first one talk. We are not
supposed to say a word, he remarked. You two are stupid. Why did you
talk? asked the third.

I am the only one who has not talked, concluded the fourth pupil.

Never be too quick to judge others. Chances are, youre not the perfect
traveler yourself.

9. The Stone Mind

Hogen, a Chinese Zen teacher, lived alone in a small temple in the country.
One day four traveling monks appeared and asked if they might make a fire
in his yard to warm themselves.

While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about
subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: There is a big stone.
Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?

One of the monks replied: From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an

objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind.

Your head must feel very heavy, observed Hogen, if you are carrying
around a stone like that in your mind.

With everyone jumping on the law of attraction bandwagon (The Secret

anyone?) its easy to believe reality is an illusion, and that youve got it all
figured out. Maybebut dont forget youre still a human be-ing.

10. Time to Die

Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a
precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was
greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of
the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: Why do
people have to die?

This is natural, explained the older man. Everything has to die and has just
so long to live.

Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: It was time for your cup to die.

Every trip, even the ones you want to last forever, must inevitably come to an
end. Thats not tragic thats life. Dont be afraid to accept when its time for
your journey to die.

What do you think of these zen stories for travelers? Share your thoughts in
the comments!