A Zen Story: Creating Ripples

"The boat is coming to take me home because I have failed in my studies here at the monastery," said the boy to his teacher. "What can I say to my family?"
"Say that you did your best and that is as much as anyone can do," answered the teacher.
"But I wanted to be a famous monk and teach others."
"You can."
"How?" asked the sad boy.
"Live from your heart. I will show you. Do you see that boat making its way across the lake with the sun setting behind it?"
"Yes."
"Do you see its wake spreading across the lake? See how the boat looks like the apex of a golden triangle as the wake fans out from its bow."
"Sort of."

"Squint," said the teacher. "That boat is you as you leave the monastery. The lake is your life.
The wake is the effect that you will have on the world. Each ripple triggers another ripple, which triggers another. By constantly striving to live as wise and loving of a life as you can, you can teach the path of love to everyone you meet simply by being yourself;
a few of these people will pass on your good example to others. Thus the expanding golden wake of good works begets other good works. Most important, notice how each ripple catches the sun and bounces its light back to heaven..."
"Would you come home with me and explain all of this to my father?" asked the boy.

#zen #story #wisdom #koan

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More from @zentosh

2 Oct
A Zen Story: Worse than a Clown

There was a young monk in China who was a very serious practitioner of the Dharma.
Once, this monk came across something he did not understand, so he went to ask the master. When the master heard the question, he kept laughing.
The master then stood up and walked away, still laughing. The young monk was very disturbed by the master's reaction. For the next 3 days, he could not eat, sleep nor think properly. At the end of 3 days, he went back to the master and told the master how disturbed he had felt.
When the master heard this, he said, "Monk, do u know what your problem is? Your problem is that YOU ARE WORSE THAN A CLOWN!"
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29 Sep
A Zen Story: Beyond Outstanding

The Prince of Wu took a boat to Monkey Mountain. As soon as the monkey's saw him they all fled in panic and hid in the treetops. One monkey, however, remained, completely unconcerned, swinging from branch to branch---an extraordinary display!
The Prince shot an arrow at the monkey, but the monkey dexterously caught the arrow in mid-flight. At this the Prince ordered his attendants to make a concerted attack. In an instant the monkey was shot full of arrows and fell dead.
Then the King turned to his companion Yen Pu'i: "You see what happened?" he said. "This animal advertised his cleverness. He trusted in his own skill. He thought no one could touch him. Remember that! Do not rely on distinction and talent when you deal with men!"
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20 Sep
A Zen Story: The Messenger

Once when Zen master Bankei was about to leave a temple in the capital where he taught from time to time, a certain gentleman came requesting that the master pospone his departure. A certain baron had a question and wanted to see the Zen master..
..in person on the morrow to resolve it. Bankei assented and put off leaving.
The next day, however, the gentleman came again, this time with a message that the baron has some urget business to take care of and could not come and see the master.
The baron had asked the gentleman to relay his question to Bankei, then report the Zen master's answer back to him.
When he heard the gentleman out, Bankei said, "This matter of Zen is difficult to convey even by direct question and direct answer;
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15 Sep
A Zen Story: The Crystal River
Once there lived a village of creatures along the bottom of a great crystal river.
The current of the river swept silently over them all -- young and old, rich and poor, compassionate and cruel -- the current going its own way,
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Each creature in its own manner clung tightly to the twigs and rocks of the river bottom, for clinging was their way of life, and resisting the current what each had learned from birth.
But one creature said at last,
“I am tired of clinging. Though I cannot see it with my eyes, I trust that the current knows where it is going. I shall let go, and let it take me where it will. Clinging, I shall die of boredom."
The other creatures laughed and said,
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14 Sep
A Zen Story: Hoshin’s “Kaa!”

The Zen Master Hoshin lived in China many years. Then he returned to the northeastern part of Japan, where he taught his disciples. When he was getting very old, he told them a story he had heard in China. This is the story:
One year on the twenty-fifth of December, Tokufu, who was very old, said to his disciples: "I am not going to be alive next year so you fellows should treat me well this year."
The pupils thought he was joking, but since he was a great-hearted teacher…
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4 Sep
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There was an ancient mysterious wall which stood at the edge of a village, and whenever anyone climbed the wall to look onto the other side, instead of coming back he or she smiled and would jump to the other side, never to return.
The inhabitants of the village became curious as to what could draw these people to the other side of the wall. After all, their village had all the necessities of living a comfortable life.
They made an arrangement to where they would tie a person's feet, so that when he or she
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