zenbananas | zen stories for meditation

Tetsugen was a zen master who lived in 17th century Japan.  He wanted to produce a Japanese edition of the buddhist sutras (scriptures) which were then only available in Chinese. This was to be an expensive project because it involved making around 60,000 wooden blocks for printing.
Tetsugen wandered around Japan collecting funds for this project. [...]

An elderly monk became famous in his town because of the appropriate and wise advice he would give to those who sought his counsel. Even the other monks and the head monk himself would go to him for advice on many matters. They always marveled at his words and the ease with which he seemingly [...]

A mother in a small village had a little boy who absolutely loved chocolates. He would eat too much and too often that the mother feared that it would be bad for him. She approached the village elder and said, “Elder, I have a problem. My boy eats a lot of chocolate and I am [...]

The Master doesn’t try to be powerful,
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power,
thus he never has enough.
The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.
The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things [...]

The master heard that a doctor of theology had come to visit.
“A doctor of what? Theology?” said the master feigning amazement. “Now that sounds like a very serious disease.”

Note: the following are examples of zen koans – taken from the Japanese “ko” (public) and “an” (proposition). Koans may take the form of a question, a verse or a short anecdote or teaching. It is designed to bring the student towards a direct realization of the ultimate reality. Koans are often very puzzling and [...]

One day, the master walked past a Christian church where the preacher was denouncing Islam.
Later, he passed by an Islamic mosque where the imam was denouncing Judaism.
Still later, he passed a Jewish temple where the rabbi was denouncing Christianity.
“Ah,” sighed the master to his disciples, “If only these religious idiots would practice the love, acceptance [...]

“The purpose of a fish trap is to catch fish, and when the fish are caught, the trap is forgotten.
The purpose of a rabbit snare is to catch rabbits. When the rabbits are caught, the snare is forgotten.
The purpose of words is to convey ideas. When the ideas are grasped, the words are forgotten.
Where can [...]

One day, the master and his disciples sat in silent meditation in the monastery.
Suddenly, a loud clatter rang through the halls as the cook’s assistant tripped and dropped a number of empty pans he was bringing to the kitchen.
The disciples were all disturbed from their meditation and expressed their irritation by muttering and frowning. But [...]

The master passed by a minister preaching against materialism. He was exhorting the congregation on the virtues of sacrificing their earthly desires for the rewards of heaven.
“Our treasure does not lie here on earth,” he said, “But it lies in the bosom of our heavenly Father.”
“Interesting,” remarked the master. “You preach against materialism but yours [...]

The master lived in a dictatorial country where the political leaders were corrupt and the military was abusive.
Every morning, the master would go out of his house and head to the nearby field where there was a large tree. He would sit under the tree and meditate in the shade.
One day, a policeman intercepted the [...]

There was a master called Sakito. He was also called Stonehead – partly because of his smoothly shaven head, and partly because he loved to sit in meditation on a large rock on the side of a mountain.
One day, a disciple came to Ma Tsu, another master, and said, “I shall go and challenge master [...]

The master decided to go to church one Sunday. As he sat listening through a rather long sermon, his eyes began to droop and pretty soon he was dozing and began to snore softly.
The preacher was outraged by this behavior, especially since the man was seated in the front row. He came down from the [...]

The seeker roamed the land for years in search of a master.
He went through many villages and towns, but they all shook their heads when asked if they knew of any master who lived nearby. Finally, he reached a small village by the side of a mountain. It was so small he almost missed it, [...]

“So what have you learned today?” said the master.
“I have learned that all of reality is in my mind.” said the student.
“Really?” said the master.
“Yes,” said the student. “It is my mind that determines what is real and what is not. If I believe in something with all my heart and mind, it becomes real [...]

“What is the way to enlightenment?” asked a seeker.
“What is the path to genuine contentment?” asked another.
“What is the road to inner peace?” asked another.
“So many questions,” murmured the master. Then in a louder voice, he said, “Listen, travelers! I cannot show you the way if you cannot already see what is in front of [...]

“I am going to ask a question,” the king said to the master.
“Ask your question then,” said the master.
“I have already asked,” said the king.
“I have already answered,” said the master.
“What did you answer?” said the king.
“What did you ask?” said the master.
“I asked nothing,” said the king.
“I answered nothing,” said the master.

The disciple approached the master and said, “Master, I think I am ready to leave you and begin teaching others.”
The master said, “Very well, prepare a discourse that you will deliver 3 days from now. I will invite all the villagers to come and listen. Afterwards, I shall decide whether or not you are really [...]

“I want you to teach me about wisdom,” said the initiate to the master.
“Go away. I can teach you nothing,” said the master.
“But you have many disciples here. Surely, they wouldn’t be following you if you’re teaching them nothing,” said the initiate.
“Go ask them, then,” said the master.
The initiate went to one of the disciples [...]

The master wanted to have a special suit made for his daughter’s wedding. He went to the village tailor, who measured him up and said, “If God wills it, we’ll have your suit ready in one week.”
The master was glad to hear this as the wedding was still two weeks away. After a week, he [...]