A compilation of five beautiful Zen koans and parables.
1. Finding a Piece of the Truth: One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. He saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied,
Nan-in served tea.
He poured his visitor’s cup until full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself:
A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was bearing a child. This made her parents very upset. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last the girl named master Hakuin. In great anger the parents went to the master and confronted him.
At one place a beautiful young woman was standing, unable to walk across because of a puddle on the road. The elder of the two monks went up to her, lifted her, and put her down on the other side of the road before he continued his way to the monastery. In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said,
1. Finding a Piece of the Truth: One day Mara, the Evil One, was travelling through the villages of India with his attendants. He saw a man doing walking meditation whose face was lit up on wonder. The man had just discovered something on the ground in front of him. Mara’s attendant asked what that was and Mara replied,
"A piece of truth."
"Doesn’t this bother you when someone finds a piece of truth, O Evil One?" his attendant asked.
"No," Mara replied. "Right after this, they usually make a belief out of it."
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2. A Cup of Tea: Nan-in, a Japanese Zen master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), was part of the Hakuin branch of Rinzai Zen in Japan. Nannin received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.Nan-in served tea.
He poured his visitor’s cup until 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?"
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3. Is That So? The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life.A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was bearing a child. This made her parents very upset. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last the girl named master Hakuin. In great anger the parents went to the master and confronted him.
"Is that so?" was all he would say.When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of the child since it was his responsibility.
“Is that so?” master Hakuin said calmly as he accepted the child.A year later the young mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth–that the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fish market. The mother and father of the girl at once went to Zen master Hakuin to seek his forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back again.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said, "Is that so?"
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4. Until Sunyata: Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening. It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides.At one place a beautiful young woman was standing, unable to walk across because of a puddle on the road. The elder of the two monks went up to her, lifted her, and put her down on the other side of the road before he continued his way to the monastery. In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and said,
"Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman?"
The elder monk answered "yes, brother".
Then the younger monk asks again, "but then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the roadside?"
The elder monk smiled at him and told him," I left her on the other side of the road, but you are still carrying her."
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5. The Other Side: One day a young monk on his way home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he saw a great teacher on the other side of the river. The young Buddhist yells over to the teacher,"Oh wise one, can you tell me how to get to the other side of this river?"
The teacher ponders for a moment, looks up and down the river, and yells back, "My son, but you are on the other side".