In Dreamland "Our schoolmaster used to take a nap every afternoon," related a disciple of Soyen Shaku. "We children asked hi...

Publishing the Sutras Tetsugen, a devotee of Zen in Japan, decided to publish the sutras, which at that time were available only in Chinese....

A Smile in His Lifetime Mokugen was never known to smile until his last day on earth. When his time came to pass away he said to his faithfu...

Open Your Own Treasure House Daiju visited the master Baso in China. Baso asked: "What do you seek?" "Enlightenment," re...

My Heart Burns Like Fire Soyen Shaku, the first Zen teacher to come to America, said: "My heart burns like fire but my eyes are as cold...

The First Principle When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words "The First Principle". The lette...

Not Far from Buddhahood A university student while visiting Gasan asked him: "Have you ever read the Christian Bible?" "No, r...

The Last Poem of Hoshin The Zen Master Hoshin lived in China many years. Then he returned to the northeastern part of Japan, where he taught...

Obedience The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras...

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-...

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...

In Dreamland "Our schoolmaster used to take a nap every afternoon," related a disciple of Soyen Shaku. "We children asked him...

The Blockhead Lord Two Zen teachers, Daigu and Gudo, were invited to visit a lord. Upon arriving, Gudo said to the lord: "You are wise ...

Nothing Exists Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku. Desiring to sh...

Right & Wrong When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these ga...

Temper A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: "Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?" "You have som...

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 thi...

Gudo and the Emperor The emperor Goyozei was studying Zen under Gudo. He inquired: "In Zen this very mind is Buddha. Is this correct?...

How Grass & Trees Become Enlightened During the Kamakura period, Shinkan studied Tendai six years and then studied Zen seven years; then...

No Attachment to Dust Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T'ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils: Living in the world ye...