Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku. Desiring to show his attainme...

A rich man asked Sengai to write something for the continued prosperity of his family so that it might be treasured from generation to gener...

Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T'ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils: Living in the world yet not forming attachme...

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 ma...

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

Ryokan devoted his life to the study of Zen. One day he heard that his nephew, despite the admonitions of relatives, was spending his money ...

Zen pupils take a vow that even if they are killed by their teacher, they intend to learn Zen. Usually they cut a finger and seal their reso...

Two Zen teachers, Daigu and Gudo, were invited to visit a lord. Upon arriving, Gudo said to the lord: "You are wise by nature and have ...

The pupils of the Tendai school used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one anoth...

Sozan, a Chinese Zen master, was asked by a student: "What is the most valuable thing in the world?" The master replied: "The...

Circumstances arose one day which delayed preparation of the dinner of a Soto Zen master, Fugai, and his followers. In haste the cook went t...

After Kakua visited the emperor he disappeared and no one knew what became of him. He was the first Japanese to study Zen in China, but sinc...

In modern times a great deal of nonsense is talked about masters and disciples, and about the inheritance of a master's teaching by favo...

Yamaoka Tesshu was a tutor of the emperor. He was also a master of fencing and a profound student of Zen. His home was the abode of vagabond...

A young wife fell sick and was about to die. "I love you so much," she told her husband, "I do not want to leave you. Do not ...

Kasan was asked to officiate at the funeral of a provincial lord. He had never met lords and nobles before so he was nervous. When the cerem...

Gasan instructed his adherents one day: "Those who speak against killing and who desire to spare the lives of all conscious beings are ...

A great Japanese warrior named Nobunaga decided to attack the enemy although he had only one-tenth the number of men the opposition commande...

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

  Zenkai, the son of a samurai, journeyed to Edo and there became the retainer of a high official. He fell in love with the official's w...