I don't know about the neighbors part, not really sure why but that's the title of the document,
Tell em to whoever you like, or just enjoy for yourselves
Keep in mind that Zen Stories are usually not to be taken at face value; they are either parables to illustrate a more general Zen way of thinking, or they are Koans, not really meant to make such sense at all, but precisely designed to bring the mind to a Zen state specifically because of the conundrum or meaninglessness of the koan.
What interpretations do you perceive? Share what you think they are attempting to show!
I'm sure there are many different ways to draw wisdom from each one on different levels;
Zen Stories to Tell Your Neighbors
Banishing a Ghost
The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I
love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray
me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come
back to haunt you."
For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but
then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they we re engaged to
be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him
for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt
him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him
and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their
conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.
Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village.
"This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story.
"It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do.
It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost,
but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."
That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had
advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can
hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off
the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your
question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a
large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my
hand."
At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.
The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I
love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray
me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come
back to haunt you."
For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but
then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they we re engaged to
be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him
for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt
him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him
and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their
conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.
Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village.
"This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story.
"It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do.
It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost,
but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."
That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had
advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can
hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off
the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your
question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a
large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my
hand."
At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.
Bell Teacher
A new student approached the Zen master and asked how he should prepare
himself for his training. "Think of me a bell," the master explained. "Give
me a soft tap, and you will get a tiny ping. Strike hard, and you'll receive a
loud, resounding peal."
A new student approached the Zen master and asked how he should prepare
himself for his training. "Think of me a bell," the master explained. "Give
me a soft tap, and you will get a tiny ping. Strike hard, and you'll receive a
loud, resounding peal."
Books
Once there was a well known philosopher and scholar who devoted himself
to the study of Zen for many years. On the day that he finally attained
enlightenment, he took all of his books out into the yard, and burned them
all.
Once there was a well known philosopher and scholar who devoted himself
to the study of Zen for many years. On the day that he finally attained
enlightenment, he took all of his books out into the yard, and burned them
all.
Christian Buddha
One of master Gasan's monks visited the university in Tokyo.
When he returned, he asked the master if he had ever read the
Christian Bible. "No," Gasan replied, "Please read some of it
to me." The monk opened the Bible to the Sermon on the
Mount in St. Matthew, and began reading.
After reading Christ's words about the lilies in the field, he paused.
MasterGasan was silent for a long time. "Yes," he finally said,
"Whoever uttered these words is an enlightened being. What
you have read to me is the essence of everything I have been
trying to teach you here!"
One of master Gasan's monks visited the university in Tokyo.
When he returned, he asked the master if he had ever read the
Christian Bible. "No," Gasan replied, "Please read some of it
to me." The monk opened the Bible to the Sermon on the
Mount in St. Matthew, and began reading.
After reading Christ's words about the lilies in the field, he paused.
MasterGasan was silent for a long time. "Yes," he finally said,
"Whoever uttered these words is an enlightened being. What
you have read to me is the essence of everything I have been
trying to teach you here!"
Chasing Two Rabbits
A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. "I'd like to
improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you,
I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What
do you think of this idea?"
"The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither
one."
A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. "I'd like to
improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you,
I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What
do you think of this idea?"
"The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither
one."
Cliffhanger
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a
vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to
save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As
he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing
on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He
plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
(note: One reader claimed that Thomas Cleary once told him that the
original ending of this story was quite different. According to
Cleary, D.T. Suzuki changed the ending because he thought the
original would not appeal to Westerners. The story was then
picked up by others, such as Paul Reps. In the original version, the
strawberry turns out to be, in fact, deadly poison.)
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a
vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to
save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As
he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing
on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He
plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!
(note: One reader claimed that Thomas Cleary once told him that the
original ending of this story was quite different. According to
Cleary, D.T. Suzuki changed the ending because he thought the
original would not appeal to Westerners. The story was then
picked up by others, such as Paul Reps. In the original version, the
strawberry turns out to be, in fact, deadly poison.)
Concentration
After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful
champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an
archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency
when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with
his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"
Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the
young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's
intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they
reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly
stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge,
the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a
clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back
onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and
beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the
log, no less shoot at a target. "You have much skill with your bow," the
master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill
with the mind that lets loose the shot."
After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful
champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an
archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency
when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with
his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"
Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the
young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's
intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they
reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly
stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge,
the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a
clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back
onto the safe ground. Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and
beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the
log, no less shoot at a target. "You have much skill with your bow," the
master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill
with the mind that lets loose the shot."
Destiny
During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even
though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win,
but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at
a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin
and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we
shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."
He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was
heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they
vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a
lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."
"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which
had heads on both sides.
During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even
though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win,
but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at
a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin
and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we
shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."
He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was
heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they
vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a
lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."
"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which
had heads on both sides.
Dreaming
The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly
fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his
individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and
found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he thought to
himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I
now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"
The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly
fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his
individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and
found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he thought to
himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I
now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"
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