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April 22, 2013
8 Zen Master Stories That Illustrate Important Truths
Claudia Azula Altucher
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You probably heard some of these, maybe all. I thought about stories that touched me or made a big impression and
that came from Zen or Taoists masters. Here are the eight I compiled. Do you have others you like, that inspire you?
How Fast Can I Learn?
A martial arts student went to a teacher and declared he wanted to learn the system, he was devoted and ready. How
long would it take? The teacher replied: “Ten years.”
The student, a bit impatient and not satisfied with the answer went ahead and said: But I want to master it faster than
that, I will work every hard, practice 10 or more hours a day if necessary. How long would it THEN take? The teacher
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replied: “Twenty years.”
I Left Her At The River
A senior and junior monk are walking down a path together and they come to a river with a strong current. As they
prepare to cross they see a young, beautiful woman in need of help to brave the waters. She notices the monks and
asks for help. The senior monk carries the woman on his shoulder and lets her gently down on the other bank. They part
ways. The junior monk is upset.
Hours go by and the senior monk noticing the discomfort on the younger monk asks: Is something in your mind? The
junior monk says: “As monks we are not permitted to touch a woman, how could you carry her across the river?” – The
senior monk replies: “I left the woman hours ago at the bank, however, you seem to still be carrying her”.
Must remember to leave her at the river. / Shutterstock
The Difference Between Pain and Suffering
There is a Buddhist teaching that says that when you get hurt, say, by an arrow, that is pain. The arrow hitting your arm,
it hurts. Pain. However, there is a second arrow, which is your reaction to the arrow, the getting angry, the planning
revenge, that is beyond pain, that is suffering.
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Is That So?
I learned this story from A New Earth, Tolle’s book, which I keep reading and re-reading:
There was a zen master who enjoyed a good reputation in his community. One day the neighbors came to his door
enraged and furious, accusing him of having fathered the child that their teenager was about to bear.
The zen master said: “Is That So”? The rumors ran wild and the master lost his reputation. A few months later the child
was born and the baby was brought to the zen master, who accepted and cared for him or her.
A year later the daughter of the neighbors admitted that the father was actually the butcher of the town. The parents,
mortified, went back to the Zen master’s house and confessed, apologized and asked for the child back. The zen master
said: Is that so? – then returned the baby.
Nobody In The Boat
The Taoists have a famous teaching about an empty boat that rams into your boat in the middle of a river. While you
probably wouldn’t be angry at an empty boat, you might well become enraged if someone were at its helm.
The point of the story is that the parents who didn’t see you, the other kids who teased you as a child, the driver who
aggressively tailgated you yesterday – are all in fact empty, rudderless boats. They were compulsively driven to act as
they did by their own unexamined wounds, therefore they did not know what they were doing and had little control over
it.
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Shutterstock
Just as an empty boat that rams into us isn’t targeting us, so too people who act unkindly are driven along by the
unconscious force of their own wounding and pain.
Until we realize this, we will remain prisoners of our grievance, our past, and our victim identity, all of which keep us
from opening to the more powerful currents of life and love that are always flowing through the present moment.
Archery
A Zen Master observing students at archery practice notices one of them who is consistently missing the mark, and says:
“It is his desire to win that drains him of power.”
Psychiatry
Upon meeting a Zen master at a social event, a psychiatrist decided to ask him a question that had been on his mind.
“Exactly how do you help people?” he asked.
“I get them where they can’t ask any more questions,” the Master answered.
Moving to a New City
I heard this one a long time ago.
There was a person coming to a new village, relocating, and he was wondering if he would like it there, so he went to
the zen master and asked: do you think I will like it in this village? Are the people nice?
The master asked back: How were the people on the town where you come from? “They were nasty and greedy, they
were angry and lived for cheating and stealing,” said the newcomer.
Those are exactly the type of people we have in this village, said the master.
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Shutterstock
Another newcomer to the village visited the master and asked the same question, to which the master asked: How were
the people in the town where you come from? “They were sweet and lived in harmony, they cared for one another and
for the land, they respected each other and they were seekers of spirit,” he replied.
Those are exactly the type of people we have in this village, said the master.
Cataloged in
Anecdotes
Spirituality
Zen
Zen Masters
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39 Comments 1
• •
LifeIsNow •
"The empty boat" by Chuang Tzu" is about moving from "somebody" to "nobody" by transcending our
egoistic minds, or becoming an "empty boat". Rather than our reaction to empty boats as it wasinterpreted here. A couple of verses below:
"...
If a man is crossing a river
And an empty boat collides with his own skiff,
Even though he be a bad-tempered man
He will not become very angry.
But if he sees a man in the boat,
He will shout at him to steer clear.
If the shout is not heard, he will shout again,
And yet again, and begin cursing. And all because there is somebody in the boat.
Yet if the boat were empty.
He would not be shouting, and not angry.
If you can empty your own boat
Crossing the river of the world,
No one will oppose you,
No one will seek to harm you.
..."I appreciate your efforts compiling these stories of wisdom, and suggest paying more attention to
accuracy. May you realize the wisdom in stories Claudia in your journey of life.
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• •
Ga janan Netravali •
The stories have been severely dumbed down. Names of the Zen Masters could have been given to
illustrate how they actually lived their daily lives.
• •
Ammar A. Malik •
Beautiful lines indeed
• •
Charmin •
Love the Zen wisdom soooo much it is awesome!!!always have, it is just hard for me to remember the
stories. At lest I can learn from them, I would believe that is what's important!!! ;:) Thanks for sharing
Karen
• •
PaleLuminosity •
Ah Psychiatry, how I love you. Most people probably don't like that story, but it's a favorite of mine. Inb4
"question everything" and its wielder called "rationality". I better build a fort, impregnable by scientific
crusaders. Crazy mofos.
• •
PaleLuminosity •
And, about "nobody in the boat", I agree with just that "nobody in the boat." But if a boat runs into me,
it's fun to push it back or play with it or jump into it myself or set it ablaze at night in the middle of the
lake. What people don't seem to grasp is that there isn't a boat in existence that isn't empty. If I was
out and about and someone, with the intent to or not, struck me, they need not say a word of hate or
love or neutrality. To say it's the others fault is silly; to say it's my fault is silly. To not say it's the others
fault is silly; to not say it's my fault is silly. I can feel all of those separately and as a whole. And
separately whole and wholly separate.
• •
PaleLuminosity •
LOL@ is that so? I do that all the time. Last time was when my bro and law accused me of eating a
special dinner he had been saving for his dad (him and his filial piety and pride lol), which he eventually
found. As furious as he got, I remained infinitely calm - just kept saying "oh really?" or saying nothing at
all. A true master doesn't need to defend himself - he doesn't block.
• •
MMOSaga •
Moving to a new City was a good one, the world a person lives in, is the world they build within
themselves. People are simply playing their roles in the convictions of one own's belief.
• •
ZenSpeaking •
I think Zen means “Empty” or “Nothing”, all that in the world is conditioned existence, and actually they
exist in our heart.
Thanks so many best Zen stories!
Juvil n D •
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• •
Oh, the last story :) It's all about perspective.
• •
adelightful •
"nobody in the boat" exactly what i wanted to find/read/hear. thanks!
• •
xJuu •
Thank you so much for posting this :) It reminded me of things that should not be forgotten.
• •
Christa Griggs •
this blends perfectly with some of the knowledge/wisdom i have been trying to surround myself with
lately. thank you.
• •
cakezula •
In "How Fast Can I Learn" should it be "very hard" instead of "every hard"?
• •
Mrobtheduke •
From this article I've learned that zen masters make the best baby daddies.
• •
xansart •
Is that so?
• •
Claudia Yoga •
It would apprear so, yes
• •
Layla •
I really enjoyed reading this piece! Like the little girl from the Verizon commercial says, "we want more,
we want more." ; )
• •
Claudia Yoga •
thank you
• •
Adrian Barrientos •
Kind of drained from all energy because of a very bad night shift, this was a great way to start the
morning. Thanks, hope to see more, and hope that they stick in my mind for more than the morning!
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Sorry to hear about the night shift. Thanks for the comment :-)
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• •
Leelee •
Yes!! Love the pieces you contribute to thought catalog. Keep em' coming! We all need a little wisdom
;)
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Thank you Leele
• •
Guest •
A classic:
A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the
professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor's cup to the brim, and then kept pouring.
The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. "It's overfull! No
more will go in!" the professor blurted. "You are like this cup," the master replied, "How can I show you
Zen unless you first empty your cup."
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Nice!
• •
AreisReising •
Once the monks of the Eastern Hall and the Western Hall were disputing about a cat. Nansen, holding
up the cat, said, "Monks, if you can say a word of Zen, I will spare the cat. If you cannot, I will kill it!" No
monk could answer. Nansen finally killed the cat. In the evening, when Joshu came back, Nansen told
him of the incident. Joshu took off his sandal, put it on his head, and walked off. Nansen said, "If you
had been there, I could have saved the cat!'*
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Guess its one of those koans? Where its supposed to leave you wandering? I wander. ..
• •
greenaum • I've a sneaking suspicion that a lot of Zen is silly nonsense.
• •
leo mayer •
like the whole life
• •
Alexboyish •
nice!:))
Claudia Yoga •
:-)
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• •
• •
Jo •
Shared, bookmarked, and printed.
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Wonderful. Thank you Jo
• •
elye •
thank you for this
• •
Claudia Yoga •
:-)
• •
Cris •
Beautiful.
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Thanks Chris
• •
lm •
This was absolutely beautiful. Informative and well done.
• •
Claudia Yoga •
Glad you liked it jlm
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