Fiction is the New Reality

ALL THE WORK FOLLOWING IS COMPLETE FICTION AND ANY RESEMBLENCE TO DEAD OR ALIVE IS COMPLETLEY COINDENCE AND ALL WORK IS EXTREME FICTION OF THE AUTHOR AND NOTHING IS TRUE!

Childhood is a Blessing and very few really enjoys it and even very less number of parents realize it and that is a curse to their children,Every flower is blessed to blossom and send its aura and fragrance around it and in gods eyes children and Flowers are same (I see someone thinking : I thought girls and flowers are alike )What ever  I really hate that word !

Children are like flowing river and they have all the energy and enthusiasm in the world they don't know any kind of block’s and They are unstoppable with unlimited creativity ,

Teacher :Draw any thing you want to draw now!

15 minutes passed and teacher was walking and seeing children's notebooks for drawings and she saw a little girl completely involved and very seriously drawing some thing ,

Teacher : What are you drawing honey?

Student (no her name is not Honey):I am drawing Picture of god !

Teacher :But no body knows how God looks like?

Student:In a moment they will know!

Got the point ,

Every child must have such a confidence and creativity ,but unfortunately this is not the case and it’s much worse.Parents know how cruel this world is and how hard it is to make a mark or leave a foot print in this world, so What to do ?

Throw them is a School,International school,Hostel and military school all types of schools like Jails with different levels of security!Particularly I am talking about Indian Scenario and where Education Became Fiction

 

 

fic·tion / 'fIkSn; NAmE  / noun 1[U] a type of literature that describes imaginary people and events, not real ones:
a work of popular fiction Ç historical / romantic fiction
OPP  non-fiction—see also science fiction2[C, U] a thing that is invented or imagined and is not true:
For years he managed to keep up the fiction that he was not married.

Real foundation of life lies in education but what use is it when machines are created out of education rather than Humans ,humans are only animals that are special know why because they ask a question called WHY? that is what makes a human being .

But the out come of My Great Countries education system are more machines and less humans ,People have really and i mean it really no idea what they are doing and why they are doing it but they want to do it ,what a fucking situation .

Students Complete their graduation and till then they will study in ENGLISH MEDIUM SCHOOLS still they will confuse for basic English grammar and most cases cannot speak fluent English with out stammering or hesitation and asking to speak in English In front of a crown is a crime !

What is wrong with my country i really feel pain and sad ,agony give it any name when i see my fellow country men are being turned to warrior in their own world and struggling every day life to succeed ,they are no more than slaves ,slaves to own designers and the companies they work for and every day a normal average Indian from student,teenager and working old and retired men have their own fucking problems who is caring for this country for the masses and sheepish crowds behaviors

when ever i see a child carrying a 10 kilo bag filled with books and a dull face and fallen shoulders i want to tell him this is not that worth ,real life wisdom,knowledge isn't here buddy its out there in this gods greens earth and not in your school or tutorials four walls ,IIT’S and IIM’S are not Fountains of Knowledge ,you don't die if you don't study there .

Life is Following your Heart and Nothing Else ,Sooner you realize this the better,Fucking topic my agony is growing more and more ! I want to write a lot more but not now ,thankyou

Power of grace light

In the earth’s long history, we have never known a time when human beings experienced freedom. Embodiment has always been a constricting weight on the otherwise free spirit. Imprisoned in the body, the spirit loses knowledge of its own grandeur.

Rather than identifying with its inherent divinity, the embodied spirit instead identifies with the physical body and the mind, both of which keep it in bondage.

The body, while a source of pleasure, is also a source of physical discomfort, disease, ageing, and eventually death. The mind is a victim to countless thoughts and is conditioned by limiting beliefs, emotions and behaviours. Pleasures attained through the senses, although soothing, are temporary.

It’s hard to deny these fundamental aspects of the human experience, and even harder still to deny their impact on us collectively. Currently material-ism has become the defining factor of our civilisation. Material sciences, material consumption and material politics dominate the world today. Love has virtually disappeared from the human heart individually and collectively.

What is the solution? We need to embody more light. Embracing more light will allow us to evolve beyond our current limited cons-ciousness and to recognise ourselves as unlimited spirits. Both in body and mind we have to change. The limited intelligence that we acquire through human sciences is simply going to take too long to lead us to any meaningful change or freedom.

Our only real hope is to look deeper for the essential divinity within us, evolving the human body-mind to be aware of greater levels of light. Awakening compassion, love and divine intelligence on a collective scale is the only way to find permanent solutions to our problems. This is the phenomenon of Grace Light.

Grace Light is the light of God. It is invisible to the human eye but visible to sages, prophets and messiahs of various faiths. Grace Light has incredible energy to know and do everything. Grace Light is the self-effulgent light of the Divine within us — compassionate and intelligent. Grace Light is not any physical light. It is like the explosive energy within the atom. It is an inner light more brilliant and powerful than lightening and can strike you at any time. It is the power of God.

Does Grace Light belong to a particular god or a particular religion? No, Grace Light belongs to the nameless, formless Universal God. The God of Grace Light is the same as the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Native American and Mayan gods, as well as the gods of all other religions.

Each religion conceives of God through the lens of its traditions and cultures. Most traditions associate God with light. Grace Light will ignite the heart of humanity and create a global shift into love.

Once it is transmitted, Grace Light will do its work in a mira-culous way. It will transform body, mind and the soul. On the physical level, there will be significant healing and enhancement of energy levels.

The mind will receive greater intelligence as dormant parts of the brain awaken. Old behaviours, emotions and limiting beliefs will start to dissolve, giving you access to deeper inner wisdom. The most important impact of Grace Light, however, is its ability to transform the heart. The blooming of the heart will result in loving relationship with everyone you come in contact with.

Heart sorrow will miraculously dissolve and there will be an enhanced enthusiasm about the world and life in general.

Did Thierry Henry (handball) cheat France into the World Cup?

Some thing which should have never happened ,happened and people will discuss this for ages .

@paulocoelho tweeted

We can go on forever discussing T. Henry here. But everybody knows that this happens in every match (remember Maradona "hands of God")

A Good Habit called Blaming !?#@#

blame / Ñ bleIm; NAmE  / verb, noun verb

blame sb/sth (for sth) | blame sth on sb/sth to think or say that sb/sth is responsible for sth bad:
She doesn’t blame anyone for her father’s death. Ç A dropped cigarette is being blamed for the fire. Ç Police are blaming the accident on dangerous driving.I am a Tarantino Fan/AC

Ever Blamed some one else for your mistakes,I did and even lost count of it, why and how i mastered the art of blaming ?

In schools days blame teachers when you get a bad grade or marks ! oh that math's teacher is very rude he tends towards Favoritism,and i had a fight with him that's why he gave less marks and  actually my imagination  used to transcend ,like i used to raise my bar every time i blame my teachers ,by the time i reached 10 Grade i completed my P.HD in blaming .

They used to compete in me some times, when ever I get very bad marks they say he is a dull student he is destined to be like that, He is very lazy and his mind is always wandering some where else !I had a Compliment once He is Regularly Irregular to school.and my story has a lots and lots of such incidents and what are they pointing to I developed  a Good habit called Blaming.

may be you have some experiences like this in your child hood!! please share with Us we appreciate that. Nope I am not finished yet this is just beginning.

I used to Blame each and every thing under the sky for what ever happens to me , My blame list starts from my parents ,god,teachers,friends and so on and every one gets their turn depending on situations and I was WRONG all the time and no body corrected me (oops! old habits die hard)  ok no more blaming .

I was reading some book I think it’s Robin Sharma’s Books if my memory serves,he says not to think what you lost think about what you have,Don't Blame your dad for not being a Billionaire make sure your son doesn't blame the same thing on you ! What an idea!

That is the main message of this post ,People always blame some thing or some one to let some thing go,like a vent in a pressure cooker ,people also uses blaming as a vent ,that makes them relieved of the mistake or bad thing they have done.it is a excuse to let their mind relax and guilt covered and some time used to save themselves in Certain situations.

So when next time you did a mistake or bad don't try to blame someone else,that purifies your self Remember Never cheat the man in the mirror ,Just calm down in such a situation and analyze what you have done and more Blaming =More Fooling yourself ,leave fooling others you want to be fool in your own eyes come on,Blaming is a action of weak ,You are strong as strong as the strongest man/Women ever walked this planet,be humble ,brave and strong and face the consequences and this is a much better approach than venting your feelings through blaming.

It is easy to blame but hard to Control ! no good will happen to you if you have the same habit of blaming ,step out come out of the box and see the world ,More often you blame and seek a excuse more weak you are becoming day by day .Patience is a Virtue my friend and control your immediate reactions and itch to blame some one else it hurts very much at the receiving end so think twice before you open your mouth Next time to Blame !!!

Hope this will be last day in your life for Blaming Habit specially for your mistakes ! I am a changed man and A good habit called blaming is no more a habit for me!!!

Daily Inspiration From Robin Sharma ( Must see)

Every morning I make sure that i watch this video,its like recharge for me and it reminds me of how to live life with out regrets and how to go hard on life.This is a must watch video for every one and a very excellent choice for morning inspiration .Good Morning world.

ONE OF THE GREATEST KEYS TO SUCCESS

A key piece to playing at your absolute best as a leader (and as a person) is to ensure that your daily schedule reflects your deepest values. Anything less is a flight from integrity.

One of the exercises I've been taking our clients through at my "Leadership in Turbulent Times" workshop is called "The 5 Main Values." I take participants through a powerful visualization where they visit themselves, not as they now are but as they want to be at the end of their career. Then they record the main 5 values they will have wished they'd worked under.

I wanted to share my own 5 Main Values with you. I hope you'll share yours with me on Twitter so we can continue this conversation. Anyway, here are the top 5 values I want to work by and stay true to:

1. EXCELLENCE. I adore this word. My goal is to work at a level of excellence, constantly refining my craft as an author and speaker - while delivering outrageous values to our clients.

2. PASSION. Without passion, nothing great every gets built. Passion fuels innovation, builds a fantastic team and makes the impossible possible. I want to express my passion in all that I do. Otherwise, what's the point?

3. SELF-MASTERY. You can't be a better leader than you are a person. So every day, I work intensely on developing my inner life. I read. I reflect. I write in a journal. I exercise. And do all those things I need to do to express my best.

4. BEAUTY. I'm an aesthete. I love beauty in all forms. So I make the time to look for beauty, in both expected and unexpected places. Interesting conversations are beautiful to me; brilliantly designed products (think Apple) are beautiful to me. Great food, fresh nature, cool architecture, a strong cup of coffee in the morning and modern art are all some of the things that fill my life with a sense of beauty.

5. CONTRIBUTION. Leadership is about doing deeds that live on long after your death. I want to do things that will help people awaken to the fact that, regardless of what they do and where they are, they have the opportunity (and responsibility) to show leadership in their work and at their life. Few things are important to me than feeling I'm making a difference for people. And doing my part to build a better world.

Author

Robin Sharma is one of the world's leading experts on leadership and personal development. In a ranking of top guru's in the leadership arena that included Jack Welch, John Maxwell and Jim Collins, Robin was voted #2 globally. (source: leadershipgurus.net)   P.S.  follow Robin on Twitter Click Here

Mahatma Gandhi on Forgiveness

                                       The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. 

                                                                                   

                                                                                   Mahatma Gandhi

Omage source from Ben Heine

Hans Rosling shows the best stats you've ever seen

Improve Breathing Habits -

How to Improve Breathing Habits

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Regulating the breath:
A significant source of the benefit one receives from practicing the internal arts is from the breath work. The quality of our breath can be directly correlated to our quality of life. Smooth, deep breaths clear the mind and energize the body. As infants we have a natural habit of these deep abdominal breaths. For the vast majority of us this natural way of breathing has been lost be the time we are adults. (Usually well before adulthood) Our air has been relegated to the upper portion of our chest and is bound by the residue of many habitual daily tensions. Oxygen is our fuel, what drives our bodies and minds. When we allow our source of energy to be throttled and compromised we are setting ourselves on a path toward illness and stagnation. While there are many advanced breathing techniques and patterns to be worked, the first and primary goal should be to return to that natural, deep, abdominal breath.

Steps

1. While sitting or standing with the spine straight take a few breaths to relax and settle into your position.
   
2. Now, place the palm of one hand on your lower abdomen and the other on the small of your back. As you inhale, feel your core pressing out on each palm and relax the perineum (the pelvic floor). Don’t tense any muscles to do so, just let the air push the diaphragm down and expand the lower torso. As you exhale, don’t push the air out. Gradually relax and let the air flow out, drawing the walls of the lower torso in with it. Once this begins to feel natural you can relax the arms and breathe with the use of the palms.
   
3. Now, begin to stretch the breath and release all of those habits of tension. Inhale for a slow count of four, exhale for a slow count of four.
   
4. As this becomes comfortable lengthen the count to six, then eight, twelve, etc. There is no limit to how far you can work the breath as long as you are inhaling and exhaling smoothly without pause. Play this breathing pattern for anywhere from five to thirty minutes.
   

Tips

• At any time that your breathing becomes tense or you want to gasp, relax and breathe however feels comfortable. Once your body is calmed you can come back to the breath work.
  
• From here one progresses into maintaining this quality of breath while stretching or moving and then throughout the activities of the day. Successfully reintegrating abdominal breathing is the first step. The list of benefits from this practice is lengthy: from reduced stress, enhanced immunity, to less susceptibility to emotional upheaval and several others. There are many different levels one can reach with the breath work. For now though this will suffice. This can be a rewarding and beneficial practice in and of itself.
  
• It is vital to cultivate a daily practice. Our bodies are in constant use. If we do not take the time to care for them, then we can only expect that they will gradually become worn and run down. Fortunately, we are really quite resilient. Even a small time commitment of half an hour a day will go a long way toward preserving and enhancing our health. A small piece of time solely devoted to doing right by ourselves and our bodies. No excuses. No rationalization about being busy. For the vast majority of us there is no reason not to take this basic self care time. If you are reading this, you are in that majority. We all have our individual priorities. If you want to live your life with vitality and health then a daily practice must become one of them.
  

Warnings

• If you find yourself becoming persistently light-headed stop your practice session and breath casually for a while before continuing.
  
• Don't force longer breaths. It is good to play the edge of your comfort zone but forcing the breath causes tension which is counter-productive.
  

Sources and Citations

• Based on Qigong training at Northwest Internal Arts
  

.also see Pranayama meaning "restraint of the prana or breath"

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Improve Breathing Habits. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

40 Inspiring High Quality Typographic Wallpapers | Graphic and Web Design Blog -Resources And Tutorials

40 Inspiring High Quality Typographic Wallpapers | Graphic and Web Design Blog -Resources And Tutorials

How To Practice Buddhist Breathing Meditation

The Little Rules of Action

“The shortest answer is doing.” - Lord Herbert

Too often we get stuck in inaction — the quagmire of doubt and perfectionism and distractions and planning that stops us from moving forward.

And while I’m no proponent of a whirling buzz of activity, I also believe people get lost in the distractions of the world and lose sight of what’s important, and how to actually accomplish their Something Amazing.

And so today I’d like to humbly present a few little rules of action — just some small reminders, things I’ve found useful but by no means invented, common-sense stuff that is often not common enough.

1. Don’t overthink. Too much thinking often results in getting stuck, in going in circles. Some thinking is good — it’s good to have a clear picture of where you’re going or why you’re doing this — but don’t get stuck thinking. Just do.

2. Just start. All the planning in the world will get you nowhere. You need to take that first step, no matter how small or how shaky. My rule for motivating myself to run is: Just lace up your shoes and get out the door. The rest takes care of itself.

3. Forget perfection. Perfectionism is the enemy of action. Kill it, immediately. You can’t let perfect stop you from doing. You can turn a bad draft into a good one, but you can’t turn no draft into a good draft. So get going.

4. Don’t mistake motion for action. A common mistake. A fury of activity doesn’t mean you’re doing anything. When you find yourself moving too quickly, doing too many things at once, this is a good reminder to stop. Slow down. Focus.

5. Focus on the important actions. Clear the distractions. Pick the one most important thing you must do today, and focus on that. Exclusively. When you’re done with that, repeat the process.

6. Move slowly, consciously. Be deliberate. Action doesn’t need to be done fast. In fact, that often leads to mistakes, and while perfection isn’t at all necessary, neither is making a ridiculous amount of mistakes that could be avoided with a bit of consciousness.

7. Take small steps. Biting off more than you can chew will kill the action. Maybe because of choking, I dunno. But small steps always works. Little tiny blows that will eventually break down that mountain. And each step is a victory, that will compel you to further victories.

8. Negative thinking gets you nowhere. Seriously, stop doing that. Self doubt? The urge to quit? Telling yourself that it’s OK to be distracted and that you can always get to it later? Squash those thoughts. Well, OK, you can be distracted for a little bit, but you get the idea. Positive thinking, as corny as it sounds, really works. It’s self-talk, and what we tell ourselves has a funny habit of turning into reality.

9. Meetings aren’t action. This is a common mistake in management. They hold meetings to get things done. Meetings, unfortunately, almost always get in the way of actual doing. Stop holding those meetings!

10. Talking (usually) isn’t action. Well, unless the action you need to take is a presentation or speech or something. Or you’re a television broadcaster. But usually, talking is just talking. Communication is necessary, but don’t mistake it for actual action.

11. Planning isn’t action. Sure, you need to plan. Do it, so you’re clear about what you’re doing. Just do it quickly, and get to the actual action as quickly as you can.

12. Reading about it isn’t action. You’re reading an article about action. Ironic, I know. But let this be the last one. Now get to work!

13. Sometimes, inaction is better. This might be the most ironic thing on the list, but really, if you find yourself spinning your wheels, or you find you’re doing more harm than good, rethink whether the action is even necessary. Or better yet, do this from the beginning — is it necessary? Only do the action if it is.

“Talk doesn’t cook rice.” - Chinese Proverb

Post written by Leo Babauta.

Universal symphony of musical harmony

Theoretically, the word cosmos which means order is the name of millions of connectivities scientifically woven into each other, and working to and fro, to create a composite, living whole.

In terms of sound, the cosmos is composed of hundreds of ragas connected and woven into each other, a system that is studied under the name of moorchana from the word 'moorch' which, though it refers to a 'fainted' condition, actually refers to harmonies, the swara or note-scale connectivities that lie asleep in the universal subconscious mind, until they awaken.

Pandit Amarnath speaks of these harmonies or moorchana-scale connectivities as being rooted in each other each time in a new 'Sa' and from each root creating back and forth routes as well, which is the real picture of their cosmic order. It is like all the roads of the world being both rooted in each other and from each root, up and down routes to each other. Just as each road or route finds by the method of the shifting of its base from one turn to the next, one harmony finds another by shifting its root or Sa from one point of its scale to another, to get to another equidistant order of notes, and another harmony, to sing or to play.

That is how we come to the study of raga names. Pandit Amarnath relentlessly campaigned for Hindustani ragas to be named by their harmonies or moorchanas , or other precise points of origin, rather than, as was the more prevalent practice, by the various moods that they evoked when they were sung, which were variables. For example, a rare raga being played by the name of Deepavali, which he rechristened as Pancham Kalyan, having discovered that it was from the moorchana of the pancham or fifth note, the Pa, of the raga Puriya Kalyan. Listening to the raga, it has no specific ambience in terms of Deepavali.

Harmony is the symphony of the road, the melodic terrain of the raga. And like all roads, as it goes, so it returns. Only to be finally moving up and down cyclically. Panditji had a simple way of explaining this. Your uncle is your father's brother. That is one way. But you are also your uncle's niece. That is the same way, but from the opposite direction. And the relationship, like all others, lives cyclically, in a to-and-fro response. The connectivities form an inevitable, teeming weave, which is the virat, the cosmos, its movements stemming from each other, and driving forth, and back, to the stems, to the roots.

What is profound about the moorchanas or harmonies is that the scale relationships are revealed only to the subconscious mind during meditation. Till then they are as good as dormant. It is when singing the raga with a pure mind, that the musician will 'hear' the harmonies related to the scale that he is singing, which is how untrodden roads ^ the new ragas ^ came to be discovered by the rishis and sages of yore!

What is even more profound about moorchanas is that the true sage will never say he 'found' them, but that they 'revealed' themselves to him ^ in terms of their parentage and ancestry, and of their place(ment) in the universal family of scales. He christened them accordingly. That is the story of the cosmos and of its harmonies, of the virat and its moorchanas, and the story of revelation through meditation.

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

Why Zen Inspiration ?

Inspired from ZEN HABITS , Zen cannot be explained it has to be Experienced .so being a fan of such kinds of topics i was immediately attracted to this topic and begin to study about it and more i read more i was attracted and some unknown feeling and inspiration surrounded me and i felt much Peaceful and happy when i start reading books and these kinds of spiritual topics made me satisfied at core level.
All these lead to creation of ZEN INSPIRATION  and I always feel that life is for a much higher purpose than we can understand and also spirituality and inspiration plays a vital role in a persons life,And also the concept of simplicity and minimalism all made a deep inspiration in my life.

it is very simple and easy topic to understand and equally complicated all this will depend on the way you see it,and not thinking about any thing looks Impossible at the beginning,and also one may think how is it possible to not think about any thing in this busy and competitive world and there is so much race and all that Bull S*** .

Zen Inspiration why i choose this title Zen means not thinking about any thing ,

Eat while you eat, sleep while you sleep this is ZEN if you can do this nothing in this world is impossible and no one can ever be your competition and you be just Perfect.and see this is the core point and the only important point .If one can do practice doing every thing with his 100% even sitting,sleeping,walking and every thing you do will be Zen.
Also things are unnecessarily  complicated   in daily life ,wake up to till sleeping every thing we do is complicated ,messed up ,compromised,dissatisfied, and more .no one is living how he/she wants to live .and if you suggest this to people they may think you are crazy.We eat breakfast thinking about some office project or about the traffic jams ,we don't enjoy the break fast at all we just eat it as if we are machines just being refilled.
I pity all those poor souls who loose their life daily every second in search of a better living and more money ,If only youth Knew and Aged can .earning a 6 figure income wont make you happy bet you more you earn more unhappier you will be ,life is simple and you cannot be happier by Taking you can be happiest only by giving

Sharing is GOOD

Stop dreaming about unwanted luxuries in life have perfect basic needs in life and remember less is more.don't be over ambitious and  greedy.live life simpler and happily.
I want to write more about these kinds of topics .Hope you liked this one.

Top 10 Inspirational Books

The list author says: "Inspiration is like showering. Things can get pretty funky without a daily dose of both. Here are 10 books that I find highly inspirational."

Top 10 Inspirational Books

Top 5 Most Inspirational Videos on YouTube

Sometimes we all can use a little inspiration. I thought I’d share some of my favorite inspirational videos with you, hoping that it’ll help pick you up today.

Play these as needed. Warning: you might be inspired to greatness, so use with caution.

1. Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams

Watched by over 6 million viewers, this video of a Carnegie Mellon professor who is dying of pancreatic cancer contains more inspiration and wisdom than almost anything else you can watch online. Watch it!

2. A Father’s Amazing Love

Unless you’re a cold-hearted bastard (and none of you who read this blog are, I know), you will get teary-eyed watching this video. You can’t help it. There is no more powerful demonstration of a father’s love than this.

3. Steve Jobs’s Stanford Commencement Speech

I admit, I’m a Steve Jobs fanboy — the guy invented the Mac, the iPod, and Pixar for goodness sake! He’s also a minimalist, like me, and in this speech he shows the power of pursuing your dreams, something I fervently believe in. And Steve, if by any chance you happen to read this blog, drop me a line! (I know, not much of a chance, but I had to give it a shot.) Correction: Steve didn’t invent Pixar, as one reader pointed out. He probably didn’t invent the iPod either, but he did lead both to prominence.

4. Will Smith – Running & Reading (The Key to Life)

Will Smith is right on in this speech. As an avid runner and reader myself, I’ve noticed these same phenomena have changed my life, and I recommend both to anyone I talk to.

5. Free Hugs Campaign

I’m a big fan of the Free Hugs campaign. Such a simple yet profound and revolutionary idea — offer free hugs to strangers and change their lives in small ways. I love it.

Have a favorite inspirational video? Share in the comments!

Original Post From http://zenhabits.net/2008/08/top-5-most-inspirational-videos-on-youtube/

Preparing for X-mas in the advent season

Ashankur or Seed of Hope, a women's empowerment centre at Bhokar, a village in Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra was home for me for the past two

months. The experience prepared me to embrace the spirit of Christmas.

I woke up every morning to the pungent yet soothing smell of fresh earth, with a view from my room of shimmering green fields. Mynahs flew in and out of the room. I could see the Seven Sisters, parakeets and kingfishers twittering in the branches of trees, koels calling out to each other in song and wasps grubbing on insects, while squirrels darted from tree to tree. All these sights and sounds of nature were like balm, soothing and healing the wounds of hurt.

Nature at Ashankur was at its beautiful best with lilies, roses, gerberas and other flowers, with Gulmohur trees arching over. Cool breeze accompanied by sudden cloud burst and rain would sometimes cover the village in darkness. Living close to nature, and away from the noise and bustle of the city, i could not but take a second look at my life. The question before me this Christmas was: How to commit myself to the reconstruction and recreation of my own life and that of the earth?

Having come to the village in inner turmoil, i kept hearing a voice within that said: "Be still and know that I am God". The hushed silence at Ashankur helped me come into the presence of God on tip-toe, to experience a deep peace that is a divine gift. I stood free of everything that had enveloped me in personal darkness, and found myself in the presence of an all-pervading light, which could only be a sign from God.

Ashankur made me experience a call within a call, prompting me to pray like the blind preacher from Scotland, George Matheson, who said: "Teach me the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my thorn. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbows."

The season of Advent, which is a preparation for Christmas, made me stand in awe of the fact that Jesus took birth to bring to us the blessings of a God-filled life, which would transform us and teach us to pay heed to His call.

I once again found encouragement and hope in my life and found myself immersed in an all-sustaining love that renewed my faith in God and human beings. I have rediscovered faith this Christmas in a compassionate and loving God who renews the face of the earth and all those who wait on Him. I can only share this divine treasure with all those who are willing to be part of this experience.

My stay at Ashankur was short. I went there with a heart heavy with many questions to which there seemed to be conflicting answers. I watched and waited in silence and the answers came slowly but surely. God was once again inviting me to renew my life and to experience His power that helps to overcome all difficulties, however daunting they may seem.

It does not matter if our place in God's ranks is a hidden and secluded one and if our place is just where we stand in the conflict. The answers will come. This Advent has been an occasion for me to lift myself up, to let my spirits soar skyward and to experience the calm and the peace that the festival of Christmas brings to everyone, irrespective of where we belong, our persuasions and who we think we are.

101. Buddha's Zen

Buddha said: "I consider the positions of kings and rulers as that of dust motes. I observe treasures of gold and gems as so many bricks and pebbles. I look upon the finest silken robes as tattered rags. I see myriad worlds of the universe as small seeds of fruit, and the greatest lake in India as a drop of oil on my foot. I perceive the teachings of the world to be the illusion of magicians. I discern the highest conception of emancipation as a golden brocade in a dream, and view the holy path of the illuminated ones as flowers appearing in one's eyes. I see meditation as a pillar of a mountain, Nirvana as a nightmare of daytime. I look upon the judgment of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons."

100. The Silent Temple

Shoichi was a one-eyed teacher of Zen, sparkling with enlightenment. He taught his disciples in Tofuku temple.

Day and night the whole temple stood in silence. There was no sound at all.

Even the reciting of sutras was abolished by the teacher. His pupils had nothing to do but meditate.

When the master passed away, an old neighbor heard the ringing of bells and the recitation of sutras. Then she knew Shoichi had gone.

99. Tosui's Vinegar

Tosui was the Zen master who left the formalism of temples to live under a bridge with beggars. When he was getting very old, a friend helped him to earn his living without begging. He showed Tosui how to collect rice and manufacture vinegar from it, and Tosui did this until he passed away.

While Tosui was making vinegar, one of the beggars gave him a picture of the Buddha. Tosui hung it on the wall of his hut and put a sign beside it. The sign read:

Mr. Amida Buddha: This little room is quite narrow. I can let you remain as a transient. But don't think I am asking you to be reborn in your paradise.

98. Non-Attachment

Kitano Gempo, abbot of Eihei temple, was ninety-two years old when he passed away in the year 1933. He endeavored his whole life not to be attached to anything. As a wandering mendicant when he was twenty he happened to meet a traveler who smoked tobacco. As they walked together down a mountain road, they stopped under a tree to rest. The traveler offered Kitano a smoke, which he accepted, as he was very hungry at the time.

"How pleasant this smoking is," he commented. The other gave him an extra pipe and tobacco and they parted.

Kitano felt: "Such pleasant things may disturb meditation. Before this goes too far, I will stop now." So he threw the smoking outfit away.

When he was twenty-three years old he studied I-King, the profoundest doctrine of the universe. It was winter at the time and he needed some heavy clothes. He wrote his teacher, who lived a hundred miles away, telling him of his need, and gave the letter to a traveler to deliver. Almost the whole winter passed and neither answer nor clothes arrived. So Kitano resorted to the prescience of I-King, which also teaches the art of divination, to determine whether or not his letter had miscarried. He found that this had been the case. A letter afterwards from his teacher made no mention of clothes.

"If I perform such accurate determinative work with I-King, I may neglect my meditation," felt Kitano. So he gave up this marvelous teaching and never resorted to its powers again.

When he was twenty-eight he studied Chinese calligraphy and poetry. He grew so skillful in these arts that his teacher praised him. Kitano mused: "If I don't stop now, I'll be a poet, not a Zen teacher." So he never wrote another poem.

97. Teaching the Ultimate

In early times in Japan, bamboo-and-paper lanterns were used with candles inside. A blind man, visiting a friend one night, was offered a lantern to carry home with him.

"I do not need a lantern," he said. "Darkness or light is all the same to me."

"I know you do not need a lantern to find your way," his friend replied, "but if you don't have one, someone else may run into you. So you must take it."

The blind man started off with the lantern and before he had walked very far someone ran squarely into him. "Look out where you are going!" he exclaimed to the stranger. "Can't you see this lantern?"

"Your candle has burned out, brother," replied the stranger.

96. A Drop of Water

A Zen master named Gisan asked a young student to bring him a pail of water to cool his bath.

The student brought the water and, after cooling the bath, threw on to the ground the little that was left over.

"You dunce!" the master scolded him. "Why didn't you give the rest of the water to the plants? What right have you to waste even one drop of water in this temple?"

The young student attained Zen in that instant. He changed his name to Tekisui, which means a drop of water.

95. A Letter to a Dying Man

Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was about to die:

"The essence of your mind is not born, so it will never die. It is not an existance, which is perishable. It is not an emptiness, which is a mere void. It has neither color nor form. It enjoys no pleasures and suffers no pains.

"I know you are very ill. Like a good Zen student, you are facing that sickness squarely. You may not know exactly who is suffering, but question yourself: What is the essence of this mind? Think only of this. You will need no more. Covet nothing. Your end which is endless is as a snowflake dissolving in the pure air."

94. Midnight Excursion

Many pupils were studying meditation under the Zen master Sengai. One of them used to arise at night, climb over the temple wall, and go to town on a pleasure jaunt.

Sengai, inspecting the dormitory quarters, found this pupil missing one night and also discovered the high stool he had used to scale the wall. Sengai removed the stool and stood there in its place.

When the wanderer returned, not knowing that Sengai was the stool, he put his feet on the master's head and jumped down into the grounds. Discovering what he had done, he was aghast.

Sengai said: "It is very chilly in the early morning. Do be careful not to catch cold yourself."

The pupil never went out at night again.

93. Storyteller's Zen

Encho was a famous storyteller. His tales of love stirred the hearts of his listeners. When he narrated a story of war, it was as if the listeners themselves were in the field of battle.

One day Encho met Yamaoka Tesshu, a layman who had almost embraced masterhood of Zen. "I understand," said Yamaoka, "you ar the best storyteller in out land and that you make people cry or laugh at will. Tell me my favorite story of the Peach Boy. When I was a little tot I used to sleep beside my mother, and she often related this legend. In the middle of the story I would fall asleep. Tell it to me just as my mother did."

Encho dared not attempt this. He requested time to study. Several months later he went to Yamaoka and said: "Please give me the opportunity to tell you the story."

"Some other day," answered Yamaoka.

Encho was keenly disappointed. He studied further and tried again. Yamaoka rejected him many times. When Encho would start to talk Yamaoka would stop him, saying: "You are not yet like my mother."

It took Encho five years to be able to tell Yamaoka the legend as his mother had told it to him.

In this way, Yamaoka imparted Zen to Encho.

92. Fire-Poker Zen

Hakuin used to tell his pupils about an old woman who had a teashop, praising her understanding of Zen. The pupils refused to believe what he told them and would go to the teashop to find out for themselves.

Whenever the woman saw them coming she could tell at once whether they had come for tea or to look into her grasp of Zen. In the former case, she would serve them graciously. In the latter, she would beckon the pupils to come behind her screen. The instant they obeyed, she would strike them with a fire-poker.

Nine out of ten of them could not escape her beating.

91. The Taste of Banzo's Sword

Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His father, believing that his son's work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him.

So Matajuro went to Mount Futara and there found the famous swordsman Banzo. But Banzo confirmed the father's judgment. "You wish to learn swordsmanship under my guidance?" asked Banzo. "You cannot fulfill the requirements."

"But if I work hard, how many years will it take to become a master?" persisted the youth.

"The rest of your life," replied Banzo.

"I cannot wait that long," explained Matajuro. "I am willing to pass through any hardship if only you will teach me. If I become your devoted servant, how long might it be?"

"Oh, maybe ten years," Banzo relented.

"My father is getting old, and soon I must take care of him," continued Matajuro. "If I work far more intensively, how long would it take me?"

"Oh, maybe thirty years," said Banzo.

"Why is that?" asked Matajuro. "First you say ten and now thirty years. I will undergo any hardship to master this art in the shortest time!"

"Well," said Banzo, "in that case you will have to remain with me for seventy years. A man in such a hurry as you are to get results seldom learns quickly."

"Very well," declared the youth, understanding at last that he was being rebuked for impatience, "I agree."

Matajuro was told never to speak of fencing and never to touch a sword. He cooked for his master, washed the dishes, made his bed, cleaned the yard, cared for the garden, all without a word of swordmanship.

Three years passed. Still Matajuro labored on. Thinking of his future, he was sad. He had not even begun to learn the art to which he had devoted his life.

But one day Banzo crept up behind him and gave him a terrific blow with a wooden sword.

The following day, when Matajuro was cooking rice, Banzo again sprang upon him unexpectedly.

After that, day and night, Matajuro had to defend himself from unexpected thrusts. Not a moment passed in any day that he did not have to think of the taste of Banzo's sword.

He learned so rapidly he brought smiles to the face of his master. Matajuro became the greatest swordsman in the land.

90. The Last Rap

Tangen had studied with Sengai since childhood. When he was twenty he wanted to leave his teacher and visit others for comparative study, but Sengai would not permit this. Every time Tangen suggested it, Sengai would give him a rap on the head.

Finally Tangen asked an elder brother to coax permission from Sengai. This the brother did and then reported to Tangen: "It is arranged. I have fixed it for you start your pilgrimage at once."

Tangen went to Sengai to thank him for his permission. The master answered by giving him another rap.

When Tangen related this to his elder brother the other said: "What is the matter? Sengai has no business giving permission and then changing his mind. I will tell him so." And off he went to see the teacher.

"I did not cancel my permission," said Sengai. "I just wished to give him one last smack over the head, for when he returns he will be enlightened and I will not be able to reprimand him again."

89. Zen Dialogue

Zen teachers train their young pupils to express themselves. Two Zen temples each had a child protégé. One child, going to obtain vegetables each morning, would meet the other on the way.

"Where are you going?" asked the one.

"I am going wherever my feet go," the other responded.

This reply puzzled the first child who went to his teacher for help. "Tomorrow morning," the teacher told him, "when you meet that little fellow, ask him the same question. He will give you the same answer, and then you ask him: 'Suppose you have no feet, then where are you going?' That will fix him."

The children met again the following morning.

"Where are you going?" asked the first child.

"I am going wherever the wind blows," answered the other.

This again nonplussed the youngster, who took his defeat to his teacher.

"Ask him where he is going if there is no wind," suggested the teacher.

The next day the children met a third time.

"Where are you going?" asked the first child.

"I am going to the market to buy vegetables," the other replied.

58. Arresting the Stone Buddha

A merchant bearing fifty rolls of cotton goods on his shoulders stopped to rest from the heat of the day beneath a shelter where a large stone Buddha was standing. There he fell asleep, and when he awoke his goods had disappeared. He immediately reported the matter to the police.

A judge named O-oka opened court to investigate. "That stone Buddha must have stolen the goods," concluded the judge. "He is supposed to care for the welfare of the people, but he has failed to perform his holy duty. Arrest him."

The police arrested the stone Buddha and carried it into the court. A noisy crowd followed the statue, curious to learn what kind of sentence the judge was about to impose.

When O-oka appeared on the bench he rebuked the boisterous audience. "What right have you people to appear before the court laughing and joking in this manner? You are in contempt of court and subject to a fine and imprisonment."

The people hastened to apologize. "I shall have to impose a fine on you," said the judge, "but I will remit it provided each one of you brings one roll of cotton goods to the court within three days. Anyone failing to do this will be arrested."

One of the rolls of cloth which the people brought was quickly recognized by the merchant as his own, and thus the thief was easily discovered. The merchant recovered his goods, and the cotton rolls were returned to the people.

88. How to Write a Chinese Poem

A well-known Japanese poet was asked how to compose a Chinese poem.

"The usual Chinese poem is four lines," he explains. "The first line contains the initial phase; the second line, the continuation of that phase; the third line turns from this subject and begins a new one; and the fourth line brings the first three lines together. A popular Japanese song illustrates this:

Two daughters of a silk merchant live in Kyoto.
The elder is twenty, the younger, eighteen.
A soldier may kill with his sword.
But these girls slay men with their eyes.

87. Three Kinds of Disciples

A Zen master named Gettan lived in the latter part of the Tokugawa era. He used to say: "There are three kinds of disciples: those who impart Zen to others, those who maintain the temples and shrines, and then there are the rice bags and the clothes-hangers."

Gasan expressed the same idea. When he was studying under Tekisui, his teacher was very severe. Sometimes he even beat him. Other pupils would not stand this kind of teaching and quit. Gasan remained, saying: "A poor disciple utilizes a teacher's influence. A fair disciple admires a teacher's kindness. A good disciple grows strong under a teacher's discipline."

86. The Living Buddha and the Tubmaker

Zen masters give personal guidance in a secluded room. No one enters while teacher and pupil are together.

Mokurai, the Zen master of Kennin temple in Kyoto, used to enjoy talking with merchants and newspapermen as well as with his pupils. A certain tubmaker was almost illiterate. He would ask foolish questions of Mokurai, have tea, and then go away.

One day while the tubmaker was there Mokurai wished to give personal guidance to a disciple, so he asked the tubmaker to wait in another room.

"I understand you are a living Buddha," the man protested. "Even the stone Buddhas in the temple never refuse the numerous persons who come together before them. Why then should I be excluded?"

Mokurai had to go outside to see his disciple.

85. Time to Die

Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: "Why do people have to die?"

"This is natural," explained the older man. "Everything has to die and has just so long to live."

Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: "It was time for your cup to die."

84. True Friends

A long time ago in China there were two friends, one who played the harp skilfully and one who listen skillfully.

When the one played or sang about a mountain, the other would say: "I can see the mountain before us."

When the one played about water, the listener would exclaim: "Here is the running stream!"

But the listener fell sick and died. The first friend cut the strings of his harp and never played again. Since that time the cutting of harp strings has always been a sign of intimate friendship.

83. No Work, No Food

Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees.

The pupils felt sorry to see the old teacher working so hard, but they knew he would not listen to their advice to stop, so they hid away his tools.

That day the master did not eat. The next day he did not eat, nor the next. "He may be angry because we have hidden his tools," the pupils surmised. "We had better put them back."

The day they did, the teacher worked and ate the same as before. In the evening he instructed them: "No work, no food."

82. Nothing Exists

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

Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after all, do not exist. The true nature of phenomena is emptiness. There is no realization, no delusion, no sage, no mediocrity. There is no giving and nothing to be received."

Dokuon, who was smoking quietly, said nothing. Suddenly he whacked Yamaoka with his bamboo pipe. This made the youth quite angry.

"If nothing exists," inquired Dokuon, "where did this anger come from?"

81. Just Go to Sleep

Gasan was sitting at the bedside of Tekisui three days before his teacher's passing. Tekisui had already chosen him as his successor.

A temple recently had burned and Gasan was busy rebuilding the structure. Tekisui asked him: "What are you going to do when you get the temple rebuilt?"

"When your sickness is over we want you to speak there," said Gasan.

"Suppose I do not live until then?"

"Then we will get someone else," replied Gasan.

"Suppose you cannot find anyone?" continued Tekisui.

Gasan answered loudly: "Don't ask such foolish questions. Just go to sleep."

80. The Real Miracle

When Bankei was preaching at Ryumon temple, a Shinshu priest, who believed in salvation through repetition of the name of the Buddha of Love, was jealous of his large audience and wanted to debate with him.

Bankei was in the midst of a talk when the priest appeared, but the fellow made such a disturbance that Bankei stopped his discourse and asked about the noise.

"The founder of our sect," boasted the priest, "had such miraculous powers that he held a brush in his hand on one bank of the river, his attendant held up a paper on the other bank, and the teacher wrote the holy name of Amida through the air. Can you do such a wonderful thing?"

Bankei replied lightly: "Perhaps your fox can perform that trick, but that is not the manner of Zen. My miracle is that when I feel hungry I eat, and when I feel thirsty I drink."

79. Incense Burner

A woman of Nagasaki named Kame was one of the few makers of incense burners in Japan. Such a burner is a work of art to be used only in a tearoom of before a family shrine.

Kame, whose father before her had been such an artist, was fond of drinking. She also smoked and associated with men most of the time. Whenever she made a little money she gave a feast inviting artists, poets, carpenters, workers, men of many vocations and avocations. In their association she evolved her designs.

Kame was exceedingly slow in creating, but when her work was finished it was always a masterpiece. Her burners were treasured in homes whose womanfolk never drank, smoked, or associated freely with men.

The mayor of Nagasaki once requested Kame to design an incense burner for him. She delayed doing so until almost half a year had passed. At that time the mayor, who had been promoted to office in a distant city, visited her. He urged Kame to begin work on his burner.

At last receiving the inspiration, Kame made the incense burner. After it was completed she placed it upon a table. She looked at it long and carefully. She smoked and drank before it as if it were her own company. All day she observed it.

At last, picking up a hammer, Kame smashed it to bits. She saw it was not the perfect creation her mind demanded.

78. Real Prosperity

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

Sengai obtained a large sheet of paper and wrote: "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."

The rich man became angry. "I asked you to write something for the happiness of my family! Why do you make such a joke of this?"

"No joke is intended," explained Sengai. "If before you yourself die your son should die, this would grieve you greatly. If your grandson should pass away before your son, both of you would be broken-hearted. If your family, generation after generation, passes away in the order I have named, it will be the natural course of life. I call this real prosperity."

77. No Attachment to Dust

Zengetsu, a Chinese master of the T'ang dynasty, wrote the following advice for his pupils:

Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of a true Zen student.

When witnessing the good action of another encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing of the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it.

Even though alone in a dark room, be as if you were facing a noble guest. Express your feelings, but become no more expressive than your true nature.

Poverty is your treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life.

A person may appear a fool and yet not be one. He may only be guarding his wisdom carefully.

Virtues are the fruit of self-discipline and do not drop from heaven of themselves as does rain or snow.

Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Let your neighbors discover you before you make yourself known to them.

A noble heart never forces itself forward. Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value.

To a sincere student, every day is a fortunate day. Time passes but he never lags behind. Neither glory nor shame can move him.

Censure yourself, never another. Do not discuss right and wrong.

Some things, though right, were considered wrong for generations. Since the value of righteousness may be recognized after centuries, there is no need to crave immediate appreciation.

Live with cause and leave results to the great law of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation.

76. The Stone Mind

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 make a fire in his yard to warm themselves.

While they were building the fire, Hogen heard them arguing about subjectivity and objectivity. He joined them and said: "There is a big stone. Do you consider it to be inside or outside your mind?"

One of the monks replied: "From the Buddhist viewpoint everything is an objectification of mind, so I would say that the stone is inside my mind."

"Your head must feel very heavy," observed Hogen, "if you are carrying around a stone like that in your mind."

75. Temper

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

"You have something very strange," replied Bankei. "Let me see what you have."

"Just now I cannot show it to you," replied the other.

"When can you show it to me?" asked Bankei.

"It arises unexpectedly," replied the student.

"Then," concluded Bankei, "it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over."

74. True Reformation

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 on a courtesan. Inasmuch as the nephew had taken Ryokan's place in managing the family estate and the property was in danger of being dissipated, the relatives asked Ryoken to do something about it.

Ryokan had to travel a long way to visit his nephew, whom he had not seen for many years. The nephew seemed pleased to meet his uncle again and invited him to remain overnight.

All night Ryokan sat in meditation. As he was departing in the morning he said to the young man: "I must be getting old, my hand shakes so. Will you help me tie the string of my straw sandal?"

The nephew helped him willingly. "Thank you," finished Ryokan, "you see, a man becomes older and feebler day by day. Take good care of yourself." Then Ryokan left, never mentioning a word about the courtesan or the complaints of the relatives. But, from that morning on, the dissipations of the nephew ended.

73. Ten Successors

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 resolution with blood. In time the vow has become a mere formality, and for this reason the pupil who died by the hand of Ekido was made to appear a martyr.

Ekido had become a severe teacher. His pupils feared him. One of them on duty, striking the gong to tell the time of day, missed his beats when his eye was attracted by a beautiful girl passing the temple gate.

At that moment Ekido, who was directly behind him, hit him with a stick and the shock happened to kill him.

The pupil's guardian, hearing of the accident, went directly to Ekido. Knowing that he was not to blame he praised the master for his severe teaching. Ekido's attitude was just the same as if the pupil were still alive.

After this took place, he was able to produce under his guidance more than ten enlightened successors, a very unusual number.

72. 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 by nature and have an inborn ability to learn Zen."

"Nonsense," said Daigu. "Why do you flatter this blockhead? He may be a lord, but he doesn't know anything of Zen."

So, instead of building a temple for Gudo, the lord built it for Daigu and studied Zen with him.

71. Learning to Be Silent

The pupils of the Tendai school used to study meditation before Zen entered Japan. Four of them who were intimate friends promised one another to observe seven days of silence.

On the first day all were silent. Their meditation had begun auspiciously, but when night came and the oil lamps were growing dim one of the pupils could not help exclaiming to a servant: "Fix those lamps."

The second pupils was surprised to hear the first one talk. "We are not supposed to say a word," he remarked.

"You two are stupid. Why did you talk?" asked the third.

"I am the only one who has not talked," concluded the fourth pupil.

70. The Most Valuable Thing in the World

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

The master replied: "The head of a dead cat."

"Why is the head of a dead cat the most valuable thing in the world?" inquired the student.

Sozan replied: "Because no one can name its price."

69. Eating the Blame

Circumstances arose one day which delayed preperation of the dinner of a Soto Zen master, Fukai, and his followers. In haste the cook went to the garden with his curved knife and cut off the tops of green vegetables, chopped them together and made soup, unaware that in his haste he had included a part of a snake in the vegetables.

The followers of Fugai thought they never tasted such good soup. But when the master himself found the snake's head in his bowl, he summoned the cook. "What is this?" he demanded, holding yo the head of the snake.

"Oh, thank you, master," replied the cook, taking the morsel and eating it quickly.

68. One Note of Zen

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 since he showed nothing of it, save one note, he is not remembered for having brought Zen into his country.

Kakua visited China and accepted the true teaching. He did not travel while he was there. Meditating constantly, he lived on a remote part of a mountain. Whenever people found him and asked him to preach he would say a few words and then move to another part of the mountain where he could be found less easily.

The emperor heard about Kakua when he returned to Japan and asked him to preach Zen for his edification and that of his subjects.

Kakua stood before the emperor in silence. He the produced a flute from the folds of his robe, and blew one short note. Bowing politely, he disappeared.

67. What Are You Doing! What Are You Saying!

In modern times a great deal of nonsense is talked about masters and disciples, and about the inheritance of a master's teaching by favorite pupils, entitling them to pass the truth on to their adherents. Of course Zen should be imparted in this way, from heart to heart, and in the past it was really accomplished. Silence and humility reigned rather than profession and assertion. The one who received such a teaching kept the matter hidden even after twenty years. Not until another discovered through his own need that a real master was at hand was it learned that the teching had been imparted, and even then the occasion arose quite naturally and the teaching made its way in its own right. Under no circumstance did the teacher even claim "I am the successor of So-and-so." Such a claim would prove quite the contrary.

The Zen master Mu-nan had only one successor. His name was Shoju. After Shoju had completed his study of Zen, Mu-nan called him into his room. "I am getting old," he said, "and as far as I know, Shoju, you are the only one who will carry on this teaching. Here is a book. It has been passed down from master to master for seven generations. I have also added many points according to my understanding. The book is very valuable, and I am giving it to you to represent your successorhip."

"If the book is such an important thing, you had better keep it," Shoju replied. "I received your Zen without writing and am satisfied with it as it is."

"I know that," said Mu-nan. "Even so, this work has been carried from master to master for seven generations, so you may keep it as a symbol of having received the teaching. Here."

They happened to be talking before a brazier. The instant Shoju felt the book in his hands he thrust it into the flaming coals. He had no lust for possessions.

Mu-nan, who never had been angry before, yelled: "What are you doing!"

Shoju shouted back: "What are you saying!"

66. Children of His Majesty

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 vagabonds. He has but one suit of clothes, for they kept him always poor.

The emperor, observing how worn his garments were, gave Yamaoka some money to buy new ones. The next time Yamaoka appeared he wore the same old outfit.

"What became of the new clothes, Yamaoka?" asked the emperor.

"I provided clothes for the children of Your Majesty," explained Yamaoka.

65. The Subjugation of a Ghost

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 go from me to any other woman. If you do, I will return as a ghost and cause you endless trouble."

Soon the wife passed away. The husband respected her last wish for the first three months, but then he met another woman and fell in love with her. They became engaged to be married.

Immediately after the engagement a ghost appeared every night to the man, blaming him for not keeping his promise. The ghost was clever too. She told him exactly what has transpired between himself and his new sweetheart. Whenever he gave his fiancee a present, the ghost would describe it in detail. She would even repeat conversations, and it so annoyed the man that he could not sleep. Someone advised him to take his problem to a Zen master who lived close to the village. At length, in despair, the poor man went to him for help.

"Your former wife became a ghost and knows everything you do," commented the master. "Whatever you do or say, whatever you give you beloved, she knows. She must be a very wise ghost. Really you should admire such a ghost. The next time she appears, bargain with her. Tell her that she knows so much you can hide nothing from her, and that if she will answer you one question, you promise to break your engagement and remain single."

"What is the question I must ask her?" inquired the man.

The master replied: "Take a large handful of soy beans and ask her exactly how many beans you hold in your hand. If she cannot tell you, you will know she is only a figment of your imagination and will trouble you no longer."

The next night, when the ghost appeared the man flattered her and told her that she knew everything.

"Indeed," replied the ghost, "and I know you went to see that Zen master today."

"And since you know so much," demanded the man, "tell me how many beans I hold in this hand!"

There was no longer any ghost to answer the question.

64. Kasan Sweat

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 ceremony started, Kasan sweat.

Afterwards, when he had returned, he gathered his pupils together. Kasan confessed that he was not yet qualified to be a teacher for he lacked the sameness of bearing in the world of fame that he possessed in the secluded temple. Then Kasan resigned and became a pupil of another master. Eight years later he returned to his former pupils, enlightened.

63. Killing

Gasan instructed his adherents one day: "Those who speak against killing and who desire to spare the lives of all conscious beings are right. It is good to protect even animals and insects. But what about those persons who kill time, what about those who are destroying wealth, and those who destroy political economy? We should not overlook them. Furthermore, what of the one who preaches without enlightenment? He is killing Buddhism."

62. In the Hands of Destiny

A great Japanese warrior named Nobunaga decided to attack the enemy although he had only one-tenth the number of men the opposition commanded. He knew that he would win, but his soldiers were in doubt.

On the way he stopped at a Shinto shrine and told his men: "After I visit the shrine I will toss a coin. If heads comes, we will win; if tails, we will lose. Destiny holds us in her hand."

Nobunaga entered the shrine and offered a silent prayer. He came forth and tossed a coin. Heads appeared. His soldiers were so eager to fight that they won their battle easily.

"No one can change the hand of destiny," his attendant told him after the battle.

"Indeed not," said Nobunaga, showing a coin which had been doubled, with heads facing either way.

61. Gudo and the Emperor

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

Gudo answered: "If I say yes, you will think that you understand without understanding. If I say no, I would be contradicting a fact which you may understand quite well."

On another day the emperor asked Gudo: "Where does the enlightened man go when he dies?"

Gudo answered: "I know not."

"Why don't you know?" asked the emperor.

"Because I have not died yet," replied Gudo.

The emperor hesitated to inquire further about these things his mind could not grasp. So Gudo beat the floor with his hand as if to awaken him, and the emperor was enlightened!

The emperor respected Zen and old Gudo more than ever after his enlightenment, and he even permitted Gudo to wear his hat in the palace in winter. When Gudo was over eighty he used to fall asleep in the midst of his lecture, and the emperor would quietly retire to another room so his beloved teacher might enjoy the rest his aging body required.

60. The Tunnel

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 wife and was discovered. In self-defence, he slew the official. Then he ran away with the wife.

Both of them later became thieves. But the woman was so greedy that Zenkai grew disgusted. Finally, leaving her, he journeyed far away to the province of Buzen, where he became a wandering mendicant.

To atone for his past, Zenkai resolved to accomplish some good deed in his lifetime. Knowing of a dangerous road over a cliff that had caused death and injury to many persons, he resolved to cut a tunnel through the mountain there.

Begging food in the daytime, Zenkai worked at night digging his tunnel. When thirty years had gone by, the tunnel was 2,280 feet long, 20 feet high, and 30 feet wide.

Two years before the work was completed, the son of the official he had slain, who was a skillful swordsman, found Zenkai out and came to kill him in revenge.

"I will gived you my life willingly," said Zenkai. "Only let me finish this work. On the day it is completed, then you may kill me."

So the son awaited the day. Several months passed and Zenkai kept digging. The son grew tired of doing nothing and began to help with the digging. After he had helped for more than a year, he came to admire Zenkai's strong will and character.

At last the tunnel was completed and the people could use it and travel safely.

"Now cut off my head," said Zenkai. "My work is done."

"How can I cut off my own teacher's head?" asked the younger man with tears in his eyes.

59. Soldiers of Humanity

Once a division of the Japanese army was engaged in a sham battle, and some of the officers found it necessary to make their headquarters in Gasan's temple.

Gasan told his cook: "Let the officers have only the same simple fare we eat."

This made the army men angry, as they wre used to very deferential treatment. One came to Gasan and said: "Who do you think we are? We are soldiers, sacrificing our lives for our country. Why don't you treat us accordingly?"

Gasan answered sternly: "Who do you think we are? We are soldiers of humanity, aiming to save all sentient beings."

57. The Gates of Paradise

A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin, and asked: "Is there really a paradise and a hell?"

"Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.

"I am a samurai," the warrior replied.

"You, a soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. "What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar."

Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued: "So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."

As Nobushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: "Here open the gates of hell!"

At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword and bowed.

"Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin.

56. The True Path

Just before Ninakawa passed away the Zen master Ikkyu visited him. "Shall I lead you on?" Ikkyu asked.

Ninakawa replied: "I came here alone and I go alone. What help could you be to me?"

Ikkyu answered: "If you think you really come and go, that is your delusion. Let me show you the path on which there is no coming and going."

With his words, Ikkyu had revealed the path so clearly that Ninakawa smiled and passed away.

55. The Tea-Master and The Assassin

Taiko, a warrior who lived in Japan before the Tokugawa era, studied Cha-no-yu, tea etiquette, with Sen no Rikyu, a teacher of that aesthetical expression of calmness and contentment.

Taiko's attendant warrior Kato interpreted his superior's enthusiasm for tea etiquette as negligence of state affairs, so he decided to kill Sen no Rikyu. He pretended to make a social call upon the tea-master and was invited to drink tea.

The master, who was well skilled in his art, saw at a glance the warrior's intention, so he invited Kato to leave his sword outside before entering the room for the ceremony, explaining that Cha-no-yu represents peacefulness itself.

Kato would not listen to this. "I am a warrior," he said. "I always have my sword with me. Cha-no-yu or no Cha-no-yu, I have my sword."

"Very well. Bring your sword in and have some tea," consented Sen no Rikyu.

The kettle was boiling on the charcoal fire. Suddenly Sen no Rikyu tipped it over. Hissing steam arose, filling the room with smoke and ashes. The startled warrior ran outside.

The tea-master apologized. "It was my mistake. Come back in and have some tea. I have your sword here covered with ashes and will clean it and give it to you."

In this predicament the warrior realized he could not very well kill the tea-master, so he gave up the idea.

54. The Last Will and Testament

Ikkyu, a famous Zen teacher of the Ashikaga era, was the son of the emperor. When he was very young, his mother left the palace and went to study Zen in a temple. In this way Prince Ikkyu also became a student. When this mother passed on, she left him a letter. It read:

To Ikkyu:

I have finished my work in this life and am now returning into Eternity. I wish you to become a good student and to realize your Buddha-nature. You will know if I am in hell and whether I am always with you or not.

If you become a man who realizes that the Buddha and his follower Bodhidharma are your own servants, you may leave off studying and work for humanity. The Buddha preached for forty-nine years and in all that time found it not necessary to speak one word. You ought to know why. But if you don't and yet wish to, avoid thinking fruitlessly.

Your Mother,

Not born, not dead.

September first.

P.S. The teaching of Buddha was mainly for the purpose of enlightening others. If you are dependent on any of its methods, you are naught but an ignorant insect. There are 80,000 books on Buddhism and if you should read all of them and still not see your own nature, you will not understand even this letter. This is my will and testament.