zen master

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Zen story: The questioning monk who wanted secrets revealed to him

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 3 Jun

A student monk asked his old Zen master to tell him the secrets of Zen, that he had never shared with his students. The old man smiled, and replied, [b]"Nobody knows the secrets of Zen in their minds, not even...

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3 people

Zen story: For meditation to be real, it must be linked to life

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 31 May

The Zen master would rise each morning, walk outside bare footed, hug a tree, then come back inside the meditation room, and sit for an hour in meditation. He did this for many years, and it became like a koan to his...

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3 people

Zen story: the koan of silence

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 20 May

The Zen master hummed softly to himself, and nobody knew what was on his mind to cause him to hum like that. He then said, "Humming is a koan for you, what do you think it means? Nobody could answer him satisfactorily,...

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1 person

Zen story: The feather ruffling Zen master

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 6 Apr

The old Zen master, Enrico Zerboski, had become different in his teachings to other Zen masters, over the many years, while he had been the head master, at the Ryoko monastery. He would often debunk many of the long held...

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3 people

A zen story about miserliness, and generosity

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 22 Mar

The old Zen master was always generous in spirit, but not only that, he was generous in all other manor of life too. If a beggar came to his monastery, he was given a meal, clean clothes, and a stipend, to purchase...

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3 people

Zen tale: A Zen master knows far more that what he lets on that he knows

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 14 Mar

The old Zen master was coughing up blood, and he told his students that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He said to them, that nevertheless, I will stay in this body as long as God requires me to do so, but it does...

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3 people

Zen short story: Allow truth to remain permanently in you. Never discard truth

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 1 Mar

The Zen monastery had both cherry trees, and cherry blossom trees, in its courtyard. Cherry blossom trees are ornamental, and cherry trees produce fruit. Reaching up to grab a branch of the vine, the Zen master picked a...

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3 people

Short story: The Zen master knew when to call it a day, and not force things against his own soul's wishes for him, and his life

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 22 Feb

The old Zen master had been struggling with the decision of whether he should keep being the head monk at his monastery, as he was getting old now, and to his annoyance, his memory was not what it was anymore. He knew that...

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1 person

Zen tale: What is a Zen koan?

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 11 Jan

The old Zen master had been asked to create a new koan, for the 50th anniversary of his holding the mastership, there at his monastery. He simply said quickly, without thinking about it. "When is a koan a koan? and...

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3 people

Short story: The old Zen master's gift

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 23 Dec

The old Zen master had been noticed to have been keeping a diary for over 40 years, from when he had become the new Zen master at this monastery. He carried it everywhere with him, and was often seen making an entry into...

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2 people

Zen story: The Zen master describes enlightenment to be like a tree

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 17 Dec

The old Zen master was asked, by a visitor to his monastery. "What practical value is there in enlightenment? The old master smiled widely, and replied. [b]"An old tree lives on in my garden. Is there such a tree in your...

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3 people

Short story: The Zen master who analysed handwriting

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 25 Aug

The old Zen master, Rechard Zerraski, had an an usual method of vetting new students, who wanted to study in his monastery. He would get each prospective student to write him a short story, involving a koan, and then he...

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3 people

Zen story: The role of the Zen master

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 28 Jun

The Zen master, Artrep Plerposki, was telling his students about the true role of a Zen master to his students. He said: [b]"A Zen master nurtures the soul of their student, as a quick accented inspiration, brought about...

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2 people

Short story: Stay away from contention of any sort

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 31 May 25

[i]The old Zen master, Artrop Verboxki, had been the Zen master for the last fifteen years, of the Longarc Zen Monastery, after the mantle was passed onto him by the last master, who had died, but not before picking his next...

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4 people

Zen story: The Zen master who bowed to his student, acknowledging his poignant words

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 12 May 25

A student went into the Zen master's room one day, to hand him a letter from another Zen master, who had passed by, but had not wanted to come in. The student, never being in his master's room before, was surprised that...

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3 people

Zen story: When is enlightenment not enlightenment? When its delusion!

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 7 May 25

The Zen master was eating a meal of fish, when a student asked him, why are you not a vegetarian, a man of your stage of enlightenment? The Zen master replied simply: "Diet is more of the body than of the soul."...

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1 person

Zen story: The nodding rock

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 5 May 25

The Zen master was walking along a road, when he tripped on a small rock, placed there by someone for some reason, or another. He said to the rock: "Your smallness creates your bigness, and even the big like me can fall...

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2 people

Zen story: The way of the foot, should not lead us astray

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 1 May 25

The old Zen master walked along the river, looking down at his feet, as he walked, and then a man, walking towards him said, to him. "Why look down, when the whole world should be looking up at God, not down at his...

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3 people

Zen story: A real friend always remains a real friend

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 28 Apr 25

The old Zen master had lived in the Zen monastery for all of his long life, and his friends were mostly only his fellow monks, and students. There was one other friend, though, who would visit with him, about once every...

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4 people

Short story: The blind Zen master who had plenty of sight, just the same

emptychair @innertalks (23739) • Australia 9 Apr 25

The Zen master, Clintof Zerbroski, was blind, but being blind didn't dim his inner wisdom at all. This old master could give insight to the spiritually blind people who came to him, looking for answers to what life is...

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5 people