Once, Bonco asked Fuketsuu, “Something confuses me that I once heard you say. That is, the truth can be expressed without speaking and without silence. Can you explain that to me?” Fuketsu replied, “When I was a child in southern China, oh! How the birds sang amidst the blossoms in spring.” A Tale from China
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived very modestly in a small hut at the foot of a hill. One evening, a thief entered the hut and discovered that there was nothing to steal. Ryokan returned and found him there. “Perhaps you have travelled a long way to visit me,” he said to the thief, “and you … Read more
THE FARMER AND HIS SONS A farmer had quarrelsome sons. Although he had admonished them many times, he could not persuade them with words to change. He then came up with a plan: he ordered them to bring him a bundle of sticks. When they did as they were told, he handed them all the … Read more
What distinguishes a floating log from a ship made of the same wood is that the ship has oars and can sail against the current. N. Sri Ram I heard these words from Sri Ram in my distant youth. This sentence was not part of his lectures, and I do not know if it is … Read more
