Once a woman had a strange dream. She dreamt that a new, big, beautiful store had opened in the main square of her town. She entered to look around at the goods offered. To her amazement, she saw God standing behind the counter, waiting for customers. “You!?” the woman croaked. “How come You, Lord God, … Read more
In a desert oasis, the old Elijah was kneeling beside the date palm trees. His neighbor, the wealthy merchant Hakim, stopped by the oasis to water the camels when he saw Elijah sweating as he dug in the sand. – How are you, old man? Peace be with you! – And with you – Elijah … Read more
Have you heard the Taoist tale of “The Harp Taming”? Once upon a time in the Lung Men Gorge (Dragon’s Gate) stood a paulownia tree, the true ruler of the forest. It lifted its head to converse with the stars; its roots delved deep into the earth, intertwining its bronze tendrils with those of the … Read more
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
An Arabic legend tells the story of two friends traveling through the desert. At one point, they got into a fight and one of them slapped the other. The hurt friend, without a word, wrote on the sand: “Today my best friend hit me.” They continued on together and reached an oasis where they decided … Read more
When ordinary people come before the king, they say: “Long live the king forever!” Once, in ancient times, there lived a man who, upon coming to the court, always said: “There is no king but God.” He repeated the same sentence constantly, which greatly angered the king who eventually decided to kill him. The man … Read more
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
A mighty king fell ill with a strange sickness and melancholy, and no longer knew what he loved or desired in this world. The great king began to wither away, and the court dignitaries and advisors were concerned and tried to figure out how to cure him of this affliction that struck both the poor … Read more
The text is a story about a frog in an abandoned well talking to a giant turtle from the Eastern Ocean. The frog expresses its happiness and contentment with its simple life in the well, highlighting the joys it finds in its surroundings. The giant turtle, tempted by the frog’s description, tries to enter the … Read more
God felt lonely and wanted to find companionship. So, he decided to create beings that could keep him company. But one day, these beings found the key to happiness by following the path to the Divine and thus merged with Him. God was left sad, alone once again. He pondered. He thought it was time … Read more
