Zen Stories and Anecdotes

This text is a collection of Zen stories and anecdotes. The stories explore different aspects of Zen philosophy, such as the importance of enlightenment, the nature of reality, and the relationship between teacher and student.

Questions

• Why did Mokurai ask the tubmaker to wait in another room?
• What are the three kinds of disciples, according to Gettan?
• How do you compose a Chinese poem?
• What is the Zen dialogue about the child who goes to obtain vegetables?

Answers

• Mokurai asked the tubmaker to wait in another room because he wanted to give personal guidance to a disciple.
• The three kinds of disciples are those who impart Zen to others, those who maintain the temples and shrines, and then there are the rice bags and the clothes-hangers.
• The usual Chinese poem is four lines. 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.
• The Zen dialogue about the child who goes to obtain vegetables is a story about the importance of understanding the nature of reality. The child who says he is going wherever his feet go is not yet enlightened. He does not understand that his feet are not the only thing that determines his destination.