We’ll See—Adding ideas to the experience (Story)

There lived an old farmer who had worked on his fields for many, many years. One day, his horse ran away. His neighbors dropped in to commiserate with him. “What awful luck,” they said sympathetically, to which the farmer only replied, “We’ll see.”
Next morning, to everyone’s surprise, the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “How amazing is that!” the neighbors exclaimed in excitement. The old man replied, “We’ll see.”
A day later, the farmer’s son tried to ride one of the wild horses. He was thrown on the ground and broke his leg. Once more, the neighbors came by to express their sympathies for this stroke of bad luck. “We’ll see,” said the farmer politely.
The next day, the village had some visitors – military officers who had come with the purpose of drafting young men into the army. They passed over the farmer’s son, thanks to his broken leg. The neighbors patted the farmer on his back – how lucky he was to not have his son join the army! “We’ll see,” was all that the farmer said!

____________

The neighbors are quick to offer ideas about good or bad to the experience, but the farmer’s counsel is just to be present to it.   

Opinions such as good and bad are extra and lead to separation from the direct arising of the moment.  The direction is not to personalize the experience, nor to withdraw from it, but to encounter and act appropriately.  What is left if the idea of “how things should be” falls away?

Additional Stories:

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Cause of Common Accidents–Story

A master gardener, famous for his skill in climbing and pruning the highest trees, examined his disciple by letting him climb a very high tree. Many people had come to watch. The master gardener stood quietly, carefully following every move but not interfering with one word. Having pruned the top, the disciple climbed down and was only ten feet from the ground when the master suddenly yelled: “Take care, take care!” When the disciple was safely down an old man asked the master gardener: “You did not let out one word when he was aloft in the most dangerous place. Why did you caution him when he was nearly down? Even if he had slipped then, he could not have greatly hurt himself.” “But isn’t it obvious?” replied the master gardener. “Right up at the top he is conscious of the danger, and of himself takes care. But near the end, when one begins to feel safe, this is when accidents occur.”

Comment: It certainly is the case that accidents tend to occur at the end of the working day when people are comfortable with their surroundings, tired, and let their attention down.

A more technical description is in the short article: Preventing Common Household Accidents

Source: Schloeal, Irmgard; The Wisdom of the Zen Masters, New Directions 1975, Pg 52

 

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

The Parable of Me and Mine-Story

This parable is from the Yogacara Bhumi Sutra.  The text was translated from Sanskrit or Pali into Chinese 284 CE.  This translation is by Albert Waley found in Buddhist Texts through the Ages (Conze et al, editors, 1954).

Some children were playing beside a river.  They made castles of sand and each child defended his castle and said, “This one is mine .”  They kept their castles separate and would not allow any mistakes about which was whose.  When the castles were all finished, one child kicked over someone else’s and completely destroyed it.  The owner of the castle flew into a rage, pulled the other child’s hair, struck him with his fist and bawled out, “He has ruined my castle! Co and help me punish him as he deserves.  “me along all of us The others all came to his help.  They beat the child with a stick and then stamped on him as he lay on the ground. . .  Then they went on playing  in their sand-castles, each saying, “This is mine; no one else may have it. Keep away!  Don’t touch my castle!”

But evening came; it was getting dark and they all thought they ought to be going home.  No one cared what became of his castle.  One child stamped on his, another pushed his over with both his hands.  Then they turned away and went back, each to his home.

Behaviors resonate for centuries for both children and adults.   Today’s prized possessions and cherished ambitions are yesterday’s sand-castles.  What is left.

 

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

The Frog that Lived in the Well

This story, like The Wren and the Cicada, is taken from the Chuang Tzu (in Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China, Arthur Waley, 1939).

There was a frog who lived in an abandoned well. When the giant turtle from the Eastern Sea came, the Frog said “How you must envy my life. When I feel like it, I can hop to the top railing and be in the sun. When I tired, I can crawl into the side of the wall where a tile is missing and take a nap. And when I feel like a swim, I just hop down to the bottom. There may be a few tadpoles down there, but it is my pond. To have the use of the entire water, to have the use of a disused well, this is certainly the most that life has to offer. Please come down and see it for yourself.”

The giant turtle from the Eastern Sea attempted to get into the well, but before his left foot was in, its right foot had become wedged in. He wiggled free, crawled out and said to the frog: “As you have been kind enough to tell me of your well, let me tell you about the sea. Imagine a distance of a thousand leagues, and you will still have no idea of its size. Imagine a height of thousand man’s stature, and you will have no idea of its depth. In the time of the great Yu, in ten years, there were nine floods; but the sea became no deeper. In the time of T’ang the Victorious, there were seven years of drought in eight years, but the sea did not retreat from its shores. Not to be harried by the moments that flash by, nor changed by the ages that pass; to receive much, yet not increase, to receive little, yet not diminish , this is the Great Joy of the Easter Sea.

Will the frog leave the contentment of his well and experience the vastness of the world. The question is asked, but only the frog can respond.

With this question, His current experience and knowledge no longer is sufficient standard to set the boundaries between false and true. But, the well is comfortable.

 

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Limited by Experience: Cicada and the Wren–Story

The fable is from the Chuang Tzu. This translation is from Arthur Waley in Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China, Anchor 1955)

There are birds that fly many hundreds of miles without stopping. Someone mentioned this to the cicada and wren. The two animals decided that such a thing was impossible. “You and I know very well that the furthest one can get, even by the greatest effort is that elm tree over there; and even then one can not be sure of getting there every time. Sometimes, one finds themselves dragged back to earth long before reaching that elm tree. All of these stories abut flying hundreds of miles at one stretch must be shear nonsense.

The cicada and the wren have valid experiences; their thoughts and imagination are shaped by these. Ultimately, their lives are confined by the imagination that comes from mistaking these experiences to be complete.

Life for the cicada and wren is as it seems. It is when the possibility arises, perhaps in a chance situation, that there is a world with potential never imagined. This can be the beginning of a search for the tools to go beyond the current experience.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Zen Lightning

Lighting can jolt our reality

Lightning strikes in a moment with force and sound.  Then it is over and there is no way to hold on to it.

What is the source of lightning?  Where does it come from?  Why does it jump from clouds?  A meteorologist can give an answer.  “It’s due to a combination of air currents in the clouds, ice particle colliding, and temperature changes.”  Sounds reasonable—but it does not get to the crux of the matter.  It is just an explanation.  But still we listen to the words and repeat them often enough to believe them to be the fact.  The words don’t reveal where the lightning comes from, or even what it is.   The fact is that no one knows where lightning comes from.

Our life is like this.  We shine brightly for the moment.  We can have stories about where we come from, whether it is the birth of an individual or the birth of the universe.  But these words are just explanations also.  Again, no one knows.  We just say it.  We are just here.

But we have been given the gift to be born humans—to have the capability to raise questions that go directly to our nature–Who am I?  Why? What? 

But more, we are fortunate to have the time and opportunity to explore, not explain, these questions.  The time is now.  The opportunity is our practice.  Zazen, quieting the mind and bringing attention back to the moment, is at the heart of the practice.  This practice begins to loosen the attachment to words and explanations.  It allows us to raise the energy needed for transformation and to have an active insight into our nature.

Active insight expresses itself directly and usefully in all of our activities — work, taking care of others, cleaning, eating.

This is the opportunity and time.  It is ours to make the most of it.

The Monk’s Test–Story

This open-ended story appears in many forms.In the published versions, the teacher is Nan-in and the monk Tenno.

The monk had been summoned to see the Zen teacher. It was the custom in the monastery for the teacher to meet individually with the monks in order to test their understanding. The monk had worked with the master for 10 years; He had worked hard, both in mindfulness and reading. Possible questions and scenarios of questions that may come from the teacher raced through his head. He was ready for them all.

The day was rainy, but his spirits were high. At the appointed time, he walked over to the abbot’s quarters. The master immediately asked: “When you entered the building, did you put your shoes to the right of your umbrella or to the left”? The monk hesitated; he wasn’t sure. He had just done taken his shoes off moments earlier. Before he could consider further, the master ended the interview; he had not been aware; The monk remained with his teacher for another 10 years.

Comments:

Scenarios racing through the mind lead nowhere.Yet, the habit of this mental activity seems to be the way to prepare.The reality always seems to be different from the scenarios.

At first look, inventing scenarios seems like more useful than developing awareness. The scenarios fill the mind and block the reality. With awareness, there is room for spontaneity and creativity.

In this story, it is a rare event that the monk saw his own confusion for himself and then did something about it.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

The Prince Who Became a Cuckoo

This story, “The Prince who became a Cuckoo: A Tale of Liberation” (by Lo-Dro, translated by Geshe Wangyal, (1982) is long out of print in English. It is a well known tale, evidently from Tibet. However, even in its bare bones summary, it raises some open-ended questions:

The prince, as heir to the throne, was provided with many opportunities to prepare himself to rule. Together with a friend, he practiced the mystical arts. They both developed the ability to transfer their minds to other bodies. His friend was deceitful and saw the possibility of taking power. Using the mind transfer method, he tricked the prince into taking the body of a cuckoo bird. Then, he trapped the prince inside the body with no hope of his escape. The friend then took the body of the prince and assumed the position in the court. The real prince, now locked into the cuckoo body, discovered that he was able to communicate with both the animals of the forest and humans. He accepted his situation and remained in the forest to teach them the truth of the Buddha.

Comments:

In this “Tale of Liberation”, what is liberated? Many would say that to have a regal position such as a prince (or a CEO) would be the means to freedom as expressed in the everyday terms of power and wealth. But, the spirit of the prince is now independent of the body or situation, and is free to express itself fully– in this case as helping others attain their own freedom.

As the prince-cuckoo shows, many situations are not of choice or control. Life moves on. But to be unaffected by our position and put full energy into the moment is to be in accord with nature.

The call of the bird has the potential to call one’s attention back from distractions to the here and now.It can be a call of awakening.Or the call may be a reminder of the magnitude of mystery, of how little is known.At other times, it may be dismissed as a sound of a bird, or not heard at all.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

The Monk Challenges His Teacher

A young monk went to a private instructional talk with his Zen teacher. The teacher and monk sat, on the floor, directly across from each other. After they sat in silence for several minutes, the monk asked “What do you see?” The teacher replied: “I see a buddha.” Silence again for several minutes, then the teacher asked: “What do you see?” The monk gave a quick response: “ I see a useless bag of bones.” The teacher said nothing, but placed his palms together and made a deep bow to the monk. The period was over and the monk left.

The monk was exultant. He had bested his teacher in a one-to-one exchange. He could not contain his excitement. Later, in the day, while working in the kitchen with a senior monk, he retold the story of the exchange in a triumphant tone. It was a sign of his progress on the path.

The senior monk simply smiled: “No, it was the teacher who has taken you. When he spoke, he showed what was in his mind, and when you replied, you revealed what was in yours!” The young monk had no further response.

Comment:

Our everyday experience suggests that there is an objective world, with distinct objects, an inside and an outside.

The teacher suggests that everything that is seen or experienced is our own life. The possibility is shown to the young monk for the first time. Then, there is no inside or outside, or even an objective world.

The teacher’s response comes to each person. “How do we experience the world? How can that experience be refined”. It is a crucial question, driving to the heart of the matter.

As with all open ended stories, each individual has a unique response.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

The Monk Hakuin and the Baby—Just the way it is.

Zen stories are entertaining in their content, but they really are about the reader. This story is an invitation to see our own situations from a fresh perspective. Although they can be read for a moral or a point, a key aspect is to experience how the story resonates with our own situations.

“Hakuin and the Baby” or “Is That So?” can be found in many versions, both on the web and in print (Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, Paul Reps)

There was a monk named Hakuin who was well respected for his work among the people.

In the village, there lived a young woman, the daughter of the food sellers. The young woman became pregnant by her boy friend who worked nearby in the fish market. When the parents found out about this, they were very angry and pressured her to reveal the name of the father. She wanted to protect the young man and blurted out the name of Hakuin as the father.

After the baby was born, the parents took the baby to Hakuin. They told Hakuin that he was responsible for the baby and left the infant with him. He responded: “Is that so?” And he simply accepted the responsibility for the child without further reaction.

The monk had no experience with babies. But he began to care for its needs, finding food, clothing, and warm shelter. The other villagers became very angry with Hakuin for his offense and his reputation was trashed. These comments did not affect Hakuin, who continued to put his effort and attention into the care of the baby.

After several years, the young woman was filled with remorse. She confessed to her parents the name of the true father. They immediately went to see Hakuin, apologized, and took the baby back with them. Hakuin watched as they returned to there home with the child he had cared for since birth and replied “Is that so?”

Comments:

“Is that so?” reflects the acceptance of what the moment brings. Acceptance in the sense that one responds appropriately to the situation with a calm mind and spirit. There are no calls of fairness or unfairness, of being experienced in the task or not, of complaining about a lost reputation, of wishing that it were different. The needs of present are simply addressed.

More than the physical situation, it is the spirit of the monk’s mind at the initial instant that the situation arises that makes his actions so compelling.It is not passive acceptance; there is direct action here.The calm mind allows effort to be fully directed to the situation without dispersal of energy.

The same tasks of caring for the baby could also be done with resentment or a turbulent mind. Then, there is room for fairness and unfairness, complaining and wishing it were different. Same tasks, but the energy is completely different.

All of these stories are about the reader, not a fiction story about the monk. The situation may be one at work, home, or with a friend that brings the same apparent unfairness and inconvenience to an individual at the moment. Responding with a calm or turbulent mind makes all the difference.

The calm spirit is within the potential of all humans.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Two Monks and a Woman–Story

 

The story of Two Monks and a Woman is a very well known Zen story. There are many versions of it, but the origin is not clear.

Here, this story can both stand alone and also provide a different perspective to the post immediately below this one (Eliminating Mental Bias Decision Errors).

A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together. At one point, they came to a river with a strong current. As the monks were preparing to cross the river, they saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross. The young woman asked if they could help her.

The senior monk carried this woman on his shoulder, forded the river and let her down on the other bank. The junior monk was very upset, but said nothing.

They both were walking and senior monk noticed that his junior was suddenly silent and enquired “Is something the matter, you seem very upset?”

The junior monk replied, “As monks, we are not permitted a woman, how could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?”

The senior monk replied, “I left the woman a long time ago at the bank, however, you seem to be carrying her still.”

Comments:

The older monk, his mind free, saw the situation, responded to it, and continued to be present to the next step after letting the woman down.

The younger monk was bound by ideas, held on to them for hours, and, in doing so, missed the experiences of the next part of the journey.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Reference to Decision Making:

Mental attachment to an idea or earlier experience blocks the full experience of the present here and now. Attachments slow the mind, interfering with appropriate responses to the immediate situation.

In order to evaluate a situation requiring a decision, the mind must be open to the possibilities. Being anchored in the past restricts the choices. Examples of holding on, outlined in the Mental Bias post, are favoring current conditions and giving disproportionate weight to old information.

The mind cannot will itself to be free. There are methods to calm the activity of the mind in order to be more open. The first step is to develop awareness.

Feynman Asks a Question–Story

Zen and Science (2)

It is easy to presume that reality is the way that we say it is. After all, it is what we appear to know. A different response can interrupt our routine thoughts and begin to change the perspective.

Richard Feynman won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965. He was well known as a great scientist, original thinker, and author of both scientific and popular books. This story is taken from his book What Do You Care What Other People Think.

As a young boy, Feynman was playing with his wagon. The wagon had a ball in in it which was free to roll. He observed that when he pulled the wagon, the ball rolled to the back. However, when he stopped the wagon suddenly, the ball rolled to the front.

He asked his father: “Why is that?”

His father’s response: “That, nobody knows. . . . But the general principle is that something that is moving tends to stay in motion and that things that are standing tend to stay still. . . .”

Buddhist Comment

Bodhidharma was a fifth century Buddhist monk credited with bringing Zen from India to China. His surviving writings are few, but to the point:

“If speech isn’t tied to appearances, it’s free. … Language is essentially free.”
“Freeing oneself from words is liberation.”

Comment:

Nobody knows for sure, but this is what we say. . . .

It is easy to forget the first phrase and believe firmly in the content of what we say. The content of our speech allows us to function in our world, but how can there be certainty that we know with the surety of our manner.

Where is the certainty! “Nobody knows for sure” serves as a reminder that absolute meaning attached to the words can limit understanding. The possibilities are reduced. The experience may be larger than the words can express. But the content of the words give the appearance and comfort of standing on firm ground. How firm is that ground? How is it tested?

It is the attachment to the speech and content that restricts the freedom and potential. If speech is not tied to appearance, the spirit can flow.

Why is that?
There are no limits to the response: “Nobody knows for sure.”
What is our reply to ourselves, to our children?

Related articles: Moon Illusion,

Natural History, Natural Mind

The Moon Illusion–Story

Zen and Science (1)

A full moon rises, large and luminous against the horizon. But later at night, when the moon is high in the sky, it has shrunk to a small circle. For centuries, people have tried to explain this observation.

It is easy enough to convince yourself it is an illusion. For example, a photograph taken of a horizon moon will be smaller than that remembered by the observer. The size of the moon in the photograph will remain the same when taken at different heights in the sky. More simply, just compare the size of the moon to the tip of your little finger when held at arm’s length. First, check the moon against your finger when it is first near the horizon, and then check again later when the moon is high in the sky and appears smaller. The relative size measured against the finger remains the same.

There are many theories about the underlying cause of this illusion. An entire technical book, The Mystery of the Moon Illusion, examines these theories. (H.E. Ross & C. Plug, 2002, 275 pgs). The authors conclude that no single theory has emerged victorious. They further observe that “The moon illusion is one of the few perceptual phenomena that tap a broad spectrum of sciences: astronomy, optics, physics, physiology, psychology, and philosophy.

Buddhist Comment:

Bodhidharma was a fifth century Buddhist monk credited with bringing Zen from India to China. His surviving writings are few, but to the point:

“Using the mind to look for reality is delusion. Not using the mind to look for reality is awareness.”

Remarks:

Apparently all human beings are wired to make the same perceptual error. The senses may not accurately register what is actually out there. The moon illusion is evaluated against our normal understanding. The assumption is that everyday perception and understanding is accurate. Is that the case? Having seen one inconsistency, there are very likely other illusions, even if we are normally unaware of them. These illusions further distort reality. We may not know what is out there as reality, or even if there is an out there.

Bodhidharma’s comment points in this direction. A mind distorted by illusions from the senses can not explore itself with accuracy. Such an exploration just adds error to error.

In such case, the Buddhist method of examination of reality is through refined awareness, developed by quieting the mind.

 

Related posts: Feynman Asks a Question

Natural History, Natural Mind

Tewa Initiation and Clifford Geertz: Story

Clifford Geertz was a well known anthropologist at Princeton University. His gift as a teacher was to help students go against the grain of their own cultural experience and explore other ways of thinking.

The Tewa people in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico have their own cultural perspectives that inform their rituals. Geertz demonstrated this in a recently recounted story about the Tewa initiation rite. (R. Darnton, New York Review of Books 1/11/07 Pg. 32.)

Initiation

Adolescent boys were awakened unexpectedly in the middle of the night. They were taken into another building, covered with a blanket, and made to climb down a ladder into the most secret room in the pueblo. There was a loud noise above and the elders covered the ladder with a blanket. When the blanket was removed, the chief deity wearing a terrifying mask, stood directly in front of the boys. He asked them if they were prepared to be finished as men. After they agreed, he began to strike them with a whip using full force and raising red welts on their bodies. Finally, when the boys were reduced to terror, he pulled off his mask. The boys saw the face of an elder relative or neighbor laughing at them.

The question Geertz posed to his class: “What was the nature of the revelation?” All the students agreed that the boys were initiated into a confidence game. By removing the mask, the elder exposed the human being hiding behind the false deity.

Geertz did not agree with the students. It was a different culture and worldview. He explained that the boys had learned that the elder was a god, not that a supposed god was only the elder.

Comments:

Did you agree with the class interpretation? As Geertz noted, the straightforward interpretation from our own perspective may not apply to a different worldview.

These different cultural interpretations are a step to being open to the wisdom that can be learned elsewhere and being able to reevaluate the basis of one’s own perspectives.

How does one begin to learn to think or experience outside of their own culture? The paths may be different for each person.

The Bird in the Cage–Story

A bird found himself in a cage.The cage life was really all he remembered and, as such, it seemed like a normal life for a bird.

It was a decent sized cage and there was enough room to move around comfortably, although not to fly.He regularly toured the cage, often finding some twigs, straw, cloth, some food and water.Well, the bird thought, since he was here, he may as well make himself comfortable.So, he began making a crude nest.As time went on, he found other things around to make himself a first class home, with plenty of diversions and food.Not too bad, he thought.It might be nice to try out the wings, but then again he was comfortable.

One day, during his regular inspection, he was surprised to see that the cage had a door!The cage had not been changed, the door had always been there, the bird had simply not noticed it before.The bird was intrigued and inspected it further.To his astonishment, the latch of the door was not locked.With one peck on his part, the latch disengaged and the door swung open.

There were never any constraints, just the lack of recognition of the actual situation. The bird perched at the threshold of flying into freedom. Ready to go out, or not?

Comments:

Just because it appears normal, is that the way it really is?

Is comfort enough, even when restrictive.

Ready to go out, or not?

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Riding an Ox, Looking for an Ox–Story

Another open ended story. It is an invitation to see your own situation from a fresh perspective. In this sense, it is not an intellectual exercise, rather just an opportunity to see if any ideas resonate. It can be interpreted in an individual way. Further, as time and conditions change, an individual may see a different aspect from one reading to the next. And if nothing resonates, just pass on by.

Riding an Ox, Looking for an Ox

“Where are you going on your ox?”

“Oh yes, I am going to look for my ox.”

“If it’s your ox you’re looking for, aren’t you riding on it?”

“Ah! So I am”

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Comments:

Depending upon the individual, a starting point for thinking about this story can come from any of a number of different perspectives:

–Searching for an object that is lost. In this situation, one would use the standard techniques for finding things.

–Looking outside for what is in front of you. In such a situation, the search can never be completed as conceived or come to an end.

–Nothing is hidden in nature. All is in front of you even if you do not see it.

–The rider and animal are always together as a unit. More generally, there is no separation between subject and object. This is the way of nature. Misunderstanding the way of nature has consequences in the rider’s activities

–Everything is complete as it is. The “ah yes” recognition of this completion is the moment of awakening to this essential fact.

There is a sequence of 10 pictures in the Zen arts titled “The Ox-Herding Pictures” The pictures depict the journey of the rider recognizing the essential nature as symbolized by the Ox. There are any number of books and references on the Web.

The Blue Sky Bird–Story

Another open ended story. It is an invitation to see your own situation from a fresh perspective. In this sense, it is not an intellectual exercise, rather just an opportunity to see if any ideas resonate. It can be interpreted in an individual way. Further, as time and conditions change, an individual may see a different aspect from one reading to the next. And if nothing resonates, just pass on by.

Jataka tales are Buddhist teaching stories that illustrate different truths. They are often used as teaching stories for children. Many are found in folklore and found different sources and traditions. This is a more obscure one. Some references are listed below.

The Blue Sky Bird

Some quail were feeding at the edge of a clearing. A man crawled up behind them and captured four birds with his net. He put them in a cage. The quail were trapped, scared, and hungry. The man came and fed the birds. Three of them eagerly ate all that given. The fourth bird just looked at the blue sky through the cage. Each day was like this– three birds eating and the other just looking at the sky.

One day, the man saw that the birds were almost ready for market. But then he stared at the Blue Sky Bird, who was by this time quite skinny. He reached in to pull out and inspect the skinny bird. However, the Blue Sky Bird, having waited for this moment, sprung into activity and flew immediately to a branch out of the man’s reach.

The three caged birds looked up. “How can we do this too”? The Blue Sky Bird replied: “You ate the man’s food and you will be captive until you die. I refused his food and now I am free.” And off she went into the expanse of the blue.

Comments:

What is valued most?
Is the direction worth the effort, even when there is a small chance of attaining it?
How are short term perspectives and distractions kept in perspective?

References: There are many books and web sites with these stories. Different adaptations of this one on the web http://www.wisdomtales.com and in the book The Jataka or Stories of the Buddha’ former Births, (3 volumes) E.B. Cowell (2001).

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Independent Yet Connected–Story

Another open ended story.. For those reading an open ended story here for the first time, the introductory comments are attached:

An open-ended story is an invitation to see your own situation from a fresh perspective. Unlike conventional stories, there is no specific point or moral or lesson to take away. It can be enjoyed for itself, or converted figuratively to help interpret an actual situation in a new way. In this sense, it is not an intellectual exercise, rather just an opportunity to see if any ideas resonate.

It can be interpreted in an individual way. Further, as time and conditions change, an individual may see a different aspect from one reading to the next. And if this type of thing doesn’t interest you or nothing resonates, just pass on by

Indpendent Yet Connected–Story

A young boy came of age during a time of political change. A time of oppression was being uprooted by the call for freedom. In his village, the men would sit and argue passionately into the night about these changes. Ideas and hopes for freedom never spoken before were debated. The boy listened. Once he had heard them, the ideas had a life of their own within him. They were out and could never be banished or returned to the source.

Years later as an old man, a grandfather, he played with his granddaughter and followed her into the meadow chasing butterflies. The young girl ran through the field and with both hands closing captured one in the open space of her cupped hands. “Grandpa, I have a butterfly. He’s mine.” “Well, let’s see.” said the old man. “Very slowly, just open your hand and see what the butterfly does. The girl watched it freely flutter away.

Now a mature young woman, the granddaughter was pursued by a suitor who is deeply in love with her. The young man loved her desperately and did everything that he could to try to win her affection. But still she would not commit. “I will do anything for you, what do you want? Will you stay with me?” He said. Her reply: “In order to stay, I must have the freedom to leave.”

 

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Comments:

From one perspective, each incident stands independent and complete.

From another perspective, the incidents are connected by the idea as it transformed in time and location. Then, each incident is both a consequence and effect of the previous one, and a contributor to the cause of the following one. Each is a cause and effect.

The effect of any activity, even when it appears to be trivial at the time, cannot be known. So each activity demands care and attention.

Prepared but not Ready–Story

The original source of this story is referenced to a compilation by Paul Reps (Zen Flesh, Zen Bones #89)

Two temples each had a child protégé. The children would pass each other on their way to the market each morning.

“Where are you going?” asked the first child

“I am going wherever my feet go.” was the reply of the second child.

This reply puzzled the first child and he went to his teacher for help. The teacher instructed him: “Tomorrow morning, ask him the same question. He will give the same answer, and then you ask him: ‘Suppose you have no feet, then where are you going?’ That will fix him.”

And so the next morning, the child again asked: “Where are you going?”

“I am going wherever the wind blows.” was the reply.

Defeated again, the first child returned to this teacher. The new instruction was similar: “Ask him where he is going if there is no wind.”

On their next meeting, the child asked with assurance: “Where are you going?”

“I am going to the market to buy vegetables.” was the final reply.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Comment:

So, the adult teacher and the child were always using their experience and projection of the future to prepare the best answer. Sounds like a plan. It was not the preparation that was lacking, but not being ready for a present that did not unfold according to their expectations. The child may have been prepared, but he was not ready for the actual moment when the other child changed his response. As the story indicates, people and their work suffer when they are not ready

“Being ready” is being able to act immediately and appropriately as the moment unfolds.

Ready is a condition, not a skill. A possible first step is awareness—ready can be recognized when it is seen in action. For some, this observation provides the motivation to find a way to develop it further.

The Tigers and the Strawberry– Story

Another open ended story. This one is a well known Zen story. For those reading an open ended story here for the first time, the introductory comments are attached:

An open-ended story is an invitation to see your own situation from a fresh perspective. Unlike conventional stories, there is no specific point or moral or lesson to take away. It can be enjoyed for itself, or converted figuratively to help interpret an actual situation in a new way. In this sense, it is not an intellectual exercise, rather just an opportunity to see if any ideas resonate.

It can be interpreted in an individual way. Further, as time and conditions change, an individual may see a different aspect from one reading to the next. And if this type of thing doesn’t interest you or nothing resonates, just pass on by.

The Tigers and the Strawberry

There was a man walking across an open field, when suddenly a tiger appeared and began to give chase.The man began to run, but the tiger was closing in.As he approached a cliff at the edge of the field, the man grabbed a vine and jumped over the cliff.Holding on as tight as he could, he looked up and saw the angry tiger prowling out of range ten feet above him.He looked down.In the gully below, there were two tigers also angry and prowling.He had to wait it out.He looked up again and saw that two mice, one white, the other black, had come out of the bushes and had begun gnawing on the vine, his lifeline.As they chewed the vine thinner and thinner, he knew that he could break at any time.Then, he saw a single strawberry growing just an arms length away.Holding the vine with one hand, he reached out, picked the strawberry, and put it in his mouth. It was delicious.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Comment:

There is often a desire to complete the story, to find a way out of this predicament or that dilemma.It is easy to forget that within the limitations of the moment, there is freedom.In this story, it’s the experience of the fresh taste of the strawberry.It is different in each case.Not every day can be an easy day for anyone. The freedom of the moment is always available, even when circumstances are grim.

Frog School of Management–Story

Watch how a frog conducts his business.

The frog sits on a rock, usually in the sun, and appears almost motionless. The frog appears to be asleep, or at least not conscious of the environment. But when a fly goes by, the tongue flashes out in an instant, the meal is had. The frog was not asleep, but awake to his goal and took swift action at the appropriate moment.

Consider the key management activities of the frog:

Goal

Clearly defined, but not broadcast to the competition.

Economy of resources

No wasted activity. No need for busy work.

Alert to Opportunity

Even though it may be a while before conditions are right, the moment is recognized.

Rapid Action

When it is time to act, the response is fast and effective. No time for discussions and meetings!

The tuition charge from the frog is much less than a training program!

Two other interesting facts about frogs:

In some parts of the world, statues of frogs represent being awake.

However, in scientific circles, there is animated debate about frog consciousness.

The Centipede–Story

The Centipede

 Once a centipede was asked how he could operate all of his numerous feet in such an orderly manner without getting them confused. The centipede shook his head, shrugged, and said that he had never given it a thought. From that time on, the centipede became unable to move, the legs all got in the way of one another. Only when there was a loud noise that frightened him could he move as before. The rest of the time he stumbled.

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Here are a couple of points to chew on:

When does thought get in the way?

What is the appropriate use?

What other methods of cognition are available and how can they be developed?

The Boat Story

 

The Boat Story

There was a man in a small canoe out in the bay. The man was quite proud of his boat, which he had just refinished. The day began clear and bright, but rather unexpectedly, clouds quickly gathered and a dense fog rolled in. The man brought the canoe about and headed for shore. As he headed home, he could just make out the profile of another boat in the fog obscured distance. He kept that outline of a boat within his view and noticed that it was moving in his direction. This observation caused him some concern and when the boat was within earshot, he called out “Keep your distance so that we have plenty of room to pass.” However, the other boat continued to move closer and was now on a direct collision course. He called out again louder, “Keep your distance!” He was quite skilled with the oar, knew a number of strokes, and could maneuver the canoe quite adroitly. He changed course and paddled away from the other boat. However, as he changed direction, he was upset to see the other boat also change direction and again move directly toward him. The man could also see that it was a significantly larger than his canoe. He called out again “Watch out. Don’t hit my boat, it has been repainted.” None of this shouting had any effect. The larger boat continued to bear down on him. “Stay out of my way!” But it was of no use. Whenever he tried to change direction, the maneuver was matched by the on-coming boat. The boat dead reckoned at him until there was a loud crack from the crash. The man saw his new boat damaged by this senseless behavior of the other boat. His rage knew no bounds. “You idiot, look what you did to my boat!” He continued his rampage, screaming and getting quite worked up. Suddenly, the fog lifted. The man could see the larger boat clearly now. There was no one in it. The boat was a long abandoned shell.

 

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

Here are a couple of points to chew on:

Where did the man’s anger come from?

Where did it go?

Where is the responsibility for the accident?

 

Elephants, Blind Men, and the Vision of a Manager–Story

The story below, or one of its many variations, is told at many management meetings:

All of the men of the region that were born blind were gathered in one place and an elephant was brought out. Each man felt a different part of the elephant—the head, the feet, the ears, the trunk etc. When they were asked, what sort a thing is an elephant, each had his own response; the tail–a brush; the leg–a pillar, the ear– a winnowing basket and so on. An argument developed within the group and no agreement could be reached.

 

Additional Stories

This is a link to a Collection of Zen Stories     (usefulzenwords.com)

The management lesson that is often emphasized is that no one individual has a grasp of the entire picture. Each person has a piece that must be brought together to have an accurate understanding of the situation. The point that is stressed is the importance of working as a group and communicating effectively. The lesson is interesting and effective the first time. However, the repetition of message becomes a cliché and the interest is lost.

I recently came across this story again in a Buddhist Commentary. The original story and the commentary took the lesson in a different direction than the management consultants:

This story often appears in the Buddhist canon as a parable told by the Buddha. It was told in response to a question concerning scholars arguing about the nature of man and religion. The story follows the same scenario, and has a verse with these two lines describing the blind men:

For quarreling, each to his view they cling.
Such folks see only one side of a thing.

Two lines from the Commentary indicate a direction:

“If you want to do right, just avoid groping over the elephant: do not say perceptive awareness is it, yet do not say that it is not it.”

The blindness is one of obstructed perception. All of the folks are making the same error, even if their specific reports are different. Bringing all of the people together to fit the elephant together in simply leads to a composite, agreed by consensus, but that picture still contains the errors and distortions inherent in the faulty perception. Although, there may be agreement, it cannot reflect the actual situation if the perceptions are incorrect. Communication and working together are not the central issue. An appropriate, clear experience or understanding of the situation is the essential point.

A manager is often asked to put the pieces of a situation together, based on skill and experience. Managers can become adroit at figuring out the big picture. In fact, looking throughout the organization, it is obvious that individuals can succeed on this skill quite well. Yet, the picture is likely to incorporate errors of perception of groping the situation, favoring a known view and seeing, as the verse states, only one side of a thing. Based on this original intent of the parable, the responsibility of the manager is to bring the insight to the situation so that it is addressed fully and appropriately. The power of the parable is the challenge to the individual find a way to develop that level of understanding.

Is a clear understanding necessary to function in the management position. Absolutely not. Some organizations essentially built on deception can continue in that mode for some time, and clarity may not be welcomed. Thus, the challenge is directly to each individual to accept or decline as time and conditions dictate.