Learn the wise words of the Zen masters Sosán, Rizai, Shou-shan, Hui Neng or Hakuin.
The famous Zen and patriarch: Sosan says: The path is not difficult for those who have no preferences, when both, love and hate are absent everything becomes clear Nevertheless if you make the slightest distinction the heaven and earth become infinitely distant If you want to know the truth avoid having an opinion nor in favor nor against
The struggle between what one likes and what one dislikes is the mind´s desease
Rinzai´s words are: If you meet Buddha behead him, if you meet a patriarch behead him, if you meet your parents behead them and if you meet your relatives behead them, Only in this way you will be liberated, and if you are not dominated by the external you will be detached and independent
One disciple asked Sosan, who is a Zen master: According to the scriptures all beings possess Buddha nature, how come they don't know? To which Sosan replied: They do know
This says that we are trying to avoid the truth, by all means, through our mind, truth that has always been here with us
Hui-neng another Zen master, who spent many years going unnoticed in a Zen monastery commented: The mind is not a mirror at all where dust can be collected, who knows this, knows it for real
Zen Master Hakuin's neighbors respected him as one who led a pure life
Some day a pretty girl, who lived near Hakuin, was found to be pregnant, her parents got angry, at first the girl did not want to say who the father was but later, after a while, she said his name was Hakuin
The parents, who were really angry, went to the master´s but he just said ¨Oh, am I?¨ After the child was born, was delivered to Hakuin who had already lost his reputation by then, although it did not seem to affect him that much
Hakuin took good care of him, got him milk, food and everything the boy needed he asked his neighbours for help
The young girl couldn't take it anymore so she told the truth, what really happened to her parents
The real father was a boy who worked in the fish market
The mother and father immediately went to tell the story to Hakuin, they made an excuse and after asking for forgiveness they wanted to get the child back
so Hakuin handed over the child to them, and without asking, said: ¨Oh, is he?¨
Audio:
Subtitles:
The 12 principles of Zen wisdom
Zen anecdotes
Calligraphy - Shodo -
What is Zen?
Main Sutras of Zen Buddhism
The Haiku
How to practice Zen
Art and Zen - Sumi E -
The Zen aesthetic - Wabi Sabi -