Wisdom for the Day

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

Wisdom for the Day

A Master who lived as a hermit on a mountain was asked by a monk, "What is the Way?"

"What a fine mountain this is," the master said in reply.

"I am not asking you about the mountain, but about the Way."

"So long as you cannot go beyond the mountain, my son, you cannot reach the Way," replied the master.

Wisdom for the Day

One day, Jizo received one of Hofuku's disciples and asked him, "How does your teacher instruct you?"

"My teacher instructs me to shut my eyes and see no evil thing; to cover my ears and hear no evil sound; to stop my mind-activities and form no wrong ideas," the monk replied.

"I do not ask you to shut your eyes," Jizo said, "but you do not see a thing. I do not ask you to cover your ears, but you do not hear a sound. I do not ask you to cease your mind-activities, but you do not form any idea at all."

Wisdom for the Day

One day Banzan was walking through a market. He overheard a customer say to the butcher, "Give me the best piece of meat you have."

"Everything in my shop is the best," replied the butcher. "You can not find any piece of meat that is not the best."

At these words, Banzan was enlightened.

Wisdom for the Day

A monk asked Kegon, "How does an enlightened one return to the ordinary world?"

Kegon replied, "A broken mirror never reflects again; fallen flowers never go back to the old branches."