Ten Successors
Zen pupils take a vow that even if they are killed by their teacher, they intend to learn Zen. Usually they cut a finger and seal their resolution with blood. In time the vow has become a mere formality, and … Continued
The Temple of the Skull.
Once long ago a pilgrim found himself in. the desert beyond Tibet. It was a starless night, the sky like black lacquer, the dusty wind importunately pulling at his hair and beard, and the jagged rocks rising to wound his stumbling feet. … Continued
Seeds of Intelligence
A great king had three sons, and he wanted to choose one to be his heir. And it was very difficult because all three were very intelligent, very courageous. And they all were twins, of the same age, so there was no … Continued
Arresting the Stone Buddha
A merchant bearing fifty rolls of cotton goods on his shoulders stopped to rest from the heat of the day beneath a shelter where a large stone Buddha was standing. There he fell asleep, and when he awoke his goods … Continued