Kisah Bijaksana

Just Go to Sleep

Gasan was sitting at the bedside of Tekisui three days before his teacher's passing. Tekisui had already chosen him as his successor. A temple recently had burned and Gasan was busy rebuilding the st

Cerita Zen 96 kata

Nothing Exists

Yamaoka Tesshu, as a young student of Zen, visited one master after another. He called upon Dokuon of Shokoku. Desiring to show his attainment, he said: "The mind, Buddha, and sentient beings, after

Cerita Zen 95 kata

No Work, No Food

Hyakujo, the Chinese Zen master, used to labor with his pupils even at the age of eighty, trimming the gardens, cleaning the grounds, and pruning the trees. The pupils felt sorry to see the old teach

Cerita Zen 116 kata

True Friends

A long time ago in China there were two friends, one who played the harp skilfully and one who listen skillfully. When the one played or sang about a mountain, the other would say: "I can see the mou

Cerita Zen 92 kata

Time to Die

Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teache

Cerita Zen 89 kata

The Living Buddha and the Tubmaker

Zen masters give personal guidance in a secluded room. No one enters while teacher and pupil are together. Mokurai, the Zen master of Kennin temple in Kyoto, used to enjoy talking with merchants and

Cerita Zen 128 kata

Three Kinds of Disciples

A Zen master named Gettan lived in the latter part of the Tokugawa era. He used to say: "There are three kinds of disciples: those who impart Zen to others, those who maintain the temples and shrines,

Cerita Zen 105 kata

How to Write a Chinese Poem

A well-known Japanese poet was asked how to compose a Chinese poem. "The usual Chinese poem is four lines," he explains. "The first line contains the initial phase; the second line, the continuation

Cerita Zen 92 kata

Zen Dialogue

Zen teachers train their young pupils to express themselves. Two Zen temples each had a child protégé. One child, going to obtain vegetables each morning, would meet the other on the way. "Where are

Cerita Zen 185 kata

The Last Rap

Tangen had studied with Sengai since childhood. When he was twenty he wanted to leave his teacher and visit others for comparative study, but Sengai would not permit this. Every time Tangen suggested

Cerita Zen 172 kata

The Taste of Banzo's Sword

Matajuro Yagyu was the son of a famous swordsman. His father, believing that his son's work was too mediocre to anticipate mastership, disowned him. So Matajuro went to Mount Futara and there found t

Cerita Zen 382 kata

Fire-Poker Zen

Hakuin used to tell his pupils about an old woman who had a teashop, praising her understanding of Zen. The pupils refused to believe what he told them and would go to the teashop to find out for them

Cerita Zen 108 kata

Storyteller's Zen

Encho was a famous storyteller. His tales of love stirred the hearts of his listeners. When he narrated a story of war, it was as if the listeners themselves were in the field of battle. One day Ench

Cerita Zen 215 kata

Midnight Excursion

Many pupils were studying meditation under the Zen master Sengai. One of them used to arise at night, climb over the temple wall, and go to town on a pleasure jaunt. Sengai, inspecting the dormitory

Cerita Zen 124 kata

A Letter to a Dying Man

Bassui wrote the following letter to one of his disciples who was about to die: "The essence of your mind is not born, so it will never die. It is not an existance, which is perishable. It is not an

Cerita Zen 120 kata