Sweet thread! Not sure if these are Zen or even parables, anyway... "A little boy who when his mother got annoyed and said, 'Stop sneezing!' answered, 'I'm not sneezing! It's sneezing me!'" "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water."
Long ago, there was a young man in India who was searching for enlightenment. He saw a very old man walking towards him, carrying a heavy sack of rice on his back, and was stooped over, his head only a feet from the ground. The young seeker went up to the old man. He said: "Please sir, can you tell me what enlightenment is?" The old man threw the sack off his back, and stood up straight and proud "Ah yes, I see!" The young man cried, "Now can you tell me what comes after enlightenment?" The old man picked up the rice, and continued his stooped over march up the hill Edit: PB, you beat me to it- this is the Indian extended version of that same parable, a classic "Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water."
"The only zen you find at the top of a mountain is the zen you bring up there." "When you get to the top of the mountain, keep climbing."
When Zen Master Nan-chuan saw his student Ma-tsu diligently practicing meditation hour after hour, he sensed a certain effort and ambition in the young monk’s demeanor, so he sneaked up behind him and asked, "What are you doing?" "I’m trying to become a Buddha," Ma-tsu replied proudly. Nan-chuan then picked up a stone and began rubbing it against a spare tile from the monastery floor. Hearing the sound, Ma-tsu asked, "What are you doing?" Said Nan-chuan: "I’m trying to make a mirror." Ma-tsu had an awakening.
Really cool thread! I didn't get to read then all yet but im sure they are all good. My very favorite was the first one in the OP...it really spoke to me. - peace, joy, love, and light
What does a Zen Master say to a friend who visits when he is having tea? "Here, have some tea." ^That's it. That's Zen. Christian Buddha Maybe the haters need to do a double-take on Jesus. Dude may have been a full-blown Zen Master. Master J. Joshu's Zen
This is how I feel whenever I make a thread about occultism/mysticism and then people who claim they "just want to learn" ask questions just so they can ridicule the answers I give them. I'm not into Zen, so I don't have any parables to share, I'm more of a Hermeticist with a Hindu/yoga influence, though I started looking into Taoism as of last night.
^Good for you. I see alot of Taoism and 'Eastern' thought in you... as you look into it, you'll realize the same. Just read Tao Te Ching because even Taoists find a way to bastardize Lao-Tzu's simple work. But the Master will not fill your cup. In emptying it, you realize Zen.
I've heard Yogi's claim Jesus was an enlightened Yogi as well. When it comes down to it, I think Krishna said it best "All Paths lead unto me, Arjuna" There are many roads in the United states, but no matter if you start from Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, or Florida, if you travel west, you will come eventually to California (well, unless u end up in WA or OR lol) How's that for a Zen parable lol.