It was a hot afternoon in the Jetavana Grove. The air stood still, and the only sound was the monotonous chirping of the cicadas. But the silence within the monastery was soon to be broken. Two monks stood facing each other in the courtyard. Their faces were flushed with anger. "You have disregarded the rules! I saw it clearly!" shouted one of the monks, whose name was Kassapa. He was the accuser. "That is not true! You do not understand the situation at all, and you accuse m

At the edge of a small village lived Takeshi. One windy day, his student Hiroshi came to him and said, “I feel that my soul is wild and stormy, unable to find rest—like the crashing surf of the ocean. How can I find peace?” Takeshi smiled and said, “Come, let us go to the sea.” So they walked together to the shore, where the waves pounded against the coast. Takeshi pointed to the raging ocean and said,“Look, Hiroshi—this is like your soul: wild and restless, stirred by though

The Zen Master Ikkyū Sōjun (Japanese: 一休宗純, Ikkyū Sōjun) Even as a young student, Ikkyū was known for his sharp mind. His teacher owned a precious tea bowl, a rare and valuable antique. One day, Ikkyū broke the bowl. Hearing footsteps, he was startledand hid the broken pieces behind his back. His teacher entered the room. Ikkyū asked, “Master, why must people die?” The teacher replied calmly, “It is natural.Everything must dieand lives only as long as it is meant to.” Then I