A student asked the Master: “Master, how can I know if my soul is at peace?” The Master lit a small lantern and placed it in the wind. The flame flickered, but he said nothing. After a while, the student spoke: “The flame trembles — perhaps my soul is the same.” The Master blew out the lantern.“And now?” he asked. The student was silent. The Master smiled: “When the path remains bright even without the light —then your soul is at rest.”

In a philosophical gathering, Master Weizhen spoke about the Dao and immortality. A student then asked, “Master, if I want to convince...

Somewhere in the deep forest, in the silence of nature, a monk sat in deepest meditation. He had been seeking enlightenment for years,...