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

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

Once there was a young monk whose soul was as restless as the waves of a storm-tossed sea. He had read much about “enlightenment” and heard that it was like a mighty wind that sweeps away the old and clears the soul. He wanted to possess this state at any cost. One night, when a powerful storm swept across the mountains, he ran out into the darkness. In his hands he carried a delicate paper lantern. He believed that if he ran fast enough and opened the lantern at just the rig