ZEN STORIES - INTRODUCTION
COVERPAGE STORY 1 STORY 2 STORY 3 STORY 4
Background
This storybook introduces you to ZEN stories. Yes, but what does ZEN mean? That name sounds very mystical, just three short letters and I think it is no coincidence. It is very fitting for what it stands for. The literal meaning of the word is meditation. You may know that Zen is very strongly connected to Buddhism. You could call it a kind of Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism started in India, then spread to China, and then to Japan; the Sanskrit word Dhyana became Chan in Chinese and ultimately Zen in Japan. ZEN is not so much (or not at all) about words and knowledge, about wisdom that can be gained by studying. The important aspect with Zen is the inner experience, a realization that leads to a peaceful stillness, or a spiritual awakening.
So, it is like a knowing of something, like an understanding, but not at the level of words that create an intellectual interpretation. Some consider it an insult to the mind to point to a truth beyond intellectual knowledge. I hope that the concept of ZEN will become clearer as you read through the storybook.
Why ZEN?
Why have I chosen ZEN stories? I find them fascinating and I hope you will too. It seems funny to write a storybook with many words, because ZEN is kind of trying to get us away from too many words and to bring stillness to our minds. So, my stories have that same goal, to turn your attention within where you find stillness and alertness at the same time. It seems contradictory to use words (a form of noise) to bring stillness (absence of noise) and here we are at the heart of ZEN.
Sometimes Zen uses intentionally paradoxical ideas in order to help us to stop looking for all the answers through intellectual understanding. This idea is also called Koan. Here is an example of a Zen question: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, will it make a sound?"
The stories
Here are some short descriptions of the stories that you will find in this storybook.
Story 1: The Tea Cup. The first one is a very famous story and I have read it in many different versions. It is about a master who keeps filling a teacup that is already full to the brim. You can imagine what happens when a full cup is being filled. To find out more, please read my first story.
Story 2: Reaching Goals. My second story is called "Reaching Goals" and it illustrates the benefits of taking one's focus off of achieving something. So, if you are very goal-oriented, you might find this story very interesting.
Story 3: Across a River. This story is about following one's inner wisdom rather than some outer guidelines. Read the story to find out the difference.
Story 4: The Purple Monkey. The last story attempts to give guidelines on meditation, but it turns out that that is a futile endeavor. Read the story to find out why.
Storytelling plan:
A young person is looking for answers while trying to understand the world intellectually. He happens to meet a soothsayer at his favorite hideout place who claims to be able to show him the answers to his questions through her crystal ball. My four stories are connecting the questions of our young seeker to ZEN stories that appear in the soothsayer's crystal ball in order to provide the answers.
This storybook introduces you to ZEN stories. Yes, but what does ZEN mean? That name sounds very mystical, just three short letters and I think it is no coincidence. It is very fitting for what it stands for. The literal meaning of the word is meditation. You may know that Zen is very strongly connected to Buddhism. You could call it a kind of Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism started in India, then spread to China, and then to Japan; the Sanskrit word Dhyana became Chan in Chinese and ultimately Zen in Japan. ZEN is not so much (or not at all) about words and knowledge, about wisdom that can be gained by studying. The important aspect with Zen is the inner experience, a realization that leads to a peaceful stillness, or a spiritual awakening.
So, it is like a knowing of something, like an understanding, but not at the level of words that create an intellectual interpretation. Some consider it an insult to the mind to point to a truth beyond intellectual knowledge. I hope that the concept of ZEN will become clearer as you read through the storybook.
Why ZEN?
Why have I chosen ZEN stories? I find them fascinating and I hope you will too. It seems funny to write a storybook with many words, because ZEN is kind of trying to get us away from too many words and to bring stillness to our minds. So, my stories have that same goal, to turn your attention within where you find stillness and alertness at the same time. It seems contradictory to use words (a form of noise) to bring stillness (absence of noise) and here we are at the heart of ZEN.
Sometimes Zen uses intentionally paradoxical ideas in order to help us to stop looking for all the answers through intellectual understanding. This idea is also called Koan. Here is an example of a Zen question: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, will it make a sound?"
The stories
Here are some short descriptions of the stories that you will find in this storybook.
Story 1: The Tea Cup. The first one is a very famous story and I have read it in many different versions. It is about a master who keeps filling a teacup that is already full to the brim. You can imagine what happens when a full cup is being filled. To find out more, please read my first story.
Story 2: Reaching Goals. My second story is called "Reaching Goals" and it illustrates the benefits of taking one's focus off of achieving something. So, if you are very goal-oriented, you might find this story very interesting.
Story 3: Across a River. This story is about following one's inner wisdom rather than some outer guidelines. Read the story to find out the difference.
Story 4: The Purple Monkey. The last story attempts to give guidelines on meditation, but it turns out that that is a futile endeavor. Read the story to find out why.
Storytelling plan:
A young person is looking for answers while trying to understand the world intellectually. He happens to meet a soothsayer at his favorite hideout place who claims to be able to show him the answers to his questions through her crystal ball. My four stories are connecting the questions of our young seeker to ZEN stories that appear in the soothsayer's crystal ball in order to provide the answers.
Frame tale for the four stories
that you will find in this
storybook
Benjamin
often feels completely
stressed out. Sometimes he feels overwhelmed with things he
needs
to do and his head does not want to be still, not even for a moment.
Every day, he
packs his head full with new knowledge, but he is not sure
if that makes him feel more at ease with the world around him. Anyway,
his goal is to learn as much as possible, because he thinks that
knowledge is
power, and the most important thing to have if one wants to get
somewhere
in this
world.
Sometimes
when Benjamin's
head
is
too full with new information, he walks to a quiet little place deep
inside a forest. (The outing usually refreshes him and after that it is
easier
for him to absorb more information.) Very soon now, he will reach his
uncle's hut that is well hidden behind
bushes and trees. The hut is located on
the slope of the forest and from there one can look down to a fish pond
that gets fresh water from a creek
that runs into it. There is also a drinking fountain and a basin that
collects the fresh drinking water. Furthermore, there is an outdoor
table for the nice weather
and of course there is some rustic, comfortable furniture inside that
his uncle had
made. The whole place is like an oasis in
the woods, perfect for relaxation and to reconnect to one's inner
strength and wisdom.
When Benjamin reaches the beautiful retreat, he gets a feeling that he is not alone. Then he discovers a big crystal ball on the outdoor table, and he sees the door to the hut open. Now he knows that he is not alone, but who could be in the hut? Before he can go in, he hears a voice: "Come in, come in, I have been waiting for you. Oh yes, do you mind bringing my crystal ball along?" Benjamin was always fascinated with crystal balls, and he wonders to himself, "Could one see the future with such a thing?" He picks it up, spellbound, and walks in, a bit nervous and curious at the same time. Then he sees a mysterious looking woman sitting comfortably at the table. "Who was she and how did she get out here into the woods, to his favorite retreat?" (Find out more as you read the first story.)
When Benjamin reaches the beautiful retreat, he gets a feeling that he is not alone. Then he discovers a big crystal ball on the outdoor table, and he sees the door to the hut open. Now he knows that he is not alone, but who could be in the hut? Before he can go in, he hears a voice: "Come in, come in, I have been waiting for you. Oh yes, do you mind bringing my crystal ball along?" Benjamin was always fascinated with crystal balls, and he wonders to himself, "Could one see the future with such a thing?" He picks it up, spellbound, and walks in, a bit nervous and curious at the same time. Then he sees a mysterious looking woman sitting comfortably at the table. "Who was she and how did she get out here into the woods, to his favorite retreat?" (Find out more as you read the first story.)