Zen Parables
1. Returning to the Ordinary
A monk asked Kegon,
“How does an enlightened one return to the ordinary world?”
Kegon replied,
“A broken mirror never reflects again;
fallen flowers never go back to the old branches.”
2. Original Face
What is your original face
before you were born?
3. Shuzan’s Short Staff
Shuzan held out his short staff and said,
“If you call this a short staff, you oppose its reality.
If you do not call it a short staff, you ignore the fact.
Now what do you wish to call this?”
4. One Hand
What is the sound
of one hand clapping?
5. Lin-chi’s Slap
Elder Ting asked Lin-chi,
“Master, what is the great meaning of Buddha’s teachings?”
Lin-chi came down from his seat,
slapped Ting and pushed him away.
Ting was stunned and stood motionless.
A monk nearby said,
“Ting, why do you not bow?”
At that moment,
Ting attained great enlightenment.
6. The One
When the many are reduced to one,
to what is the one reduced?
7. Wild Ducks
Once Ma-tsu and Pai-chang were walking along
and they saw some wild ducks fly by.
“What is that?” the Master asked.
“Wild ducks,” Pai-chang replied.
“Where have they gone?”
“They’ve flown away,” Pai-chang said.
The Master then twisted Pai-chang’s nose.
When Pai-chang cried out in pain,
Ma-tsu said,
“When have they ever flown away?”
8. Chao-chou in the Snow
One day Chao-chou fell down in the snow,
and called out,
“Help me up! Help me up!”
A monk came
and lay down beside him.
Chao-chou got up
and went away.
9. Kill the Buddha
If you meet the Buddha,
kill the Buddha.
10. Three Pounds of Flax
A monk asked Tozan
when he was weighing some flax,
“What is Buddha?”
Tozan said,
“This flax weighs three pounds.”