

101 Zen Stories - b-man
http://www.101zenstories.com/

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Niten
The same stories are also here:

<http://www.ashidakim.com/zenkoans/zenindex.html>

Did one of these sites copy the other? Or does it even matter?

~~~
throw_away
The 101 stores were compiled in 1919
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101_Zen_Stories>), and then reprinted by Paul
Reps as Zen Flesh, Zen Bones (which is how I originally read them). The
originals were written in the 13th century called Shasekishū
(<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shasekish%C5%AB>) by the zen master Mujū.

I'm not sure how copyrights apply to excerpts, translations, edits and re-
prints of presumably public-domain original works.

------
zackattack
omg i'm LOVING this site. thank you so much. i bought the book.

personal faves: <http://www.101zenstories.com/index.php?story=6> *
<http://www.101zenstories.com/index.php?story=35>

~~~
dualogy
I don't get story 6. What's the take-away? :D

~~~
jjs
Story 6 is about the worthlessness of wisdom (Prajñā) without compassion
(Karuṇā).

In Mahayana Buddhism, both wisdom and compassion are necessary for the
Bodhisattva path: wisdom brings enlightenment, but compassion keeps you "in
the world" (either literally or figuratively) to help guide others toward
enlightenment (thereby liberating them from suffering).

Perhaps because of its deemphasis of the supernatural, Zen in particular
emphasizes that enlightenment without compassion is possible, but useless, and
not a worthy or admirable pursuit.

Compassion is seen as necessary to temper enlightenment, to keep oneself from
becoming a nihilist or enlightened navel-gazer.

(Zen/Chán has historical basis for being concerned about this:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_in_Buddhism#Hui-neng>)

The woman in the story sees that the monk's wisdom has liberated him from
suffering, but his lack of compassion means that no one else will benefit from
it.

She's angry because she thought she was investing in the monk to the
betterment of mankind, but instead she finds that her donations have only
benefited the monk.

~~~
dualogy
Thanks a lot, I do appreciate this explanation and it does make way more sense
to me now.

That said, she-burning-him-down for her own poor investment judgment isn't
pretty enlightened or compassionate herself, no? Why doesn't she "take it
lightly", in a Zen sort of way?...

~~~
jjs
The old woman is a normal layperson. If the monk wanted her to act in a more
enlightened way, he should have taught her how!

She's also justifiably angry. She just realized that she spent the fruits of
her own decades of toil to cure a stranger's suffering, and that because of
the monk's irresponsibility, the wisdom gained will die with him, and do
nothing to ease humanity's suffering.

Even if she intended spend her money to help just one person, the money would
be better spent on someone who is still capable of suffering.

And if the old monk hasn't actually attained enlightenment yet, then the money
would be better spent on a less experienced monk much further from
enlightenment, if he shows the signs of compassion that indicate that the
wisdom he gains will be used to help mankind.

 _Why doesn't she "take it lightly", in a Zen sort of way?..._

Zen isn't about taking things lightly. It's about figuring out what's
important, and what's not worth worrying about. (Among other things).

Because of its roots in Mahayana Buddhism, helping everyone attain
enlightenment and free themselves from suffering is _very_ important.

And because Zen is largely agnostic towards the supernatural, including
reincarnation, there is the idea that you probably only have one lifetime to
(a) achieve enlightenment, and (b) help others to achieve enlightenment or at
least mitigate their suffering.

So helping everyone attain enlightenment is not to save them from mythical
torment in the Naraka hells, nor from the cycle of reincarnation, but rather
to stop the recurring cycles of human suffering on Earth—to eventually make
enlightenment available to every living person.

Story 6 is also an allusion to the parable of the burning house, which is
about a father (an adult, representing someone who is enlightened) figuring
out how to get his small children to drop their games and come running outside
before the house burns down.

This is especially poignant in Zen, because if you attain enlightenment but do
nothing to help ease the suffering of others, or at least transmit your
understanding to someone who can, _you have wasted your life_ , every minute
of which is precious and irrecoverable. And hoarding enlightenment for
yourself is very much like dying peacefully in your sleep while letting others
burn to death.

In story 6, the monk has escaped the figurative burning house (overcoming his
own suffering by attaining enlightenment in his lifetime), but has not done
anything to rescue the children inside (ordinary laypeople who still suffer).

The old woman takes revenge by reversing the situation, in a more literal
sense. Don't assume that the monk was outside the hut when it burned. >:)

