~Zen Mountain~

[My Erotic Tale]

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.

As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"

"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."


(some versions of this story describe the monk as carrying the woman across a mud puddle )

(The storm that rages between my ears shouts to me that I have a long road ahead of me to reach the paramount peaks of total zen enlightenment. But the practice of is honing the mind one word at a time, aRT~

MakeMe wrote: Art, She is a useless lint ball in my dryer in my life. How is that for zen? lol

 

[My Erotic Tale]

From a lofty summit
The panorama extends forever
I sit alone unknown
The lone moon lights Cold Spring
The moon isn’t in the Spring
The moon is in the sky
I sing this solitary song
But the song isn’t zen.

- Han shan

 

[My Erotic Tale]

Tea Combat

A master of the tea ceremony in old Japan once accidentally slighted a soldier. He quickly apologized, but the rather impetuous soldier demanded that the matter be settled in a sword duel. The tea master, who had no experience with swords, asked the advice of a fellow Zen master who did possess such skill. As he was served by his friend, the Zen swordsman could not help but notice how the tea master performed his art with perfect concentration and tranquility. "Tomorrow," the Zen swordsman said, "when you duel the soldier, hold your weapon above your head, as if ready to strike, and face him with the same concentration and tranquility with which you perform the tea ceremony." The next day, at the appointed time and place for the duel, the tea master followed this advice. The soldier, readying himself to strike, stared for a long time into the fully attentive but calm face of the tea master. Finally, the soldier lowered his sword, apologized for his arrogance, and left without a blow being struck.

 

[Satin and Lace]

I would do better...

With more Zen like life moments in my life.

 

[My Erotic Tale]

With more Zen like life moments in my life.

<smiles>

Is the flower a shade of pink
or is it a lighter shade of red
perhaps purple light hue
I continplate on the colors like blue
never seeing the flower that's new

Art~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tomorrow:

A Japanese warrior was captured by his enemies and thrown into prison. That night he was unable to sleep because he feared that the next day he would be interrogated, tortured, and executed. Then the words of his Zen master came to him, "Tomorrow is not real. It is an illusion. The only reality is now." Heeding these words, the warrior became peaceful and fell asleep.

zen master tales

 

[My Erotic Tale]

cliff hanger

One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!

 

[bluerains]

you can't steal the moon

A Zen Master lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at
the foot of a mountain. One evening, while he was away, a
thief sneaked into the hut only to find there was nothing in it
to steal.

The Zen Master returned and found him. "You have
come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you
should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a
gift."

The thief was bewildered, but he took the clothes and
ran away.

The Master sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor
fellow," he mused, " I wish I could give him this beautiful

moon."

clothing wore my warmth
glowing shadows from the moon
found my hearth within

 

[My Erotic Tale]

A Zen Master lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at
the foot of a mountain. One evening, while he was away, a
thief sneaked into the hut only to find there was nothing in it
to steal.

The Zen Master returned and found him. "You have
come a long way to visit me," he told the prowler, "and you
should not return empty handed. Please take my clothes as a
gift."

The thief was bewildered, but he took the clothes and
ran away.

The Master sat naked, watching the moon. "Poor
fellow," he mused, " I wish I could give him this beautiful

moon."

clothing wore my warmth
glowing shadows from the moon
found my hearth within

that'sa a good site and zen e-cards is another, tao and zen
and the zen masters poetry are some good ones I can recall there's
more but I don't recall the links unless I do the normal search and my
path to the enlightened ones words <snickerin'>

here's the one I posted on the reviews thread, I don't recall who this
one came from but I told many of it for years, one of my favs sort of like
the hammer for a tool in life, everythings nails view ...

Monk Pickle

There was a humble monk who spoke very
little and always seem to have a pickle in his
hand. They even nick-named him 'Pickle'.
This Monk had in his room a multitude of jars ...
pickling cucumbers in many fashions. It was
very obvious that Monk Pickle liked pickles.

One day an opening came up for the Wednesday
night meals to be prepared. Pickle who said
very little raised his hand and said "I will do
the Wednesday night meal preparation."
There was no objection so all agreed.

On Wednesday Night the meal came out that
Pickle had prepared. And what do you think
they had for Dinner?

 

[My Erotic Tale]

delicate is the butterfly
with care and caution we avoid
yet step heavy once we're away

we handle an egg
with extra care
then toss the shell once used

we move around
grow learn and share
then burried when we move no more

we hide from the rain
then go take a shower
then hide from the sun as well

a thought or two I had to jot down <grin>

 

[Du Lac]

delicate is the butterfly
with care and caution we avoid
yet step heavy once we're away

we handle an egg
with extra care
then toss the shell once used

we move around
grow learn and share
then burried when we move no more

we hide from the rain
then go take a shower
then hide from the sun as well

a thought or two I had to jot down <grin>

Beautiful Art.. thank you... Du~

 

[My Erotic Tale]

Beautiful Art.. thank you... Du~

<smile> bows to the Du~


Unfettered at last, a traveling monk,
I pass the old Zen barrier.
Mine is a traceless stream-and-cloud life,
Of these mountains, which shall be my home?

- Manan (1591-1654)
The Penguin Book of Zen Poetry
Translated by Lucien Stryk and Takashi Ikemoto

 

[My Erotic Tale]

The body is the tree of enlightenment,
The mind like a clear mirror stand;
Time and gain wipe it diligently,
Don't let it gather dust.

- Shenxiu

 

[My Erotic Tale]

Two come about because of One,
but don't cling to the One either!
So long as the mind does not stir,
the ten thousand things stay blameless;
no blame, no phenomena,
no stirring, no mind.

The viewer disappears along with the scene,
the scene follows the viewer into oblivion,
for scene becomes scene only through the viewer,
viewer becomes viewer because of the scene.

- Seng-ts'an, 600
Hsin-Hsin-Ming: Inscription on Trust in the Mind
Translated by Burton Watson
Found in Entering the Stream, p. 149
Edited by Samuel Bercholz and Sherab Chodzin Kohn

 

[bluerains]

soo enjoying this page ~A~

you have some great reads....here is my little imput...for today...
Seijo's Two Souls

Chokan had a very beautiful daughter named Seijo. He also had a handsome young cousin named Ochu. Joking, he would often comment that they would make a fine married couple. Actually, he planned to give his daughter in marriage to another man. But young Seijo and Ochu took him seriously; they fell in love and thought themselves engaged. One day Chokan announced Seijo's betrothal to the other man. In rage and despair, Ochu left by boat. After several days journey, much to his astonishment and joy he discovered that Seijo was on the boat with him!


They went to a nearby city where they lived for several years and had two children. But Seijo could not forget her father; so Ochu decided to go back with her and ask the father's forgiveness and blessing. When they arrived, he left Seijo on the boat and went to the father's house. he humbly apologized to the father for taking his daughter away and asked forgiveness for them both.


"What is the meaning of all this madness?" the father exclaimed. Then he related that after Ochu had left, many years ago, his daughter Seijo had fallen ill and had lain comatose in bed since. Ochu assured him that he was mistaken, and, in proof, he brought Seijo from the boat. When she entered, the Seijo lying ill in bed rose to meet her, and the two became one.


Zen Master Goso, referrring to the legend, observed, "Seijo had two souls, one always sick at home and the other in the city, a married woman with two children. Which was the true soul?"


you can't judge a face by its cover.....

two faces surreal
facets clad behind spindling veil
glassy flaws polished
by hands untouched

 

[Du Lac]

smiling

Wonderful writings you two... thank you for sharing them

here is one I love and many know... but worth the sharing again...

One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!


blessings
Du~

 

[Du Lac]

and...

I just had to share this one also....

The Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty was a national hero for his success as both a statesman and military leader. But despite his fame, power, and wealth, he considered himself a humble and devout Buddhist. Often he visited his favorite Zen master to study under him, and they seemed to get along very well. The fact that he was prime minister apparently had no effect on their relationship, which seemed to be simply one of a revered master and respectful student.

One day, during his usual visit, the Prime Minister asked the master, "Your Reverence, what is egotism according to Buddhism?" The master's face turned red, and in a very condescending and insulting tone of voice, he shot back, "What kind of stupid question is that!?"

This unexpected response so shocked the Prime Minister that he became sullen and angry. The Zen master then smiled and said, "THIS, Your Excellency, is egotism."

Du~

 

[My Erotic Tale]

bows humble <grin>
Du~
Rain~
wow, excellent tales ~

This one is my favorite, I had to clean it up, (edit)
it came from a series of Da mo tales, Da Mo is
accounted for being the founder of what is now called ...Kung Fu~
(So is about a dozen others, which is another tale <grin>)

....................................................

"Once upon a time." < smile >
there once was a shaolin priest named Da Mo.
Who ventured out from his temple in search of
enlightenment to carry back to his fellow brotherin
and share learnings from the world. He was traveling
one night when it started raining and getting dark.
He was wet, cold and tired as he found his way along
in the dark. He came to a cave.

Well, Budda must be smiling on me, he thought
as he made his way into this cave out of the rain.
His feet stepped and crunching sounds came from
stepping on crunchy things but made his way in farther
thinking it must be wood blown into the entrance,
Because not to much farther in his feet felt softness,
like straw that he balled up and layed down on in
this pitch black damp cave. He fell asleep from his
weary travel thinking that budda has taken care of his needs this
evening and gave him shelter.

In the middle of the night Da Mo woke up thirsty and
listened as he heard water dripping so he felt his way
over to the sound in the caves darkness and felt what
he thought was a gobblet of liquid. The water was dripping
into some container that he quickly smelled
and tasted and quinched his thirst. Budda has truely
blessed me this night, he thought as he went back to
sleep.

The next morning he awoke to see that the crunching
was bones he had stepped across, and the straw was
hair of long dead and left and the container of water
was a skull that he had drank from. The cave was a buriel tavern.
Well, Da Mo got a little ill and very upset but he went back
to his temple enlightened from a lesson he learned.

"Know what that lesson was?"

......ENEMIES OF THE MIND..................
every thing was a blessing till his mind had told him that it was not.

(~_~)

 

[bluerains]

is this the learning...

bows humble <grin>
Du~
Rain~
wow, excellent tales ~


"Know what that lesson was?"
hum...do mo felt good in spirit until his reality caused him to reject the truth..his needs had been met...

 

[bluerains]

been there...

A hermit was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him.

"Master, I wish to become your disciple," said the man.

"Why?" replied the hermit.

The young man thought for a moment. "Because I want to find God."

The master jumped up, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, dragged him into the river, and plunged his head under water. After holding him there for a minute, with him kicking and struggling to free himself, the master finally pulled him up out of the river. The young man coughed up water and gasped to get his breath.

When he eventually quieted down, the master spoke. "Tell me, what did you want most of all when you were under water."

"Air!" answered the man.

"Very well," said the master. "Go home and come back to me when you want God as much as you just wanted air."

 

[Du Lac]

Finding a Diamond on a Muddy Road

Gudo was the emperor's teacher of his time. Nevertheless, he used to travel alone as a wandering mendicant. Once when he was on his was to Edo, the cultural and political center of the shogunate, he approached a little village named Takenaka. It was evening and a heavy rain was falling. Gudo was thoroughly wet. His straw sandals were in pieces. At a farmhouse near the village he noticed four or five pairs of sandals in the window and decided to buy some dry ones.

The woman who offered him the sandals, seeing how wet he was, invited him in to remain for the night at her home. Gudo accepted, thanking her. He entered and recited a sutra before the family shrine. He then was introduced to the woman's mother, and to her children. Observing that the entire family was depressed, Gudo asked what was wrong.

"My husband is a gambler and a drunkard," the housewife told him. "When he happens to win he drinks and becomes abusive. When he loses he borrows money from others. Sometimes when he becomes thoroughly drunk he does not come home at all. What can I do?"

I will help him," said Gudo. "Here is some money. Get me a gallon of fine wine and something good to eat. Then you may retire. I will meditate before the shrine."

When the man of the house returned about midnight, quite drunk, he bellowed: "Hey, wife, I am home. Have you something for me to eat?"

"I have something for you," said Gudo. "I happened to get caught in the rain and your wife kindly asked me to remain here for the night. In return I have bought some wine and fish, so you might as well have them."

The man was delighted. He drank the wine at once and laid himself down on the floor. Gudo sat in meditation beside him.

In the morning when the husband awoke he had forgotten about the previous night. "Who are you? Where do you come from?" he asked Gudo, who still was meditating.

"I am Gudo of Kyoto and I am going on to Edo," replied the Zen master.

The man was utterly ashamed. He apologized profusely to the teacher of his emperor.

Gudo smiled. "Everything in this life is impermanent," he explained. "Life is very brief. If you keep on gambling and drinking, you will have no time left to accomplish anything else, and you will cause your family to suffer too."

The perception of the husband awoke as if from a dream. "You are right," he declared. "How can I ever repay you for this wonderful teaching! Let me see you off and carry your things a little way."

"If you wish," assented Gudo.

The two started out. After they had gone three miles Gudo told him to return. "Just another five miles," he begged Gudo. They continued on.

"You may return now," suggested Gudo.

"After another ten miles," the man replied.

"Return now," said Gudo, when the ten miles had been passed.

"I am going to follow you all the rest of my life," declared the man.

Modern Zen teachers in Japan spring from the lineage of a famous master who was the successor of Gudo. His name was Mu-nan, the man who never turned back.

 

[Du Lac]

The Nature of Things....

This one hit home lol.........

The Nature of Things

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two monks were washing their bowls in the river when they noticed a scorpion that was drowning. One monk immediately scooped it up and set it upon the bank. In the process he was stung. He went back to washing his bowl and again the scorpion fell in. The monk saved the scorpion and was again stung. The other monk asked him, "Friend, why do you continue to save the scorpion when you know it's nature is to sting?"
"Because," the monk replied, "to save it is my nature."


(Another version of this story describes a fox who agrees to carry a scorpion on its back across a river, upon the condition that the scorpion does not sting him. But the scorpion does indeed sting the fox when they are in midstream. As the fox begins to drown, taking the scorpion with him, he pleadingly asks why the scorpion has jeopardized both of them by stinging. "Because it's my nature." This story sometimes is attributed to Native Americans lore.)

 

[My Erotic Tale]

wow those are great ... <big grin>

.````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Once upon a time...."Ready?"
There was three baby birds liveing in a nest.
And momma bird had flown off to get lunch and the baby birds
were playing and one fell out and the other two looked at each other
"oh no," they thought. Well just about that time the baby bird came back
flapping its wings and landed back in the nest. The other two were amazed
well the one that fell said "I can fly...see, " and jumped out flew around and flew back.
Well he was able to get another baby bird to jump out and try it and now two
baby birds flew around the nest playing and flying.

They tryed to get the last baby bird to jump but he wouldnt and momma
came back and fed them and they got sleepy and fell asleep
later they woke up and the two that flew kept on playing and flying.
But the one bird wouldnt, they called 'em chicken and teased 'em.
But finally they went to sleep.

For days they couldnt get him to fly, taunting and teaseing didnt help but
one day a dog was chaseing the birds and knocked one down.
Well the baby bird in the nest saw this and flew down and nipped at the dog
and got his brother to safety. And they were scared but safe and the bird that
was saved said. "I didnt think you could fly?".

And the baby bird that saved him said.
"well I figured I could if you could, I just never saw the need to till now."

 

[Angeline]

My Zen Poem

I cannot resist the opportunity to post my zen poem, which I wrote a few years ago.



B

 

[My Erotic Tale]

I cannot resist the opportunity to post my zen poem, which I wrote a few years ago.



B

simply awesome <grinin>

B good B kind but most of all B happy (~_*)

 

[bluerains]

wow

is that a pic of you and your wee ones....u look so much like my mate john...tis no wonder we get on...he and his brother are so close to your likeness...wow...