A Sapling in Mid-Winter
100 more trees added to our forest!
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Giving the Moon
Ryokan lived the life of a hermit in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening, while Ryokan was away, a thief broke into the...
The Flesh of Stories
One day, someone asked Bahandin Naqshband, the great storyteller, "You always tell us stories, but you never tell us how to interpret...
A Short (Very Short) Sketch
He was a bit careless (I believe he was eying that cute neighbour of his), so he got the cuff of his trousers caught between the pavement...
The Lion's Breath Smells Like Cinnamon
When the lion became king of the beasts, he wanted to be known for his fairness. So, he gave up his old habits and limited himself to the...
The Seeing Nose
One night, I was wishing things all over. Then, I thought there were too many stars in the sky and not enough light down under, in the...
The Promise
Call yourself alive? Look, I promise you that for the first time you'll feel your pores opening like fish mouths, and you'll actually be...
Calling Back Laughter
If laughter ever leaves your side, call it back like this.
When All the Squirrels Pointed North
One day I wished that the squirrels all had their tails pointing north. I made them point north just by wishing it! It looked as if a...
83 Problems
One farmer came to the monastery to seek advice from a famous Zen teacher. “I like farming,” the farmer started, “but sometimes it...
Waiting for the Barbarians
"What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum?" "The barbarians are due here today." "Why isn't anything happening in the senate? Why...
The Book and the Key
Short dialogue between two Sufis: "I could sell the Book of Truth for a thousand pounds of gold, and some would still say, this is not...
The Work of a Donkey is Never Done
The priests of the goddess Cybele used a donkey to carry their luggage when they went around begging for alms. When the donkey finally...
The Protest
So I was walking on one of those creaky, dangly wooden bridges, like you guys have seen only in magazines or in Indiana Jones. I was...
The Reward
A short Arabic poem tells the story of a raindrop which, falling into the sea, cried out, "Oh, sea, how insignificant I am next to your...
The Antelope at Sunset
An antelope got lost from his heard and was wandering at the edge of the desert...
Autumn
Another take on autumn, quite different than the previous one. Don’t listen to what all those painters and poets tell you! Autumn is...
Autumn
Feels like the right time to post some seasonal stories. This is the more gentle one, from a very gentle author. The other seems a bit...
The Footprint Tree
One time I wished up a footprint tree. It had the footprints of many animals for leaves. Footprints left behind in mud and snow were all...
The Spider
While meditating in his room, a student thought he saw a spider moving on the ceiling and descending above his head. Each day, the spider...
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