Two men were arguing about a flag flapping in the wind. “It’s the wind that is really moving,” stated the first one. “No, it is the flag that is moving,” contended the second. A Zen master, who happened to be walking by, overheard the debate and interrupted them. “Neither the flag nor the wind is […]
What We Can Control
One quiet afternoon, my partner and I were sitting at an outdoor café. At one point, I got up to go to the restroom. On the floor, I found a fifty-euro note. I picked it up and returned to our table, unsure of what to do. “I found this on the floor,” I said, showing […]
What We Can Control
One quiet afternoon, my partner and I were sitting at an outdoor café. At one point, I got up to go to the restroom. On the floor, I found a fifty-euro note. I picked it up and returned to our table, unsure of what to do. “I found this on the floor,” I said, showing […]
What We Can Control
One quiet afternoon, my partner and I were sitting at an outdoor café. At one point, I got up to go to the restroom. On the floor, I found a fifty-euro note. I picked it up and returned to our table, unsure of what to do. “I found this on the floor,” I said, showing […]
The Moon Cannot Be Stolen
Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal. Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may have come a long way to visit me,” he told the […]
Jokes from a wise man
A wise man once faced a group of people who continually complained about the same problems. One day, instead of listening to the complaints, he told a joke and everyone laughed. Then the man repeated the joke. Some people smiled. Finally, the man repeated the joke for the third time – but no one reacted. […]
The elephant and the rope
When walking through an elephant camp, a man noticed that the elephants were only secured with a small rope that was tied around one ankle. He wondered why the elephants didn’t break free from the rope, as the elephants were certainly strong enough to do so. He asked a trainer why the elephants didn’t try […]
The rich and the poor
One day, a rich man gave a basket full of rubbish to a poor man. The poor man smiled at him and walked away with the basket. He empties it, cleans the basket and fills it with magnificent flowers. He went back to meet the rich man and gave him back the basket. The rich […]
The cup of tea
There was a monastery at the top of a mountain and there lived a great master who was sought out by many people to receive his advice. One day, a man who dedicated his entire life in search of wisdom, learned about the great master and went to the mountain to meet him. He crossed […]
The Other Side
One day a young Buddhist on his journey home came to the banks of a wide river. Staring hopelessly at the great obstacle in front of him, he pondered for hours on just how to cross such a wide barrier. Just as he was about to give up his pursuit to continue his journey he […]











