In a remote village lived peasants who worked the land from sun to sun. Their life was hard and monotonous, but they knew no other. Only one of them, Leo, dreamed of something more. Leo was a young inventor who spent the nights building a machine that would do the field work for them. One […]
The Story of the Starfishes
One morning, an elderly man was walking along the beach when he noticed a young boy picking something off the sand and throwing it into the sea. As he got closer, the man realized the child was throwing stranded starfishes that had washed up on the shore back into the breaking waves. Approaching the boy, […]
A little wave
A little wave was bobbing along in the ocean and was having a grand old time. He was enjoying the wind and the fresh air as it traveled– until he noticed that all the other waves in front of him were crashing against the shore. “Oh My God, this is terrible,” The little wave thought. […]
Latif’s story, by Jorge Bucay
Latif was the poorest beggar in a middle eastern village. Every night he slept in the hall of a different house, facing the city’s central square. Every day he lay under a different tree, his hand outstretched and his gaze lost in thought. Every afternoon he ate from the alms or the crumbs that some […]
The Bowl
A monk told Joshu: “I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.”Joshu asked: “Have you eaten your rice porridge?”The monk replied: “I have eaten.”Joshu said: “Then you had better wash your bowl.”At that moment the monk was enlightened. […]
The old man and the happiness
An old man was living in a small village. Neighbours were tired of him. He was always sad, constantly complaining, always in a bad mood. The longer he lived, the viler he became and the more poisonous his words were. People did everything it was possible to avoid him because his misfortune was contagious. He […]
Aikido
After observing O Sensei (the founder of Aikido), sparring with an accomplished fighter, a young student said to the master: – “You never lose your balance. What is your secret?” – “You are wrong,” O Sensei replied. “I am constantly losing my balance. My skill lies in my ability to regain it.” Illustration available here. […]
Tie your camel first
A master was traveling with one of his disciples. The disciple was in charge of the camel’s care. They arrived at night, tired, to an oasis. It was the responsibility of the disciple to tie the camel; however, he did not and let it loose. Instead, he just prayed, asked God, “Take care of the […]
That’s Okay. It Will Pass
A student went to see his meditation teacher and said, “My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted most of the time, my legs ache, or I’m repeatedly falling asleep. It’s terrible.” Said the teacher matter-of-factly: “That’s okay. It will pass.” A week later, the student returned to his teacher. “My meditation is wonderful! I […]
The deer and the heavenly scent
A musk deer who, very early in her life, began to notice this heavenly scent in the air. Intoxicated by this divine aroma, she set out to find the source. She searched the depths of every forest, smelled around every tree, every blade of grass and still couldn’t discover where this scent was coming from. […]