Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    ZEN: Stories From The East
    ZEN: Stories From The East
    ZEN: Stories From The East
    Ebook105 pages1 hour

    ZEN: Stories From The East

    By Marc Brookhuis

    4.5/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Zen Buddhism is well known for its stories and anecdotes. It is more likely that the reader remembers the contents than if it were presented as dry theory. Many stories in this book are educational, have a moral or provide an insight. Most of the stories derive from Zen Buddhism but the author will also explore Taoism.

    At the end of the book you will find instructions on how to meditate, the most important practice in zen. Together with the collection of stories, this book gives a good insight in the world of zen.

    Marc Brookhuis is a zenteacher, mental coach and author of non-fiction and fiction books. Other titles are: "Mindfulnes, back to the here and now" and "Zen and the art of quality".

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMarc Brookhuis
    Release dateFeb 19, 2013
    ISBN9781301256716
    ZEN: Stories From The East
    Author

    Marc Brookhuis

    Marc Brookhuis is zen-leraar, mental coach en schrijver van diverse fictie- en nonfictie boeken. Zie ook 4 & 2, zen coaching en advies (www.vierentwee.nl)

    Read more from Marc Brookhuis

    Related to ZEN

    Related ebooks

    Personal Growth For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      The Freedom of Emptiness

      Mar 8, 2022

      The Freedom of Emptiness
      6 min read

    • Article

      Enlightenment Is a Male Fantasy

      Nov 6, 2018

      Enlightenment Is a Male Fantasy
      7 min read

    • Article

      How Buddhists Can Benefit from Western Philosophy

      May 7, 2019

      IN THE EARLY 2000s, I taught Western philosophy to Tibetan monks at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, India. These monks were excited to explore new insights into questions they were already pursuing in Buddhist philosophy, and new

      2 min read

    • Article

      Compassion Without Calculation

      Mar 8, 2022

      Compassion Without Calculation
      10 min read

    • Article

      Why Do We Hug Each Other?

      Dec 20, 2018

      Why Do We Hug Each Other?
      3 min read

    • Article

      What is Spirituality?

      Dec 10, 2019

      What is Spirituality?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Smile At Fear

      May 18, 2021

      When we look at the world around us—our immediate world and the world beyond—we see a lot of difficulty and dysfunction. The news we hear is mostly bad news, and that makes us afraid. The fear these days seems so palpable, so atmospheric. You can alm

      2 min read

    • Article

      Charlotte Joko Beck

      Nov 23, 2021

      Charlotte Joko Beck
      2 min read

    • Article

      What A Good Horse You Are!

      Jan 24, 2023

      What A Good Horse You Are!
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Magic Of The Heart Sutra

      May 18, 2021

      Among the various genres of Mahayana sutras, perhaps the most famous are the perfection of wisdom (prajnaparamita) texts, renowned for their exposition of emptiness. Rather than having ornate names like so many Mahayana sutras, these tend to be known

      5 min read

    • Article

      Forum: Understanding Dukkha

      Nov 7, 2017

      Forum: Understanding Dukkha
      20 min read

    • Article

      The Next Generation

      Nov 19, 2019

      The Next Generation
      19 min read

    • Article

      The Mind That Knows Itself

      Mar 2, 2021

      The Mind That Knows Itself
      8 min read

    • Article

      Taking a Gamble

      Dec 18, 2021

      Taking a Gamble
      3 min read

    • Article

      What Buddhist Quote Have You Put Up In Your Home Or Office?

      Jul 23, 2019

      “With our thoughts we make our world. The mind is central. It precedes our deeds. Speak and act with a pure mind and happiness will follow you like a shadow that never leaves.” This prayer from the Dalai Lama is part of my daily meditation practice.

      2 min read

    • Article

      Ultimately The Same

      Sep 27, 2022

      Ultimately The Same
      4 min read

    • Article

      More from Lion’s Roar

      Nov 20, 2018

      More from Lion’s Roar
      2 min read

    • Article

      Is Ritual An Important Part Of Your Buddhist Practice?

      Nov 23, 2021

      Ritual helps me stop, pay attention, settle, and sink down. It brings me back to my breath, to now. —Dawn Smart, Union, Washington Ritual is not part of my practice. I found Buddhism in a round-about way through Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day.” B

      3 min read

    • Article

      How Insentient Beings Expound Dharma

      Sep 20, 2023

      The concept of buddhanature (bussho), as interchangeable with tathagatagarbha (womb or embryo of tathagata; “one who has thus come,” an epithet of the Buddha), arose in Mahayana Buddhism after Nagarujuna (second to third century CE) and before Vasuba

      3 min read

    • Article

      Bhagavad Gita Influenced Many Great Thinkers

      Dec 13, 2020

      THERE are many paths to attain self-realisation yet there are many who choose to attain the knowledge from all different parts so that they can raise their consciousness to such a great extent that they see “One God” in all organisations and in all r

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Woman of Zen

      Nov 7, 2017

      A Woman of Zen
      10 min read

    • Article

      Beginner’s Mind

      Nov 19, 2019

      ACCORDING TO BUDDHISM, our basic problem is not sin. It’s more like a giant mistake. Because we misunderstand the true nature of ourselves and what we experience, we create poisons that cause ourselves and others endless suffering. These are the many

      3 min read

    • Article

      Book Briefs

      Aug 7, 2018

      Ajahn Jayasaro’s STILLNESS FLOWING: THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF AJAHN CHAH (Abhayagiri 2017) is a remarkable testament to the legacy of the Thai Buddhist teacher Ajahn Chah (1918–1992). Over eight hundred pages in length, the book begins with Ajahn Cha

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Meeting of Minds

      Dec 5, 2023

      A Meeting of Minds
      8 min read

    • Article

      Mel Weitsman, DHARMA DRAGON

      Mar 23, 2021

      Mel Weitsman, DHARMA DRAGON
      7 min read

    • Article

      Clarity & Calm

      Sep 19, 2023

      Clarity & Calm
      10 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for ZEN

    4.5/5

    2 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      ZEN - Marc Brookhuis

      ZEN

      stories from the East

      Marc Brookhuis

      © Copyright 2013 Marc Brookhuis

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return toSmashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Contents

      Preface

      Introduction

      To overcome yourself

      A garden and a zen master

      Doing your best; Puk and Muk and the wicker basket

      Buddha is everywhere

      Koans and finding your own answer

      Joshu, mu and a dog

      An overflowing tea cup and Sho Shin

      A monkey and a coconut

      A visit to a farmer or bow!

      Enlightenment without ego

      Head under water

      Heaven and hell on earth

      Haiku, an experience and a snapshot

      Senses, chaos, disorder and despair

      A little formal…

      The only way he could stay here

      How are you?

      Do you want to be weighed down?

      The emperor asks what he has earned

      Have you taken leave of your senses today?

      Do what you are doing and miracles

      Everything has to do with everything or a killed zen master

      The devil and a child on a spit

      I will give it a try…

      The land of Buddha and a corpse

      Bring him to life!

      Boats rock

      Salad in the fridge and livelihood

      A tortoise and an inner voice

      Bad luck and good fortune or the art of living

      An archer, pressure and failure

      Everyday enlightenment

      Nobody, someone and a solution

      Just an ordinary person

      A chessboard and compassion

      Epilogue

      Enclosures

      Ground Hog Day or me and the other

      Ten pictures of the Ox

      Enlightenment

      Zazen, sitting in a state of zen

      Preface

      ‘Can all the stories that you have told us this week be found in a book?’ a course member asked me after a zen session. ‘Most probably,’ I answered, ‘There are so many books about zen.’ But at the same time I could not think of one, at least not the kind that I had in mind: A book with a collection of zen stories that I have often told and heard about including the necessary examples and explanations.

      The idea to write my own book was born. However, there was some doubt. Should I be the one to pass on these stories? The stories are not my own, can I just simply pass them on? And is my interpretation correct?

      My Zen teacher reminded me of an important promise you make during the Dukai ceremony, an initiation into zen. ‘Be forthcoming and not reticent with the Dharma.’ Share your insights and be forthcoming with all that can help in life.

      Then I was left with the question whether my interpretation was the correct one. To which there is only one possible answer. It is but one explanation, one interpretation. I have done my best based on my zen experience, however, it is only my point of view. As always, there are many possible interpretations.

      Introduction

      There are many stories and anecdotes in Zen Buddhism. Telling stories has its advantages. The audience is more likely to remember the contents than when presented as dry theory.

      Many stories in this book are educational, have a moral or provide an insight. Most of the stories derive from Zen Buddhism. Sometimes we will explore Taoism or use passages that serve as an introduction to explaining Zen.

      The stories are a mere selection; there are many more interesting stories to tell. However, the selected stories seemed to work best together.

      To overcome yourself

      Mohammed and his soldiers are on the eve of a great battle. A battle they will eventually win with great difficulty because of their commitment and passion. While overlooking the battlefield an elated soldier says to Mohammed. ‘This… this must have been the great Jihad (battle / victory)’. ‘No,’ says Mohammed, ‘this was but a small Jihad. The great Jihad is to overcome yourself.’

      This is an Islamic story, which is rather an unusual start to a book containing primarily zen stories. The reason for this is because it effectively describes what religions and ideologies are all about, namely, to overcome yourself.

      What then do you overcome? You could say that you overcome your self or ego, climbing over a wall where ego is trapped. Zen often talks about the little I and the big I. The little I is the ego that stands in the middle without asking questions. It is an ego that forms the centre of the world that is responded to without being subjected to self-reflection. The big I has more room. You are less one with yourself, there is a certain distance that has been created.

      The objective of religions and ideologies is growth. Every ideology has an answer to the question what this growth should look like. They try to help individuals find a path with more insight and wisdom. The answers may look different but if you learn more about religions you’ll soon discover that there is more common ground than expected.

      A way to grow is through self-knowledge. Know thyself, it said above the Oracle of Delphi, the place people went to in ancient times to find answers to important questions about life. But the best answers are your own. Wisdom and understanding derive from self-knowledge.

      This too is practiced within zen. Go in search, honest and open-minded. Know yourself!

      To study the way of the Buddha is to study yourself.

      To study yourself is to forget yourself.

      To forget yourself is to be enlightened by all things.

      A garden and a

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1