So many Zen stories are trying to warn us that spirituality can be turned into a competition, into a power play even. That’s certainly what we have going on in in our last story. Mulla Nasrudine is saying, “Look who thinks he’s nothing!” How can this beggar think he’s nothing when nothing is the great …
Category Archives: Chats
Look Who’s Nothing
So. Mulla Nasrudine was a saintly and pious man. He went one day to the mosque, and went inside pray. He goes up to the front and he kneels down and he prays with great reverence, “Oh Holy One. I am nothing next to you. I am nothing, and yet I offer you this prayer.” …
This Week’s Newsletter
All About Elephants and Monkeys Published: Sat, 05/13/23 This week we have a few stories about perception. Our minds are fabulous because we see things, hear things, and then make conclusions. It’s good to keep in mind that what we are seeing and hearing is only partial. We remain wise if keep our conclusions fluid. Once …
Power & Spirituality
In the last story we told about the teacup the master is filling and filling the filling the cup until there’s no room for anything else. The teacup represents all the books you’ve read, including this one. Don’t let these stories fill you up with knowledge. The mind always craves knowledge and power. Instead let …
Don’t Fill Up
As I close this series of Zen stories a final warning that comes to us from the last story we told about the teacup. The master is filling and filling the filling the cup until there’s no room for anything else. The teacup represents all the books you’ve read, including this one. Don’t let these …
Is Your Teacup Already Full?
Is your teacup already full? Are you believing tons of things about spirituality that isn’t really your experience?
Teacups
A man goes and finds a master. Usually the story is embellished with a tale of adventure where the guy has to climb a huge mountain and get up to the top. He finally gets there. The master sits him down and says, “Let’s have a cup of tea.” He starts pouring and pouring and …
All About Monkeys
So, a man comes to a spiritual teacher and says, “Show me enlightenment.” This was back in the time in the days of Zen. The teacher looks at him and says, “Oh it’s easy. You just go home, for one night. You spend the entire night not thinking about monkeys and come and report to …