The first short story at the gate of Buddha

A Zen master asked a seeker of the way, do you think a good gold bar or a pile of mud is better? The seeker replied: Of course, gold is better. The Zen master smiled and said: What if you are a seed?

Reflective lesson: Living in this world sometimes just requires changing the way we think and perceive, perhaps we will discover beautiful things that we have never noticed before.

The second short story at the gate of Buddha

A young man came to a monk to seek guidance. The master said some people call me a genius while others insult me as a fool? So what do you think about yourself, the monk asked in return. The young man, looking confused, did not understand what the monk continued to say. For example, a kilogram of rice in the eyes of a cook is several bowls of rice, in the eyes of a baker is several cakes, in the eyes of a wine seller is several cups of wine. Rice is still rice, just as you are still you, your abilities depend on how you perceive yourself. After hearing the monk's words, the young man suddenly understood.

Reflective lesson: Do not fear being looked down upon by others, only fear that you look down on yourself. Who says you have no value? No one can decide how your life will be. The path you choose will determine how your future will develop. The greatest value of a person’s life is whether we can be aware of our own value in life.

The third short story at the gate of Buddha

A farmer went to the temple to bow before the Buddha to pray for peace for his family. After several bows, the farmer suddenly saw someone next to him also bowing. But what is noteworthy is that this person's appearance is exactly like the statue on the high pedestal. The farmer found it very confusing and quietly asked, are you the Buddha? The person replied: Yes. The farmer, even more confused, asked again, then why do you still have to bow? The person replied: Because I know that praying and asking others is not as good as praying for myself; only I can truly help myself, and I should not rely on others.

The fourth short story at the gate of Buddha

A warrior held a fish in his hand and went to the room of a high monk, the warrior said: Let’s bet, master, will the fish in my hand live or die? The monk knew that if he said the fish was dead, the warrior would surely let it go, but if he said it was still alive, the warrior would definitely squeeze the fish to death immediately. Therefore, the monk replied that the fish was dead, and the warrior immediately let go and laughed, saying the master lost, look, this fish is clearly still alive. The monk smiled and said: Yes, I lost.

Reflective lesson: The monk indeed lost this bet, but he saved a fish. That is the compassion of a practitioner; compassion for all beings and for oneself will bring a broader meaning, helping to open one’s heart and make one more noble, sensitive, and resilient.

The fifth short story at the gate of Buddha

Han Son asked Thap Dak: In this world, there are people who slander me, trap me, insult me, mock me, look down on me, exploit me, deceive me, so how should I behave towards those people? Thap Dak replied: Endure them, yield to them, stay away from them, go along with them, bear with them, respect them, and ignore them. Just like that, after a few years, you can look back at them.

Reflective lesson: Those who cause difficulties are the ones who give you the opportunity to reflect on yourself and help you make positive changes in your character. The people who cause us difficulties are like mirrors; they help us realize that we have created a distorted and exaggerated version of ourselves. We find our true selves and live authentically with what we have. Be grateful for the people who cause difficulties in your life, learn from them, and they will show you exactly what kind of person you do not want to become.

The sixth short story at the gate of Buddha

Nam An was a Zen master during the Ming dynasty in Japan. One day, a highly educated professor came to ask him about Zen, and he only served tea to his guest. Zen master Nam An poured tea into the guest's cup until it was full. He did not stop but continued to pour, and the professor, confused, watched as the tea overflowed until he could no longer remain silent. He finally spoke up, saying that it was overflowing, and the master should stop pouring. Zen master Nam An slowly replied: You are just like this cup; it is filled with your own thoughts and attitudes. If you do not clean your cup, how can I talk to you about Zen?

Reflective lesson: This story is not only for those who want to learn Zen; it applies to anyone wanting to understand anything in life, such as a religion, a person, a group of people, a culture, a nation, a history, or a lawsuit. We must eliminate all prejudices, assumptions, and conclusions in our minds about that field. Keep your mind like an empty cup, a blank sheet of paper, so that we can learn and absorb new things.

The seventh short story at the gate of Buddha

The young monk asked the old monk: Master, the Pure Land that people often talk about, I cannot see, so how can I believe? The old monk took the young monk into a dark room and said to him: In the corner of the wall, there is a hammer; no matter how wide you open your eyes or squint, you still cannot see your five fingers, and you cannot do anything else. The young monk then told the master that he could not see anything. After that, the old monk lit a candle to illuminate the room, and indeed there was a hammer in the corner. He said to his disciple: What you cannot see does not mean it does not exist, right? At this point, the young monk exclaimed in surprise, and the question he had for so long was finally answered.

The eighth short story at the gate of Buddha

There was a Zen master with a disciple who often complained. One day, the Zen master put a spoonful of salt into a cup of water and gave it to the disciple to drink; the disciple said it was too salty to bear. The Zen master then poured more salt into a lake and asked the disciple to taste the water from the lake; after drinking, the disciple said it was very sweet and pure. At that time, the Zen master replied that the sufferings in life are like that salt; its saltiness depends on what it is contained in. Do you want to be a cup of water or a lake? The disciple understood and from then on reduced his complaints significantly, always opening his heart and accepting everything in life.

The ninth short story at the gate of Buddha

In the hot summer, a large area of grass in the temple yard dried up and looked very ugly. The young monk saw this and said to the master: Master, why don’t we plant some seeds? The master said: Don’t rush, just wait for the right time; when you have the seeds in hand, the master said to the young monk to plant them. Unexpectedly, a gust of wind blew away many of the seeds just sown, and the young monk hurriedly said to the master: Master, many seeds have been blown away by the wind. The master replied: It’s okay; the seeds that were blown away are all empty seeds; even if planted, they will not sprout, just let it be.

Just after finishing sowing the seeds, several birds flew down to the plot to eat; the young monk hurriedly waved a stick to chase the birds away and then ran to tell the master that it was not good. Master, the seeds have been eaten by the birds. The master slowly replied: Don’t worry; there are still many seeds; they cannot eat them all, just let it be. In the middle of the night, a heavy rain came, and the young monk sobbed as he ran to the master’s room. This time it’s really over; all the seeds have been washed away by the rain. The master replied: If they are washed away, then let them be; wherever they drift, they will sprout there, just let it be.

After a few days, many green sprouts grew on the barren land, even in places where seeds had not been sown, small green sprouts appeared. The young monk was very happy to see this and said: Master, look, the seeds have all sprouted. The master remained calm as before and said: It was meant to be like this, just rejoice.

The tenth short story at the gate of Buddha

A warrior asked the Zen master: What is the difference between heaven and hell? The Zen master asked: Conversely, who are you? The warrior replied: I am a warrior. The Zen master, upon hearing this, laughed and said: A rude person like you is not worthy to ask me. The warrior, very angry, drew his sword and aimed it at the Zen master, saying: Let’s see if I kill you. When the sword was just an inch away from the Zen master’s head, he remained calm and said: This is hell.

The warrior was very surprised to hear this and quickly stopped; then, as if he realized something, he threw away the sword, clasped his hands, bowed his head, and thanked the master for his teachings. Please forgive my rudeness earlier, the Zen master smiled and said: This is heaven. Reflective lesson: Every person has both good and evil sides, right and wrong; uncontrolled anger will lead a person to hell. When one carries good thoughts and returns to their original nature, the door to heaven will be opened.