Zen-Zen Stories

by Edward Jurewicz

Overview

Embark on an intellectual journey and begin to train your brain the way you would train your body. Think of this book as a BRAIN GYM, or a BRAIN DOJO, where you improve your skills of creative thinking, self-analysis, introspection, and debate. You can read this book following the page order, or you can simply crack it open anywhere and read the short story that you happen to come upon. Think about it for a while. Try to interpret it in your own way. Then read the interpretation offered on the following page and answer the questions appearing at the end of the interpretation. You can discuss the whole thing with your friends or “exercise” in solitude. - The author, Edward Jurewicz.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781482829280
Publisher:	Partridge Publishing Singapore
Publication date:	12/12/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	312
File size:	9 MB

Read an Excerpt

Zen-Zen Stories

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By Edward Jurewicz

PartridgeSG

Copyright © 2014 Edward Jurewicz
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4828-2926-6

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CHAPTER 1

Famous Quotes

Master Hakuin asked his disciple: "What is better – to be or not to be?"

The disciple answered: "William Shakespeare!"

Master Hakuin bowed and happily rode back to the monastery on his skateboard.

Mumon's comment:

Master Hakuin knows skateboarding, but in the words of Bruce Lee: "Skateboards, unlike horses, don't kick back!" One can't reasonably expect a kingdom for a skateboard!

An Interpretation

Master Hakuin asks his student whether life is worth living, but the student only recognizes the similarity of this question to the famous words of Shakespeare: "To be or not to be ..." Master Hakuin has a sense of humor, so he accepts the response of his student. He bows and "rides home on a skateboard". Serious people, such as kings or masters may ride horses, but usually don't ride skateboards, so, riding a skateboard implies humor and lightheartedness on Master Hakuin's part. Likewise, Zen stories are often humorous and lighthearted.

Mumon criticizes Master Hakuin's lighthearted response to the serious question whether existence is better than non-existence. Such a silly response is not worthy of a king, or a Zen master. Richard III wanted a horse, not a skateboard. ("A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!" – Richard III, Shakespeare.)

On the other hand, by paraphrasing Bruce Lee's words ("Boards don't hit back!" – Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon), Mumon comes across as not very serious either. And so, here again, the reader can get the idea that humor will play a vital role in Zenzen Stories. The first story suggests that Zen is not very serious and that one should read Zen stories with a pinch of salt.

Ask yourself:

1. What would you answer if Master Hakuin asked you the same question? Is life worth living? Is it better to be or not to be?

2. What famous quotes or proverbs do you use in daily life? Do you often quote famous people? If so, why? Does quoting famous people or using famous proverbs add any value to what you want to say to other people?

3. Do you ever quote the Biblical Commandments (such as: "Thou shall not lie!" or "Thou shall not steal!") or some other religious "dos and don'ts"? If so, why?

4. Zen stories are often humorous. Do you like humorous literature?

5. Do you have a funny bone in you or are you a rather serious person? How often do you joke in your daily life? (Personally I am 50/50 – half comedian, half serious or even tragic character. Sort of – laughing through tears kind of guy!)

6. Japanese people laugh, but they never memorize and tell jokes the way North Americans do. I once spent an entire class in front of twenty Japanese students (who spoke English well enough to understand me) telling them jokes which made me laugh. During the entire hour I was the only person laughing! Not a single Japanese person even cracked a smile! ... Canadians and Americans often smile, but my Portuguese students (yes, yes, different students! [??]) told me that smiling is not a part of their national character. Is your national character serious or light-hearted? Do people in your country often smile?

7. The dialogue in the first Zenzen story seems somewhat disjointed. Do you ever have disjointed conversations with others? Do you think that communicating with others is easy or do you often feel misunderstood?

8. Zen stories are like riddles. In order to figure out what they mean – you have to spend some time thinking about them. Do you like riddles and puzzles?

CHAPTER 2

A Rude Wood

Master Hakuin and his disciples were walking along the street leading from the monastery to the village, when they came upon a local woodcutter. The woodcutter was busily sawing off a branch from a fallen tree trunk.

"Hello!" – Master Hakuin greeted the woodcutter.

"I am busy!" – responded the woodcutter angrily.

The disciples of Master Hakuin looked at the woodcutter scornfully.

"How rude is this man not to answer the greeting of our master!" – exclaimed one of the disciples.

"Don't judge him too harshly!" – said Master Hakuin. "After all it is very diffi cult for a tree to cut off its roots and start dancing around!"

Mumon's comment:

No one is free from their past. Master Hakuin can't stop teaching even when he is surrounded by a dense forest.

An Interpretation

The woodcutter is a rude man, who doesn't respond to Master Hakuin's greeting with a customary greeting. The students are critical of him, but Master Hakuin explains to them that the woodcutter shouldn't be blamed, because it is not easy to shake off one's upbringing: "It is difficult for a tree to cut off its roots and start dancing around". Likewise, a human being can't easily alter the values and manners he or she grew up with.

Mumon reminds us that to overcome one's habits is hard for everyone. Even Master Hakuin can't stop being always a teacher. To be surrounded by a dense forest implies that most people, if not all, are like trees – pretty slow to change.

Ask yourself:

1. On the whole, the Japanese are a polite nation. For example: it is extremely rare for the Japanese to make obscene gestures to others (unlike in the Western countries, where drivers often show one another the middle finger). The Japanese rarely honk at other drivers. They tend to be quiet in public places. The clerks politely greet the customers in every shop, etc. Is your society on the whole rude, average, or polite? Do you often meet rude people?

2. Which countries in your opinion seem to have the most refined and polite culture and which countries seem to have the crudest culture? Why do you think nations differ in their degree of politeness?

3. Is the notion of rudeness arbitrary? For example, in one country it may be rude to publicly clean one's ears, but in another country it may be considered normal. Are there some canons of polite behavior that seem to be universal?

4. The Japanese notoriously read manga magazines in convenience stores without buying them. Is reading magazines in stores without purchasing them considered polite or appropriate in your country?

5. How do you understand the title of this story: The Rude Wood?

6. Does Master Hakuin seem to support tolerance? Are you a tolerant person?

7. How do you react when other people are rude to you? For example: What is your reaction when you say "good morning" and the other person doesn't respond? (Personally I say: "Ok, then NO good morning!" [??])

8. In Japan people rarely approach strangers in public places and almost never make friends with strangers on the streets. In Canada it is quite common to chitchat with a stranger at a bus stop. Is it customary in your country to talk to strangers? Have you ever talked to a stranger on the street? Is it good or bad to talk to strangers?

9. Is anger a good response to rudeness? If not, why not? What is a good response?

10. What kind of rude behavior bothers you most often in your society? (For example: crazy drivers, bossy old men, juvenile bullies, rude shopkeepers, rude customers, etc.)

CHAPTER 3

Nihil Novi Sub Sole

"I have a confession to make." – said Master Hakuin to the venerable master Zensei. "I decided to write about the Buddha-nature of the world."

"What?!" – exclaimed the venerable Master Zensei. "You decided to copy me?!"

Mumon's comment:

In Japanese, Chinese, or in English; a poem, a story, a fable; now, or a thousand years ago – why does everyone copy me?!

An Interpretation

When Master Hakuin tells the venerable Master Zensei that he is writing a book on Buddhism – the latter humorously points out that it all has already been done. There are countless books on Zen Buddhism indeed.

"Nihil Novi Sub Sole" is a Latin proverb stating that "there is nothing new under the sun" and all things have already been done.

Mumon seems to support Master Hakuin by saying that the world's literature has already talked about all subjects. There is nothing new to say, yet new books are always being written. Another possible interpretation of Mumon's comment is that literature is universal. "Everyone copies me" may mean that literature is a universal part of human culture. Literature is relevant to people regardless of their language or culture, because it expresses human emotions and human dilemmas.

Ask yourself:

1. How often do you come across books which seem to offer nothing new and how often do you come across eye-opening books? Can you name some books which made you see the world in a different light?

2. What forms of literature do you like best and why? For example: drama, poetry, novel, short story, essay, article, etc. Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction?

3. Do you usually copy others or do you try to be original? Think about such areas as fashion, hairstyle, manicure, cooking, the manner of talking, walking, the way to spend free time, etc.

4. Are you "a copy" of your parents, your friends, or your countrymen? How much are you bound by the tradition in which you grew up? Do you try to evaluate everything by yourself or do you tend to accept the values in which you grew up? For example: If you grew up as a Christian, can you think of Buddhism with a truly open mind? Are you willing to embrace any aspects of foreign cultures? Are you a cosmopolitan person?

5. Are other people in your society mostly original or are they mostly copycats?

6. Remember Dolly the sheep that was cloned? If a society was made up of clones, would its culture be uniform and undifferentiated? Is a diverse culture more interesting than a uniform culture? If so, why?

7. Which of your qualities would you like to pass onto your children and why?

8. Emulating a great person may be very beneficial. Whom would you recommend for other people to emulate? Whom do you emulate?

9. Can you live without other people or is contact with other people vital to you? Do you often make important decisions alone or do you usually consult with others?

10. When looking for new friends or a mate – do you prefer people who are similar to you, or people who are different from you? Explain your choice.

CHAPTER 4

Hungry Chopsticks

"Snap, snap, snap" – Master Hakuin's chopsticks skillfully picked up finely chopped vegetables and rice from his bowl.

"Snap, snap, snap" – the sound of Master's chopsticks matched the speed of raindrops falling outside the window.

"Shouldn't we eat slowly in order to deeply enjoy our food?" – asked Pretty Rose somewhat scornfully.

But Master Hakuin was too busy eating to answer.

Mumon's comment:

When we chew well our digestion is better. But a hungry man enjoys his food hundredfold!

An Interpretation

Master Hakuin likes to eat fast. Eating fast is not very good for health, but it may be quite enjoyable, especially if someone is hungry.

Pretty Rose tries to correct Master Hakuin, supposedly, so that he can enjoy his food more. However, her concern seems unnecessary, since Master Hakuin is clearly enjoying his food already! Perhaps Pretty Rose wants to impose her own view of happiness on Master Hakuin, or she may have some other motives (such as the desire to keep the proper table manners), and that is why she tries to change Master Hakuin's way of eating. If she were observant enough and only concerned with Master Hakuin's happiness – she wouldn't nag.

The story seems to warn the readers against unnecessary criticism of others. In the Bible we are warned against "seeing the straw in the eyes of others and not seeing the beam in ours", that is – against being overly critical of others, while being blind to our own, greater faults.

Incidentally, monks often eat fast in order not to indulge in bodily pleasures. I remember how during my 3-month stay on Mount Athos, the Greek Orthodox monks always ate their simple meals in under five minutes, while listening to a short sermon. When I joined them for the very first meal – I barely managed to cut my bread buns open when it was time to stand up and leave the dining area. Fortunately I managed to grab the buns on my way out! From then on I have always wolfed down my food!

Ask yourself:

1. Are you a slow or a fast eater? Are you well-versed in the table manners of your country? Do you like to savor your meals, or do you usually eat to obtain nourishment rather than pleasure? Do you pay any attention to the visual presentation of your meal? Do you think that an ambiance (created by the interior decoration, music, state of cleanliness, etc.) plays an important role in the enjoyment of a meal?

2. Do you often impose your own concepts of happiness on others? Do you often give unsolicited advice to other people? Do you ever reprimand others? Do you try to change the habits of your family members? If so, how and why?

3. Are you good at giving advice to other people when asked for it? Are you sensitive to the needs of your friends? Do you ever give advice to your friends that may jeopardize their happiness? (For example: you think that your friend's boyfriend/girlfriend is not good for them, so you advise her/him to break up.)

4. Have you ever sought the advice of a professional counselor (such as a psychiatrist, priest, guru, fortune-teller, etc.)? If so, was it a successful consultation?

5. What do you think about the "professional" advisors on radio shows, who know very little about their callers' life circumstances, yet advise them to make radical changes in their lives, for example to leave their spouses? Would you ever call a radio show to seek a free, public advice about your life?

CHAPTER 5

Handle of Enlightenment

In the pitch-black dungeon of Zenkoji Temple in Nagano pilgrims touch the walls looking for the Handle of Enlightenment.

While everyone else at snail-pace tried to feel their way along the walls, Master Hakuin quickly and easily led his disciples to the famous handle.

"How did he manage to find the Handle of Enlightenment so easily in the darkness?" – wondered the venerable Master Zensei upon hearing about it from the disciples.

"He used his iPhone to light up the way." – they answered.

Mumon's comment:

An enlightened mind finds wisdom in modern technology as well as in ancient riddles.

With his iPhone in hand Master Hakuin didn't need to leave the monastery, but his disciples were glad that he did.

An Interpretation

This story is pretty much straightforward and easy to understand. Master Hakuin and his disciples visit famous Zenkoji Temple in Nagano. While in the temple, they engage in a tourist attraction – looking for an iron handle, called "the Handle of Enlightenment", which is attached to the wall in a dark underground tunnel, dramatically referred to as a "dungeon". Master Hakuin helps himself and his students using the light of his cell-phone.

Mumon praises Master Hakuin for employing modern technology in the symbolic search for wisdom. Instead of "feeling the walls" in the darkness, Master Hakuin invents the proverbial light bulb and lights up the way to enlightenment with his phone. Of course many traditionally minded people would think of Master Hakuin's method as cheating.

Modern technology can be very useful indeed and it may even become a substitute for travelling by providing us with the ability to discover the world virtually – on the internet, without leaving home. Nevertheless, the students are happy to have gone to Zenkoji Temple with their teacher.

On a personal note, all of my Japanese students disapproved of Master Hakuin's cunning use of the iPhone light ... "But you know, the man in front of me had a runny nose and he coughed a lot. I banged into him a few times in the darkness before I finally turned on my iPhone's flashlight ..." – explained Master Hakuin.

Ask yourself:

1. Was Master Hakuin smart to use his iPhone or was he a cheater?

2. Have you ever cheated on a school test? Is cheating on school tests a mark of intelligence or is it simply an immoral and unacceptable conduct?

3. What is the average school test designed to check – the students' understanding of a subject or the students' memory? Are the typical school tests reliable in checking the students' educational progress?

4. What was the real Handle of Enlightenment for Master Hakuin – the iron handle attached to the wall or his iPhone?

5. New inventions often radically change the way in which we interact with the world. Name a few inventions which permanently replaced their predecessors. For example – a washing machine permanently replaced a washboard; a phone replaced a messenger pigeon [??], etc.

6. Does modern technology help us discover the world? If so, how?

7. Do you prefer to sightsee virtually or in real life? Explain your preference.

8. Does modern technology have an impact on religion and spirituality? If so, in what way? What do you think about televangelism?

9. In Japan many Buddhist temples have satellite dishes mounted on their roofs. Do you think that monks need satellite TV? Of course in Japan many Buddhist priests are not monks. Many priests are married and have normal family life.

CHAPTER 6

The Solitude of Life

When Master Hakuin fell ill – he decided to go into seclusion.

"I will be alone for some time until I recover ... or die!" – Master Hakuin said to his disciples.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Zen-Zen Stories by Edward Jurewicz. Copyright © 2014 Edward Jurewicz. Excerpted by permission of PartridgeSG.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

The Introduction, 13,
Famous Quotes, 17,
An Interpretation, 19,
A Rude Wood, 21,
An Interpretation, 23,
Nihil Novi Sub Sole, 25,
An Interpretation, 26,
Hungry Chopsticks, 28,
An Interpretation, 29,
Handle of Enlightenment, 31,
An Interpretation, 33,
The Solitude of Life, 35,
An Interpretation, 37,
The Power of Zen Stories, 39,
An Interpretation, 41,
A Wake-up Call, 43,
An Interpretation, 44,
Platonic Love Doesn't Prickle, 47,
An Interpretation, 48,
Buddha's Nostril, 51,
An Interpretation, 53,
The River of Now, 56,
An Interpretation, 58,
Understanding Individualism, 61,
An Interpretation, 62,
The Peach and the Bamboo Straw, 65,
An Interpretation, 66,
Mumon's Comments, 69,
An Interpretation, 70,
The Nature of Beauty, 72,
An Interpretation, 74,
Sitting in Zazen, 77,
An Interpretation, 79,
Cherry Blossom, 81,
An Interpretation, 83,
The Bumblebee of Enlightenment, 86,
An Interpretation, 88,
Obasute Yama, 90,
An Interpretation, 91,
Zen Spear, 95,
An Interpretation, 96,
Shojin Ryori, 99,
The Vow of Bodhisattva, 102,
An Interpretation, 103,
The Messengers of the Gods, 105,
An Interpretation, 107,
Satori, 109,
An Interpretation, 111,
Mu – Nothingness, 113,
An Interpretation, 114,
Zen – Not at all, 119,
Zen Morality, 120,
An Interpretation, 121,
Zen Monkeys, 123,
An Interpretation, 125,
Crying for the Thief, 127,
An Interpretation, 128,
Zen Obon (Zen Harvest), 130,
An Interpretation, 131,
The River of Meditation, 133,
An Interpretation, 134,
Good Zen – Zen Good, 136,
An Interpretation, 137,
Knowing Not Knowing, 139,
An Interpretation, 140,
Zen Western Form, 143,
An Interpretation, 144,
Hannya, 147,
An Interpretation, 148,
Not a Question, 151,
An Interpretation, 152,
Zen Patience, 155,
An Interpretation, 156,
Stuffed with Money, 158,
An Interpretation, 159,
The Food of Life, 162,
An Interpretation, 163,
No Gold for a Golden Heart, 166,
An Interpretation, 167,
A Fallen Tree Trunk, 169,
An Interpretation, 170,
Zen-man's Job, 173,
An Interpretation, 174,
Freedom or Responsibility, 176,
An Interpretation, 177,
Zen Triangle, 179,
An Interpretation, 181,
Keeping Promises, 183,
An Interpretation, 185,
Nobody Is Perfect, 187,
An Interpretation, 189,
The Mystic Pizza, 192,
An Interpretation, 194,
Zen Miracles, 196,
An Interpretation, 198,
In Kyoto's Garden, 201,
An Interpretation, 202,
Master Henjin's Dragon Fire, 205,
An Interpretation, 206,
Omiyage, 208,
An Interpretation, 210,
Who Is Ikkyu? Who Is Mumon?, 212,
An Interpretation, 214,
Ofuro – Eureka!, 218,
An Interpretation, 220,
Ikebana, 222,
An Interpretation, 224,
Get-a Balance!, 226,
An Interpretation, 228,
Shinkansen, 230,
An Interpretation, 231,
Kagami (Mirror), 234,
An Interpretation, 235,
A Discovery, 237,
An Interpretation, 238,
A Philosophical Question, 242,
An Interpretation, 243,
On Freedom, 246,
An Interpretation, 248,
Hara-kiri, 250,
An Interpretation, 252,
The Way of Tea, 255,
An Interpretation, 257,
Zen and Martial Arts, 259,
An Interpretation, 261,
The Path of No Desires, 264,
An Interpretation, 265,
Is this Master Hakuin's Temple?, 268,
An Interpretation, 270,
Not the Messenger, 272,
An Interpretation, 273,
The Artistic Vagueness, 276,
An Interpretation, 277,
Zen – Healed, 279,
An Interpretation, 280,
The Buddha and the Elephant, 282,
An Interpretation, 283,
The Best Belief, 288,
An Interpretation, 290,
Justice, 292,
An Interpretation, 294,
Solidarity, 296,
An Interpretation, 298,
Is Zen Buddhism Happy?, 300,
An Interpretation, 301,
Why This Book, 303,
Koans and Visual Koans, 304,
The Shortest Poem in the World, 310,
The Three Jewels of Buddhism, 311,