The Book of life lessons

ZEN STORIES 2

Your Light may go out

A student of tendai a philosophical school of Buddhism, came to the Zen abode of Gasan as a pupil. When he was departing a few years later, Gasan warned him: 'Studying the truth speculatively is useful as a way of collecting preaching material. But remember that unless you meditate constantly your light of truth may go out.'

The Master And The Bow

Once upon a time a master called his student and told him to come along with him during his bow shooting practice. The student had already seen his master shooting his bow at least a hundred times, but nonetheless he followed him obediently they walked through the forest for some time, until they reach the usual spot, a huge lightning with a big oak tree, right in the middle of it, there the master proceeded to unpack the items he had brought with him. As usual he took out his longbow and the arrows, and as usual he took out a small flower from under his belt and fixed it to one of the oak's branches.

Only this time he also had a silken scarf with him, which he asked the student to blindfold him with and then accompany him to the usual spot, more than 900 feet away from the tree. Then he took his shot as usual. "Now go and see if I hit the flower, then come back and tell me. '' he instructed the student. As he came near the tree the student noticed that not only the flower was intact, but that the narrow hadn't even hit the massive oak and was nowhere to be seen. Confused he went back to his master, uncertain how to tell him what he had seen. "So tell me, my student, did I hit the Center of the flower as I always do?" the master asked with a smile on his face. The student was feeling truly uncomfortable at this point. "Master, you didn't hit the flower, not even the tree, I couldn't find the arrow, you must have missed by a great length" he answered, since he wouldn't ever lie to his master who strangely enough didn't change expression by a bit and was still smiling serenely. "But master, I don't understand," said the student "I thought you wanted to teach me that concentration and the power of thought would make the arrow find it's target!" "Just so, my dear student!" the master replied seemingly pleased by his words "but you won't ever hit a target that you cannot see."