The stories La tells....

Advice from a Three Year Old or WWBD?
(What Would Buddha Do?)

Late last night as I was looking through a book of stories, this story caught my attention.
I thought it would make a good addition this blog.
Apparently my subconscious loved the story because even in my sleep and in my first waking moments the story was still with me.
So I have decided to "exorcise" it quickly.


There was once a famous artist who decided that he wanted to study the works of Buddha and attain enlightenment. He thought that the best way to do this was to seek the most famous and wisest teacher and ask him, "What was the most important thing that Buddha taught?"

The artist traveled to the other side of the world to find the teacher he sought. When at last he found the teacher, he asked him, "What was the most important thing that Buddha taught?"

"Do not harm anyone and only do good," was the teacher's immediate response.

"What?" shouted the indignant artist. "You are the most famous of teachers! You are supposed to be wise beyond your years! And this is all you can tell me? A three year old could have told me the same thing!"

The teacher, who had sat quietly through the entire speech, looked at the artist and said, "A three year old could have said the same thing but it is a very difficult thing to practice, even for one as old as myself."
(A Zen tale retold by LLL, Storyteller)


Yes, this teeny little story has been stuck in my head all night and half the day. Why? Aside from the fact that I like stories, I think that it's because it's so simple a truth…….but not so simple to practice.
Makes you think.

There once lived a great warrior.
Despite his advancing years, he was still able to defeat all challengers.
As his reputation continued to grow and spread throughout the land, many students came to study under him.

One day, a young warrior whose reputation was on the rise, arrived at the older warriors' village.
He had decided that he would be the first man to defeat the great master.

The young warrior was known for two skills.
One was his great strength and the second was his uncanny ability to spot and exploit his opponents weakness.
His strategy was to wait for his opponent to make the first move, thereby revealing his weakness and then strike with great strength and speed.

The older warrior, willingly accepted the challenge of the younger man, although all of his students advised against it.

As the battle began, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master.
He threw dirt at the master and spit at him.

For hours the young warrior verbally assaulted the older warrior with every curse and insult that he had ever heard.
Throughout it all the old warrior stood motionless and serene.

At last, the young warrior was exhausted.
He finally walked away knowing that he had been defeated and feeling very ashamed.

When the young warrior had left, the masters students gathered around him asking questions.(Many were disappointed that the old warrior had not fought.)
"How could you endure his insults?" "What made him go away?"

The master smiled at his students and quietly asked them,
"If someone comes to give a gift, and you do not receive it, to whom does the gift belong?"

A Zen Tale retold by LaurenLanita, Storyteller/Storysinger

Love, Laughter, Peace and Blessings!

A Zen tale

There was once a samurai warrior who had a question that had been bothering him for some time.
He finally decided to travel to the home of an old monk.
Upon arriving, the samurai pushed through the door and without so much as a hello, shouted, "You must tell me. What is the difference between heaven and hell?"
The monk, who had not moved from his seated position on the floor, closed his eyes in thought for a moment. He then lifted his head and looked at the samurai.
"Ha!" he said. "Do you think yourself a samurai? Why, are barely more than a boy much less a great samurai warrior!"
The samurai was stunned. Too angry to speak, his hand reflexively reached for his sword.
"So, you have a sword" said the old monk, scathingly. " I doubt a boy in your condition could do much harm to anyone."
By now, the samurai was beside himself with rage. He pulled his sword from it's sheath and with both hands lifted it over his head.
His eyes and his mind were full of anger as he prepared to cut off the old monks head.
At that moment, the old monk looked into the samurai's eyes and said "There lies the path to hell."
Hearing these words, the samurai realized the the risk the monk had taken in order to teach him a lesson. He sheathed his sword and bowed to the old monk.
"And there" said the monk "lies the path to heaven."

retold by LLL,Storysinger/Storyteller