It will pass A student went to his meditation teacher and said, "My meditation is horrible! I feel so distracted, or my legs ache, or I'm constantly falling asleep. It's just horrible!" "It will pass," the teacher said matter-of-factly. A week later, the student came back to his teacher. "My meditation is wonderful! I feel so aware, so peaceful, so alive! It's just wonderful!' "It will pass," the teacher replied matter-of-factly.

Enlightenment after death The Emperor asked Master Gudo, "What happens to a man of enlightenment after death?" "How should I know?" replied Gudo. "Because you are a master," answered the Emperor. "Yes sir," said Gudo, "but not a dead one."

Speak Not Four monks decided to meditate silently without speaking for two weeks. By nightfall on the first day,the candle began to flicker and then went out. The first monk said, "Oh, no! The candle is out."The second monk said, "Aren't we not supposed to talk?" The third monk said, "Why must you two break the silence?"The fourth monk laughed and said, "Ha! I'm the only one who didn't speak."

Zen and Zen some One day Ma-Tsu, while still a pupil under Master Huai-jang, was asked why he sat so much in meditation. Ma-Tsu replied that it was for the purpose of becoming a Buddha. The Master then began rubbing a brick very hard. It was now Ma-Tsu's turn to ask a question.'Why,' he inquired, 'do you rub that brick?''To make a mirror,' replied Huai-jang. 'But surely sir, ' protested Ma-tsu, 'no amount of polishing will make a brick into a mirror. ''And so also,' returned the Master, 'no amount of sitting cross-legged will make you into a Buddha.'

A Wishing Tree There is a parable about a poor man walking through the woods reflecting upon his many troubles. He stopped to rest against a tree, a magical tree that would instantly grant the wishes of anyone who came in contact with it. He realized he was thirsty and wished for a drink. Instantly a cup of cool water was in his hand. Shocked, he looked at the water, he decided it was safe and drank it. He then realized he was hungry and wished he had something to eat. A meal appeared before him. "My wishes are being granted," he thought in disbelief. "Well, then I wish for a beautiful home of my own," he said out loud. The home appeared in the meadow before him. A huge smile crossed his face as he wished for servants to take care of the house. When they appeared he realized he had somehow been blessed with an incredible power and he wished for a beautiful, loving, intelligent woman to share his good fortune. "Wait a minute, this is ridiculous," said the man to the woman. "I'm not this lucky. This can't happen to me." As he spoke...everything disappeared. He shook his head and said,"I knew it," then walked away thinking about his many troubles.