Blind man with lantern An old Zen master always told this fable to unserious students: Late one night a blind man was about to go home after visiting a friend. "Please," he said to his friend, "may I take your lantern with me?" "Why carry a lantern?" asked his friend. "You won't see any better with it." "No," said the blind one, "perhaps not. But others will see me better, and not bump into me." So his friend gave the blind man the lantern, which was made of paper on bamboo strips, with a candle inside.  Off went the blind man with the lantern, and before he had gone more than a few yards, "Crack!" - a traveler walked right into him. The blind man was very angry. "Why don't you look out?" he stormed. "Why don't you see this lantern?" "Why don't you light the candle?" asked the traveler.

The monastery There once was a monastery that was very strict. Following a vow of silence, no one was allowed to speak at all. But there was one exception to this rule. Every ten years, the monks were permitted to speak just two words. After spending his first ten years at the monastery, one monk went to the head monk. "It has been ten years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?" "Bed... hard..." said the monk. "I see," replied the head monk. Ten years later, the monk returned to the head monk's office. "It has been ten more years," said the head monk. "What are the two words you would like to speak?" "Food... stinks..." said the monk. "I see," replied the head monk. Yet another ten years passed and the monk once again met with the head monk who asked, "What are your two words now, after these ten years?" "I... quit!" said the monk. "Well, I can see why," replied the head monk. "All you ever do is complain."

Gratitude Fred: "Why must we bow at the end of a meditation period?" Ho Chi Zen: "To thank God it's over."

Heavy Sacks Kyungheo and Mangong, his disciple, were returning to their temple in the evening after getting some rice for their food. Especially that day, they got rice full of sack. Apart from their satisfaction, the sacks were heavy and it was still distant to theirdestination.Mangong felt tired and got pain on the shoulder, so it was very difficult to follow his master. Noticing this, Kyungheo said, "I will use one method to get fast. Please see." They were passing a certain village. Then, a beautiful young woman was coming from the opposite side of them with a water jar on the head. She was apparently a bride just over 20 years old. When Kyungheo faced her, he held her both ears and kissed her lips. The woman screamed, dropped and broke the jar, and ran back into her house.A distubance arose. Villagers ran out of their houses with sticks or clubs and shouted, "Wicked monks, stop there." The two monks began to run away. They ran so desperately that villagers couldn't follow them to the last.After a while, when they took a rest, Kyungheo said, "Was the sack heavy ?" Mangong said, "Regardlessly, I don't know how I could run so long way with it." Kyungheo said, "Don't I have talent?" They laughed together looking at each other.

Some Philosophy quotes : amusing *grinz "I've always wanted to be somebody, but now I see I should have been more specific." - Jane Wagner * "I refuse to be intimidated by reality any more. After all, what is reality anyway? Nothin' but a collective hunch. . . I made some studies, and reality is the leading cause of stress among those in touch with it." - Jane Wagner.