101 Zen Stories
Encyclopedia
101 Zen Stories is a 1919 compilation of Zen
koans including 19th and early 20th century anecdote
s compiled by Nyogen Senzaki
, and a translation of Shasekishū
, written in the 13th century by Japan
ese Zen master Mujū
(無住) (literally, "non-dweller"). The book was reprinted by Paul Reps
as part of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Well-known koans in the collection include A Cup of Tea (1), The Sound of One Hand (21), No Water, No Moon (29), and Everything is Best (31).
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
koans including 19th and early 20th century anecdote
Anecdote
An anecdote is a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is always presented as based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not, usually in an identifiable place...
s compiled by Nyogen Senzaki
Nyogen Senzaki
Nyogen Senzaki was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States.-Early life:...
, and a translation of Shasekishū
Shasekishu
The , also read as Sasekishū, translated into English as Sand and Pebbles, is a five-volume collection of Buddhist parables written by the Japanese monk Mujū in 1283 during the Kamakura period. It is popularly excerpted in English in 101 Zen Stories....
, written in the 13th century by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Zen master Mujū
Muju
Mujū Dōkyō , birth name Ichien Dōkyō, was a Buddhist monk of the Japanese Kamakura period. He is superficially considered a Rinzai monk by some due to his compilation of the Shasekishū and similar books of koans, but there is good evidence that he was also an eager student of the Tendai, Pure Land,...
(無住) (literally, "non-dweller"). The book was reprinted by Paul Reps
Paul Reps
Paul Reps was an American artist, poet, and author. He is best known for his unorthodox haiku-inspired poetry that was published from 1939 onwards. He is considered one of America's first haiku poets....
as part of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Well-known koans in the collection include A Cup of Tea (1), The Sound of One Hand (21), No Water, No Moon (29), and Everything is Best (31).
A Cup of Tea
- Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
- Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
- The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
- "Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"