I don't know enough about Zen to know what is a genuine Zen story and what isn't. In this time of increasing communication between previously more self-contained groups, stories and their pedigrees get all mixed up. I like the story sometimes called "Maybe" and the story of the perfectly ripe and ready strawberry. I have a new candidate, new to me anyhow for the group.
One time, when I looked up the Maybe story, I found claims that it was Chinese and that it was Jewish. A farmer's horse runs away, neighbors commiserate: "Such bad luck", farmer opines "Maybe". Horse returns and brings three wild horses with him. "Such good luck." "Maybe". Events go up and go down for a while. Point is you can't tell until the end and it is never the end.
The strawberry story is claimed to be Zen (Japanese) and Indian. Man is in bad situation, sees nasty tiger waiting on side of mountain path, turns to go back the other way and finds another tiger. Looks up to see a vine he could use to climb the cliff but mice are nibbling the vine. In one version, things are even worse 'cause angry bees are circling him. ready to sting. Man spots fully ripe, perfect strawberry growing at his feet, plucks it, eats it, exclaiming "Delicious!" Point is to savor what is good while you got the it.
I enjoy the graphic (comic book drawings) work called "Zen for Beginners" by Judith Blackstone & Zoran Josipovic but I can't find either of these helpful parables in it.
My suggestion for a new Zen story to add to the group came from a friend the other day. Seems a man met another on the street and realized his friend looked sad and down. "What's the matter?" "Well, two days ago, I won the lottery." "Wow, that doesn't sound sad." Well, yesterday, I got word that my uncle I never knew died and left me four million dollars." "That doesn't sound bad. Why are you sad?" "Well, nothing good has happened today."
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Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
