Four Zen meditation students who were friends decided to spend seven days together, promising to observe complete silence. Everything went well during the first day, and their meditation was deep, but as night came along and the oil lamps were getting dim, one of them couldn’t help exclaiming to a servant, “Fix those lamps!” Surprised to hear his friend, a…
Tag: spiritual growth
Guidelines To Deepen Your Spiritual Path
The concept of spirituality was equated to that of religion for a very long time, so the spiritual path was restricted and tainted with a variety of rules and dogmas. Now things are beginning to change, as more people are listening to the natural yearning of their soul, seeking to experience and expand Divine Consciousness by removing what blocks self-awareness…
How To Cultivate Contentment & Inner Peace
A young woman got pregnant in the small village where Zen master Hakuin was living. Her father forced her to confess the name of her lover, but she managed to protect him by pretending it was Hakuin. When the child was born, the infuriated father brought the baby to the monk, saying, “It appears this is your child!” along with…
The Path To Spiritual Freedom Is Not a Highway
I love this Zen story. A famous Japanese swordsman disowned his son Matajuro because he considered him too mediocre and undisciplined to ever reach the level of proficiency required to inherit his school. Bent on redeeming himself, the young man headed to Mount Futara to find renowned master Banzo, in the hopes to study with him. When he arrived and…
5 Fundamental Tools For Happiness
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What would make me happy?” you’ve likely found different answers to this question at different times. Most people think happiness relies on close relationships, financial security, and a sense of purpose. After all, you could say that life revolves around love and work, since these give our life meaning. But only if they help us…
What Is the Spiritual Cure For Anxiety?
Do you worry about the prospect of events you judge as negative or the possibility of future suffering? How about past events and the way you responded to them? Perhaps your concerns relate more to a current self-perception—in terms of being right or wrong, perfect or imperfect—and how others see you now. You worry about whether your self-images are getting…
