‎-- THE TUNNEL --

Zenkai, the son of a samurai, journeyed to Edo and there became the retainer of a high official. He fell in love with the official's wife and was discovered. In self-defense, he slew the official. Then he ran away with the wife.
Both of them later became thieves. But the woman was so greedy that Zenkai grew disgusted. Finally, leaving her, he journeyed far away to the province of Buzen, where he became a wandering mendicant.
To atone for his past, Zenkai resolved to accomplish some good deed in his lifetime. Knowing of a dangerous road over a cliff that had caused the death and injury of many persons, he resolved to cut a tunnel through the mountain there.
Begging food in the daytime, Zenkai worked at night digging his tunnel. When thirty years had gone by, the tunnel was 2,280 feet long, 20 feet high, and 30 feet wide.
Two years before the work was completed, the son of the official he had slain, who was a skillful swordsman, found Zenkai out and came to kill him in revenge.
"I will give you my life willingly," said Zenkai. "Only let me finish this work. On the day it is completed, then you may kill me."
So the son awaited the day. Several months passed and Zendai kept on digging. The son grew tired of doing nothing and began to help with the digging. After he had helped for more than a year, he came to admire Zenkai's strong will and character.
At last the tunnel was completed and the people could use it and travel in safety.
"Now cut off my head," said Zenkai. "My work is done."

"How can I cut off my own teacher's head?" asked the younger man with tears in his eyes.

----!!!!----

Zenkai only taught him - how restless a man becomes when he has grudges and resents in his heart. And Zenkai only taught him - how peaceful a person becomes when he thinks for the welfare of others! Zenkai was his teacher. We cannot hurt others without ourself getting agitated and restless! 
Buddha is right when he says:
"There are people who don't know that they have to die. Those who know settle down their quarrels!"
Dear Zen Friends!
Let's forgive others and seek pardon from all those whom we have hurt knowingly or unknowingly!
Vipassana Teacher S.N.Goenka has said:

मैं करता सबको क्षमा, करें मुझे सब कोई |

मेरे तो सब मित्र हैं, बैरी दिखे ना कोई ||
Means:
"I forgive all and seek pardon from all.
All are my friends. I don't see any enemy at all!"

-- The Wooden Post -- 

One day the Zen master Rinzai entered an army camp to attend a feast. At the gate he saw a staff officer. Pointing to a pillar, he asked, “Is this secular or sacred?”

The officer had no reply. Striking the pillar, the master said, “Even if you could speak, this is still only a wooden post.” Then he went in.

----!!!!----

Zen is looking directly to the world with pure awareness.
But society is very strange. People have made their lives a long deception. They create beautiful words to hide their ugly deeds. Did you notice : in every country, the department of army is known as Department of Defense. But if everyone is defending, then who is attacking? How are there so many wars in the history? The history of mankind is the history of wars. Society teaches you jealousy and gives it the beautiful name of competition! When your friend performs better than you, you feel lagged behind. When they perform worse than you, you feel superior. And you call this jealousy as competition!! All sort of ugly things have been done behind beautiful names.
No! Zen says : Look directly at the truth with meditative awareness. This is the only way to come out of your restlessness, your miseries.

-- The Medicine --

Zen Master Shishuang addressed the monks, saying, “The more medicine that is used, the worse the disease becomes. The finer the fishing net mesh, the more fish that escape.”

Shishuang then left the hall.

----!!!!----
Remember! The more you seek, the more you become far from present moment and far from yourself. The more you try to control your mind, the more it will become agitated. Meditation is stopping to seek and starting to witness.

It is already so late. Life is passing so swiftly. When will you start with your meditation?

बंद मुट्ठी से गिरती रेत की मानिंद
वो चला गया ज़िंदगी से ज़रा ज़रा कर के!

Means…

“Like the sand slipping from the closed fist,

He went away from my life little by little!”

Don’t let your life go in vain. Don’t waste your time. Start with meditation now.

Will you not wake up before it is late? 

-- THE POET AND THE ZEN MASTER --

Su Dongpo was a celebrated poet and devout Buddhist of the Song Dynasty, who was close friends with Fo-ying, a brilliant Zen master. Fo-ying's temple was on the Yangxi River’s west bank, while Su Dongpo's house stood on the east bank. One day Su Dongpo paid a visit to Master Fo-ying and, finding him absent, sat down in his study to wait. Finally bored with waiting, he began to scribble poetic verses on a sheet of paper he found on a desk, signing them with the words, "Su Dongpo, the great Buddhist who cannot be moved even by the combined forces of the mighty Eight Worldly Winds." (These are gain, loss, defamation, eulogy, praise, ridicule, sorrow and joy.) After a while longer of waiting, Su Dongpo got tired and left for home.
When Master Fo-ying returned and saw Su Dongpo's composition on the desk, he added the following line after the poet’s signature line: "Rubbish! What you have said is not better than breaking wind!" and sent it to Su Dongpo. When Su Dongpo read this outrageous comment, he was so furious that he crossed the river on the nearest boat, and hurried once again to Fo-ying’s temple. Catching hold of the master’s arm, Su Dongpo cried: "What right have you to denounce me in such language? Am I not a devout Buddhist who cares only for the Dharma? Are you so blind after knowing me for so long?"
Master Fo-ying looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then smiled and slowly said: "Ah, Su Dongpo, the great Buddhist who claims that the combined forces of the Eight Winds can hardly move him an inch, is now carried all the way to the other side of the Yangxi River by a single puff of wind from the colon!"

-----------------------------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!---------------------------
This is how people spend their lives in deception. They are lying to others and lying to themselves and they are themselves not aware! It is not that they are deceiving intentionally. All is going sub-consciously.
I see many people posting great happiness quotes and updating fabulous smiling cover photos. But if you look closely in the lives of some of those, you will see how restless and miserable they are!
No! Zen doesn't give you any happiness and relaxation quote. It just says to meditate - to look into yourself and one day you will see - what has been seen by all meditators and all the Buddhas of the past! smile emoticon
Buddha says :
अंधकारेन ओनद्धा पदीपम न गवेसथ |
"अंधकार में घिरे हो और दीपक की खोज़ नहीं करते !!??"
"Enshrouded in darkness and still not seeking for the light!!??"
[Dhammapada Verse 146]
Meditate! It is already late....

-- How Are You? --

Once Zen Master Jianyuan Zhongxing was sitting behind a paper curtain.  A monk came up, opened the curtain, and said, “How are you?'

    Jianyuan just looked at the monk.  After a while he said, “Do you understand?'

    The monk said, “No, I don't.”

    Jianyuan said, “How come you don't understand the matter before all the awakened ones?”

----!!!!----

Whole universe is an organic unity. If I burn fire all around myself, how will I feel the cool breeze? If I hurt everyone around me, how can I myself be happy? Hence we all are united. How am I? Same as you are J

Rest understand yourself. No further commentary today. Just this poetry for you:

कुछ बंदिशें नयी हैं, कुछ फ़ासले नये हैं
कुछ तुम बदल गए हो, कुछ हम बदल गये हैं  !
जो रह गई अधूरी उस बात के मायने

कुछ तुम समझ गये हो, कुछ हम समझ गये हैं !!!

Means…

There are some new limitations, some new distances,

You have changed a bit, and I too have changed a bit.

The meaning of the talk which remained incomplete,
you have understood a bit, I too have understood a bit!

-- Meeting --

[Many times Zen Masters are known by the name of mountains where their monasteries are located. For example Baizhang Huaihai was the master known by the name of mountain Baizhang.]

Zen master Xiushan asked a monk, "Where have you come from?"

The monk said, "From Cuiyan."

Xiushan said, "What does Cuiyan say to provide instruction to his disciples?"

The monk said, "He often says, 'Going out - meeting Maitreya Buddha. Going in - seeing Shakyamuni.'"

Shaoxiu said, "How can he talk like that?"

The monk said, "What do you say, Master?"

Xiushan said, "Going out - who do you meet? Going in - who do you see?"

At these words the monk had an insight.

---!!!!---
Just experience it. Don't name it :)

-- The Song --

One day, Zen Master Nanquan said to Huangbo, "I have a song called 'Ode of the Oxherd.' Can you recite it?"

Huangbo said, "I am my own teacher right here."

----!!!!----

Zen is not singing someone else's song. Zen is diving deep within yourself and listening to that inner song. But people are very strange. Someone is reciting Bhagvad Gita, someone is reciting Koraan, someone is reciting Bible and they say that it is the song of their God and only their song is right. When will you sing your own song?
No! Zen is utterly against reciting the doctrines. But even in Zen monasteries, now people recite the Sutras of Buddha! They have contaminated Zen. If you search on Wikipedia, you will find 'Zen Buddhism'!! But how can Zen be Buddhist or Hindu or Christian? In fact Zen is utterly against all these so called religions. Saying the word Zen Buddhism is like saying that since 'Theory of Relativity' was given by Einstein who was a Jewish, so 'Theory of Relativity' is Jewish. People have a great art of converting anything into poison. Even if they are given nectar, they can convert it into poison.
No! Zen is not reciting someone else's song. Zen is diving deep within yourself and listening to that unstruck sound, the Anahat Naad, the sound of one hand clapping. Don't be player of words. Just meditate!