Zen Story - I am awake - Lord Buddha

Following is a short story of Gautam Buddha. Since Zen is a product of Buddhism which traveled with Buddhist monks from India to China to Japan and Zen became popular in Japan. Most Zen master rather that giving teachings and discourses, would create conditions or use absurd looking techniques to awaken the disciple. Because meditation is not a process of learning, the way we understand learning, gathering information of mind. But it is to get awaken to the mind and self, and be aware of the working of mind and self which brings an understanding which cannot be conveyed through words. Words are just indicators to help the subject to reach a state of awareness in self.

Zen is creative. It brings about creativeness in ones self. The popularity of Zen is such that the word has taken the place in normal modern life with Zen accessories like Zen clock or Zen Alarm Clock, Zen Garden, Zen Furniture, Zen Mats.

Zen stories are not the fiction. These stories are the incidents which really happened with the Enlightened beings and the Zen Masters, who worked or answered the disciples in order to point to bring the awakening in the self. These short story can have a profound effect on the readers as they did to the listener, or might just pass away as an amusing, entertaining story, or even a meaningless story for some. The stories are there, Readers are free, what to take from these stories. However it is due to the profound meanings in these very short stories, these have been favorites for many. Books still gets printed telling these stories and one can find good resource online too.

Here is the story

"

It is said that when Buddha was first Enlightened he was asked,
"Are you a God?"
"No," he replied.
"Are you a saint?"
"No."
"Then what are you?"

And he answered, "I am awake." "

Lord Buddha did not answered in affirmation to the God, as the word God had already a meaning for the questioner. It had a meaning an idea of God, which essentially is not God. Buddha just gave him an indication which could make him realize, what God is ?

More inspirational short stories to read online on this blog

• 
  
• Strength of being or physical strength - a Zen story pondered over
• An animated story for children in Hindi - Story written in English
• Witty story for kids Akbar Birbal
• A heart touching story
• Indian story on Karma and Spritualty
• Art of Giving a short story
• Obedience a Zen Story
• Samson and Delilah animated bible stories for kids
• Animated story of Shivaji Maharaj
• Marathi cartoon story for kids
• Walt Disney Three little pigs animated
• Animated stories Lord Hanuman
• Twas the night before Christmas
• Inspirational story of child's faith
• Tales of Akbar Birbal 2
• Faith of King Jaymal Krihsna stories
• Mulla Nasrudin Story - The lost key
• Zen Story - I am awake - Lord Buddha
• Rumi Story - Prayer and God
• Love and compassion A Lord Buddha story
• Tenali Rama - Short Story
• Indian short story Matter of devotion
• Divinity and ego
• A short story on occult power

A Short Zen Story No Compassion

The following Short Zen Story, points to the progress of the one on the path of meditation.

"There was an old woman in China who had supported a monk for over twenty years. She had built a little hut for him and fed him while he was meditating.
Finally she wondered just what progress he had made in all this time.

To find out, she obtained the help of a girl rich in desire. "Go and embrace him," she told her, "and then ask him suddenly: 'What now?'"

The girl called upon the monk and without much ado caressed him, asking him what he was going to do about it.

"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."

The girl returned and related what he had said.

"To think I fed that fellow for twenty years!" exclaimed the old woman in anger. "He showed no consideration for your need, no disposition to explain
your condition. He need not have responded to passion, but at least he could have evidenced some compassion;"

She at once went to the hut of the monk and burned it down."

The Story starts with a old woman of China who wanted to support a monk. Zen originated from Buddhism in India. In India meditation is called Dhyan, one of the meaning of Dhyan can be consciousness or awareness. Buddhist monks were the one who where suppose to dedicated all their energies on Dhyan (Meditation) and thus unravel their true nature. The monks were free from the daily chores of life, like earning money as they are not suppose to hoard any money. They do not marry so they don't have the responsibilities to support wife and children, however they are expected to shoulder higher responsibilities to the society on whole by spreading love and compassion to the human kind on whole.

In return or for the inner or spiritual progress of these individuals, the house holders provides these monks (bhikhsus as called in India, Bhikshus comes from the word bhiksha which means begging, though not exactly begging as there is a differnce between ordinary beggar and a monk. The ordinary beggar is the one trying hard for worldly gains but have failed or just because he does not have means of success he begs for survival. The monk has his mind fixed on God or inner growth or transcendence of mind from selfish activities to selfless activities.)

So the old women with the good heart provides the monk with the basic needs of the monk that of food and shelter, so that he does not have to care anything else than the transcendence. This she did for twenty years.

After 20 years of providing the monk with small shelter to live in and the food, she wondered about the progress of the monk. The patience and the test that followed by the old lady shows, she was far more advanced than the monk.

To test the progress of the monk she sent a young girl rich in desire. It is generally known and accepted that the one who attains to the meditation is free from lust. This maxim was and is taken very seriously by the monks, and in attempt to win over the lust and the sexual passion, most of the time it was fought with by wrong means of making themselves dull. The one progressing in mediation is not supposed to be a dull good for nothing being, rather full with spiritual energies and love and compassion. It is not about controlling the mind, but the energy of consciousness or grace of the God working so much in him that the pleasure of physical vanes.

The girl rich in desire was sent to him was told to give him a passionate embrace, which she did. The response from the monk was to tell if is mind was getting charged with the higher energies of love, compassion and grace or was it being made dull.

"An old tree grows on a cold rock in winter," replied the monk somewhat poetically. "Nowhere is there any warmth."

The answer was not the sign of the mind getting charged with immense energy of compassion and love. The mind like a cold rock in winter with no warmth is no good. She got raged that no consideration was shown for her need, no disposition was shown to explain her condition and guide her to higher self. Showing of responding to her passion was not required , but compassion for her present state was what was expected from a monk dedicated totally to meditation for 20 years.

Alas, the old woman burnt down the hut of the monk. To feed him and shelter him for 20 years was a waste.

This story brings the remembrance of story that happened during the time of Lord Buddha. A disciple of Buddha was invited by a beautiful prostitute to stay at her home for one night so that she could get some spiritual benefit from his stay, the disciple on asking Lord Buddha for the permission was promptly denied. Another disciple whose mind was filled with immense energies of compassion, higher than that of lust was allowed to stay in the house of the same beautiful prostitute.

Not the comments on the stories are of the writer or author of this blog. Zen stories are short stories which reflects and points to the highest knowledge. And the comments or interpretations may vary from different readers. Readers are free to write their interpretation of these stories in the comments.

Lord Hanuman brings the Sanjivani lifting the mountain

This video clip is from the animated movie Ramayana - The legend of prince Rama by Yugo Sako (India/Japan - 1992 - Nippon... Ramayana Film Co.)


During the great battle between the Sri Rama and his monkey and bear warriors, and Ravana the ruler of Lanka and his demon warriors, the younger brother Sri Laxman and the head of bear warriors Jambavan gets seriously wounded by Indrajeet, son of Ravana and a great warrior.

They come to know that only Sanjivani Butti ( a miraculos herb) found in the great mountain range of Himalayas can heal the wounds.

Himalayas were to far from Sri Lanka. However, it was not a difficult task for Sri Hanuman, the Sevak and the greatest devotee of Lord Rama. Sri Hanuman was blessed, with many miraculous powers, since his childhood. Two of those powers where that Sri Hanumann can make his physical form from the tiniest to the largest. Another one being he could fly.

So Sri Hanuman sets of by air in to the Himalayas, in search of the magical herb Sanjivani. The flight of Sri Hanuman is beautifully animated. On the way is shown how Sri Hanuman's heart is filled with joy, just having a look at Ayodhya, the birth place and the kingdom of Sri Rama.

Sri Hanuman reaches the Himalayan range, and finds the magical herb, Sanjivani. He decides to carry whole of the mountain, so that all the wounded warriors can benefit from it.

He puts His another power of assuming the desired size of physical form, uproots whole mountain and carry it back to Lanka.



Sri Rama, is quite pleased to see his beloved younger brother Laxman, getting back to health by the herb.

One can buy the DVD of whole animated movie in English and/or Hindi audio track from

Ramayana - The Legend of Prince Rama (Animated Ramayan)



Below are couple of videos of the sacred text Sri Hanuman Chalisa