God's warriors
Out of context: Reply #620
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- TheBlueOne0
After rejecting my catholic upbringing when I was 15 or so I spent years searching through all different spiritual and religious bodies of thought, even briefly touching back on christianity..after all of it I am happy to say I'm primarily an athiest with allowable cheat room for error. That said, a few Zen stories I read through years back have always stuck with me as they have a ring of truth. I would like to share:
"
A soldier named Nobushige came to Hakuin and asked: "Is there realy a paradise
and a hell?""Who are you?" inquired Hakuin.
"I am a samurai," the warrior replied.
"You, a soldier!" exclaimed Hakuin. What kind of ruler would have you as his guard?
Your face looks like that of a beggar.Nobushige became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued:
"So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head."As Nosbushige drew his sword Hakuin remarked: Here open the gates of hell!"
At these words the samurai, perceiving the master's discipline, sheathed his sword
and bowed.Here open the gates of paradise," said Hakuin."
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"
Tanzan and Ekido were once travleing down a muddy road.
A heavy rain was still falling.Coming around a bend, they met a lovely girl in a silk komono and sash,
unable to cross the intersection."Come on girl," said Tanzan at once. Lifting her in his arms, he carried her
over the mud.Ekido did not speak again until that night when they reached a lodging temple.
Then he could no longer restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females,"
he told Tanzan, especially young and lovely ones. It is dangerous. Why did
you do that."I left the girl there," said Tanzan. "Are you still carrying her?"
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"
A rich man asked Sengai to write something for the continued prosperity of his family so
that it might be treasured from generation to generation.Sengai obtained a large piece of paper and wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies."
The rich man became angry . "I asked you to write something for the happiness of my family!
Why do you make such a joke as this?""No joke is intended, explained Sengai. "If before you yourself die your son should die ,
" this would grieve you greatly. If your grandson should pass away before your son, both
of you would be broken-hearted. If your family, generation after generation, passes away
in the order I have named, it will be the natural course of life. I call this real prosperity."