“Love In Disguise” by TiberJudy
There’s an old story that’s told about a king who lived in a far-off, distant land. He had a rich kingdom, with all his needs and most of his desires met everyday by the royal court that served him. He was loved and respected by his family and noblemen and was known throughout the land for his wisdom and fairness. It seemed the king had everything he could have ever wanted. Except for one very important thing: he had no heir
“The Old Woman Weaving in a Cave” — a Native American Story
This is a centuries old Native American myth about an ancient woman who lives in a cave. People far and wide know of her existence, but the cave, and thus the woman have never been found. Her partner in this story is a very old black dog that caringly watches her every move. The old woman’s focus and passion is operating an ancient loom — patiently weaving a sizable and most beautiful of garments. She never leaves her task except to occasionally walk over to the fireplace to stir a kettle of “very special soup.” Interestingly, whenever she walks away from the task at hand (the garment), the old black dog, unhurriedly and determinedly pushes himself upwards and then heads towards that remarkable garment.
I’ll leave the rest or the story for you to read and interpret…
The Wisdom of the Zen Masters (excerpt) by Irmgard Schloegl
When the succession after the Fifth Patriarch was under consideration, his main disciple Jinshu was generally expected to be the heir. To present his insight, he composed a verse:
The body is the Tree of Awakening,
The heart is a bright mirror;
Carefully wipe it always So that no dust can settle.
Eno (Hui Neng), who in fact became the Sixth Patriarch, countered with another verse:
There is no Tree of Awakening;
The bright mirror has no stand;
When all is emptiness Where can dust settle?