Master Tells Stories
The Most Auspicious Treasure
There was once a Brahmin that was very learned in many subjects and well-versed in the art of foretelling the future from the stars. One day, his 500 disciples gathered to have a discussion on the various auspicious treasures found in different countries
Seeking the Answers to Ignorance
In learning Buddhism, we must clearly understand how we came to this world and where we will go after death. The Buddha highlighted that we must first learn to calm and settle our minds. If we can do this, we will be able to clearly perceive everything...
The Story of Two Tigers and a Yakan
There is a story from the Buddhist sutras about two ferocious tigers, who were very close to each other and would hunt together every day. They were always followed by a treacherous yakan (a legendary wild fox), which fed on the remains of their prey.
Kisa Gotami’s Search for a Mustard Seed
Most people tend to love only the ones who are related to them in some way; this is the type of mundane love that the common man knows. The Buddha taught us to open our hearts wide and love all living beings. Yet in practice, this is easier said than...
The Beggar Made Wealthy by a Dead Rat
If one is willing to live by the Dharma, one will reap great benefits. And if we harbour a pure and simple mind in whatever we do, we will be able to carry out the task easily. Yet the minds of people are often stubborn and unyielding, and are thus...
Sunita, the Night Soil Man
When the Buddha was in Sravasti one day, he perceived that karmic conditions were ripe for Sunita, a member of the untouchable caste who worked as a night soil collector, to receive the Dharma. So he made his way to the city with a group of his disciples…
The Sweetness of a Simple Life
In a small Japanese village of poor farmers some two hundred years ago, there lived a family made up of an old granny and a young couple. The couple were extremely filial to the granny, and worked hard from dawn to dusk. Though they were poor, they...
The Monk and the Beautiful Girl
When a young monk was on his aims round, he caught sight of a beautiful girl from a household. Though the monk had already been ordained as a monastic, he could not help falling in love with her. But as he could not express his feelings to the girl, he...
The Weaver and the Talented Man
During the Buddha’s time, there was a monk in the monastic community who often bragged about his former wealth and noble status. He would say, “No one was of nobler birth than I. My family is the richest in the world; no one can surpass us in wealth…”
The Blind Beggar Boy
We must always remember that whatever we sow, we shall reap. Hence, we must stop all our wrongful thoughts and actions, and prevent them from arising again. If we have erred, we should repent in a timely manner or it will be too late for regrets when...
The Greedy Deer
A passage from the Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (“Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom”) says, "The minds of the people in the world are wavering. They crave for blessings, yet they are not fond of cultivating the field of blessings. They seek to...
The Suspicious Old Monk
Once upon a time, there was a small village in Japan, where there lived an old monk with his young disciple. The old monk loved to play chess very much and whenever he was engaged in a game, he would forget about the time.
The Hideous Man and the Ugly Monk
Several years ago, a hospital social worker told me about a baby who was born without a brain, and the prognosis was that it would only be able to live for a year. The unmarried mother of the baby made it known that she did not want the abnormal child...
The Garlic-Loving Nuns
There was a rich landlord who grew many types of vegetables on his land and had a big garlic garden. He instructed his farm workers that should any monastic pass by asking for alms, they were to be given whatever vegetables they wanted and…
Subduing the Devil in Our Hearts
Our thoughts create everything and the rapidity in which they change far exceeds the rate anything changes. With wholesome thoughts, our minds will be like the Buddha’s. If our minds veer a little off course, our thoughts may turn us into a devil…
The Businessman who Craves a Fortune
Is it a blessing or misfortune if one leads a worldly life preoccupied with doing business and making profit? No one knows the answer. But if we do not cultivate wisdom, we will not be able to develop right faith and right thinking to break free from...
An Elephant Saves a Poor Man
The Buddha taught sentient beings in many different ways, and often used examples from his past incarnations to illustrate his teachings for the benefit of his disciples. One such story from the “Jataka Tales” (former lives of the Buddha) is an....
Rahula’s Tears
If we hope to maintain a placid state of mind no matter what type of situation we encounter, and be gentle and affable at all times, we must harbour only very gentle and kind thoughts. And such thoughts originate from a compassionate heart.
