A great little story from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones:

While Seietsu was the master of Engaku in Kamakura he required larger quarters, since those in which he was teaching were overcrowded. Umeza Seibei a merchant of Edo, decided to donate five hundred pieces of gold called ryo toward the construction of a more commodious school. This money he brought to the teacher.

Seisetsu said: "All right. I will take it."

Umezu gave Seisetsu the sack of gold, but he was dissatisfied with the attitude of the teacher. One might live a whole year on three ryo, and the merchant had not even been thanked for five hundred.

"In that sack are five hundred ryo," hinted Umeza.

"You told me that before," replied Seisetsu.

"Even if I am a wealthy merchant, five hundred ryo is a lot of money," said Umezu.

"Do you want me to thank you for it?" asked Seisetsi.

"You ought to," replied Umeza.

"Why should I?" inquired Seisetsu. "The giver should be thankful."

Excellent book, Gavin, I was wondering of anybody else had it.


The secret of the mountains is that the mountains simply exist, as I do myself: the mountains exist simply, which I do not. The mountains have no “meaning,” they are meaning; the mountains are. The sun is round. I ring with life, and the mountains ring, and when I can hear it, there is a ringing that we share. I understand all this, not in my mind but in my heart, knowing how meaningless it is to try to capture what cannot be expressed, knowing that mere words will remain when I read it all again, another day.

- Peter Matthiessen

He who can take no great interest in what is small will take false interest in what is great.

- John Ruskin

Basically, don't miss the trees for the forest.

It is the small pleasures in life that give day to day living any meaning. For me, one of those small pleasures has been Karaoke Night at my favorite bar. I have several friends that I enjoy seeing, and a few of them I enjoy hearing sing, one night a week. It's all about the fun, even though I'll never be the famous pop star making millions a year.

When he mentioned false, singing came to my mind too

Hi for me its solving acrossword,all other thoughts worries
ect go out of my head.A very zen time!!

Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead. It is going on all the time. We are in it now.

- Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Eternity has no beginning or end.

Color of the flower
Has already faded away,
While in idle thoughts
My life passes vainly by,
As I watch the long rains fall.