My favorite Buddhist Parables

Many teachings of Buddhism is taught and told in short and delightful parables. They are usually designed to develop the mind and to free it from distortions and so to connect with our spirit.

Many of them are really inspiring and enlightening. It is helpful to the mind to think about them and feel the deeper meaning. Even if it is not possible to grasp them fully, the beauty and simplicity of the message usually get through to us one way or the other.

Some parables are a selection of the ones I found most inspiring and really worth pondering about. Some may be instantly understood, some others need to be thought through and recognized in oneself. We must always keep in mind two crucial principles: the Buddha Mind and serious practice. Without practice, and without the determination to achieve Buddha-hood for the benefit of all sentient beings (Bodhi Mind), parables merely feed the intellect and may become, in the words of D.T. Suzuki, "mere bubbles." 

1.       The Moving Flag

Two Buddhists monks were arguing about a flag flapping in the wind.

"It's the wind that is really moving," stated the first one.

"No, it is the flag that is moving," contended the second.

A third interrupted them. "Neither the flag nor the wind is moving," he said, "It is MIND that is moving."

2.       Goddess of Wealth / Goddess of Poverty

Once a beautiful and well-dressed woman visited a house. The master of the house asked her who she was and she replied that she was the goddess of wealth. The master of the house was delighted and so greeted her with open arms. Soon after another woman appeared who was ugly looking and poorly dressed. The master asked who she was and the woman replied that she was the goddess of poverty. The master was frightened and tried to drive her out of the house, but the woman refused to depart, saying, 'The goddess of wealth is my sister. There is an agreement between us that we are never to live apart; if you chase me out, she is to go with me.' Sure enough, as soon as the ugly woman went out, the other woman disappeared.

Birth goes with death. Fortune goes with misfortune. Bad things follow good things. Men should realize this. Foolish people dread misfortune and strive after good fortune, but those who seek Enlightenment must transcend both of them. (from The Teaching of the Buddha)

3.       A True Buddha

Three monks were drinking tea.

The Buddhist master asked the first monk, “What do you drink with your tea?”

The first monk replied, “I drink suffering, loneliness and make peace and happiness.”

The master nodded and exclaimed, “Oh, you are great, an enlightened one. You go now.”

The same question was asked to the second monk.

And the second monk replied, “I drink Buddha’s teaching, compassion and the Buddha himself with the tea.”

The master now fully satisfied with his explanation said, “You are a truly Buddha, an enlightened one. You too go.”

Then the master asked the third monk, “What do you drink with your tea?”

The third monk replied, “I picked out the fly from the tea cup and drink only tea.”

The master smiled and said, “You are the right person to sit in my place.”

And the master gave his sit to the third monk.

4.       The Buddha

There were two monks.

Younger is sitting in zazen.

Elder inquires, “Why are you sitting in zazen?”

Younger replies, “By sitting in zazen, I hope eventually to become a Buddha.”

Elder picks up a brick and begins rubbing it on a rock.

Younger laughs, “And what are you doing?”

Elder replies, “I am polishing this brick in hopes that eventually it will become a mirror.”

(The advanced story ends here, but for the rest of us it continues.)

Younger asks, “How can polishing a brick make a mirror?”

Elder retorts, “How can sitting in zazen make a Buddha!”

(And, true to the ancient formula, the younger monk instantly became a mirror.)

This is A New Place

It is blistering. It is hot. It is tough. This is a new place. This is Yebilaptsa. This is a different place. But I don’t feel different. It is the same feelings - the feelings of lowliness and remoteness hang like goiters as of now. Because I am brutally separated from my loving family, I feel that if not this place is simply good. I think the powerful magnetic force of Zhemgang - every little thing of this place has pulled me here, aside. I believe that things will turn out good when it seems not so to me.

To be frank, Yebilaptsa is a beautiful place, the school and the hospital are located just four kilometers from Tingtibi and the national highway of Gelephug-Zhemgang-Trongsa that runs just below school. Yebilaptsa is surrounded by coniferous pine trees. The smell of cones and the long pine leaves scented around houses and schools. This lowland stands inside a forest of trees. The nearest village is almost four kilometers. There are only a few private buildings. All houses are for school and the hospital.

The school is MSS. It is a boarding school. There are 410 plus students schooled in by 22 teachers and countable numbers of supporting staff. There are as many cooks as the teaching staff. The classes range from seven to ten. The students here are well-behaved - a polite one, and very hard working. I came to know that this school is one of the best in the country. In a class, students’ silence could hear flowers budding. They believe in what teachers say. I told them only yesterday that they shouldn’t believe in everything in what they hear or read. I told them to experience and see themselves.

The fans of rooms rotate slowly, churning away heat. The lousy sleep creeps in. I am lying down. And it is almost winter, time to migrate, for good.

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Praise is Worth a Thousand P☺unds

"What an imagination, Kinley!" a teacher praised his student.

Kinley smiled and said, "Thank you."

The teacher then asked another question. All the students put their hands up.

"Let me…," someone said.

The teacher has a very complaisant and lively class. The teacher considers the students good friends, and the students see the teacher as the sun—a sun that shines warmly and equally on everyone.

The teacher uses encouraging remarks every time his pupils make slight progress. The students work hard to receive the best remarks from their teacher. They glow with interest, growing more curious, and prepare themselves to give the best responses. They are curious about what the next good word might be! They want to please the teacher, and the teacher wants to impress them—fulfilling both their objectives and goals in the end.

The teacher uses many forms of verbal and written reinforcement, such as: "How smart!" "I'm proud of you." "What a good listener!" "Magnificent." "That's the best." "Awesome." "Remarkable job." "Super work." "Outstanding." "Exceptional." (These are some frequently used remarks.) Besides these, the teacher also makes written comments, gives pats on the back, applause, smiles, gestures, gifts, and acknowledgments. The skill of reinforcement is a basic tool that a teacher uses to enhance teaching and learning.

For a systematic and successful teaching-learning process, feedback that is relevant, immediate or timely, factual, helpful, respectful, and sometimes confidential as needed, would be of great assistance.

Students also learn to do good things through good remarks. Pupils are like tender bean plants—if not supported, they will not flourish and bear fruit.

Scientific studies have found that a misbehaving person can become good in a pleasant environment or surroundings, and vice versa. Psychologists also argue that "students of teachers who emphasize teaching behaviors such as praise and encouragement tend to learn more than students of teachers who emphasize criticism and punishment," and that teachers who "check students' progress regularly and adjust instructions accordingly" are using effective teaching strategies.

Therefore, in the teaching-learning area, the kind of environment and strategies adopted will decide and affect students' studies and their lives throughout.

An encouraging class will be supportive and attentive, and by way of that, develops enthusiasm for learning.

If observed thoroughly, people's mannerisms will show that the magic of reinforcement in teaching has a profound effect on their studies and their lives.

What are soothing to our ears are nicely said, sweet words—just as sweets are sweet to our mouths. We desire them, and sometimes we demand them. Students, especially, must sometimes "deserve and desire."

Words Can Make You Cry

Words can make you cry.

They can break your heart into pieces,

forcing back the times you never wanted to remember.

Pains throttle you.

Memories deceive you-

deflated and deflected,

life moves on

always depleted.

Memories of unkind days

bring only streams of tears.

They are part of life,

and acceptance is a fate.

Hush, don’t weep.

No one will care.

You let go

And forget to remember.

That's the way.

A Dying Breed of Readers

Reading is to decode, understand, evaluate and foster knowledge and information. It leads to appreciation and understanding of the pluralistic nature of society, cultures, and values. Our people must read and access changing ideas and expressions.

Despite all the benefits books offer, Bhutanese are quite poor in reading habits. I would say reading habits have declined, owing to rapid development in our country. Bhutan has taken ‘a great leap’ within a short span of time, and this has affected our readers. Television, computers, the internet, and motor vehicles, among others, keep our youth occupied. Or are they conquered?

Just a decade ago, back in my village, when I was in my early teens, my family sat together and read religious canons, like Kanjur and Tenjur, to cleanse our sins and for good fortune. Now, hardly any youth has heard of the great books.

In this so-called ‘new life’, reading has to be forced. In schools, students are taken over by modern amenities. Reading habits are dying and may completely die soon.

In bookstores, the treasures are left collecting dust. Our children desire sophisticated gadgets, fancy miniskirts, skin-tight clothes, jeans and sugary sweets. But the books have more than all these to satisfy. Buying a book is buying a life’s wisdom.

The object of writing this article is because I am a bibliophile, a great lover of books. I would like to promote reading habits. I have persuaded my students incessantly to read and buy books. But sadly, the aforementioned reasons have conquered some.

I’ve also hoping to publish a book, hoping to give a typical Bhutanese author to our readers. However, it will not received well, i guess. The problem – too few readers! Hardly anyone visits the stores and picks up a book.

How can we have a knowledge-based society if we are not ready to read and learn? We had a knowledge-based-society a decade ago, when books were considered gold. Having modern imported gadgets and machines hinders our in-depth history and culture. It’s like trying to construct a road on a river. We become ignorant, even as we live in the so-called modern life because we ignore learning. We want ease and to be laidback; as a result of this, we are becoming a so-so group.

To build a knowledge center, our government must promote reading, through the formation of reading circles/groups, and promoting Bhutanese writers through some means. This in turn will promote readerships among our youth.

This article was published in K2 magazine, kuensel on16 December, 2010