Koan Archives — A puzzling, often paradoxical story, used as an aid to meditation or a means of gaining spiritual insights.
· 10 September 2006 | 90 words
"Calamities can bring growth and enlightenment," said the Master. He explained like this: "Each day a bird would shelter in the withered branches of a tree that stood in the middle of a vast deserted plain. One day a whirlwind...
· 1 April 2006 | 251 words
To write something and leave it behind us, It is but a dream. When we awake we know There is not even anyone to read it. -- Ikkyu [via] The same day I read Owen's pondering over the lack...
· 21 March 2006 | 581 words
Found this in my email inbox... Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives. He loved the fourth wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies....
· 4 February 2006 | 182 words
I found this story attributed to Fr. Jerry Orbos. (via and via) There is a story about a rich father who takes his son on a trip to the countryside to show how poor some people are. The child is...
· 12 June 2005 | 406 words
Some pointless ponderings on an age-old question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Aristotle: Actuality precedes potentiality in terms of value. An egg is a potential chicken. A chicken is actual. Therefore, the chicken came first. Evolutionist: There...
· 16 May 2005 | 305 words
I knew there were many interesting sights, but I didn't want any more of the little answers, I wanted the big answer. So I asked the guestmaster to show me directly to the House of God. I sat myself down,...
· 13 May 2005 | 74 words
Fact, Faith, and Feeling are three men walking along the top of a well. As long as Faith keeps his eyes on Fact, ahead of him, all three keep walking. But when Faith takes his eyes off Fact and turns...
· 13 April 2005 | 67 words
A little fish went looking for the ocean. He swims up to a big fish and asks, "Where can I find the ocean?" The big fish replied, "Why little one, you are in the ocean." "This?" replied the little fish....
· 25 March 2004 | 119 words
A man goes to his priest and says, "Father, I try to be a good Christian, but I also smoke. Is it alright if I smoke while praying?" The priest frowns and replies, "My son, praying is a conversation with...
· 6 February 2004 | 306 words
"Excuse me," said an ocean fish. "You are older than I, so can you tell me where to find this thing they call the ocean?" "The ocean," said the older fish, "is the thing you are in now." "Oh, this?...
· 18 January 2004 | 343 words
The devil once went for a walk with a friend. They saw a man ahead of them stoop down and pick up something from the ground. "What did that man find?" asked the friend. "A piece of the truth," said...
· 18 January 2004 | 252 words
I have stumbled upon a set of stories by Anthony de Mello. Some people might call them koans. Koans are stories that come from many different traditions, most notably Zen, but others are Buddhist, Christian, Hasidic, Russian, Chinese, Hindu, Sufi....
· 29 December 2003 | 236 words
"How does one seek union with God?" / "The harder you seek, the more distance you create between Him and you." / "So what does one do about the distance?" / "Understand that it isn't there." / "Does that mean that God and I are one?" / "Not one. Not two." / "How is that possible?" / "The sun and its light, the ocean and the wave, the singer and his song--not one. Not two." -- Anthony de Mello
May God’s love,
peace, and energy
touch you in faith.
![[Jerusalem Cross with Heart]](http://cowpi.com/journal/grafiks/jerusalem-cross-heart.gif "Jerusalem Cross with Heart")