Insights
The Empty Boat — On Anger and the Stories We Tell
This morning I almost got hit, and then I thought of Zhuangzi's empty boat. All my anger was built on the assumption that there was someone on the other side.
4/23/20266 min
Writings
What Ru Shi Writes
Whatever comes to mind. Sometimes a story I read, sometimes something that came to me while holding my mala beads.
Recent
Buddhist Notes
Aniruddha Threading a Needle: In the Darkness, the Buddha Did a Small Thing
A blind man wanted to do one small thing — thread a needle. He asked for help, and the Buddha threaded it for him himself. In this quiet story lies the courage to accept help.
4/22/20269 min
Buddhist Notes
The Weight of a Mustard Seed: A Mother Searched the Whole City, Only to Find That Not a Single Family Had Been Spared from Loss
Today I came across an old book with a dried bodhi leaf tucked between the pages. It reminded me of a story from 2,500 years ago—a mother who lost her child, and the Buddha who asked her to find a mustard seed from a home untouched by death.
4/22/20267 min
All Writings
Insights
The Empty Boat — On Anger and the Stories We Tell
This morning I almost got hit, and then I thought of Zhuangzi's empty boat. All my anger was built on the assumption that there was someone on the other side.
4/23/20266 min
Buddhist Notes
The Burning House Parable: A Story of Fire That Reveals the Truth of Life
The most famous parable from the Lotus Sutra—a burning mansion, children oblivious to danger, and a father who uses skillful means to save them. This 2,500-year-old story reveals the nature of our delusion in the Three Realms and the path toward liberation.
4/20/202612 min