The Song of the Bird

“That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” said his neighbor. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth—we’re chickens.” So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.

you more fish and more money. Soon you would have enough money to own two boats…maybe even a fleet of boats. Then you would be a rich man like me.” “What would I do then?” “Then you could really enjoy life.” “What do you think I am doing right now?”

THE CONTENTED FISHERMAN The rich industrialist from the North was horrified to find the Southern fisherman lying lazily beside his boat, smoking a pipe. “Why aren’t you out fishing?” said the industrialist. “Because I have caught enough fish for the day,” said the fisherman. “Why don’t you catch some more?” “What would I do with it?” “You could ear

“Here I am with you,” says God, “and you keep reflecting about me in your head, talking about me with your tongue, and searching for me in your books When will you shut up and see?”

DIOGENES The philosopher Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king. Said Aristippus, “If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils” Said Diogenes, “Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to cultivate the

“Are you ready for the test?” “Yes.” “Well, what is two plus two?” “Whatever the boss says it is.” The second applicant got the job. Which comes first, orthodoxy or the truth?

The Zen masters put it succinctly: “The one who knows, does not say. The one who says, does not know.”

Stop searching, little fish. There isn’t anything to look for. All you have to do is look.

On the street I saw a naked child, hungry and shivering in the cold. I became angry and said to God, “Why do you permit this? Why don’t you do something?” For a while God said nothing. That night he replied, quite suddenly, “I certainly did something. I made you.”