Zen Stories Quotes

“Student: When looking at a perfect mountain view, I see a mountain, but my friend sees God! What is the reason for this, master? Master: What do you see when you look at me? Student: Of course I see you, master! Master: Okay, so there's nothing wrong with your eyes! But recommend a pair of glasses to your friend!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Disciple: Master, tomorrow I will go to my village and stay for a few weeks and rest, will you bless me before I go? Master: If you really want to be blessed, get to know different people of different lives rather than your own village!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I did exactly as you said, climbed the stairs, wandered through narrow streets, talked to many different people, read books, but still did not gain wisdom! Master: Oh yeah, then do the opposite of what I said, maybe it will work! Student: You're mocking me, master! Master: No! If one path did not lead you to success, you will try another path, that's what I'm telling you!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student asked: Master, you know me very well, what is the biggest obstacle in my way? The master replied: The biggest obstacle in your way and everyone else's is the person himself!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, you are a wise man, give me the secret of happiness! Master: Is there a nail where you are sitting? Student: No, master. Master: Then you're happy! Student: What if I said there is a nail on my seat, master? Master: Then I would say stand up and be happy!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: What should I do when I see a bright light, master? Master: Don't block the light, walk the path it illuminates!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, that huge mountain standing in front of me always seems stronger than me no matter what I do! Master: The Mountain in front of you is physically strong, you are mentally strong, and therefore it is you, not the mountain, that is huge!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I can understand that clean water is holy, but I can't understand that dirty water is holy! Master: Blind faith is not for those who want to understand, but it is for those who do not want to understand or who cannot understand!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I am very afraid of storms, what would you advise me? Master: I advise you to be even more afraid of storms, because once your fear gets to the bottom, there is nowhere to go, courage starts to rise from the bottom!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I am thinking of crossing a very large desert without food and water, what do you say? Master: I say try to cross a small desert with water and food first!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Disciple: Master, tell me, was my coming to this temple a plan of fate? Master: We teach in this temple the absence of fate, the supremacy of reason. Now tell me, did fate bring you here?”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, how can I reach the end of an endless road? Master: How can I answer a question that has no answer?”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Disciple: Master, you told me to leave the temple, what mistake did I make? Master: No mistake! You've learned a lot here, your load has become heavy, it's time to unload it! What is full must be emptied!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Disciple: Master, I was told that in this temple you would teach me to think, and here I am! Master: You were told wrong! Here you will learn not to think, but to think correctly!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I look behind me, I have no followers, I feel very sad! Master: You don't have to be a follower, as long as you leave a good trace, maybe someone will follow you a year or a thousand years later! The important thing is to leave a beautiful and eye-opening trace!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, you told me that when you look outside, sometimes you see outside, sometimes you see inside! I thought about this a lot but I didn't understand anything! Master: If you have problems in your mind when you look outside, you will see your own problems, your own inside, not outside! The outer world truly appears before you only when your inner world is at peace!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, who should I be angry with if the door is closed? The one who closes the door or the door itself, because if there was no door, there would be no one who closed it! Master: Neither be angry at the person who closes the door, nor at the door! Get angry at your mind that gets angry because the door is closed!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, waiting for the future is so boring! Can't we bring the future to the present? Master: Yes, there is a way to bring the future to the present, for example, if you take a knife and kill yourself, you can bring your future death to the present, that is, you bring your entire future to the present!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, you don't talk much! Master: Yes, because when you talk you cannot hear what the universe is telling you!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I will join your temple, what will I be here? Master: Here we take the logs and make a beautiful wooden sculpture out of them! So you will transform into something else here! Student: But I'm not a log, am I? Master: In this temple, what matters is not how you see yourself, but how we see you!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: What should someone who follows his leader but is much smarter than that leader do, master? Master: Let me correct this mistake first, a person who is smarter than his leader but still follows his leader is definitely not smart! If you're following someone less smart than you, you're stupid!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I have experienced so many things in my life that it was as if a mysterious force had written a destiny for me! Master: Don't talk nonsense! It is your mind, your abilities, your belief in yourself or your foolishness, miscalculations and weakness in your belief in yourself that writes your destiny and determines your direction!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, why do volcanoes erupt? Master: Because no one takes a silent volcano seriously!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Master: Sit in a remote place where no one passes and wait for someone to pass! Student: What if no one passes, master? I will rot there! Master: If no one passes, you assume someone has passed and return to the temple! The developed mind is the mind that is flexible!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, I saw a man looking at the wall, but there was nothing on the wall, the man was definitely crazy! Master: Maybe you saw a wall looking at the man, and the man was a clever man trying to figure out why the wall was looking at him!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Disciple: Master, I am trying hard, but what will I do if I cannot achieve enlightenment? Master: This universe is full of surprises, if you cannot reach enlightenment, maybe enlightenment will reach you! The hand can reach out to the hand that reaches out!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Student: Master, what happens if we bring tomorrow to today and live tomorrow today? Master: If you bring tomorrow to today, there will be no tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, you will disappear because you have nowhere to go!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Master: Yes, it will happen! Student: What will happen, master? Master: I don't know! Student: But you said it will happen, master! Master: Yes, it will happen, but I don't know what will happen, because something always happens!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“Disciple: Master, what will this temple give me? Master: This temple will not give you anything! Disciple: But I came here to take something! Master: There is nothing for you to take here; everything is within you, we will help you to take something from within yourself, that's all! Disciple: What if there is nothing within me, Master? Master: Then you will get nothing!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

“If we can unify the apparent duality between the great uncontrollable energy and the natural wisdom of our monkey mind, if we moderate its impulsive tendencies and incorporate its intuitive wisdom, we can express our being in all its capacity and transform into calm and enlightened individuals.”
― Oeset Drakir, The Zen Wisdom and the Monkey Mind: Zen Stories to Discover the Natural Power of your Mind, Live with Fullness, Joy and Wisdom