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I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread for instructors about their favorite Tao stories. When you add a story please add the title in the subject line and above the story. Please post ONLY stories, start a new thread for discussions. Enjoy.

Here's are some of my favorites;

The two Dragons

A young   warrior was having  a recurring nightmare. It had become so bad,  he  could  not  get  a  good  night’s sleep.   He resolved   himself   to finally speak   to his Master   about   the bad dreams.

He went to his Master’s, chambers and was about to knock on the closed door but  before  he  could,  the  Master  said
“Come in”. Still after all these years of training with his teacher, his Master’s awareness always amazed him.

He bowed and said, “Master I am troubled.” The Master said, “Yes, I could  tell  lately  you  have  not  been  yourself.  I  was  wondering  when you would get around to asking for help. There is no shame in asking for  help,  senior  students  and  teachers  are  here  to  help  you.  Tell  me what troubles you?”.

“Thank you Master,” said the young warrior. “I have been having a recurring dream. Every night, I dream two dragons are fighting, one good, the other evil. They battle through my dreams and I worry the evil dragon will win.”

“Why does that concern you?” asked the Master. “Because I think the one that wins will be the one that I will become. If the Evil Dragon wins, I will become evil, or   if the Good Dragon wins I will become good. Master, which one will win?”

The Master said, “The one you feed”

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The Warrior and the Wild Berry
Once there was a mighty warrior. While traveling through the forest he was surprised by a large ferocious bear. Running from the bear he wound up at a cliff, but as luck would have it there was a vine leading down to safety. The warrior began climbing down the vine when the bear’s frustrated growls attracted a tiger at the bottom of the cliff. So now trapped with a bear above and a tiger below he weighed his options and decided to wait them out. Suddenly a pair of mice one white te other black
started gnawing at the vine. Knowing he was moments from death, he spotted a wild strawberry growing within arms reach. He reached out and plucked the fruit, savoring its flavor, appreciating how sweet it tasted.

Don’t wait for life’s bears, tigers and gnawing mice to realize the gifts nature provides for you. I’m sure you can figure out who the bears are, and what the tigers and gnawing mice are in your life. Everything is an opportunity for us to reconnect to our center, not just the moments of beauty, but the challenging times too. Enjoy each moment where ever you are, center yourself and the wild berry's will appear.

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The Two monks

Two  monks  were  traveling  into  town  for  supplies  for  their  temple,  as  they  do every  month.  They  were  walking  upon  the  road  into  town,  when  they  came across  a  young  maiden  in  a  beautiful  gown.  There  was  a  large  puddle  in  the middle  in  the  road  and  she  could  not  cross  for  fear  of  getting  her  pretty  dress muddied.  Asking  for  help,  she  told  the  monks  that  she  was  from  the  village and this dress was handed down to her from her grandmother so she could be part of a wedding celebration.

Without  a  beat,  the  elder  monk  picked  her  up,  carried  her  across  the  puddle, bowed and continued back down the  road. The  other younger monk, shocked, followed after him.

A  bit  further  down  the  road,  the  still  shocked  younger  monk  could  no  longer maintain his silence. “How could you touch a woman, it  is against the  temples rules!”

To which the other monk calmly replied:

“Brother   I  left   that   lady   back   down   the   road.   You   are   still   carrying   her.”

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Originally  Posted by SooBahkDon


  The Water Bearer


   A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole
which he carried across his shoulders. One of the pots had a crack in it, while
the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived
only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering
only one and a half pots of water to his house.  

Of course, the perfect pot was indeed perfect for the task for which it was made,
and proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its
own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it had perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.   "I am ashamed of myself and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in
my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my
flaws you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your
efforts." the pot said.

The bearer said back to the pot," Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's
because I have always known about your flaw and I planted flower seeds on your
side of the path, and every day while we walk back you've watered them. For two
years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without
you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.

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Originally  Posted by SooBahkDon


The Old Farmer

A farmer got so old that he couldn't work the fields anymore. So he would spend the day just sitting on the porch. His son, still working the farm, would look up from time to time and see his father sitting there. "He's of no use any more," the son thought to himself, "he doesn't do anything!" One day the son got so frustrated by this, that he built a wood coffin, dragged it over to the porch, and told his father to get in. Without saying anything, the father climbed inside. After closing the lid, the son dragged the coffin to the edge of the farm where there was a high cliff. As he approached the drop, he heard a light tapping on the lid from inside the coffin. He opened it up. Still lying there peacefully, the father looked up at his son. "I know you are going to throw me over the cliff, but before you do, may I suggest something?" "What is it?" replied the son. "Throw me over the cliff, if you like," said the father, "but save this good wood coffin. Your children might need to use it."

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Originally  Posted by SooBahkDon


The Stolen Ax


A woodcutter went out one morning to cut some firewood
and discovered that his favorite ax was missing.

He couldn't find it anywhere. Then he noticed his neighbors son
standing near the woodshed. The woodcutter thought, "Aha,
That boy must have stolen my ax.

I see how he lurks about the shed, shifting uneasily from foot to foot,
greedy hands stuffed in his pockets, a guilty look on his face.
I can't prove it but he must have stolen my ax".

A few days later the woodcutter was surprised and happy to come upon
the ax under a pile of firewood. "I remember now", he said," Just where
I'd left it"

The next time he saw his neighbors son, the woodcutter looked intently
at the boy, scrutinizing him from head to toe. "How odd", he thought,
"Somehow this boy has lost his guilty look".

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The Blind men and the Elephant

There is a Chinese story about six blind men who touch an elephant to know what it looks like. The first one touches the elephant's ear and says, "An elephant is like a large fan." The second one touches the side of its body and says, "No, it is like a wall." The third one describes the leg, "No, the elephant is a pillar." The fourth one touches the nose and shouts, "The elephant is like a big, hanging branch of a tree!" The fifth one touches the ivory, and says, "it is a large horn sticking out of a huge mouth". The sixth one who touches the tail says loudly, "No, an elephant is a large swinging broom sticking out of the wall". If they were to put all of the information together, they would have a reasonable description of the elephant. This story shows we should not stubbornly insist there is only one viewpoint, as we often see only part of the story. There is always more to learn.

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Posted by SooBahkDon


The Doctor's Greed
A Korean Tale

There was once a famous doctor who was equally known for his skill as well as his greed.
One day a woman came to him imploring him to treat her child who was seriously ill.
The doctor went with her to her house and cured the child.
In gratitude, the relieved mother offered him a silk purse, saying that she had made it herself.

However, the doctor refused, saying that he took only money and nothing else in return for his services.
The mother was hurt and asked him how much money he wanted.
The doctor said his fee was five gold pieces.
At that, the mother reached into the purse and took out ten gold pieces and gave five of them to the doctor.

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True Confidence

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot.

"There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground.

Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

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Posted by SooBahkDon


The Best House

Once upon a time in there was a builder who worked exclusively for the King.
For several decades he designed and built many houses for royalty and nobility.
He was now getting ready to retire.

One day the King summoned him to the royal court.
"I understand you will soon be enjoying your well deserved retirement, after so many years of hard work."
"I have one last job for you", said the King. "I want you to design the best house possible
and take complete charge of the project from beginning to end. I have already purchased a prime location, all you have to do is purchase the best material and hire the best masons to build it. Spare no expense."

The builder saw this as an opportunity. Since he would be the one in charge, no one would know if he
took a few liberties here and there.
Now that he was about to retire, this would be his last chance to make a little extra money for himself.

He requested a lavish budget from the treasury, but spent only a fraction of it on lower grade material.
He also saved a lot of money on labor by hiring the least experienced workers available and rushing the project to completion.

He then reported to the King that he was done with his final job.
"Excellent", the King was truly pleased, "Let us go take a look."

When they arrived on site, the builder was surprised to see all the court ministers there, admiring and commenting on his work.
He wasn't worried because he used all the tricks of the trade to made the faulty house look good.
He knew they would not be able to tell that the house was a low quality construction.

The King gathered everyone together and cleared his throat:
"As you all know, the builder has done great work for us over the years. Now he is ready to retire. This house, his last project,
will also be his finest masterpiece."

The King continued, "There is only one way for me to thank him for his years of dedicated service"
With that the King presented the house keys to the builder as his retirement gift.

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Posted by SooBahkDon


The Farmer And The Hunter

Once there was a farmer who lived next door to a hunter.
The farmers livelihood involved raising sheep.
He had a small flock that he tended with much care.

One night the hunters dogs discovered a hole in the fence.
They broke through and attacked the sheep causing much damage.
When the farmer discovered the scene,he quickly notified his neighbor.
The hunter was very apologetic, "I am so sorry. I will have my sons keep
the dogs in the house from now on. That ought to solve the problem."

The hunter was mistaken. The dogs got out somehow and more chaos ensued.
The angry farmer appeared at the hunters door once more, "This is how you fixed the problem?"
Again the hunter apologized, "My boys tell me the dogs got out by climbing through an
open window, I'll make them lock the windows every night from now on"

This still did not stop the trouble.The hunting dogs were clever and every
few days would figure out a way to get out of the house.
Although the hunter meant well, he was not able to cover all the possibilities as
there were too many ways for the dogs to get out. The situation continued for weeks.

One morning, the farmer assessed his loss from the previous night.
He had had enough. He decided he had no choice but to go before the Judge.
At the courthouse the Judge probed the farmer with many questions and considered the matter.
After a while he said,"We can solve this problem one of two ways. Certainly I can punish your
neighbor and make him compensate you. However this will no doubt turn him against you. Do you
want to live next door to an enemy?"

"Of course not your honor", said the farmer, "But I do not see any other way out of this problem"

"There is always another way", said the judge,"I will point it out to you, but you must first
give me your word that you will do exactly as I say"
The farmer had faith in the Judges great wisdom and agreed.
The Judges instructions were shocking but brief, and although the farmer
was puzzled he would keep his word.

Following the Judges plan, the farmer went home and picked two of his finest lambs and
proceeded to the hunters house and knocked on the door.
The hunter answered with much annoyance,"What is it now?"

The farmer repeated what the Judge told him to say.
"For the past few weeks I have bothered you many times and you
have worked hard trying to contain your dogs as a favor to me. As a show
of appreciation I would like to present my two finest lambs to your sons for their efforts"
The hunter and his sons were ecstatic and eagerly accepted their new pets.

The next morning the farmer got up to check his sheep. He expected more
problems but found none. Everything was peaceful and quiet.
He looked toward the hunters house and an amazing sight greeted his eyes.
The hunter had built a large cage outside the house.
The dogs were sleeping in it locked up and leashed securely.

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The Lucky/Unlucky Farmer

A long, long time ago, there was a kind old man who lived on the plains outside the Great Wall of China. The gentle old man had only two passions in his life: collecting rare breeds of horses, and his son, whom he loved more than anything else.

The old man and his son would ride their horses every day. They would travel great distances to trade horses, meet new people, and enjoy the good fortune that life had bestowed upon them.

One morning, a servant left the stable door open and one of the old man’s favorite stallions escaped. When the neighbors heard the news of the stallion’s escape, they came to comfort the old man. They told him they were sorry he had had such bad luck.

But strangely enough, the gentle old man was not upset. He explained to his neighbors that losing the horse wasn’t necessarily bad luck. There was no way to predict that the horse would escape, it just happened, and now there was nothing that could be done about it. “There is no reason to be upset,” said the old man. The neighbors soon realized that there was nothing they could do to help get the horse back, and that they shouldn’t feel sad for the old man’s misfortune.

One week later, the stallion came back, and he brought with him a mare. This was not just any mare, but a rare and valuable white mare. When the neighbors heard of the old man’s good luck, they quickly came to congratulate him. But again, the old man was not excited. As he had explained before, it was not necessarily good luck that had brought him this new and beautiful white horse. It just happened, and there was no reason to get excited over it. Still a bit puzzled, the neighbors left as quickly as they had come.

A short time later, while his son was riding the white horse, she slipped and fell. She landed on the son’s leg, and broke his leg, so that he would always walk with a limp. Again, the neighbors came to the old man’s house to give their sympathy for the bad luck that had befallen his son. One of the neighbors suggested that the old man sell the mare before anymore bad luck could happen, and others said that he should take his revenge and kill the mare. However, the old man did neither. He explained to the neighbors that they should not feel sorrow for his son, nor anger towards the mare. It was purely an accident that could not be predicted, and there was nothing he or they could do to change it. At this point, the neighbors thought the old man was crazy and decided to leave him alone.

Two years later an enemy invaded the country, and all of the old man’s neighbors were drafted to defend the country against the attack. Because the old man’s son was lame, he did not have to join in the fighting. The war was very bad, and most of the old man’s neighbors were killed, but his son was spared because he had been hurt by the white horse two years earlier.

Very often, when an event takes place that everybody thinks is good luck, the end results are disastrous. In the same way, an unlucky event can bring about happiness. Therefore, you should not lose your will to continue if an unlucky event happens, nor should you be too overjoyed or feel too self-satisfied because of a lucky event, or because something that you desire comes very easily to you.

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Posted by SooBahkDon


The Unmovable Block

Once there was a stonemason carving away at a block of stone, sweating away in the sun.
As the day went on he became hotter and hotter and began to lose his temper as he swung
his hammer against the chisel.
He looked up impatiently at the sun and thought, If only I could be the sun instead of sweating it out down here.

Before he could complete the thought, however, something miraculous happened and he did indeed become
the sun, shining up on high in the blue sky.
It felt great for a little while until some clouds came along and obscured his view of the Earth below.
He thought, Clouds have it all, they can take away the power of the sun.

Before he knew it , he became a cloud that separated the sun from the Earth and he felt the moisture
of the water droplets and a delightful floating feeling.
But then came a strong wind and it blew him clear across the sky and there was nothing he could do about it.
He thought, Being a cloud isn't all it's cracked up to be. If only I could be the wind.

Naturally, he then became the wind. Blowing clouds across the sky, creating ripples on lakes and
bending tree branches backwards with his gusting power.
But then he came upon a large stone block that he couldn't even make tremble, no matter how hard he blew.
He thought, This rock is superior to me in strength. If only I could be this stone block, my strength would be unmatched.

At once he became the stone block. He felt the wind pushing against him in vain and felt content
that no one could push him around anymore.
Yet even as he felt the feeling of strength and stability that came with being a stone block he soon
had a rude awakening.
The chisel from the stonemasons hammer came thumping down on him.
He lost a fragment of stone and thought,
If only I could be that stonemason, he's got all the power.

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Posted by SooBahkDon


The Talkative Turtle

Once there lived a turtle who was always talking.
His endless chatter annoyed the creatures who shared the pond, and they avoided him.
He spent his days mumbling to himself as he climbed in and out of the water.

One day two visiting geese landed along the shore.
The turtle admired their sleek feathers and spent many hours praising their beauty.
At last, to avoid the turtles ceaseless chatter, the geese prepared to fly off to another pond.
"Take me with you!", cried the turtle. "I am lonely here and you are fine company."

"How can we do such a thing?", asked the birds. "You cannot fly."
"Nothing is impossible", said the turtle. "I will think of a plan."

To the amazement of the geese, the turtle said,
"It is quite simple. First let us find a long strong stick.
Each of you can hold one end of it in your beaks. I will then bite hard in the middle.
When you fly up together, I will cling to the center of the stick with my strong mouth.
That way you can carry me over the trees, and we can land in the pond of your choice."

The geese replied, "What a ridiculous idea. You could fall to your death."
The turtle protested, "I will not fall. My mouth is strong.I will hold on tightly."

"Your mouth is strong from endless talking.", squawked the geese. "You will be safe only if you can keep your mouth shut."

The turtle indignantly replied, "You think that I cannot keep quiet, but I can. I am not a fool.
I know when to be silent and when to speak. Admit it. My idea is excellent. Be kind enough to
let me try my invention and fly with you. You have nothing to lose."

"Very well.", said the geese. "But we cannot guarantee your safety on this journey."

"Then go and get the stick", ordered the turtle. "You will see how quiet I can be when silence is important."

The geese flew off and returned with a long, strong stick. They each took an end in their beaks.
The turtle clamped his mouth onto the middle. As the geese flapped their wings and flew
into the air, the dangling turtle went up too.

Soaring high above the trees, they were a vision to behold.
Some children at play looked up and saw the strange trio. "Look!, Look!", cried one child.
"Two clever geese are carrying a turtle on a stick."
Another child chimed in. "What brilliant birds! They thought of a way to carry turtles!"
Another cheered, "Good thinking geese, such smart animals!!"

As the turtle heard the children's voices, their words infuriated him.
Outraged, the turtle exploded with sound.

"IT WAS MY IDEA.",  he sputtered on his descent.

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Posted by SooBahkDon
The Wooden Bowl

The day had come when the old man would go to live with his son and his son's young wife.                                                                     
"As long as I have family around me" , the old man said wiping a tear from his eye,
I will be happy. Perhaps there is still enough strength in these old limbs to
help you a bit on your farm. I want to be useful."
Each day the old man did as much work as his body would allow, and each night he sat
with his son and his son's wife at dinner.

Soon the day had come when his  grandson was born. The old man held the child with great care.
"Be careful how you hold him, as your hands are trembling.", said the young wife.
The old man had noticed it too.
The dull pain he felt in his joints had increased each day, and now his hands were betraying him.
"Don't drop him.", exclaimed the wife, who worriedly snatched the child away.

After that the old man's changes came quickly. His son tried to ignore his father's aging.
By the time the grandson could walk, the old man could not stride any longer into the barn.
His steps were slow, his back was beginning to stoop. He worked as he could but accomplished little.
Now the son and his wife were left to tend the fields alone from early hours to sunset.
The old man tended the little boy but could hardly keep up with him.

One night after a grueling day in the fields, the son and his tired wife sat down to a hastily prepared dinner.
The boy sat next to his grandfather as the wife placed a large pot filled with their supper on the table.
Grandfather tried to ladle some out, but his hands trembled so much that he toppled the pot onto the dusty floor.
"How clumsy.", the wife shouted as she cleaned up the mess.

As the old man's condition worsened, he began to drool. The wife sat him at a small table in the corner
away from the rest of the family as they ate.
One night the old mans trembling hands knocked his porcelain bowl off of his little table.
It landed with a crash and broke on the floor.
The wife went out to the barn and got the wooden bowl used for chicken feed.
She filled it with food and served the old man another supper.
"Now here is one you can't break.", she said as her husband stared silently into the distance.

One day when the child was older and had learned to speak, his mother and father found him
industriously chipping with a stone at two chunks of wood.
"What are you doing?", the boys father asked.
"I am making you each a present.", the son replied.
"What could it be?", the mother asked with delight.
"I am making two wooden chicken-feed bowls
for you and papa to eat from when you are old."  said the boy.

The boys words stunned the father, The future loomed before him, and he saw himself old and forgotten.
When his vision cleared, he noticed his frail father sitting alone in the corner.
He gathered the old man in his arms and led him to the table and set a place for him with their best dishes.
That night as the young boy watched, his father fed the old grandpa tenderly with a silver spoon.
He handed his wife a cloth napkin, and she gently wiped the old man's drooling lips.

From that day on, they both treated the old man with the same kindness and respect
they hoped to receive from their own son in their elderly years.