Stop talking, stop thinking. And there is nothing you will not understand.

Return to the root and you will find the meaning; Persue the light and you will lose its source...There is no need to seek truth: Only stop having views.

The saying and stories gathered together in the pages of The Little Book of Zen Wisdom offer the reader a small taste of the profound humour and wisdom of Zen masters from across the centuries.

Whatever words or methods he uses - from the traditional koan (riddle) and mondo (debate) to practical jokes or physical assault - the role of the Zen Master is essentially that of the finger pointing to the moon. In this case the 'moon' is enlightenment or self realization - the letting go of all physical and mental preconceptions so that reality can be experienced both instantly and directly, as it is.

So, whether you choose to dip into these pages at random or read them from cover to cover, give the words of the Zen masters time to roll around your mind so that you can truly savour the taste of Zen.

Or, in the words of the sage Lao-Tzu: Do things wu-wei, by doing nothing Achieve without trying to achieve anything - Savour the taste of what you can not taste.

 Author: John Baldock