A Zen Secret to Happiness

From the Happiness PhD Project with Jackson Kerchis...

Hi friend — while I was living with Zen monks I heard a story that sums up the subtle art of happiness…

A young monk set out to learn the secret of Happiness from the wisest Zen master in the land. He traveled for weeks, crossing mountains and streams, until he reached a great temple.

Upon arriving he found a vibrant scene: monks sweeping the halls, visitors sharing tea and stories, birds singing in the garden, and the fragrance of fresh incense drifting through the air.

The Zen master was speaking calmly with a group of guests, and the young seeker had to wait for three hours before being granted an audience.

When at last he sat before the master, he explained why he had come. The master listened kindly but said that now was not the right moment to teach him about Happiness.

Instead, he handed the seeker a pair of chopsticks. Between them, he delicately placed a single grain of rice.

“Explore the temple and come back in a few hours” said the master. “But I ask one thing of you: do not drop this grain of rice.”

The young seeker bowed and set off, eyes fixed on the chopsticks. He moved carefully along stone paths, through breezeways and halls, up and down the steps, never looking away from the grain of rice. After some time, he returned to the master.

“So,” asked the master, “did you see the rock garden raked just this morning? Did you see the painted scrolls in the hall of ancestors? Did you hear the wind chime in the cedar tree?”

The seeker blushed. He had seen none of these things. His only thought had been not to drop the grain of rice.

“Then go again,” said the master gently. “But this time, notice the world unfolding around you in all its grace and wonder.”

Feeling calmer, the seeker bowed once more and walked again through the temple. This time he noticed the beauty around him—the care in the arrangement of flowers, the slow ripple of waves in the pond, the way the light filtered through old wooden beams. When he returned, his eyes shone with wonder, and he eagerly described what he had seen.

The master smiled as he said, “And the grain of rice?”