Collected by the author over many years, these stories from the Yoga and Zen traditions are the flint and steel that strike a spark that lights up the mind with insights that one should ponder daily to bring to light ever deeper meaning. They may be similar in intent to Zen Koans but they are rather different in content.In many Zen Koans someone says or does something extraordinarily inappropriate, which catches your attention just because it's extraordinary but afterwards the light from them has to be applied to daily life. In contrast, the stories here are often ordinary incidents from ordinary lives (not that there aren't some extraordinary ones too!) that nevertheless open the mind's eye to the vast potential for realization and inspiration to be found in daily life.The PicturesThe pictures featured throughout this book were brushed by Jacques Allais in the Suiboku style, in which he was an acknowledged expert. The innate beauty of this ancient monochrome ink-painting technique lies in its subtlety of expression, in which infinitely more is suggested than is drawn on the page making it the perfect vehicle for focusing meditation practice as well as an ideal complement to the stories in this book.

Trevor represented the British pioneering spirit of a bygone age, exploring and embracing Eastern culture and philosophy, and writing extensively and accessibly about it.Judo teacher, author, translator, and head of the BBC's Japanese Service for 24 years, he was one of the very first Europeans to study martial arts in Japan. He was attached to the British Embassy there at the outbreak of WW2 and experienced a period of internment, although being Trevor, he used the time to improve his judo skills with his guards.After repatriation, he was involved in establishing the first secret'Psy-Ops' group with the'Ministry of Information' and after the war he combined teaching judo with working for the BBC.He began his writing career at the beginning of the sixties as he stopped practicing Judo and become increasing interested in Eastern philosophy.His first book 'A first Zen reader' was published in 1960, and he went on to publish more than thirty books on similar subjects.Before his death in 2000, Trevor had received accolades from the Japanese Government for services to promoting Japanese culture in the UK and had an excellent biography on his life and works published in the 1980's.Truly a pioneer and a Japanophile, Trevor's' books are essential reading for anyone wishing to further their interest in the culture and history of Japan, Judo, Zen and Buddhism,