Nothing to Attain: Zen Stories of Faith and Understanding

An exploration of the Zen Buddhist path through classic stories of the tradition—from the esteemed Zen teacher Reb Anderson.

We all fully possess the wisdom and virtues of the buddhas. This is our original nature. It is completely pure and always accessible, but because of misconceptions and attachments we do not realize it.

In the great Buddhist text the Lotus Sutra , there is a striking parable that expresses this idea. A child leaves his home village and becomes a destitute young man. Years later, he comes upon his father, who has moved to a new city and become quite wealthy—but he doesn’t recognize him. His father, however, recognizes the son, and sees his potential to become a great man. Slowly, his father trains him in the ways of maintaining the household, and slowly, the son gains confidence in himself. One day, having witnessed the son’s growth in character, his father tells him, “From now on, you and I are to be no different.” He reveals the truth of their family bond and bequeaths all his wealth to his son.

We already are what we most deeply yearn for, and yet we need training to recognize this truth—such is the essence of the Zen spiritual path. Informed by a lifetime of practice, this mature reflection explores key aspects of Zen training—including the guidance of the teacher, the taking of precepts, the study of the mind, and the cultivation of compassion—through the lens of the parable of the destitute son. With insightful reflections on additional Zen stories, as well as the author’s own life stories and memories of such legendary teachers as Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and Daini Katagiri Roshi, Nothing to Attain offers readers a new way of looking at their own spiritual path—not as a journey to a foreign destination but as a homecoming to the place we’ve always belonged.