POSTED on 10 Nov 2001

Following was received from Rev. Seigen Yamaoka, Oakland Buddhist Church. It's a wonderful story for your Dharma School students.


This story was the result of a simple question. Have you ever seen a ghost? A little girl responded and said, "They are white and go booooo!"

From that interchange this story developed.

Henrietta

Henrietta was a ghost who wanted to be loved. She wanted to be a friendy ghost just like her cousin, Casper. She lived in an old house that everyone said that it was haunted. No one came close to the house. Her big chance to find a friend was Halloween.

She went up to a little boy and girl ghost. She tapped the boy on the shoulder. The boy shivered and said, "did you tap me on the shoulder?" The little girl said, "No."

"I'm here! It's me Henrietta and I want to be your friend!" The boy and girl kept on doing trick or treatl They didn't notice, Henrietta.

Soon, the boy and girl came to the scary old house. It was dark. No one went there. But, the boy and girl decided to go.

"This is my home," shouted Henrietta, "thank you for coming!" The boy knocked on the door. There were strange noises coming from inside the house, but no one opened the door.

"No one is opening the door, but someone is inside Let's leave," said the girl. "But leave some candy for the people inside." The boy left half of his candy and they started to leave.

"Thank you!" said Henrietta and hugged both of them.

"Did you feel something warm," the brother asked the sister.

"It felt like a warm hug," said the sister, "it sre is strange around here."

Henrietta was happy. She couldn't pick up the candy or eat it, but she was full inside She felt loved.
This Hallowee let us be good Buddhists and share our gifts with others, even ghosts.

As a result of this story, the following happened on Halloween Day.


Sensei, Your wonderful Dharma talk last Sunday inspired this event on Halloween.

Masao (age 7) and Christopher (age 4) went trick or treating together and when they got to one house they rang the bell. They waited and waited and finally a man came tothe door and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't have any candy for you. I shouldn't have had the light on. Do you know any tricks?" Masao said, "No Happy Halloween." Cristopher said, "No candy?" and they left.

Masao said, :"Hey mom, why don't we leave some candy at this door like Sensei said?" I said, "Let's think about it after we finish trick or treating."

Later, on our way home, we were passing by the same house. I said, "Masao, if you still wat to leave candy, why don't you ring the bell? If you just leave it by the door, no one will want to eat candy that was on the ground." Christopher was too tired, so Masao went by himself up the stairs and rang the bell. He waited and waited and I thought no was going to answer. But the man opened the door again. Masao said, "Are you the guy who doesn't have any candy? and he said, "Yes," amd Masao said, "OK, here's some candy," And gave him a handful of candy.

The man was so surprised, He said, "That's very sweet of you." I was so happy and proud of Masao. The best part was Masao felt so happy all the rest of the evening. He experienced the happiness of Dana. Maybe that is why we parents all enjoy Halloween so much. A night for giving to total strangers who come to your door.

I asked Masao if it was OK to send you this story in an email and he said, "Does Sensei have a computer?" And I assured him you did. He then authorized me to send this story to you.

Thank you for your story. You always make a terrific impact on us all, young and less young, whether you know it or not. Happy Halloween, Sensei.

Reflections: Joys in life can come from many directions, but the meaning of
life can come from only one...a self embraced by life.

Have a good day.

Gassho,,
Seigen Yamaoka

** NEW IN THE LIBRARY CHILDREN'S BOOKS**

Just in time for summer reading, the Ekoji Buddhist Temple Library has
received in the following books for children. The books will be made
available starting Saturday, July 8. Reviews are courtesy of Amazon.com
except where noted.


Wisdom of the Crows
Ages 4-8
Ranging from short Zen parables to longer folktales with dragons, goddesses,
and talking animals, these tales explore Buddhist themes of compassion,
humor, enlightenment, and life after death. This beautifully illustrated book
is perfect for anyone interested in Buddhist ideas--and anyone who enjoys a
good story.

Buddha stories
Ages 4-8
Filled with wisdom and insight, this beautiful collection of fables will
continue to educate and entertain children for years to come. The author has
retold ten of the Buddha's parables and illustrated them in gold and indigo,
in the tradition of the most ancient Buddhist texts.

I Once Was a Monkey
Ages 4-8
Known as Jatakas, or birth stories, these six fables are those Buddha
originally told to his disciples when occasion arose to illustrate his
teachings. Each retelling features animal characters and an incarnation of
the Buddha from an earlier life, usually as an animal himself. From the tale
of the clever monkey outwitting a crocodile to that of a bird and turtle
rescuing a friend, these amusing parables embody some of the central tenets
of Buddha's philosophy.

Silent Lotus
Ages 4-8
Inspired by the 12th-century temple at Angkor Wat, the author sets a tale in
long-ago Kampuchea (Cambodia). Lotus is lovely, but silent from the day she
is born. However, by quickly comprehending her parents' gestures, she learns
to represent her name with her hands; ultimately, she finds a worthy calling
when she becomes a dancer at the king's palace, telling ``tales of gods and
kings'' with her graceful gestures. The author illustrates this simple but
pleasing story with elegantly decorative paintings, bright with subtly
contrasted color.

The Empty Pot
Ages 4-8
In a satisfying, accessible tale, all the children of the land are given
seeds to grow for the old emperor; unbeknownst to them the seeds are
incapable of germinating. Ping is chosen to be the next emperor when he is
the only one who has the courage to come before the ruler with an empty pot.
The story, gracefully and sparely told, is accompanied by delicately detailed
artwork.

Golden Goose King
Ages 9-12
Chidren will findThe Golden Goose King an unusual story of how the Buddha
achieved enlightenment, retelling the classic with an adaptation for
juveniles. Good reading skills are a requirement here, but any interested in
teaching kids about Eastern traditions and stories will find this a solid
starting point.

Adventures of Monkey King (young adult version)
Ages 9-12
Monkey King is no ordinary monkey. He can change into any shape he wants.
He can jump on a cloud and fly to heaven. He has a magic rod which he stores
in his ear. He can defeat the nastiest ogre in battle.

Piggy is no ordinary pig. He has a nine-pronged hoe that can kill anyone.
Piggy has an appetite that no amountof food can satisfy.

Monk Tang is a kind and honest person. He needs the help of these two
naughty companions as he travels west, facing wicked bears and evil spirits.

Join the journey of this colorful group as they encounter one thrilling
adventure after another.

Adventures of Monkey King has delighted adults and children for over 400
years. It is the most popular of Chinese folk novels. Written by Wu
Cheng-en in the 16th century, it is retold here by R.L. Gao.

Note: A few of the reviews on Amazon.com of Monkey King make note of its
violent content. For example, in one episode the monkey king kills a priest
by hitting him over the head. But the violence is in small doses, in single
sentences. Overall this book is whimsical and magical, the dominant theme is
spiritual quest. --V.Lee

Adventures of Monkey King (adult version)
Ages 12 & Up
This is the adult version of the classic Chinese folktale of a magical Monkey
who acts as a guide to the Buddhist monk Tripitaka as he makes a perilous
journey to India to obtain Buddhist scriptures. This is the review from the
NYTimes:

Probably the most popular book in the history of the Far East, this classic
combination of picaresque novel and folk epic mixes satire, allegory, and
history into a rollicking tale. It is the story of the roguish Monkey and
his encounters with major and minor spirits, gods, demigods, demons, ogres,
monsters, and fairies. This translation, by the distinguished scholar Arthur
Waley, is the first accurate English version; it makes available to the
Western reader a faithful reproduction of the spirit and meaning of the
original." --Helena Kuo