The Lantern
A short Zen-inspired story about finding the courage to move forward without seeing the whole path.
A young Zen student was preparing to leave on a long journey alone.
On the night before his departure, he went to his teacher.
"I'm afraid. I don't know what awaits me on the road."
The teacher handed him a small lantern.
"Come with me."
They walked beyond the monastery. The night was dark, and the lantern illuminated only a few steps ahead.
The student stopped.
"I can't see the end of the path."
"That's true," said the teacher.
"Then how will I know I'm going the right way?"
The teacher pointed to the ground illuminated before his feet.
"Can you see your next step?"
"Yes."
"That's enough."
They continued walking.
With every step they took, another small part of the path emerged from the darkness.
Only then did the student understand.
He had always imagined that courage meant seeing the entire road and being certain where it would lead.
But perhaps courage was something much simpler —
to see only the next step,
and take it anyway.
You don't always need to know where the road will lead. Sometimes it is enough to have the courage to illuminate the next step.
A story inspired by Zen wisdom
An original Ohananda story inspired by Zen teachings on presence, uncertainty and acting without demanding certainty. It is not an authentic historical Zen anecdote and is not attributed to the Buddha, a historical Zen master or any specific teacher.
Zen practice returns attention from imagined futures to what is immediately here: the ground beneath us and the step that can be taken now.
What is the next step you can see clearly enough to take?
