Behind a temple was a vine with many squashes growing on it. One day a fight broke out among them, and the squashes split up into angry groups and made a big racket shouting at one another. Hearing the uproar, the head priest went outside, saw the quarreling, and in his booming voice he scolded them: “Hey! Squashes!  Why are you fighting? Now – everybody do zazen [sit in meditation].”

The master taught them how to sit, showing them how to fold their legs and sit up straight. While the squashes were sitting zazen their anger subsided and they settled down.

Now the teacher quietly said, “Everyone put your hand on top of your head.” When the squashes felt the top of their heads, they found something attached there, which turned out to be a vine that connected them all together. “This is really strange. Here we’ve been arguing when actually we’re all tied together and living just one life. What a mistake!” After that, the squashes all got along with each other quite well.