Helping

One day Chao-chou fell down in the snow and called out, "Help me up! Help me up!" A monk came and lay down beside him. Chao-chou got up and went away.

—From The Little Zen Companion

This is one of my favorite koans, and one that I'm sure has more meaning than I have found so far. Besides illustrating the peculiar zen sense of humor, it also shows that the first step towards escaping a bad situation is realizing that you're not alone in it. (Note: The Japanese call Chao-Chou 'Joshu')