Monthly Archives: August 2012

Aug 26 – Sept 1

Learning is like a design in water, contemplation like a design in the side of the wall, meditation like a design in a stone.

– Adept Godrakpa, Hermit of Go Cliffs

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 28, 8:30am
Friday Aug 31, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 9, “The Path of Compassion”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #98: “Tempyo’s Two ‘Wrongs'”

Master Tempyo was on an angya [1] and visited Sai’in. (He was always saying, “Don’t say you have understood Buddhism. I have sought after someone who could give correct explanations, but in vain.”)

One day, Sai’in saw him at a distance and summoned him,

“Jyui! [2]”

Tempyo raised his head.

Sai’in said, “Wrong!”

Tempyo went on a couple more steps.

Sai’in said again, “Wrong!”

Tempyo came closer. Sai’in said,

“I have just said, ‘Wrong!’ twice. Does it mean that it is I who am wrong, or it is you?”

Tempyo said,  “It is I.”

Sai’in said, “Wrong!”

Tempyo said nothing. Sai’in said,

“Please stay here for the summer [3]. I’ll examine the two ‘Wrong!’s with you.”

However, Tempyo immediately left him.

Later he was the abbot of his own temple and said to his assembly,

“As I was once on an angya, I was driven by the wind of fate and came to Elder Shimyo [4], who cried to me, ‘Wrong!’. Moreover, he demanded that I stay with him for the summer to examine this matter with him. I didn’t believe I had done anything wrong then. But when I was on my way down south, I realized quickly that I had done something entirely ‘wrong’.”

[1]: A traditional pilgrimage in order to deepen the practice.

[2]: Tempyo’s personal name.

[3]: I.e., a summer sesshin for three months.

[4]: I.e., Sai’in.

 

 

Aug 19 – 25

Phenomena  of superficial samsara don’t exist — yet appear! Great Wonder! 

– Milarepa, Drinking the Mountain Stream

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 21, 8:30am
Friday Aug 24, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 8, “The Jeweled Necklace”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #44: “Kasan’s Beat the Drum”

Kasan, giving instruction, said,

“Practicing and learning — it is called ‘hearing’ (mon); completing learning — it is called ‘being next to the fact’ (rin).

When you have passed through these two, it is called ‘true passing’ (shinka).”

A monk stepped forward and asked, “What is the ‘true passing’?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum.”

He asked again, “What is the true Reality?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum.”

He asked again,

“I do not ask about the sentence, ‘Mind itself is Buddha.’ What does ‘Neither Mind nor Buddha’ mean?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum.”

He asked once more,

“When someone who knows the ultimate Truth comes, how should we receive him?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum!”

Aug 12 – 18

Like clouds disappearing into the sky, cognition absorbs into emptiness’ sphere.

– Tsongkhapa, The Spendor of an Autumn Moon

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 14, 8:30am
Friday Aug 17, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 7, “White Elephant Prize”.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #30: “Daizui’s Kalpa Fire”

A monk asked Daizui, “When the great kalpa fire bursts out, the whole universe will be destroyed. I wonder if IT will also be destroyed or not.”
Daizui said, “Destroyed.”
The monk said, “If so, will IT be gone with the other?”
Daizui said, “Gone with the other.”
A monk asked Ryusai, “When the great kalpa fire bursts out, the whole universe will be destroyed. I wonder if IT will also be destroyed or not.”
Ryusai said, “Not destroyed.”
The monk said, “Why is it not destroyed?”
Ryusai said, “Because it is the same as the whole universe.”

Aug 5 – 11

“Each of you is perfect the way you are … and you can use a little improvement.”

– Shunryu Suzuki

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 7, 8:30am
Friday Aug 10, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 6.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #70: “Shinsan asks about Nature”

Master Shinsan asked Master Shuzan [1], “After you have clearly known the unborn nature of life, why are you still attached to life?”

Shuzan said, “The bamboo shoot necessarily becomes a bamboo. But is it possible to make a bamboo rope [2] already out of a bamboo shoot? [3]”

Shinsan said, “Later you will realize it yourself.”

Shuzan said, “My view is just as I said. What is your view?”

Shinsan said, “This is the temple steward’s quarters, and that is the cooks’ quarters.”

Shuzan made a deep bow.

[1]: The two masters were Dharma brothers.

[2]: A rope made out of thin bamboo tops.

[3]: That is, I am still “a bamboo shoot”; you cannot make “a bamboo rope” out of me.