Treat others with the mind of giving, and practice doing works that have no reward.

– Master Baek, In Polishing The Diamond

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Nov 27, 8:30am
Friday Nov 30, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 21, “The Lotus Pond”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #20: “The Enlightened Man”

Shogen asked:

“Why does the enlightened man not stand on his feet and explain himself [stand up for Zen]?”

And he also said:

“It is not necessary for speech to come from the tongue.”

Mumon’s Verse

If you remember nothing else, always remember this one great secret of spiritual practice: we don’t have to feel any particular way. We don’t have to have special experiences, nor do we have to be any particular way. With whatever arises, whether it’s pleasing or not, try to remember that all we can do is experience and work with whatever our life is right now. No matter what life is and no matter how we feel about it, all that matters in practice is whether we can honestly acknowledge what is going on, and then stay present with the physical experience of that moment.

– Ezra Bayda

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Nov 13, 8:30am
Friday Nov 16, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 20, “The Deer”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #4: “A Beardless Foreigner”

Wakun complained when he saw a picture of the bearded Bodhidharma:

“Why hasn’t that fellow a beard?”

Mumon’s Verse

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Nov 6, 8:30am
Friday Nov 9, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 19, “Tangerine of Mindfulness”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #8: “Keichu’s Wheel”

Getsuan said to this students:

“Keichu, the first wheel-maker of China, made two wheels of fifty spokes each. Now, suppose you removed the nave [hub] uniting the spokes. What would become of the wheel? And had Keichu done this could he be called the master wheel-maker?”

Mumon’s Verse