Practice Meetings
Tuesday Jun 18, 8:30am
Friday Jun 21, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 48, “Covering Mud with Straw”.
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #73 & Book of Serenity #6
“Mazu and the Hundred Negations”
A monk asked Grand Master Mazu,
“Abandoning the four phrases and renouncing the 100 negations, I beg Master to directly point to the meaning of that First Certain Someone’s coming from the West.”
Master Mazu said, “Today, I toiled and am weary and do not have the energy to explain it for you. Take the question to Zhizang and go away.”
The monk asked Zhizang.
Zang said, “Why don’t you ask the Venerable?”
The monk said, “The Venerable instructed me to come and ask.”
Zang said, “Today my head aches, and I don’t have the energy to explain it for you. Take the question to Elder Brother Hai and go away.
The monk asked Elder Brother Hai.
Hai said, “I arrived at this side, but still I don’t understand.”
The monk raised it to show to Grand Master Mazu.
Master Mazu said, “Zang’s head is white; Hai’s head is black.”