Practice Meetings
Tuesday Jun 4, 8:30am
Friday Jun 7, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 46, “A Handful of Simsapa Leaves”.
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #3, Book of Serenity #36
“Master Ma Was Restless”
Great Master Ma was restless.
The chief of the courtyard asked, “Venerable, so what have your esteemed hopes of recent days been?
Great Master said, “Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha.”
Practice Meetings
Tuesday May 28, 8:30am
Friday May 31, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 45, “Opening the Door”.
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #33
“No Mind, No Buddha”
A monk asked Baso, “What is the Buddha?”
Baso answered, “No mind, no Buddha.”
Practice Meetings
Tuesday May 21, 8:30am
Friday May 24, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 44, “The Elements Will Recombine”.
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #30
“Mind is Buddha”
Daibai asked Baso, “What is the Buddha?”
Baso answered, “This very mind is the Buddha.”
–Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English
Practice Meetings
Tuesday May 14, 8:30am
Friday May 17, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 43, “Everyone’s Tears Are Salty”.
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #18, Book of Serenity #85
“The National Teacher’s Stupa Pattern”
Emperor Suzong asked National Teacher Zhong, “After your 100 years, what object ought to be in place?”
The National Teacher said, “Build a particular seamless stupa to give to this old monk.”
The Emperor stated, “Please teacher, what is the pattern of the stupa?”
The National Teacher was quietly respectful for long time and said, “Do you understand?”
The Emperor said, “I do not understand.”
The National Teacher said, “I have handed down the Dharma to my disciple Danyuan,, however he is fully acquainted with this business. Please decree that the question goes to him.”
Afterwards, the National Teacher passed into transformation.
The Emperor decreed that Danyuan be asked, “What is this meaning?”
Yuan said, “South of Xiang river, north of the lake,”
Xuedou’s attached words say, “A single palm does not make the sound of waves.
“In the middle there is gold sufficient for the whole nation.”
Xuedou’s attached words say, “A staff shaped in the mountains.”
“Below the shadowless tree, we’re united in the same boat.”
Xuedou’s attached words say, “A peaceful sea, a clear river.”
“Above the Crystal Palace, there is no knowledge.”
Xuedou’s attached words say, “Picking it up is finished!”
Xuedou’s Ode says:
Looking back at the seamless stupa is difficult. The clear and still deep pool does not allow the green dragon to coil up (within it). The floors go down and down, the reflections go round and round, For 1,000 ancient ages, 10,000 ancient ages, people take part in watching over it.–Master Hsing Yun, Describing the Indescribable
Practice Meetings
Tuesday May 7, 8:30am
Friday May 10, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 42, “Love Is Understanding”.
This Week’s Koan
Book of Serenity #42
“Nanyang and the Water Jug”
A monk asked National Teacher Chû of Nanyô, “What is the essential body of Vairocana
Buddha?”
National Teacher said, “Pass me that water jug.”
The monk passed him the water jug.
National Teacher said, “Put it back where it was.”
The monk asked again, “What is the essential body of Vairocana Buddha?”
National Teacher said, “The old Buddha is long gone.”
Practice Meetings
Tuesday Apr 30, 8:30am
Friday May 3, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 41, “Cover the Land in Gold”.
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #99
“The National Teacher Taming and Driving”
[Yuanwu’s] Appended pointer says:
A test is raised for examination:
Raised:
Emperor Suzong asked National Teacher Zhong, “So what is the ‘The Taming and Driving One’ of the ten bodies [of Buddha]?”
The National Teacher said, “Patron, the supreme practice of surpassing stepping on Vairocana’s crown.”
The Emperor said, “[This] solitary person does not understand.”
The National Teacher said, “[One] never recognizes one’s own self’s pure and clear Dharma-body.”
Practice Meetings
Tuesday Apr 23, 8:30am
Friday Apr 26, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 40, “Cover the Land in Gold”.
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #17
“National Teacher’s Three Calls”
The National Teacher called his attendant three times, and three times the attendant responded.
The National Teacher said, “I long feared that I was betraying you, but really it was you who were betraying me.”
Mumon’s Verse
He carried and iron yoke with no hole And left a curse to trouble his descendants. If you want to hold up the gate and the doors, You must climb a mountain of swords with bare feet.Practice Meetings
Tuesday Apr 16, 8:30am
Friday Apr 19, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 39, “Waiting for Daybreak”.
This Week’s Koan
Book of Serenity #5
“Qingyuan’s Price of Rice”
A monk asked Qingyuan,
“What is the essence of Buddhism?”
Qingyuan said,
“What is the price of rice in Roryô?”
Practice Meetings
Tuesday Apr 9, 8:30am
Friday Apr 12, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 38, “O, Happiness!”.
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #29
“Not the Wind, Not the Flag”
The wind was flapping a temple flag, and two monks started an argument.
One said the flag moved, the other said the wind moved;
they argued back and forth but could not reach a conclusion.
The Sixth Patriarch said, “It is not the wind that moves, it is not the flag that moves; it is your mind that moves.”
The two monks were awe-struck.
Mumon’s Verse
Wind, flag, mind, moving, All equally to blame. Only knowing how to open his mouth, Unaware of his fault in talking.Practice Meetings
Tuesday Apr 2, 8:30am
Friday Apr 5, 7:00pm
This Week’s Reading
Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds, Chapter 37, “A New Faith”.
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #23
“Think Neither Good Nor Evil”
The Sixth Patriarch was pursued by the monk Myõ as far as Taiyu Mountain.
The patriarch, seeing Myõ coming, laid the robe and bowl on a rock and said,
“This robe represents the faith; it should not be fought over. If you want to take it away, take it now.”
Myõ tried to move it, but it was as heavy as a mountain and would not budge. Faltering and trembling, he cried out,
“I came for the Dharma, not for the robe. I beg you, please give me your instruction.”
The patriarch said,
“Think neither good nor evil. At this very moment, what is the original self of the monk Myõ?”
At these words, Myõ was directly illuminated. His whole body was covered with sweat.
He wept and bowed, saying,
“Besides the secret words and the secret meaning you have just now revealed to me, is there anything else, deeper still?”
The patriarch said,
“What I have told you is no secret at all. When you look into your own true self, whatever is deeper is found right there.”
Myõ said,
“I was with the monks under Õbai for many years but I could not realize my true self. But now, receiving your instruction, I know it is like a man drinking water and knowing whether it is cold or warm. My lay brother, you are now my teacher.”
The patriarch said,
“If you say so, but let us both call Õbai our teacher. Be mindful to treasure and hold fast to what you have attained.”
Mumon’s Verse You cannot describe it; you cannot picture it; You cannot admire it; don’t try to eat it raw. Your true self has nowhere to hide; When the world is destroyed, it is not destroyed.