Thursday Aug 14, 8:30am
Friday Aug 15, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #96
Joshu’s Three Turning Words
Joshu taught the multitude with three turning words:
The clay Buddha does not pass through water.
The gold Buddha does not pass through the furnace.
The wood Buddha does not pass through fire.
Practice Meetings
Thursday Aug 7, 8:30am
Friday Aug 8, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #80
Joshu’s Rushing Water
A monk asked Joshu, “When first born, does the infant also possess the sixth consciousness or not?”
Joshu said, “A ball strikes the surface of the rushing water.”
The monk, in repeating this, asked Touzi, “So what was the meaning and purpose of ‘A ball strikes the surface of the rushing water?’”
Touzi said, “Moment by moment, unceasing flowing.”
Buddha
Practice Meetings
Thursday July 31, 8:30am
Friday Aug 1, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #59
Joshu’s Why Not Quote to the End?
A monk asked Joshu, “The Far-reaching Way is without difficulty, only rejecting picking and choosing. Just when there is language there is picking and choosing. So what is used for people, Venerable?”
Joshu said “Why don’t you quote these words to the end?”
The monk said, “I only recall up to this part.”
Joshu said, “Only this, The Far-reaching Way is without difficulty, only rejecting picking and choosing.”
Chögyam Trungpa
Practice Meetings
Thursday July 17, 8:30am
Friday July 18, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #57
Joshu Alone and Honored
A monk asked Joshu, “The Far-reaching Way is without difficulty, only rejecting picking and choosing. So what doesn’t pick and choose?”
Joshu said, “Above the heavens, below the heavens, only I, alone and honored.”
The monk said, “This is tantamount to picking and choosing.”
Joshu said, “You field-and-village slave, where is picking and choosing?”
The monk was speechless.
Practice Meetings
Thursday July 10, 8:30am
Friday July 11, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #52
Joshu’s Stone Bridge
A Monk asked Joshu, “For a long time, I’ve heard the report of Joshu’s stone elevated-bridge. I’ve arrived only to see a rough bridge.”
Joshu said, “You only see the rough bridge. For the time being you do not see the stone elevated-bridge.”
The monk said, “So what is the stone elevated-bridge?”
Joshu said, “It ferries across donkeys; it ferries across horses, the bridge.”
Practice Meetings
Thursday June 26, 8:30am
Friday June 27, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #45
Joshu’s Cotton Jacket
A monk asked Joshu: “The 10,000 things return (as their origin point) to the one. To what place does the one return?”
Joshu said, “I was at Qing Province and made one piece of clothing: a cotton jacket weighing 7 pounds.”
Practice Meetings
Thursday June 19, 8:30am
Friday June 20, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #41, Book of Serenity #63
Joshu’s Great Death
Joshu asked Touzi, “So, what about the time when the person of great death returns to the living?”
Touzi said, “It is not permitted to go traveling by night; the light must be cast to arrive.”
Verse In the middle of life there is an eye; turning back is the same as death. Why must the jealous physician do an exam of the family? The esteemed words of the ancient Buddha did not arrive together. One doesn’t know who is let loose to scatter dust and sand.Practice Meetings
Thursday May 29, 8:30am
Friday May 30, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Blue Cliff Record #2
The Real Way is Not Difficult
Joshu, instructing the assembly, said, “‘The Far-reaching Way is without difficulty, only rejecting picking and choosing.’ Only when there is language is there choosing or is there clarity. An old monk does not exist within clarity. Are you still fond of taking sides or not?”
At that time a monk had a question: “Since one does not exist within clarity, what part of taking of sides is there to be fond of?”
Joshu said, “I too do not know.”
Monk said, “Venerable, since you do not know, why do you yet say you ‘do not exist within clarity’?”
Joshu said, “By asking, you are able to draw near the matter; complete the ceremonial bowing and withdraw.”
Practice Meetings
Thursday May 22, 8:30am
Friday May 23, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #37, Book of Serenity #47
The Oak Tree In The Garden
A monk asked Joshu, “What is the meaning of the patriarch’s coming from the West?”
Joshu said, “The oak tree there in the garden.”
Verse Words cannot express things; Speech does not convey the spirit. Swayed by words, one is lost; Blocked by phrases, one is belwildered.Practice Meetings
Thursday May 8, 8:30am
Friday May 9, 7:00pm
This Week’s Koan
Gateless Gate #31, Book of Serenity #10
Joshu Examines an Old Woman
A monk asked an old woman, “What is the way to Taisan?”
The old woman said, “Go straight on.”
When the monk had proceeded a few steps, she said, “A good, respectable monk, but he too goes that way.”
Afterward someone told Joshu about this.
Joshu said, “Wait a bit, I will go and investigate the old woman for you.”
The next day he went and asked the same question, and the old woman gave the same answer.
On returning, Joshu said to his disciples, “I have investigated the old woman of Taisan for you.”