Category Archives: Uncategorized

Feb 2 – 8

Leave a reply
Wisdom has three stages. The first one is knowledge acquired by hearing or reading. We reach the second stage when we make this knowledge our own by taking its guidelines to heart and trying to actualize them through thought, speech and action. As we do this more and more, our thoughts, words and deeds are purified, and the third and highest stage of wisdom arises. 
 
-Ayya Khema, Be an Island

Practice Meetings

Thursday Feb 6, 8:30am

Friday Feb 7, 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #4

Deshan Carrying a Bundle

Deshan arrived at Guishan carrying under his arm his vestment bundle and went up into the Dharma Hall.  From the east he crossed to the west. From the west he crossed to the east.  He turned his head to look around and observe and said “Without, without.”  (alt.”Nothing, nothing” or “Not, not.”) Then he exited.

Deshan got to the main gate and turned back saying, “I should not get careless either.”

Then he prepared for a dignified ceremony and again entered to meet together.  Guishan sat.  Next Deshan lifted and unfolded his sitting paraphenalia (i.e., a sitting cloth or very thin mat) and said, “Venerable.”

Guishan intended to take up the whisk.  Deshan then shouted and shook (pun with whisk) his sleeves and then exited.

Deshan turned his back on the Dharma hall, put on his straw sandals, and then went on foot.  When evening arrived, Guishan asked the Head-Seat monk,   “The coming and going newcomer, where is he?”

The Head-Seat said, “At that time he turned his back and withdrew from the Dharma hall; wearing his straw sandals he exited and went away besides!”

Guishan said, “In that case, then, the son will afterwards be guided to ascend to the top of a solitary peak to tie and weave a grass hut where he will have leave to laugh at the Buddhas and revile the ancestors.”

Jan 26 – Feb 1

Leave a reply
When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change
 
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Practice Meetings

Thursday Jan 30, 8:30am

Friday Jan 31, 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #86

Rinzai’s Enlightenment

Rinzai asked Ôbaku, “What is the great meaning of the Buddha-Dharma?”

Ôbaku hit him. This happened three times.

Rinzai then took his leave and went to see Daigu. Daigu asked,

“Where have you come from?” Rinzai said, “From Ôbaku.”

Daigu said, “What did Ôbaku have to say?” Rinzai said, “I asked him three times, ‘What is the great meaning of the
Buddha-Dharma?’ and I got his stick three times. I don’t know if I was in error or not.”

Daigu said, “Ôbaku was overly gentle like an old grandmother; he completely exhausted himself for your sake. Yet you come here and ask if you were in error or not!”

With these words, Rinzai came to great enlightenment.

Jan 12 – 18

Leave a reply
When we fall on the ground it hurts us, but we also need to rely on the ground to get back up.
 
-Kathleen McDonald, How To Meditate

Practice Meetings

Thursday Jan 16, 8:30am

Friday Jan 17, 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #11, Book of Serenity #53

Huangbo’s Slurping Dregs

Huangbo instructed the assembly and said, “You people of various ranks are fellows who indeed slurp the dregs of the wine to the limit. In this way you travel about on your feet. At what place is today?  Do you even know that within the great nation of Tang there are no Zen teachers?”

At that time there was a monk who stood out and said, “But there seems to be in the various directions those who correct disciples and guide assemblies, how do they make it come alive?”

Bo said, “I did not say no Zen; only no teachers.”

Jan 5 – Jan 11

Leave a reply
Try to be reasonable in the way you grow, and don’t ever think it’s too late. It is never too late. Even if you are going to die tomorrow, keep yourself straight and clear and be a happy human being today. If you keep your situation happy day by day, you will eventually reach the greatest happiness of enlightenment.
 
-Lama Thubten Yeshe, The Bliss of Inner Fire

Practice Meetings

Thursday Jan 9, 8:30am

Friday Jan, 10 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #76

Danxia Possesses Eyes

Danxia asked a monk, “From what place have you come?”

The monk said, “I come from down the mountain.”

Xia said, “Have you finished eating the cooked rice or not?”

The monk said, “I’ve finished eating the cooked rice.”

Xia said, “Did the person at the bottom who came with the cooked rice to give to you to eat also possess eyes?”

The monk was speechless.

Changqing asked Baofu, “As the person, who gives the cooked rice to eat, announces the benevolence of having a share, how does [that one] not possess eyes?”

Fu said, “The one who gives and the one who receives are both two blind fellows.”

Changqing said “Having come to use up all their opportunities, they still become blind don’t they?”

Fu said, “Are you saying we’re getting blind?”

Xuedou’s ode says:

Using up the opportunities is not becoming blind.
By laying a hand on the ox’s head to eat the grass,
All of the 28 and the six founding masters,
Came to uphold the precious vessel and complete fording across errors.
Fording across the depths of errors,
There is no place to seek.
Heaven (Devas) above and people are in the same in between space sinking on the shore.          
A workshop.
A wink.

Dec 29 – Jan 4

Leave a reply
If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.
 
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Practice Meetings

Thursday Jan 2, 8:30am

Friday Jan, 3 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #7

Yakusan Ascends the Rostrum

Yakusan had not ascended the rostrum for a long time. The temple steward said, “All the assembly has been wishing for instruction for a long time. Please, Master, give your assembly a sermon.”

Yakusan had the bell rung. The assembly gathered. Yakusan ascended the rostrum and sat there for a while. Then he descended and returned to his room.

The temple steward followed him and asked, “You said a while ago that you would give the assembly a sermon. Why didn’t you speak even a word?” Yakusan said, “For sutras, there are sutra specialists; for sastras, there are sastra specialists. Why do you have doubts about this old monk?”

Dec 15 – 21

Leave a reply
Because you are alive, everything is possible.
 
-Thich Nhat Hanh

Practice Meetings

Thursday Dec 19, 8:30am

Friday Dec, 20 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #81

Yaoshan Sees an Arrow

A monk asked Yaoshan,

“In a level field of shallow grass a great stag and the deer became a herd.  So how is one able to shoot and get the great stag among the great stags?”

Shan said, “Look… an arrow.”

The monk lay down his body then rolled over.

Shan said, “Attendant, drag out this dead fellow.”

The monk then departed swiftly.

Shan said, “What limit is there for this fellow’s playing with mud balls?”

Dec 8 – 14

Leave a reply
The pillow for his bed
is a rock from mid-stream;
 
the spring from the well-bottom
flows to a pond through bamboo.
 
The night is half gone,
but the guest hasn’t slept;
 
he alone hears
the mountain rain arrive.
 
Chia Tao, When I Find You Again, It Will be in Mountains

Practice Meetings

Thursday Dec 12, 8:30am

Friday Dec, 13 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #23

Roso Faces The Wall

Whenever Roso saw a monk coming, he immediately sat facing the wall.

Hearing of this, Nansen said, “I usually tell my people to realize what has existed before the kalpa of emptiness, or to understand what has been before Buddhas appeared in the world.

Still, I haven’t acknowledged one disciple or even a half. If he continues that way, he will go on even until the year of the donkey.”

Dec 1 – 7

Leave a reply
A hundred thousand worlds are flowers in the sky,
a single mind and body is moonlight on the water;
once the cunning ends and information stops,
at that moment there is no place for thought.
 
Han-Shan Te-Ch’ing, The Clouds Should Know Me By Now

Practice Meetings

Thursday Dec 5, 8:30am

Friday Dec, 6 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #93

Shiso Does Not Understand

Roso asked Nansen,

“People do not recognize the Mani-jewel. I picked it up myself in the Tathagata treasury. What is this treasury?”

Nansen said, “Old Master exchanges questions and answers with you. That’s it.”

Shiso said, “How about when there is no exchange of questions and answers?”

Nansen said, “That’s also the treasury.”

Shiso said, “What is the jewel?”

Nansen said, “Reverend Shiso!”

Shiso replied, “Yes!”

Nansen said, “Get out. You don’t understand my words.”

Nov 17 – 23

Leave a reply
Eventually we will find (mostly in retrospect, of course) that we can be very grateful to those people who have made life most difficult for us.
 
Ayya Khema, When the Iron Eagle Flies

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Nov 19, 8:30am

Friday Nov 22, 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #69

Nansen’s Cats and Oxen

Nansen instructed the assembly and said:

“All the buddhas of the three worlds do not know that there is. Only the cats and oxen know that there is.”

Nov 10 – 16

2 Replies
A monk asked , “The mountains, the rivers, and the great earth — from where did all these things come forth?”
Tiantai said, “From where did this question come forth?”
 
Zen’s Chinese Heritage

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Nov 12, 8:30am

Friday Nov 15, 7:00pm

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #69

Nanquan Draws a Circle

Nanquan, Guizong, and Magu together went to do customary respects to National Teacher Zhong.  Stopping half way, Nanquan drew the image of one circle on top of the dirt and said, “If you’re able to say then we’ll leave.”

Guizong sat in the middle of the circle image.  Magu then did the bow of a woman.

Quan said, “Is it like this?  The standard is not to leave!”

Guizong said, “What is going in your mind?”