We’re all being reborn at every moment. Look upon each morning as a rebirth and we may understand that only this one day exists. What will happen next time is completely dependent upon what we are doing now, therefore only “now” is important. “Now” is the cause; next life is the result. 

– Ayya Khema, Being Nobody, Going Nowhere

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Sep 4, 8:30am
Friday Sep 7, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 10, “Unborn Child”.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #46: “High Pole”

Master Sekiso said,”You are at the top of the 100 foot high pole. How will you make a step further?”

Another Zen Master of Ancient Times said,

“One who sits on top of the 100 foot pole has not quite attained true enlightenment. Make another step forward from the top of the pole and throw one’s own body into the 100,000 universes.”

Learning is like a design in water, contemplation like a design in the side of the wall, meditation like a design in a stone.

– Adept Godrakpa, Hermit of Go Cliffs

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 28, 8:30am
Friday Aug 31, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 9, “The Path of Compassion”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #98: “Tempyo’s Two ‘Wrongs'”

Master Tempyo was on an angya [1] and visited Sai’in. (He was always saying, “Don’t say you have understood Buddhism. I have sought after someone who could give correct explanations, but in vain.”)

One day, Sai’in saw him at a distance and summoned him,

“Jyui! [2]”

Tempyo raised his head.

Sai’in said, “Wrong!”

Tempyo went on a couple more steps.

Sai’in said again, “Wrong!”

Tempyo came closer. Sai’in said,

“I have just said, ‘Wrong!’ twice. Does it mean that it is I who am wrong, or it is you?”

Tempyo said,  “It is I.”

Sai’in said, “Wrong!”

Tempyo said nothing. Sai’in said,

“Please stay here for the summer [3]. I’ll examine the two ‘Wrong!’s with you.”

However, Tempyo immediately left him.

Later he was the abbot of his own temple and said to his assembly,

“As I was once on an angya, I was driven by the wind of fate and came to Elder Shimyo [4], who cried to me, ‘Wrong!’. Moreover, he demanded that I stay with him for the summer to examine this matter with him. I didn’t believe I had done anything wrong then. But when I was on my way down south, I realized quickly that I had done something entirely ‘wrong’.”

[1]: A traditional pilgrimage in order to deepen the practice.

[2]: Tempyo’s personal name.

[3]: I.e., a summer sesshin for three months.

[4]: I.e., Sai’in.

Phenomena  of superficial samsara don’t exist — yet appear! Great Wonder! 

– Milarepa, Drinking the Mountain Stream

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 21, 8:30am
Friday Aug 24, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 8, “The Jeweled Necklace”.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record #44: “Kasan’s Beat the Drum”

Kasan, giving instruction, said,

“Practicing and learning — it is called ‘hearing’ (mon); completing learning — it is called ‘being next to the fact’ (rin).

When you have passed through these two, it is called ‘true passing’ (shinka).”

A monk stepped forward and asked, “What is the ‘true passing’?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum.”

He asked again, “What is the true Reality?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum.”

He asked again,

“I do not ask about the sentence, ‘Mind itself is Buddha.’ What does ‘Neither Mind nor Buddha’ mean?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum.”

He asked once more,

“When someone who knows the ultimate Truth comes, how should we receive him?”

Kasan said, “Beat the drum!”

Like clouds disappearing into the sky, cognition absorbs into emptiness’ sphere.

– Tsongkhapa, The Spendor of an Autumn Moon

Announcement

Retreat! On 2012 Sep 27-30, Zen Teacher Valerie Forstman will be leading a retreat at the Gainesville Retreat Center. More info at the Retreats page.

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 14, 8:30am
Friday Aug 17, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 7, “White Elephant Prize”.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #30: “Daizui’s Kalpa Fire”

A monk asked Daizui, “When the great kalpa fire bursts out, the whole universe will be destroyed. I wonder if IT will also be destroyed or not.”
Daizui said, “Destroyed.”
The monk said, “If so, will IT be gone with the other?”
Daizui said, “Gone with the other.”
A monk asked Ryusai, “When the great kalpa fire bursts out, the whole universe will be destroyed. I wonder if IT will also be destroyed or not.”
Ryusai said, “Not destroyed.”
The monk said, “Why is it not destroyed?”
Ryusai said, “Because it is the same as the whole universe.”

“Each of you is perfect the way you are … and you can use a little improvement.”

– Shunryu Suzuki

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Aug 7, 8:30am
Friday Aug 10, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 6.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #70: “Shinsan asks about Nature”

Master Shinsan asked Master Shuzan [1], “After you have clearly known the unborn nature of life, why are you still attached to life?”

Shuzan said, “The bamboo shoot necessarily becomes a bamboo. But is it possible to make a bamboo rope [2] already out of a bamboo shoot? [3]”

Shinsan said, “Later you will realize it yourself.”

Shuzan said, “My view is just as I said. What is your view?”

Shinsan said, “This is the temple steward’s quarters, and that is the cooks’ quarters.”

Shuzan made a deep bow.

[1]: The two masters were Dharma brothers.

[2]: A rope made out of thin bamboo tops.

[3]: That is, I am still “a bamboo shoot”; you cannot make “a bamboo rope” out of me.

“Practically speaking, a life that is vowed to simplicity, appropriate boldness, good humor, gratitude, unstinting work and play, and lots of walking brings us close to the actual existing world and its wholeness.”

– Gary Snyder, Beat Poet and Zen Practitioner

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jul 24, 8:30am
Friday Jun 27, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path While Cloud, Chapter 4.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity #64: “Zizhao’s ‘Succession'”

Head Monk Zizhao [a disciple of Changqing] asked Fayan, “You have opened a zendo, Master. But who did you succeed to?”
Fayan said, “Master Dizang.”
Zizhao said, “You have gone a great deal against your late master Changqing.” [Fayan had also practiced under Changqing.]
Fayan said, “I still don’t understand a turning word of Changqing’s.”
Zizhao said, “Why didn’t you ask me?”
Fayan said, “‘The one body manifests itself in myriad phenomena’, what does it mean?”
Zizhao stuck up his whisk.
Fayan said, “That is what you learned under Changqing. What is your own view, Head Monk?”
Zizhao was silent.
Fayan said, “When it is said, ‘The one body manifests itself in myriad phenomena’, are the myriad phenomena swept away or are they not?”
Zizhao said, “Not swept away.”
Fayan said, “There are two.”
All the disciples on the right and the left side said, “Swept away.”
Fayan said, “The one body manifests itself in myriad phenomena. Look!”

Comment:

Fayan (“Hogen” in Japanese), b. 885
15th Generation
Lineage: Shitou > Tianhuang > Longtan > Deshan > Xuefeng > Xuansha > Luohan > Fayan
Dharma Siblings: Jinshan Honglin, Xiushan Longji
Also appears in: Gateless Gate #26 (=BOS 27), Blue Cliff Record #7, Book of Serenity #17, 20, 51, 74

Zizhao (“Shisho” in Japanese) and Fayan had both been disciples of Changqing (“Chokei” in Japanese). Changqing, Baofu, Yunmen, and Xuansha (Fayan’s Dharma “grandfather”) were all Dharma “brothers” of each other — and Dharma “sons” of Xuefeng (“Seppo” in Japanese). Zizhao had stayed with Changqing. Fayan moved on to study under Dizang (a.k.a. Luohan; “Jizo” in Japanese).

“We’re unkind; we’re manipulative; we’re dishonest. If we saw that this very life we lead is the face of God itself, we would not be able to behave such ways — not because of any commandment or prohibition, but just because we see what life is.”

– Joko Beck

“In this moment, is your view life-centered or self-centered?”

“When you grieve over someone’s death, is it wholly the loss of the person you’re mourning, or in part the loss of your own dreams?”

– Ezra Bayda and Josh Bartok

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jun 12, 8:30am
Friday Jun 15, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special, “Dorothy and the Locked Door,” p. 258.

We’ll be discussing Nothing Special until early July, then we’ll start on Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (Parallax Press, 1991). To order a copy from Amazon, click here.

This Week’s Koan

Gateless Gate #26, Book of Serentiy #27: “Two Monks Roll Up the Blinds”

A monk once went to the Great Fayan of Jingliang before the midday meal to ask for instruction.
Fayan pointed to the bamboo blinds with his hand.
At that moment, two monks who were there went over to the blinds, and rolled them up in the same manner.
Fayan said, “One has gained, one has lost.””

Comment:

Fayan (“Hogen” in Japanese), b. 885
15th Generation
Lineage: Shitou > Tianhuang > Longtan > Deshan > Xuefeng > Xuansha > Luohan > Fayan
Dharma Siblings: Jinshan Honglin, Xiushan Longji
Also appears in: Blue Cliff Record #7, Book of Serenity #17, 20, 51, 64, 74

Wumen’s Verse (from Gateless Gate).

The blind being rolled up, bright clarity penetrates the great empty space.
Yet the great empty space still does not match the principle of our sect;
It is far better to throw away emptiness and everything completely,
And with a tight fit, never to let the wind pass through.

Tiantong’s Verse (from Book of Serenty):

Pines are straight, branbles are crooked; cranes are tall, ducks are short.
In the age of the ancient emperors, people forgot about both government and anarchy.
Such peace — a hiddendragon in the abyss;
Such freedom — a soring bird sheds its tether.
Nothing can be done about the Patriarch’s coming from the West —
Within, gain and loss are half and half.
Reeds go along with the wind, turning in the air,
The boat cuts off the lfow and reaches the shore.
Spiritually-sharp mendicants here,
Observe Fayan’s method.

“As the door opens, we see that the present is absolute and that, in a sense, the whole universe begins right now, in each second. And the healing of life is in that second of simple awareness. Healing is always just being here, with a simple mind.“

– Joko Beck

Practice Meetings

Tuesday Jun 5, 8:30am
Friday Jun 8, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special, “Simple Mind,” p. 255.

We’ll be discussing Nothing Special until early July, then we’ll start on Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (Parallax Press, 1991). To order a copy from Amazon, click here.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record, #25: “Lianhua’s Staff”

The hermit of Lotus Peak [Lianhua] took up his staff and showed it to the assembly, saying, “When the old ones [the great Zen personages of old] reached this point, why didn’t they dare to remain here?”
The assembly was silent.
He himself answered in their stead, saying, “Because that has no power on the Way.”
Again he said, “After all, how is it?”
Once more he himself answered in their place, saying, “With my staff across my shoulders, and, paying other people no heed, I go straight into the thousand and ten thousand peaks.”

Comment:

Lianhua (“Rengeho” in Japanese), b. 906
15th Generation
Lineage: Shitou > Tianhuang > Longtan > Deshan > Xuefeng > Yunmen > ?? > Lianhua
Dharma Siblings: None of record.

At one level the staff represents the ego. At another level the staff represents enlightenment. Either way, the great Zen masters didn’t remain there.

Xuedou’s Verse:

His eyes filled with sand, his ears with clay,
Even among the thousand mountains he does not remain.
Falling blossoms, flowing streams: he leaves no trace.
Open your eyes wide, and you’ll wonder where he’s gone.

“There’s no technique that will save us, no teacher who will save us, no center that will save us. There’s no anything that will save us. That’s the cruelest blow of all.”

– Joko Beck

Practice Meetings

Tuesday May 29, 8:30am
Friday Jun 1, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special, “From Drama to No Drama,” p. 249.

We’ll be discussing Nothing Special until early July, then we’ll start on Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (Parallax Press, 1991). To order a copy from Amazon, click here.

This Week’s Koan

Blue Cliff Record, #90: “Zhimen and the Essence of Prajna”

A monk asked Zhimen, “What is the essence of prajna?”

Zhimen said, “The oyster swallows the full moon.”

The monk said, “What is the action of prajna?”

Zhimen said, “The hare conceives by the full moon.”

Comment:

Zhimen (“Chimon” in Japanese), b. 927
15th Generation
Lineage: Shitou > Tianhuang > Longtan > Deshan > Xuefeng > Yunmen > Xianglin > Zhimen
Dharma Siblings: None of record.
Appears also in: Blue Cliff Record #21.

Zhimen was Xuedou’s teacher — Xuedou (“Setcho” in Japanese, b. 980), was the compiler of the Blue Cliff Record. So it’s possible that the “monk” in this case might have been Xuedou himself.

“Essence”: substance or nature.
“Action”: activity or function.
“Prajna”: wisdom.
The “essence of prajna” would be wisdom based on grasping absolute oneness and emptiness. The “action of prajna” would be wisdom based on present-moment mindfulness.

According to a Chinese folk tale, the oyster rises to the surface of the sea at the time of the full moon, swallows the moonlight, and conceives a pearl. In another folk tale, the hare conceives its young after swallowing the light of the full moon.

“When we forget one thing, we have forgotten everything. Without it, nothing else works. It’s hard to give it a name. We might call it wonder.”

– Joko Beck

Practice Meetings

Tuesday May 15, 8:30am
Friday May 18, 7:00pm

This Week’s Reading

Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special, “Chaos and Wonder,” p. 239.

We’ll be discussing Nothing Special until early July, then we’ll start on Thich Nhat Hanh, Old Path White Clouds: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (Parallax Press, 1991). To order a copy from Amazon, click here.

This Week’s Koan

Book of Serenity, #76: “Shoushan’s Three Verses”

Shoushan instructed his assembly and said, “If you attain the first verse, you will be the teacher of buddhas and patriarchs. If you attain the second verse, you will be the teacher of heaven and humankind. If you attain the third verse, you cannot save even yourself.”

A monk asked, “Which verse did Your Reverence attain?”

Shoushan said, “The moon is set at midnight; I walk alone through the market place of the city.”

Comment:

Shoushan (“Shuzan” in Japanese), b. 926
15th Generation
Lineage: Mazu > Baizhang > Huangbo > Linji > Xinghua > Nanyuan > Fengxue > Shoushan
Dharma Siblings: None of record.
Appears also in: Gateless Gate #43 and Book of Serenity #65.