Tag: Talk

Opening to Love

Here we go from St Francis of Assisi’s Prayer for Peace, to the Zen Koan “I have already become like this”1. From there we accompany “Seven Wise Women in the Charnel Grounds”2 and then see what thirteenth century Zen priest Eihei Dōgen has to say about “Birth and Death” in his fascicle of that name.3

1 Susan Murphy’s take on Case 41 of Transmission of Light from her book Red Thread Zen

2 Case 9 from The Hidden Lamp collection edited by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon

3 “Birth and Death (Shōji)” translated by Arnold Kotler and Kazuaki Tanahashi from Moon in a Dew Drop edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi.

Image by winterseitler from Pixabay

Meeting Yourself Along The Way

This Zen meditation guides you in and takes you tripping along, riding on the breath, through some old Zen stories. Where will you go?

The first is a re-telling of “A Parable” from Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki. This story sets up a persuasive set of circumstances which leads someone (and that someone is us) to discover the completeness of the simple act of enjoying eating a strawberry.

Two koans are featured, both are from The Gateless Gate by Koun Yamada (adapted below).

Case 30 “Mind is Buddha”

Taibai asked Baso in all ernestness, “What is Buddha?” Baso answered, “The very mind is Buddha.”

      VERSE 
      The blue sky, the bright day. 
      It is most detestable to hunt around; 
      If, furthermore, you ask, "What is Buddha?" 
      It is like shouting your innocence while holding the loot.

Case 36 “Meeting a Person Who Has Accomplished the Way”.

Goso said, “If you meet a person on the path who has accomplished the Way, do not greet them with words or silence. Tell me, how will you greet them?”

      VERSE 
      Meeting on the path a person who has accomplished the Way, 
      Do not greet them with words or silence. 
      It is right in your face; 
      If you want to realise, realise on the spot.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

From July 2023