Events

The whole meaning of my life is sitting here writing this copy for the newsletter? I would have hoped for more. Maybe I need to look into what “whole meaning” means.

Sun Face Buddhas live for 1800 years, Moon Face Buddhas is live for one day—which would you rather be? It is said that the mind is like tofu and takes the shape of its container, but the point isn’t the shapes that it takes, nor the shape that our minds take.

Just as salt and soy sauce bring out the flavors of what they are put on, our practice brings out the flavors of our life. What is salt and soy sauce in your life?

Wumen said, “‘What is awakening?'” you ask. Hiding the loot, you declare your innocence.” Got any loot you’re hiding?

That effortless way sloths hang from branches is like the effortless way my meditation practice keeps me company, especially when I’m doing not-doing anything. Just hanging around with a koan.

The Jewish tradition has been about asking questions from the beginning. I can feel a resonance with the Chan spirit of inquiry and questioning of koan practice. In the Jewish tradition some of the highest praise you can receive is to hear someone say to you, “That’s a good question.”

The student said, “I’m only a student, I don’t understand.”
Shitou said, “I don’t either.
Do you?

As I think about Linji, and how he was literally kicked out of his teacher’s interview room the only three times he went in for a conversation, how could he not think there was something lacking in him?

Dongshan is saying that Buddha is not feeling well. That would be from the perspective of grass being everywhere. But from the perspective of no grass for ten thousand miles, there is no sickness.

At the end of a retreat, whether it be ninety days or seven days, a question that is often asked is, “How can I keep this going after I leave?” How can I keep this way of experiencing when I go out of the gate?