My lost Zen

My Lost Zen?

Who among Rinzai’s descendants really transmits his Zen?
It is concealed in this blind Donkey. Straw sandals a bamboo stuff, an unfettered life –
You can have your fancy chairs, meditation platforms and fame and fortune Zen.
(what is the significance of the blind donkey, of the straw sandals, of the bamboo staff?)

The question

The myriad things return to one? Where does the one return too?
When I was in Ching Chau I made a cloth shirt, it weighed seven pounds
(try to imagine the cloth shirt, the making of the cloth shirt, from the choosing of the cotton seeds, the planting of the cotton, the harvesting, the yarning, the spinning, the weaving of the cloth, and finally the cutting and sewing of the cloth shirt? After all the making of a cloth shirt in true essence involves all these stages – try to imagine the weight of it, can it weight that much, is it a cloth shirt? Did he make a cloth shirt or did he make something else? What are the myriad things, why do they return to one, what is the one?)
“The Question: it stimulates our imagination, it takes us further, it helps us to reach out beyond ourselves, our limit, our capacity – it is the Great Doubt.” Neo Kgwatalala

The Buddhist Vow

The Buddhist Vow

Sentient beings are numberless – I vow to save them all
Delusions are inexhaustible - I vow to cut them all
Dharma gates are limitless – I vow to penetrate them all
The Buddha’s way is unsurpassable – I vow to achieve it.

(About aiming and seeking to achieve the impossible - impossible is impossible as impossible is)
Do you want to save them? How can you save them all?

Legend Of The Appointment In Samarrah

Legend Of The Appointment In Samarrah

A Servant overheard in the market place that death was looking for him,
He raced home and told his master he must flee to the neighboring
town to Samarrah so that death would not find him.

After supper that night there was a knock upon the door.
The master opened it and saw death standing there in his long black robes
And hood.
Death inquired after the servant. “He is ill in bed” lied the master
Hastily “He is too sick to be disturbed”

“That’s odd” said death
“Then he is surely in the wrong place, for I had an appointment with him tonight at midnight in Samarrah”

Mirror in the sky

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THIS SONG – I HOPE IT INSPIRES YOU AS IT DOES ME.

LANDSLIDE By Stevie Nicks

I took my love, I took it down

Climbed a mountain and I turned around

I saw my reflection in the snow covered hill

still the landslide brought me down

.

Oh, mirror in the skyWhat is love

Can the child within my heart rise above

Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides

Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing cause

I’ve built my life around you

But time makes you bolder

Children get olderI’m getting older too

Oh, take my love, take it down

Climb a mountain and turn around

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well the landslide will bring it down

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills

Well maybe the landslide will bring it down

It touches a place deep inside me where I am most vulnerable, and it just always gives me goose bumps – the imagery is breathtaking and awesome.
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