I’ve been rereading the introduction of Zen Sand: The Book of Capping Phrases for Koan Practice by Victor Sogen Hori, a long-time practitioner of Rinzai Zen in Japan, and reflecting on the “capping phrase” process that we’re using for the present 100-day training (finding a phrase to express our practice-as-it-really-is each week). Meanwhile, the study focus now is from the source of the Soto stream, Dogen-zenji, and these lines from Genjokoan: “To convey the self toward the 10,000 dharmas to... Read more

What Zen practice has to offer is a way of deeply reflecting on our lives, through our lives, and leaping free of the cages we make for ourselves. There are many other things too but that’s the main course. Why do we need that? Nine months ago it wasn’t only John McCain who was saying, “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.” Most “experts” thought we’d have a normal little recession and then get back to wanton consumption and debt,... Read more

There are no barbs in this old wire. Zen is really fishing without hook. Speaking of which, it’s Day 2 of the current 100 days and here’s the first post on the Genjokoan. I’ll be posting a summary of the work from the Thursday night Genjokoan study group, usually on Fridays. During the next week, the local and virtual participants will post comments. Usually these posts will be more focussed on the Genjokoan. In this first session, however, we had... Read more

After the offerings of incense, tea (Evening in Missoula), sweet hot water, and a chocolate cookie we will bow three times. Then the officiant will offer some dharma words. Here’s what I’ll say tonight: You came to Minnesota to reveal the pure dharma wind, sitting, talking, and dying. We were born from your single utterance. Due to your great determination to continue walking, whether the circumstances were good or bad, we continued walking.  You said, “You are you, anyway.” I... Read more

The title of today’s post comes from a tombstone in New England that I heard about on “This American Life” some years ago. I think of it today because March 1 was the nineteenth anniversary of Katagiri Roshi’s death. We’ll be commemorating him during the first session of the 100-day training that starts tomorrow (with quite a lot of good energy) and I’ll probably post my dharma words here on Friday. Ceremony, including the ceremony preparation, really brings up and... Read more

What is real zazen? What is using zazen to rehearse our pathology? The only way to answer that question is to undertake a process of discovery under the guidance of a teacher and in careful and deep reflection on the sayings of our dharma benefactors. Here’s a selection from Dogen’s Extensive Record that I think is an important pointer. The old boy answers the above question with the ultimate standard. 343. Dharma Hall Discourse Buddhas’ and ancestors’ zazen is not... Read more

Author Bill Holm died last week very near Minneota, Minnesota, where he was born and raised. In an essay of his that I’m rereading, “The Music of Failure: Variations on an Idea,” in The Heart Can Be Filled he says, “At fifteen, I could define failure fast: to die in Minneota, Minnesota.” Bill was from Icelandic stock and lived there for a while as a young man. He writes with a clear and steady eye. It’s a style of writing... Read more

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