{"id":20796,"date":"2018-08-18T07:49:39","date_gmt":"2018-08-18T14:49:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/?p=20796"},"modified":"2018-08-18T08:29:43","modified_gmt":"2018-08-18T15:29:43","slug":"dave-oneals-poem-review-of-introduction-to-zen-koans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2018\/08\/dave-oneals-poem-review-of-introduction-to-zen-koans.html","title":{"rendered":"Dave O’Neal’s Poem Review of Introduction to Zen Koans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

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Introduction to Zen Koans: Learning the Language of Dragons<\/a> by James Ishmael Ford (Somerviille, MA: Wisdom, 2018) 262 pages.<\/p>\n

The Buddha he done touched the ground
\nAnd not the other way around,
\nWhen asked the witness to his art
\nAnd that\u2019s the most important part.<\/p>\n

This book don\u2019t even mention koans until page seventy and seven,
\n\u2018tis apropos as they are not the only way to knock at heaven\u2019s
\nGates. From somewhere else they came you see.
\nFrom China, when Zen hit it, oh so naturally.<\/p>\n

And Zen it came from somewhere too,
\nFor Buddhism<\/a> the same is true.
\nThat time the Buddha touched he earth,
\nHe imaged all the human search.<\/p>\n

The Buddha he done touched the ground
\nAnd not the other way around,
\nWhen asked the witness to his art
\nAnd that\u2019s the most important part.<\/p>\n

Dave O\u2019Neil
\n18 August 2018<\/p>\n