Wild Fox Zen
On the way to work, I listened to an old Katagiri Roshi talk on Dogen’s Baika (Plum Blossoms) and found a few gems.
First, Roshi stumbled around trying to remember a poem. “You know,” he said, “the 19th Century French poet.”
One of his listeners immediately said, “Rimbaud.”
Clearly, there were more poets in France in the 19th Century … but here’s the poem:
It has been found again.
What? – Eternity.
It is the [sound of the] sea fled away
With the sun.
Roshi’s translation had the [sound of the] part that I don’t find in any online translations. Don’t know about the French but I like that twist.
Then there’s what follows that isn’t a poem Roshi intended to write – just his way of talking:
Total manifestation of life –
Tree in the garden.
Total manifestation of death –
Winter in Minnesota.
Roshi also did a free association on how boxing and Zen were alike. “Not the punching,” he said, “but just like in boxing, foot work is very important. Very important…. Your spiritual foot work must be light.”
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