A couple days ago at work I was cleaning the coffee maker in my office by running vinegar through it. After the first person came in and said, “Wow, that smell brings me back. I’m in my grandmother’s kitchen in Louisiana in 1960 and she’s cooking greens,” I began to ask each passing guest what they were reminded of by the smell. One person said, “I’m thinking of my dad on a hot summer day while we were growing up.... Read more
Before the noon meal during sesshin the Katagiri Roshi way, we rise from zazen, offer incense, do three prostrations, and chant the “Self Enjoyment Samadhi” section of Dogen’s Negotiating the Way (Bendowa). It includes the lines (a quote, really, unattributed here to Dogen’s teacher, Rujing), “From the start of your consultation with a wise teacher, have no recourse whatsoever to burning incense, prostrations, buddha-mindfulness, repentances, or sutra reading. Just sit and attain the sloughing off of mind and body.” One... Read more
President’s Day off and I’m getting a bit silly! Here’s a new rendition of an old country classic. See the words below for a Zen sing along. Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be zennies Don’t let ’em fluff zafus and work them old koans Make ’em be doctors and lawyers and such Mama don’t let your babies grow up to be zennies They’ll never stay home and they’re always alone Even with someone they love Zennies... Read more
Here are a couple bald eagles about a week back on a cold and windy day. This pair has hung around all winter, staying quite close to their nest and seeming to hunt together. They pay no heed whatsoever to this old baldy and dog Bodhi. Speaking of baldies, I met an old friend today for coffee. He’s a retired Episcopalian minister and did a decade in a Catholic monastery when he was just out... Read more
“When perceiving one side, the other side is concealed.” So says old Dogen in his Genjokoan (translated variously but by Heine’s work cited below as Spontaneous Realization of Zen Enlightenment). This little gem is quite a fulcrum for understanding dharma practice and making it real or as Dogen puts it in “Bendowa,” “The endeavor to negotiate the way as I teach now, consists in discerning all things in view of enlightenment, putting a unitive awareness into practice in the midst... Read more
A deep thanks to Koun for his wholehearted, uncompromising effort to express his impersonal heart here in the last two posts. I enjoyed having Koun guest blogging and hope that he’ll offer more in the future – like any time. Or maybe he’ll do his own blog. Clearly, Koun has an important perspective that is not usually heard or seen in the blogging world and although reading blogs is not training in authentic practice, at least bloggers can serve by... Read more
In a recent email exchange with Dosho, I made an offhand comment about “authentic practice.” Dosho, very reasonably, then asked me to explain what I mean by that. I want to acknowledge that there are lots of practices which I consider “authentic,” and that authentic practice can take lots of different forms in lots of different contexts. That said, my simple answer is that authentic practice has (at least) these two components: 1. Authentic practice is radically, emphatically impersonal. This... Read more
It’s a pleasure to introduce Koun Franz to you as a guest blogger. This is great fun for me because Koun is fine, young priest and in my crystal ball, I see him as an important emerging figure. He’s 100% shikantaza, Japan-Soto trained. This background gives him quite a different perspective, I think you’ll agree. Koun was born in Helena, Montana, but has spent more than half of his adult life in Japan. From 2006 to 2010, he served as... Read more
This question has been up again for me lately because of a couple opposing currents that I’ve noticed in the culture and my work world, namely careful process monitoring vs. the results only work environment. So here’s a quick bit about these and their relevance for Zen training. I’ve long felt that the “Zen Master” title gets flung around way too wantonly in the West, btw, so let me confess that prejudice at the outset. Malcolm Gladwell wrestles with the... Read more
Thursday, March 1, 7pm – Sunday, March 4, 1pm, 2012, at the lovely Deep Spring Temple near Pittsburgh, PA. In this sesshin, we’ll commemorate the 22nd year memorial of Katagiri Roshi’s death. In that spirit, the focus will be to review the Buddhadharma (what is the essential point?) and to renew our practice. Dosho will give the dharma talks and offer dokusan. Suggested donation: $150. Please contact [email protected] for more information or to register. Read more
Wild Fox Zen
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