![](\"https:\/\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/_0uPSljNE9f4\/SyBNgn8mr0I\/AAAAAAAAAuI\/Aab4tgwAMn0\/s1600-h\/1209091341.jpg\")
<\/a>That\u2019s really all I\u2019ve got to say today. The photo was taken with G\u2019s cell phone so you see what you see. Goodness, I love that doggie!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\nBut while I\u2019m at it, another little item that has been up recently is about the upcoming \u201cDharma Encounter\u201d on December 17 here at the wild-fox house and December 19 at the webinar (said portion not to be recorded, me thinks at present) with which we\u2019re going to end both modes of the present 100 day practice periods.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n It interests me how something like this gets people\u2019s attention, as well as love and hate, and beyond.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And that\u2019s the point, I suppose, of many Zen forms. Ringing bells and wearing robes, making a ritual of something very normal like two people meeting for a few moments in this fleeting life seems to summon some energy to help us rise up from our usual stinky, corpse-like lives for a few minutes, at least. Playing full out, as Steve frequently says. Scares up formations too that we thought long since transcended by our deep zazen \u2013 that\u2019s the love and hate and beyond part. And somehow in the midst of forms we can (sometimes) see them, let go, and feel so good about our practice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And then go back to bitching about our lot in life as soon as possible. Hate the winter. People suck. Zen is stupid and a waste of time. Etc.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Nevertheless, one of the really old guys, Bodhidharma, sat in this cave for nine years, we\u2019re told, from about 108 to 117 years old. Believe it? Anyway, after working with his students \u2013 both those with one and two arms \u2013 for nine years, he said something like, \u201cAlright already, go\u2019l darn it, come forward and express your understanding \u2019cause I\u2019m about to keel over and die.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Then each student came forward in turn (note this is inspired by the Daily Show<\/i> \u2013 partly truth and partly fiction):<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Daofu said, \u201cMy present view is, without being attached to the written word or being detached from the written word, one still engages in the function of the way.\u201d Now among other upside down things, Dogen says this:<\/span><\/span> That\u2019s really all I\u2019ve got to say today. The photo was taken with G\u2019s cell phone so you see what you see. Goodness, I love that doggie! But while I\u2019m at it, another little item that has been up recently is about the upcoming \u201cDharma Encounter\u201d on December 17 here at the wild-fox house and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
The Ancestor said, \u201cYeah, blah, blah, blah! I\u2019m about to die and you\u2019re still stuck in your cotton pickin\u2019 head. Damn. Brother, how do you do it? Anyway, you\u2019ve got my skin.\u201d
The nun Zongchi (also the daughter of Emperor Wu and my personal favorite) said, \u201cMy present understanding is, it\u2019s like \u00c2nanda seeing the land of the Buddha Akshobhya:\u00a0 seen once, it isn\u2019t seen again.\u201d
The Ancestor said, \u201cDang, that is<\/i> beautiful. Sweetheart, you\u2019ve got my flesh.\u201d
Daoyu said, \u201cThe four great [elements] are originally empty; the five aggregates are nonexistent.\u00a0 My view is that there\u2019s not a single dharma to attain.\u201d
The Ancestor said, \u201cAre you deaf too? Didn\u2019t you get a clue from hearing Daofu? Anyway, you\u2019ve got my bones.\u201d
Finally, Huike, after making three bows, stood in his place.
The Ancestor said, \u201cAre you copying the end of the Genjokoan? And that\u2019s one lame bow you\u2019ve got there! Anyway, you\u2019ve got my marrow.\u201d
Consequently, [Bodhidharma] made him the Second Ancestor, transmitting the dharma and transmitting the robe.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
What is said to the four is equal from the beginning.\u00a0 While the words of the Ancestor are equal, the four understandings are not necessarily equal.\u00a0 While the four understandings may be \u201cin pieces,\u201d the words of the Ancestor are just the words of the Ancestor. <\/i>
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