{"id":352,"date":"2009-04-14T10:03:00","date_gmt":"2009-04-14T10:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2009\/04\/not-attaching-to-the-birds-path-and-extending-our-hands\/"},"modified":"2009-04-14T10:03:00","modified_gmt":"2009-04-14T10:03:00","slug":"not-attaching-to-the-birds-path-and-extending-our-hands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2009\/04\/not-attaching-to-the-birds-path-and-extending-our-hands.html","title":{"rendered":"Not Attaching to the Bird’s Path and Extending Our Hands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s something I discovered while poking around for Dungshan\u2019s teaching on the path of the bird. It brings together some of the themes I\u2019ve been rolling out (or rolling around in, depending on your point of view) here recently, including not-doing, the bird thing, \u201cthrusting ourselves through everything as empty,\u201d and extending our hands to serve.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s from a talk by Shigetsu Ein, a Soto Zen master of the 18th century, presenting Dungshan\u2019s Three Paths \u2013 the path of the bird, the hidden path, and path of extending our hands. Shigetsu called it a \u201cNon-Talk on Three Paths\u201d and it is included in The Blue Cliff Record<\/span><\/em><\/a>, p. 634 (I\u2019ve adjusted the translation just a tiny bit):<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026Today you must diligently walk in emptiness. Walking in emptiness is not some special art. Each day when you go into the hall, you should not-chew through a single grain of rice. Not-chewing through a single grain of rice means that there is no breaking of the fast or violation of discipline by arousing mindfulness of tasting flavor. This is called traveling the bird\u2019s path. Travel on the bird\u2019s path is trackless. When you don\u2019t leave your body in the realm of tracklessness, this is a turning point for the practitioner.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter you have arrived here and settled here, there is still one road going beyond. This road is not going or coming; it is what is called \u2018moss growing in the jade palace.\u2019 All the names of the Other Side are temporary names for this. In reality, it is the one road that cannot be touched. That is why we say \u2018hidden.\u2019 And \u2018hidden\u2019 is not a matter of giving a name as its meaning; the realm called the hidden road is the realm of no name or meaning. This is why it is said, \u2018S\/he has no country, s\/he does not abide, dwells in not home.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cTo know this and yet be able to not remain here, to be an example for beings, to inspire and lead them, unify and teach them, is called \u2018extending the hands.\u2019 In extending the hands, there is no separate road. It does not transgress the bird\u2019s path. Traveling the bird\u2019s path by yourself, yet you extend your hands. In the bird\u2019s path there is no separate road; knowing the hidden road yourself, you still don\u2019t transgress it. Dwelling in the bird the bird\u2019s path you don\u2019t sprout horns on your head but always extend your hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cThus the three paths are the cause and effect of the great practice; and cause and effect spreads vast and wide throughout the whole universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s something I discovered while poking around for Dungshan\u2019s teaching on the path of the bird. It brings together some of the themes I\u2019ve been rolling out (or rolling around in, depending on your point of view) here recently, including not-doing, the bird thing, \u201cthrusting ourselves through everything as empty,\u201d and extending our hands to […]<\/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-352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nNot Attaching to the Bird's Path and Extending Our Hands<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here\u2019s something I discovered while poking around for Dungshan\u2019s teaching on the path of the bird. 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