Vine of Obstacles Zen (Page 9)

Menzan Zenji and Dainin Roshi on "The Acupuncture Needle of Zazen"

Don't Stray and Diligence Will Be Boundless

Another dharma nugget for you today, again from Dahui's Shobogenzo. I'll soon be moving on from this focus, although will probably return to it from time to time. The review that I've been preparing for months is almost cooked and I'll post

Dahui's Shobogenzo

What are the Three Treasures?

You might be surprised. This nugget is also from Dahui's Shobogenzo. The master here, Sanjiao Zhisong, is in the Linji branch, 16th generation in China, 45 from the Buddha. [610] Master Sanjiao was asked by a monk, “What are the Three Treasures?” He said, “Rice, wheat, and beans.

Dahui's Shobogenzo

Bowl With No Handle

"You are Buddha" - how can this be grasped? On this point (and lack thereof), another nugget from Dahui's Shobogenzo. The master in the koan below, Dalong Zhihong, is a 12th generation successor of the great Deshan Xuanjian. [598] Master Dalong was asked by a monk,

Dahui's Shobogenzo

Not Moving Suchness

I took the above photo a few days ago and when I reread the passage from Dahui's Shobogenzo below, it came to mind as the "just right" companion. The master who gave the talk below, Fojian, is a 21st generation teacher in China (50th since the

Season Change at the Hermitage

Dahui's Shobogenzo

I am not here

Keizan

Mind is Such

Here is a short passage from Keizan's Record of the Transmission of Illumination (Denkoroku), Chapter 9. I stumbled on it again last night and it struck me as a wonderful summary of the path. This is from Bodiford's translation (modified, of course): "The followers of

Recent Photos from the Neyaashi Zen Hermitage Environs

Hongzhi

Línjì’s True Person

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Going Through the Mystery

Going Through the Mystery's One Hundred Questions Update

Turning the light around

Turning the Light Around for a Moment

Last week, I posted a Dogen verse here about turning the light around - an essential instruction for zazen across Zen lineages and across time. Below you'll find another such reference by Letan Hongying (1012-1070), Linji Lineage, Huanglong Branch, nineteenth generation in China, forty-eighth since Buddha. His phrase,

Dogen

A Little Mercy Now: Turn the Light Around

Dahui's Shobogenzo

Conceiving Interpretations Pursuant to Words

Here's another piece from Dahui's Shobogenzo, this one continues the theme about Soto and Rinzai distinguishing characteristics, probably the last on this for now. Zhenjing was a Rinzai master in the forty-third generation in China. Whether his words about Soto are praise or criticism, well, that&

Don't Press the Wind

Dahui's Shobogenzo

Totally Unshakable

Sleeping in the Zendo Turns Out Pretty Darn Well

Meiho

The Zazen Instructions of Meiho Sotetsu: Like a Flying Bird with No Mind to Twitter

Greetings Subscriber, We're on vacation this week, but I wanted to share this with you. It's a follow -up to the Meihō bio and notes that I posted last week. This is from a really early translation (1963) of some Zen texts. I've made

Simplicity Zen Interview

Here's my interview by Berry Crawford - because I've talked and written about my background ad nauseum, we skipped that usual part of the Simplicity Zen podcasts and pretty much right to the main points about my views about the present Zen world.

Outer and Inner Layer Utterly Dropped Off: The Awakening Meihō Sotetsu Zenji

Directly Hitting the Mark: Jikige Jōtō

Here is an excerpt from my first book from way back in 2009, Keep Me In Your Heart Awhile: The Haunting Zen of Dainin Katagiri, that digs into an important Sōtō teaching. It highlights a Dōgen teaching we worked through during this past retreat: Dōgen Zenji’s tenth of ten

Transforming Through Play

In our Vine of Obstacles study of Dōgen's "Guidelines for Studying the Way," we noted Dōgen's point about transforming through play, that which is sometimes called "transforming through play samadhi" (遊戯三昧). The Digital Dictionary of Buddhism has this about that: “To sport,

Lineage Winds

Suzuki Roshi

Suzuki and Nakagawa Roshis Calling Buddha's Name and Bowing Together

Given my interest in One School Zen, I like to gather stories along those lines. The following is one that I stumbled on while searching for something else. It's another involving one of our Soto Zen founders in the US, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and his last visit with

Nakagawa Roshi

Yasutani, Suzuki, Nakagawa Roshis & One School Zen

Here's another One School Zen piece. This one is from a 1968 San Francisco Zen Center "Windbell" (thanks to Kyoko Henkel for sharing this): "Suzuki Roshi had not known Soen [Nakagawa] Roshi [a Rinzai Zen master] and had only briefly met Yasutani Roshi [a hybrid