This Week: Mar 17 - 22

"A clearer practice does not try to get rid of the object, but rather to see the object for what it is. We slowly learn about being or experiencing in which there is no subject or object at all. We do not eliminate anything, but rather bring things together. There's still me, and there's still you, but when I am just my experience of you, I don't feel separate from you. I'm one with you."

- Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special

SCHEDULE

Morning Zen: Mon-Fri: 7:30 - 8:30
Saturday Zen Service: 10:00 - 11:30

READINGS

The dharma talks/discussions each day are based on these readings. Read the chapter or koan in advance if you can. (If not, no worries.)

Mon Mar 17. Charlotte Joko Beck, Nothing Special. Ch. 13, "The Subject-Object Problem"

Tue Mar 18. Koan of the Week. "Nanquan's 'This Flower'." Blue Cliff Record #40 and Book of Serenity #91.

Wed Mar 19. Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. Ch. 16, "God Giving."

Thu Mar 20. Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Buddha's Teaching. Ch. 14, "Right Diligence."

Fri Mar 21. Taizan Maezumi & Bernie Glassman, On Zen Practice: Body, Breath & Mind. Ch. 5, "Breathing in Zazen."

Sat Mar 22. Diamond Sutra (trans. Red Pine), chapter 5.

KOAN OF THE WEEK
Blue Cliff Record #40 / Book of Serenity #91

Case:
Minister Lu Geng said to Nanquan, "Dharma-teacher Zhao said, 'Heaven and earth and I have one and the same root; all things and I are one single body.' How wonderful this is!"
Nanquan pointed at the flowers in the garden, called to Lu Geng and said, "People of our time see these flowers as in a dream."

Questions:
"Heaven and earth and I have one and the same root, all things and I are one single body." What does this mean?
Why does Lu Geng find this so wonderful?
When Nanquan says "people of our time," he means "you, Lu Geng." Why does Nanquan think Lu Geng is seeing "as in a dream"?

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The "Koan of the Week" is drawn from these three koan collections.

"Gateless Gate" (a.k.a. "Wumenguan," "Wu-men-kuan," "Mumonkan").
CLICK HERE.

"Blue Cliff Record" (a.k.a.. "Biyan Lu," "Pi-yen Lu," "Hekiganroku").
CLICK HERE.

"Book of Serenity" (a.k.a. "Book of Equanimity," "Congrong Lu," "Ts'ung-jung Lu," "Shoyoroku").
CLICK HERE.