Xuefeng’s Turtle-nose Snake, Case 22, Blue Cliff Record Here we encounter four great Chinese Zen masters, Xuefeng, Changqing, Xuansha and Yunmen doing a little snake dance together. It’s a lovely case because it shows us both the humour and the insight of these old fellas. Look out for that snake! It might bite you … if you’re lucky. This talk
The opening paragraph in a much loved text Faith in Mind by the Third Zen Patriarch, Seng T’Sang, are very affirming and have direct implications for our practice. The Supreme Way is not difficult it simply avoids picking and choosing. When love and hate are both absent, everything becomes clear and undisguised, Make the smallest distinction however and heaven
Will Moon discusses the adventuring mind, playing on the extreme edge of life and how one moment can sometimes have serious consequences. He explores, drawing from his own life, how the extreme behaviour of a wilderness adventurer can provide rich and intense experiences that can become addictive, and its importance in one’s life can overshadow everything. He describes some of his early days of climbing on the big
Teisho by Subhana Barzaghi, roshi ‘Cultivating the immeasurable quality of joy’
Teisho by Maggie Gluek, roshi ‘Wumen’s One Treasure’ Case 62 from Blue Cliff Record
Jeff Ward, Sensei talks about Silent Illumination
Teisho by Subhana Barzaghi, roshi ‘My heart is not yet at peace’
Jeff Ward, Sensei gives meditation instructions about Silent Illumination or Shikantaza
Teisho by Maggie Gluek, roshi ‘Xing Yang’s non attained Buddha’ Case 9 from Wu-men kuan or The Gateless Barrier
‘Encouraging Words from the Teacher’ was published in the June/July 2017 Newsletter: An oft told story in these parts—and recently told at the autumn sesshin– is that concerning Hsueh-feng, snowed in with his dharma brother and mentor Yen-tou at a place called Turtle Mountain. While Yen-t’ou snoozed, Hsueh-feng spent most of the time doing zazen. “What are you doing sitting like a
