Post Archive by Month: July,2021

One Road

“Where is the one straight road to nirvana?” Jane Andino considers in detail this question posed by a travelling monk, and how we today can be everyday pilgrims walking along Kan-Feng’s One Road. This story comes from Case 48 of the Wu-men Kuan. This teisho was given on day 4 of the online Winter sesshin 2021.

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Change

Daily routines don’t always follow a predictable schedule. Though if we can stick to some sort of schedule where we can fit in our daily practice it certainly makes it easier. I’ve been contemplating how to integrate practice into daily life when there is no routine or schedule. Plenty of Zen practitioners encounter this aspect of how to practise when

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True World

Jane Andino delves into the inner layers of a story where a monk encounters a nun Shih-chi or True World. Jane unpacks the exchange between these two people and looks at what the word ‘true’ might mean for us. She also comments on the paramita of aspiration. This story is told in Case 3 of the Wu-men Kuan. This teisho

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Silent Illumination

There are three primary practices in Zen training – Mindfulness of breathing, Koan practice which is working with an existential question and silent illumination practice.Silent illumination is both a practice method and realisation of mind. We need to make a distinction between silent illumination which is the direct realisation of mind and silent illumination that entails a practical practice. What

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Who is Hearing?

This is one of the primary Koans in Zen training used to open and awaken the mind. Zen Master Bassui, who was passionate about this koan urged his students throughout his life to take up this question. Our practice of Who’s hearing has strong resonances with the indigenous practice of Dadirri.  Dadirri is a word that comes from the language of

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