Peter explores in Nanquan’s “Like a Dream,” how profound words can become another dream, how philosophical insight can miss ordinary life, and how Nanquan cuts through it all by pointing to one flower. Xuedou’s verse deepens the question: seeing, hearing, awakening, knowing — can we meet them before they harden into understanding?

This teisho given by apprentice teacher Peter Bursky at Winter sesshin 2026 at Annadale is from Case 40 of the Blue Cliff Record.