"Fire Monks" by Colleen Morton Busch

I recently finished this fine book, a non-fiction retelling of the story of five monks from the San Francisco Zen Center who stayed in the wildnerness to fight a wildfire that threatened the Tassajara monastery during the summer of 2008. The book is outstanding, both as a narrative and as a basic Zen primer, but I do not intend to offer a full review in this post. However, I do recommend that you give it a read if you are so inclined.

One very short portion of the book intrigued me, and that is what I wish to share with you all. At Tassajara, there is a summer guest program where SFZC offers yoga workshops or poetry and art workshops to guests. One of the poetry workshops featured Jane Hirshfield, a poet and lay Priest, who spoke to the guest about Buddhism. She told them that Buddhism was so simple that it could be reduced to seven words, as follows:

"Everything changes. Everything is connected. Pay attention." (i.e. Impermanence. Interdependence. Mindfulness.)

I think this may be a bit of an oversimplification, but in a lovely way. Any thoughts?

gassho2

Gassho,
William

Thank you. Lovely.

Gassho, J

Quote:

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Originally Posted by William Anderson

"Everything changes. Everything is connected. Pay attention."

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No more simple or complicated than Buddha, Dharma, Sangha :)

Thanks and gassho

Daido

I agree, Daido. gassho1

That's a lovely quote. Thanks for sharing.
Gassho,
Matt

A nice quote to live by.

Thanks :)

Gassho,

Kyonin

Very cool quote. Thank you. But I take offense at the book recommendation; my wife will kill me if I keep buying books. hhahahah

Gassho,

Risho

I might drop in that "everything is connected", yes, but also ...

... "everything is everything in the wholiest-holiest most intimate sense".

Yes, very nice William, thank you. :)

Gassho
Shingen

Lovely quote! I have just ordered Jane Hirshfield's latest volume 'Come, Thief' and am looking forward to it.

"amid summer trees
blue boat high on a
mountain
its paint scent drying"