a jolly nice koan for sitters

[Taigu]

Dosho Port on his blog quotes Anderson roshi in Warm Smiles from Cold MountainsWhen Kishizawa Ian, Suzuki Roshi's second teacher, was a young monk, he was sitting in meditation on a rainy day and heard the sound of a distant waterfall. Then the wooden han was struck. He went to his teacher (maybe Oka Sotan) and asked, "What is the place where the sound of the rain, the waterfall, and the han meet?"His teacher replied, "True eternity still flows."And then he asked, "What is this true eternity that still flows?""It is like a bright mirror, permanently smooth," said his teacher."Is there anything beyond this?" asked the young monk."Yes," responded his teacher."What is beyond this?" inquired the young monk.And his teacher replied, "Break the mirror. Come, and I'll meet you."[/quote]

These are three long stretch of words to answer the silent question:

All there is to break (maybe)
is the idea of here and there being apart
nothing holy
all is jolly
as the good old red beard says


Veil of rain
Wooden han echoing
Wet drizzle soaking everything
making or breaking a mirror
how could we have ever parted?

In the mind seal
ten thousand drops
and sounds whirling
it arises
they arise
what is left to break?

Up to you,now!...

palm to palm

Taigu

[will]

deleted by Will

[will]

What I should have said is:

Then the teacher got up and raked the yard.

Gassho

[Jinho]

Dear Taigu,

I have great hopes to meet you one day . And I have great hopes to meet Jundo.

Please say hi from me when you meet Dogen and thank him for Mountains and Rivers.

gassho,
rowan
who is very far from face to face, but hopeful

[Eika]

Thank you, Taigu.

Gassho,
Bill

[Shohei]

Thank you!

Gassho Shohei

[miheco]

Thank you Taigu,

Those words were penetrating and at the same time brought on a smile.

Gassho,
Jintai