3/18 TRANSMISSION of the LIGHT: to Yun-yen

[Tb]

NOTE FROM JUNDO: I ASKED FUGEN TO START OFF THE READINGS THIS WEEK, AS I FOOLISHLY LEFT THE BOOKS IN TSUKUBA WHEN WE LEFT. OH WELL. SOMETIMES WE 'BURN ALL THE BOOKS' IN ZEN PRACTICE ... BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED THEM. 8)

Hi.

An interesting chapter, that i'll let you explore, just going to leave you some questions...
What does he mean by same wind blowing?
What's the meaning of "a thousand miles"?
What role(/s) does a teacher have in a students practice in the end?
And were those twenty years in the monastery spent in vain?
And finally, if the point of zen is to awaken to the essential, what was the essential in this chapter?

Cook 188-192
Hixon 174-178

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Shohei]

Hiyas

The voice of Yun-yen sharing his masters actions and words (though witnessed, the significance of them eluded Yun-Yen prior and then) the Old Buddha pointed that in this later, honest discourse, he had met Yun-Yens master of 20 years just now. No separation, a connection of the voice like a strong wind blows, one wind touching many. Realizing this his mental veil drops and he sees clearly Teacher/Student/Master/Disciple - Buddha. 20 years not in vain had he spent 54 years then those were 54 years just as they should have been perfectly what was needed for the conditions to be ready for Yun-yen to be empty to receive the light.

Gassho
Shohei

[Jundo]

NOTE FROM JUNDO: I ASKED FUGEN TO START OFF THE READINGS THIS WEEK, AS I FOOLISHLY LEFT THE BOOKS IN TSUKUBA WHEN WE LEFT. OH WELL. SOMETIMES WE 'BURN ALL THE BOOKS' IN ZEN PRACTICE ... BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED THEM. 8)

Hi.

An interesting chapter, that i'll let you explore, just going to leave you some questions...
What does he mean by same wind blowing?
What's the meaning of "a thousand miles"?
What role(/s) does a teacher have in a students practice in the end?
And were those twenty years in the monastery spent in vain?
And finally, if the point of zen is to awaken to the essential, what was the essential in this chapter?

Cook 188-192
Hixon 174-178

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Wind travels 1000 miles ... but the same wind. Sometimes it blows north, sometimes south east west or stands still, sometimes it blows light and fresh, sometimes it blows heavy and stormy ... sometimes it carries radiation ... same wind.

The wind is all around, yet we must fan fan fan to realize its airyness, turn it as we will to blow on our own cheek ...

One day, when Zen Master Hotestsu of Mt. Mayoku was fanning himself, a monk approached and asked, “The nature of wind never changes and blows everywhere, so why are you using a fan?”
The master replied, “Although you know the nature of wind never changes you do not know the meaning of blowing everywhere.” The monk then said, “Well, what does it mean?” Hotetsu did not speak but only continued to fan himself. Finally the monk understood and bowed deeply before him.

That's what a teacher teaches ... fanning ... and when not to fan! And making, breaking wind! ops:

A second or a lifetime can be in vain and wasted... yet nothing -ever- in vain or wasted! Now, life and death are the great matter ... so don't waste a moment! Get to good fanning!

Maybe Yun-yen spent 20 years understanding the clear, invisible wind ... but not the fanning on his own cheek?

Gassho, J

[Rich]

What is this? What is this?

No wind.

[Heisoku]

When a master speaks we listen. If we understand then we are not separate. If we do not understand then we are separated by eons. If we truly understand our minds are one with Buddha and all the masters. If we mimic then we do not understand. If we repeat we need to show that understanding as our own. Then ........the reeds on the ancient shore do not sway.

[Shogen]

At the precise moment Baizhang shouted, " Oh monks," mind essence was manifested, wind felt, and teacher revealed. Gassho Shogen

[AlanLa]

What is this from Fugen, a quiz? No one told me there was going to be a test! :evil:

When you are ripe, then you are ripe, and not before. So it took Yun-yen 20 years to get ripe, so what? Like Goldilocks, the conditions for his ripeness had to be just right, so what?

Seeds imagery seems pretty common in zen. I see our next book for the book club is about seeds, and I feel each chapter in these books plants a seed in me. Sometimes that seed sprouts right as I read the chapter, but usually it takes a while. So I take back my ripeness metaphor above and replace it with a seed metaphor here. It took 20 years for his seed to sprout, but he still has a way to go before he fully blossoms. During that time he gets preserved by his teacher until eventually the conditions are right, and then voila!

Q: What is this?
A: A seed!

On a historical note, it's interesting to see here is where the soto/rinzai split happened, though I have to wonder if that's accurate, as if it really mattered.

[Tb]

What is this from Fugen, a quiz? No one told me there was going to be a test! :evil:

When you are ripe, then you are ripe, and not before. So it took Yun-yen 20 years to get ripe, so what? Like Goldilocks, the conditions for his ripeness had to be just right, so what?

Seeds imagery seems pretty common in zen. I see our next book for the book club is about seeds, and I feel each chapter in these books plants a seed in me. Sometimes that seed sprouts right as I read the chapter, but usually it takes a while. So I take back my ripeness metaphor above and replace it with a seed metaphor here. It took 20 years for his seed to sprout, but he still has a way to go before he fully blossoms. During that time he gets preserved by his teacher until eventually the conditions are right, and then voila!

Q: What is this?
A: A seed!

On a historical note, it's interesting to see here is where the soto/rinzai split happened, though I have to wonder if that's accurate, as if it really mattered.

Hi.

Not a quiz, just some questions to ponder, but at the same time it is what you make of it. Or as some one said

Luke: What's in there?
Yoda: Only what you take with you.

... :twisted:

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[BrianW]

Hello all,

Been absent from the book club for a bit and I would like to comment on each of the readings. I kick myself for not reading the chapters, but I've been involved with other activities....not squandering time, but time spent not as I had expected. Perhaps as Yun-Yen's 20 years I should look at it for what it was. Not time in vain, just time, just be with what is and what was.

Gassho,
Jisen/BrianW