Ox Herding

Water-Moon Guanyin

Diamond Hill Zen Monastery (where the kyol che retreat occurs) has an extraordinary altar, a hybrid between the austere altars of Korean Zen halls and the more elaborate altars found in Buddha halls.

The altar was created by master artists and the central panel features a manifestation of Guanyin (Kwan Seum Bosal, in the Korean pronunciation), known as Water-Moon Guanyin. (Click on image for a larger view.)

There are many stories about this manifestation and she appears in several sutras, including the Avatamsaka Sutra. In the image above, she is shown sitting on a rocky cliff (on the island of Putuo Shan) looking over the South Sea. The boy pilgrim, Sudhana, appears in the lower left corner of the panel.

During morning and evening chanting, I looked continuously at this wondrous scene, grateful that Guanyin would offer herself so freely to every suffering being. (That would be you and me.)

New Post on Go Drink Tea!

Earlier tonight I put up a new post on one of my other blogs, Go Drink Tea!

This is the second in a series of posts on kong-ans (Japanese: koans) that explore the intimacies and intricacies of human relationship.

This post examines the requirements of love, as revealed in the famous encounter between Dok Sahn, the Diamond Sutra master, and an "old woman" whose delicious food he would like to eat.

I hope you find benefit in the essay!

Revelation

I'm pretty certain I've posted today's video before. But it won't hurt to see it another time. Chances are that none of us absorbed its meaning the first time.

In this talk, Zen Master Dae Kwang observes that meditation reveals ourselves to ourselves. This is important because:

The person no one wants to meet is very close to you. It lives right inside your own skin.

When we sit down in meditation, we have an opportunity to meet that person. When we do a retreat, the odds of meeting that person increase. And the longer the retreat, the better the odds. No wonder most folks avoid retreats at all costs.

Thank you for reading Ox Herding. May each of us meet ourselves this weekend!

Barry

The Bomb, Revisited

After sitting with yesterday's post ("The Bomb"), I found myself wanting to say more about acceptance of the truth.

In truth, each of us is The Bomb, ready to detonate when things don't go our way.

Each of us packs the full armament of human lethality. And we're not afraid to deploy it.

In fact, each of us has almost certainly used The Bomb to destroy relationships, not to mention the world that nurtures our existence.

None of us can escape this reality.

However, we can recognize what we're packing. And we can choose not to let our heat become thermonuclear.

Next time you become uncomfortable with your partner, manager, teacher, friend, or a stranger, you might watch the mind's hand move toward initiating fusion. See if you can shout "WELCOME!" to the trigger finger's urge and then let your hand relax.

Such responsibility would certainly make the world a safer place!

New Post on Go Drink Tea!

For the first time in over a year, I've put up a new post on one of my other blogs, Go Drink Tea!

This post explores some of the intricacies and intimacies of human relationships, familiar ground to all of us. I hope you find benefit in it!

 

Ox Herding in 2012

Dear Friends,

Beginning today, Ox Herding will undergo a significant change, the result of my commitment to participate in several long retreats and travel extensively in 2012.

These activities will result in fewer posts and occasional multi-week gaps between posts. After all, it's hard to post while sitting in silent retreat without a computer. (Well, my mind will be posting, but you'll be spared that. Be glad.)

On the upside, this renewed dedication to practice might reshape the content of Ox Herding in interesting ways. We'll find out together.

I leave tomorrow for Diamond Hill Zen Monastery (shown above) to sit the first three weeks of the annual 90-day winter retreat known as Kyol Che. As a result, the next posts will appear in early February. l return to retreat in late February and there will be another hiatus. And so on, for the year.

I'm genuinely grateful for your readership. Over the past years I've made many good friends among you and, even if we don't have a personal relationship, your interest and dedication have inspired me greatly.

Best wishes in the Dharma,

Barry

Free e-Book: The Path of Zen

Because I occasionally receive inquires about how to practice Zen, it occurred to me that many of you might appreciate a concise overview of Zen training (at least as practiced in my tradition, the Kwan Um School of Zen.)

So I've written The Path of Zen, a free e-book on Zen training. You can download it (in .pdf format) by clicking the link at the end of this post. (A link also appears at the top of the right-hand column. And, yes, there are more e-books to come.)

The Path of Zen introduces each element of traditional Zen practice (meditation, chanting, etc.) and provides links to practice resources as well as other materials.

Of course, a book offers a poor substitute for the living presence of a seasoned practitioner, so if a decent Zen teacher lives near you, I hope you'll ignore this e-book and seek direct instruction. But when that isn't possible, The Path of Zen might offer some benefit.

Feel welcome to print copies of The Path of Zen or make it available online. I only ask that you distribute the book in its entirety.

Download The Path of Zen

Reality

As the new year begins, I find myself working daily with this notion:

Anguish, unease, dissatisfaction, suffering, and unsteadiness arise from my deeply-held belief that reality is optional.

Perhaps this resonates with you, as well. Best wishes for the new year!

2011: Bell

Earlier this year a new bell appeared in the dharma room at Ocean Light Zen Center. It had the long barrel and narrow mouth typical of ancient Chinese temple bells, an unusual patina and texture, and - most importantly, it produced a remarkable, resonant tone.

The bell was loaned to the Zen center by sangha member Chuck Bonsteel who made the bell through his business, Spring Street Bellworks.

I often play the bell during the Morning Bell Chant and it's wonderful to sit face-to-face with the magnificent, fierce dragons that mount the top. And one day Chuck pointed out that the bell and I had developed a close relationship. It's that kind of bell.

If you or your community ever decide to acquire a bell, please consider one of Chuck's masterworks. These bells open minds.

A Visit to Empty Gate

Zen Master Dae Kwang in San Francisco's Japantown

Last week I spent several days at Empty Gate Zen Center in Berkeley, California, simply hanging out with dharma friends.

Some of these relationships go back more than 20 years while others began only recently. Their preciousness does not depend on duration, however.

These are folks who have chosen to orient their life in the direction of awakening. Of course they suffer and create suffering, just as I do.

That's how it is with us humans.

But what could be more wonderful than companions who have chosen the path of reality and compassion, no matter what the route?

David L. in the beautiful hills above Berkeley