- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup, THE JAPANESE MASTER NAN-IN GAVE AUDIENCE TO A PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY. SERVING TEA, NAN-IN FILLED HIS VISITOR'S CUP, AND KEPT POURING. THE PROFESSOR WATCHED THE OVERFLOW UNTIL HE COULD RESTRAIN HIMSELF NO LONGER: STOP! THE CUP IS OVERFULL, NO MORE WILL GO IN. NAN-IN SAID: LIKE THIS CUP, YOU ARE FULL OF YOUR OWN OPINIONS AND SPECULATIONS. HOW CAN I SHOW YOU ZEN UNLESS YOU FIRST EMPTY YOUR CUP? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup, Question 1, THE LAST PART OF WHAT YOU SAID TO US IS VERY BEAUTIFUL AND BLISSFUL, BUT THE FIRST PART IS VERY FRIGHTENING -- BREAKING THE CUP, SUFFERING, FALLING DOWN ON THE GROUND, YOU NOT BEING THERE. THEN OUR MINDS COME IN AND WE PLAY TRICKS WITH OUR BODIES. WE SAY, 'I HAVE THIS PAIN. I HAVE THIS BLISTER.' CAN YOU GIVE US SOME CLUE AS TO HOW WE CAN GET OVER THE BARRIERS WE CREATE FOR OURSELVES WHEN WE COME UP AGAINST FEAR? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup, Question 2
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 1: Empty Your Cup, Question 2, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT OUR HAVING TO SUFFER, YOU TELL US TO BE JOYFUL AT THE SAME TIME. TRYING TO COMPROMISE THESE TWO THINGS SEEMS DIFFICULT at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 2: No Mind, No Truth
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 2: No Mind, No Truth , THE STUDENT DOKO CAME TO THE MASTER AND SAID, 'IN WHAT STATE OF MIND SHOULD I SEEK THE TRUTH?', THE MASTER REPLIED, ' THERE IS NO MIND, SO YOU CANNOT PUT IT IN ANY STATE, AND THERE IS NO TRUTH, SO YOU CANNOT SEEK IT.' DOKO SAID, 'IF THERE IS NO MIND AND NO TRUTH, WHY DO ALL THESE STUDENTS GATHER BEFORE YOU EVERY DAY TO STUDY?' THE MASTER LOOKED AROUND AND SAID, 'I DON'T SEE ANYONE.' THE INQUIRER ASKED, 'THEN WHO ARE YOU TEACHING?' 'I HAVE NO TONGUE, SO HOW CAN I TEACH?', REPLIED THE MASTER. THEN DOKO SAID SADLY, 'I CANNOT FOLLOW YOU; I CANNOT UNDERSTAND.' THE MASTER SAID, 'I DON'T UNDERSTAND MYSELF' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 2: No Mind, No Truth, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 2: No Mind, No Truth, Question 1, YOU JUST TOLD US YOU HAVE NOTHING TO TEACH US, AND LAST NIGHT IT WAS A GREAT SHOCK WHEN YOU SAID AS FAR AS YOU ARE CONCERNED YOUR WORK IS DONE, THAT YOU'RE CARRYING YOUR BODY FOR US. A YOUNG JESUS ALSO SAID, 'WIST YE NOT THAT I AM ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS.' WHAT IS OR WHAT WAS YOUR BUSINESS? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 3: The Gates of Heaven and Hell
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 3: The Gates of Heaven and Hell, A WARRIOR CAME TO THE ZEN MASTER HAKUIN AND ASKED 'IS THERE SUCH A THING AS HEAVEN AND HELL?' HAKUIN SAID 'WHO ARE YOU?' THE WARRIOR REPLIED 'I AM CHIEF SAMURAI TO THE EMPEROR.' HAKUIN SAID 'YOU, A SAMURAI? WITH A FACE LIKE THAT, YOU LOOK MORE LIKE A BEGGAR.' AT THIS THE WARRIOR BECAME SO ANGRY HE DREW HIS SWORD. STANDING CALMLY IN FRONT OF HIM, HAKUIN SAID 'HERE OPEN THE GATES OF HELL.' PERCEIVING THE MASTER'S COMPOSURE, THE SOLDIER SHEATHED HIS SWORD AND BOWED. HAKUIN THEN SAID 'AND HERE OPEN THE GATES OF HEAVEN' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 3: The Gates of Heaven and Hell, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 3: The Gates of Heaven and Hell, Question 1, HOW DOES WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL TIE IN WITH WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SAYING ABOUT ROOTS AND WINGS? WHEN YOU SAY ROOTS INTO THIS EARTH AND WINGS INTO THAT HEAVEN, I'VE GOT A FEELING OF BEING INFINITELY STRETCHED -- THAT THIS EARTH IS CLOSE AND THAT HEAVEN IS FAR AWAY. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF 'THIS' AND 'THAT'? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 4: Have a Cup of Tea
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 4: Have a Cup of Tea, JOSHU, THE ZEN MASTER, ASKED A NEW MONK IN THE MONASTERY, 'HAVE I SEEN YOU BEFORE?' THE NEW MONK REPLIED, 'NO SIR.' JOSHU SAID, 'THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA.' JOSHU THEN TURNED TO ANOTHER MONK, 'HAVE I SEEN YOU HERE BEFORE?' THE SECOND MONK SAID, 'YES SIR, OF COURSE YOU HAVE.' JOSHU SAID, 'THEN HAVE A CUP OF TEA.' LATER THE MANAGING MONK OF THE MONASTERY ASKED JOSHU, 'HOW IS IT YOU MAKE THE SAME OFFER OF TEA TO ANY REPLY?' AT THIS JOSHU SHOUTED, 'MANAGER, ARE YOU STILL HERE?' THE MANAGER REPLIED, 'OF COURSE, MASTER.' JOSHU SAID, 'THEN HAVE A CUP OF TE' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 4: Have a Cup of Tea, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 4: Have a Cup of Tea, Question 1, I FEEL I WANT TO BE CLOSE TO YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I WANT TO RUN AS FAR AWAY FROM YOU AS I CAN. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS FEAR, SINCE I AM NOT AWARE OF A FEELING LIKE THIS ABOUT ANYONE ELSE at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 5: Master of the New Monastery
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 5: Master of the New Monastery, HYAKUJO CALLED HIS MONKS TOGETHER AS HE WISHED TO SEND ONE OF THEM TO OPEN A NEW MONASTERY. PLACING A FILLED WATER JAR ON THE GROUND, HE SAID, 'WHO CAN SAY WHAT THIS IS WITHOUT USING ITS NAME?' THE CHIEF MONK, WHO EXPECTED TO GET THE POSITION, SAID, 'NO ONE CAN CALL IT A WOODEN SHOE.' ANOTHER MONK SAID, 'IT'S NOT A POND BECAUSE IT CAN BE CARRIED.' THE COOKING MONK, WHO WAS STANDING NEARBY, WALKED OUT, KICKED THE JAR OVER, AND THEN WALKED AWAY. HYAKUJO SMILED AND SAID, 'THE COOKING MONK BECOMES THE MASTER OF THE NEW MONASTERY.' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 5: Master of the New Monastery, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 5: Master of the New Monastery, Question 1, EVERY DAY WHEN I SIT HERE, I TRY SITTING WITHOUT A QUESTION IN MY MIND, STAYING IN THE MOMENT WITH WHAT I M HEARING, NOT REHEARSING, AND TRYING NOT TO REHEARSE. THEN YOU SAY, 'ANYTHING MORE?' AND IT'S AS IF A SHIELD COMES DOWN AND I CAN'T REACH YOU. I AM TALKING TO MYSELF, AND THE MIND IS ALWAYS MAKING THINGS SAFE FOR ME at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 5: Master of the New Monastery, Question 2
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 5: Master of the New Monastery, Question 2, MY MIND IS ALREADY WORKING ON THE PARADOX I FIND BETWEEN YESTERDAY'S TALK AND TODAY'S. TODAY YOU HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SPONTANEITY OF RESPONSE TO NEW SITUATIONS, SEEING THEM AS FRESH. YESTERDAY, ONE OF THE MESSAGES FROM THE STORY ABOUT JOSHU WAS THAT SITUATIONS ARE ALL THE SAME, PEOPLE THE SAME. HENCE JOSHU OFFERED THREE PEOPLE A CUP OF TEA. TO ME, THIS IS A PARADOX at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 6: The Miracle of Ordinariness
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 6: The Miracle of Ordinariness, BANKEI WAS PREACHING QUIETLY TO HIS FOLLOWERS ONE DAY WHEN HIS TALKING WAS INTERRUPTED BY A PRIEST FROM ANOTHER SECT. THIS SECT BELIEVED IN THE POWER OF MIRACLES, AND THOUGHT THAT SALVATION CAME FROM REPEATING HOLY WORDS. BANKEI STOPPED TALKING, AND ASKED THE PRIEST WHAT HE WANTED TO SAY. THE PRIEST BOASTED THAT THE FOUNDER OF HIS RELIGION COULD STAND ON ONE BANK OF THE RIVER WITH A BRUSH IN HIS HAND AND WRITE A HOLY NAME ON A PIECE OF PAPER HELD BY AN ASSISTANT ON THE OPPOSITE BANK OF THE RIVER. THE PRIEST ASKED, 'WHAT MIRACLES CAN YOU DO?' BANKEI REPLIED,'ONLY ONE. WHEN I AM HUNGRY I EAT, AND WHEN I AM THIRSTY I DRINK.' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 6: The Miracle of Ordinariness, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 6: The Miracle of Ordinariness, Question 1, YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT FOOD, AND NOW IN THE WEST FOOD IS A BIG CULT. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS COMING IN AS A BASIS OF SPIRITUALITY. YOU SAID IF WE'RE NATURAL, WE'LL KNOW WHAT TO EAT AND WHEN TO EAT, BUT NOW WE ARE OUT OF TOUCH WITH OUR CHILDLIKE NATURE. ALSO, MANY RELIGIONS SAY THAT THE FOOD YOU EAT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO ONE'S SPIRITUAL PATH. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT FOOD AS A GUIDE FOR THE WEST? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 6: The Miracle of Ordinariness, Question 2
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 6: The Miracle of Ordinariness, Question 2, WHENEVER YOU SPEAK OF OUR FAILINGS, YOU USUALLY MENTION ANGER, SEX AND JEALOUSY. ANGER AND SEX SEEM FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT THERE'S SOME CONFUSION ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT JEALOUSY IS, AND IT'S HARDER TO GET TO THE CORE. WOULD YOU TELL US ABOUT JEALOUSY? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 7: The Severe Teacher
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 7: The Severe Teacher, THE JAPANESE MASTER EKIDO WAS A SEVERE TEACHER AND HIS PUPILS FEARED HIM. ONE DAY, AS ONE OF HIS PUPILS WAS STRIKING THE TIME OF DAY ON THE TEMPLE GONG, HE MISSED A BEAT BECAUSE HE WAS WATCHING A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO WAS PASSING THE GATES. UNKNOWN TO THE PUPIL, EKIDO WAS STANDING BEHIND HIM. EKIDO STRUCK THE PUPIL WITH HIS STAFF, AND THE SHOCK STOPPED THE HEART OF THE PUPIL, AND HE DIED. BECAUSE THE OLD CUSTOM OF THE PUPIL SIGNING HIS LIFE OVER TO THE MASTER HAD SUNK TO A MERE FORMALITY, EKIDO WAS DISCREDITED BY THE GENERAL PUBLIC. BUT AFTER THIS INCIDENT, EKIDO PRODUCED TEN ENLIGHTENED SUCCESSORS, AN UNUSUALLY HIGH NUMBER at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 7: The Severe Teacher, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 7: The Severe Teacher, Question 1, THE LAST LINE OF THIS ZEN STORY SAYS TEN WERE ENLIGHTENED AND THAT THIS WAS A GREAT NUMBER. TEN DOESN'T SEEM A GREAT NUMBER TO ME. CAN WE BUY YOUR STICK AND USE IT ON OURSELVES TO HELP SURRENDER HAPPEN? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 7: The Severe Teacher, Question 2
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 7: The Severe Teacher, Question 2, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL QUESTIONS CONCERNING WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT WARRIORS AND BUSINESSMEN. SINCE MOST OF US WERE BUSINESSMAN AND PROFESSIONALS, AND NOT WARRIORS, ARE WE GOING TO MISS ENLIGHTENMENT? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 8: Zen Without Writing
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 8: Zen Without Writing, THE ZEN MASTER MU-NAN HAD ONLY ONE SUCCESSOR. HIS NAME WAS SHOJU. AFTER SHOJU HAD COMPLETED HIS STUDY OF ZEN, MU-NAN CALLED HIM INTO HIS ROOM AND SAID, 'I AM GETTING OLD, AND AS FAR AS I KNOW YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL CARRY ON THIS TEACHING. HERE IS A BOOK. IT HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN FROM MASTER TO MASTER FOR SEVEN GENERATIONS, AND I HAVE ALSO ADDED MANY POINTS ACCORDING TO MY UNDERSTANDING. THIS BOOK IS VERY PRECIOUS, AND I AM GIVING IT TO YOU TO REPRESENT YOUR SUCCESSORSHIP.' SHOJU REPLIED, 'PLEASE KEEP THE BOOK. I RECEIVED YOUR ZEN WITHOUT WRITING, AND I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH IT, THANK YOU.' MU-NAN REPLIED, 'I KNOW THAT, BUT THIS GREAT WORK HAS BEEN CARRIED FROM MASTER TO MASTER FOR SEVEN GENERATIONS, AND IT WILL BE A SYMBOL OF YOUR LEARNING. HERE, TAKE THE BOOK.' THE TWO WERE TALKING IN FRONT OF A FIRE, AND THE INSTANT SHOJU FELT THE BOOK IN HIS HANDS HE THRUST IT INTO THE FLAMES. MU-NAN, WHO HAD NEVER IN HIS LIFE BEEN ANGRY BEFORE, SHOUTED, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' AND SHOJU SHOUTED BACK, 'AND WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 8: Zen Without Writing, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 8: Zen Without Writing, Question 1, THERE WILL BE A PRECIOUS VALUE TO THIS BOOK WHEN IT COMES OUT, BECAUSE IT CAN TELL PEOPLE THAT THERE IS A BUDDHA AVAILABLE NOW, AND THAT HE HAS METHODS SUITABLE TO THE TIME AND TO US. BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WHICH HAS ARISEN HERE AND WILL CERTAINLY ARISE IN THE WEST IS: HOW DO I KNOW I NEED A MASTER? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 8: Zen Without Writing, Question 2
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 8: Zen Without Writing, Question 2, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THEY CAN'T REALLY LET THEMSELVES GO IN MEDITATION BECAUSE OF THE PHYSICAL PAIN, BECAUSE OF BUMPING INTO EACH OTHER AND FALLING DOWN. THEY FEEL THIS MAY BE SOME SORT OF EXCUSE FOR NOT REALLY LETTING GO. COULD YOU TALK TO US ABOUT THIS PHYSICAL ASPECT? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 9: Save the Cat
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 9: Save the Cat, NANSEN FOUND TWO GROUPS OF MONKS SQUABBLING OVER THE OWNERSHIP OF A CAT. NANSEN WENT TO THE KITCHEN AND BROUGHT BACK A CHOPPER. HE PICKED UP THE CAT AND SAID TO THE MONKS, 'IF ANY OF YOU CAN SAY A GOOD WORD, YOU CAN SAVE THE CAT.' NOT A WORD WAS SAID, SO NANSEN CUT THE CAT IN TWO AND GAVE HALF TO EACH GROUP. WHEN JOSHU RETURNED THAT EVENING, NANSEN TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. JOSHU SAID NOTHING. HE JUST PUT HIS SANDALS ON HIS HEAD AND WALKED OUT. NANSEN SAID, 'IF YOU HAD BEEN THERE, YOU COULD HAVE SAVED THE CAT' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 9: Save the Cat, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 9: Save the Cat, Question 1, IN PLACE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, WITH WHICH I WAS BROUGHT UP, I HAVE GIVEN MYSELF A NEW SET OF RULES -- BE ALERT, BE PATIENT, BE SPONTANEOUS, ACCEPT MYSELF at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 10: The Master of Silence
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 10: The Master of Silence, BUDDHA WAS TO GIVE A SPECIAL TALK ONE DAY,AND THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS HAD COME FROM MILES AROUND. WHEN BUDDHA APPEARED HE WAS HOLDING A FLOWER. TIME PASSED, BUT BUDDHA SAID NOTHING. HE JUST LOOKED AT THE FLOWER. THE CROWD GREW RESTLESS, BUT MAHAKASHYAP, WHO COULD RESTRAIN HIMSELF NO LONGER, LAUGHED. BUDDHA BECKONED HIM OVER, HANDED HIM THE FLOWER, AND SAID TO THE CROWD, 'I HAVE THE EYE OF THE TRUE TEACHING. ALL THAT CAN BE GIVEN WITH WORDS I HAVE GIVEN TO YOU; BUT WITH THIS FLOWER, I GIVE TO MAHAKASHYAP THE KEY TO THIS TEACHING' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 10: The Master of Silence, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 10: The Master of Silence, Question 1, BUDDHA HAD MANY ENLIGHTENED PEOPLE AROUND HIM, YET HE FELT SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THIS ONE ENLIGHTENED PERSON. IS THERE SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN ENLIGHTENMENTS? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 11: Sober Up
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 11: Sober Up, THE MONK ZUIGAN USED TO START EVERY DAY BY SAYING OUT LOUD TO HIMSELF, 'MASTER, ARE YOU THERE?' AND HE WOULD ANSWER, 'YES SIR, I AM.' THEN HE WOULD SAY, 'BETTER SOBER UP.' AND HE WOULD REPLY, 'YES SIR, I'LL DO THAT.' THEN HE WOULD SAY, 'LOOK OUT NOW, DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU.' AND HE WOULD ANSWER, 'OH NO SIR, I WON'T, I WON'T' at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 11: Sober Up, Question 1
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 11: Sober Up, Question 1, AT THE START OF THE CAMP YOU SAID YOU WERE MOVING INTO A NEW PHASE OF YOUR WORK. WE'VE FELT IT IN MEDITATION, BUT MOST IMPORTANT, YOU'VE CHANGED THE WAY YOU SPEAK TO US. AT ONE TIME, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU NEVER ADMITTED TO BEING AN ENLIGHTENED MASTER, AND NOW YOU DO. COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS NEW PHASE OF YOUR WORK? at energyenhancement.org
- Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 11: Sober Up, Question 2
Talks on Zen, A Bird on the Wing Chapter 11: Sober Up, Question 2, YOU'VE SAID MEDITATION IS A FLOWERING. AND FOR US, THE PERFUME OF THE FLOWER IS GRATITUDE. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOU? at energyenhancement.org
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