Christopher Keevil

We were in Morocco In Casablanca And Fes And Marrakech With a camel ride Over the dunes What a glorious sunset!

#Mumonkan Case 15: Tõzan's Sixty Blows Tõzan came to study with Unmon. Unmon asked, "Where are you from?" "From Sato," Tõzan replied. "Where were you during the summer?" "Well, I was at the monastery of Hõzu, south of the lake." "When did you leave there," Unmon asked. "On August 25" was Tõzan's reply. "I spare you sixty blows," Unmon said. The next day Tõzan came to Unmon and said, "Yesterday you said you spared me sixty blows. I beg to ask you, where was I at fault?" "Oh, you rice bag!" shouted Unmon. "What makes you wander about, now west of the river, now south of the lake?" Tõzan thereupon came to a mighty enlightenment experience. Don’t think that Unmon was harsh. Teacher and student already had an intimate understanding together. Unmon was urging Tozan with an honest question: What makes you seek? What is that core inside of you? It is durable beyond all insults and wanderings. Find that! 🙏 #Zen

That tempest That raging gale Of self centeredness Or sometimes It becomes A soft mistral Barely perceptible Yet still guiding Feelings and acts How to grow fully still So not a leaf rustles And to see our humanity Then to give freely Exchanging self for other Bowing in gratitude Life may be brief But offering the sunshine Is enough 🙏 #Zen

Case 14, Mumonkan: Nansen Cuts the Cat in Two Nansen Oshõ saw monks of the Eastern and Western halls quarreling over a cat. He held up the cat and said, "If you can give an answer, you will save the cat. If not, I will kill it." No one could answer, and Nansen cut the cat in two. That evening Jõshû returned, and Nansen told him of the incident. Jõshû took off his sandal, placed it on his head, and walked out. "If you had been there, you would have saved the cat," Nansen remarked. King Solomon almost cut a baby in half but the real mother cared more for her child than winning the argument When do I unnecessarily cut something dear in half and foolishly cause unnecessary suffering?

Today Going for a four day Silent retreat In Huntsville Alabama Jumping off Into The deep end 🙏 #Zen

One day Tokusan went down toward the dining room, holding his bowls. Seppõ met him and asked, "Where are you off to with your bowls? The bell has not rung, and the drum has not sounded." Tokusan turned and went back to his room. Seppõ mentioned this to Gantõ, who remarked, "Tokusan is renowned, but he does not know the last word." Tokusan heard about this remark and sent his attendant to fetch Gantõ. "You do not approve of me?" he asked. Gantõ whispered his meaning. Tokusan said nothing at the time, but the next day he ascended the rostrum, and behold! he was very different from usual! Gantõ, going toward the front of the hall, clapped his hands and laughed loudly, saying, "Congratulations! Our old man has got hold of the last word! From now on, nobody in this whole country can outdo him!" —Mumonkan, Case 13 Are you confused? If so, enter there. #Zen 🙏

Zuigan Gen Oshõ called to himself every day, Master! and answered, Yes, sir! Then he would say, Be wide awake! and answer, Yes, sir! Henceforward, never be deceived by others! No, I won't! —Mumonkan Case 12 Getting the marrow depends upon utmost sincerity (Dogen) 🙏 #Zen

Jõshû went to a hermit's cottage and asked, "Is the master in? Is the master in?" The hermit raised his fist. Jõshû said, "The water is too shallow to anchor here," and he went away. Coming to another hermit's cottage, he asked again, "Is the master in? Is the master in?" This hermit, too, raised his fist. Jõshû said, "Free to give, free to take, free to kill, free to save," and he made a deep bow. Why did the first one lose and the second one gain? Or did the first one gain and the second one lose? Who can tell? Who is “the master”? 🙏 #Zen

Seizei said to Sõzan, "Seizei is utterly destitude. Will you give him support?" Sõzan called out, "Seizei!” Seizei responded, "Yes, sir! Sõzan said, "You have finished three cups of the finest wine in China, and still you say you have not yet moistened your lips!" —Mumonkan, Case 10 The wine flows over hills and valley. Even the bees and earthworms drink from it. And still, I am utterly destitute. 🙏 #Zen

A monk asked Kõyõ Seijõ, Daitsû Chishõ Buddha sat in zazen for ten kalpas and could not attain Buddhahood. How could this be? Seijõ said, Your question is quite self-explanatory. The monk asked, He meditated so long; why could he not attain Buddhahood? Seijõ said, Because he did not become a Buddha. —Mumonkan, Case 9 Sitting Zazen IS Buddha. In sitting Zazen you don’t BECOME a Buddha. Sit and find out. 🙏 #Zen

Gettan Oshõ said, "Keichû, the first wheelmaker, made a cart whose wheels had a hundred spokes. Now, suppose you took a cart and removed both the wheels and the axle. What would you have?" — Mumonkan, Case 8

A monk said to Jõshû, "I have just entered this monastery. Please teach me" "Have you eaten your rice porridge?" asked Jõshû "Yes, I have,” said the monk "Then you had better wash your bowl," said Jõshû The teacher and student Matching just so What more Is needed? 🙏 #Zen

Captured By thoughts Of who should I contact How can it work Oblivious To stillness And the slow rise Of breath Then suddenly The sound of hard rain Outside the window Ahh, how the beech leaves dance 🙏 #Zen

Buddha held out a flower to his listeners Only Mahakashyapa broke into a broad smile The Buddha said, "I have the True Dharma Eye, independent of words and transmitted beyond doctrine. This I have entrusted to Mahakashyapa” Right here and now, it is offered to you 🙏 #Zen

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha! Gone Gone Gone to the other shore Altogether gone to the other shore Awake Hurrah! (This we chant at the end of the Heart Sutra during our meditation retreats) 🙏 #Zen

Vast mountain White wall Of custard Stealing My hat Outrage Deep sorrow How can My children Be so gone This raw heart Breaks open But there An unknown golden Interiority Coming Arriving Fractilizing the entirety And unexpectedly All is well 🙏 #Zen

Wholeheartedly call the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Perceiver of the Cries of the World Wholeheartedly calling is calling with non-dual presence. The calling is just calling. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is just Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Freedom, joy, and purity!

The teacher raised one finger Imitating, The student raised one finger And then The teacher cut the finger off The student cried in pain, running away The teacher called the student The student had an awakening Brutality? Profound teaching? Life cuts our finger off Life is a profound teacher 🙏 #Zen

In Zen there is the encouragement to invest wholeheartedly in practice In this context what does “wholeheartedly” mean? To push oneself singlemindedly is one-sided Wholeheartedly means to allow one’s whole self to flow into practice, of its own accord #Zen 🙏