Koans are the intimate family history of Zen.
~ Yamada Koun Roshi
In line with this retreat’s theme, Intimacy with all things, What koans can teach us, Valerie offers a talk on Joshu’s Dog. This root koan (the Mu koan) is traditionally offered as the opening teisho during a Zen Sesshin.
A monk asked Joshu in all earnestness, "Does a dog have Buddha nature, or not?" Joshu said, "Mu."
Valerie explores this barest of koans, in-exhaustible, infinitely dynamic and absolutely warn. Let Mu pervade, and the sense of a separate self cannot survive. Dogen called Mu a sun with stone melting power.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash