“We know we are really practicing because we are OK even when it’s difficult…”
“… who was ripe, was freed of the vine. Body and mind gone …”
Description: This teisho is the second of the Spring 2017 sesshin. Henry encourages everyone to stay with their practice, as the sesshin continues and we learn to mind less. He discusses the adaptation process at the start of each sesshin and says, “I personally do not know of another way of making the most of a human life than this.” This statement leads into a discussion of Master Tokusan. Henry outlines his intention to work through several koans about Tokusan to get a sense of the arc of his life and his maturing as a zen practitioner, beginning with Case 28 of The Gateless Gate. Henry explains that in this koan we look at just one moment—when Ryûtan blows out a lamp. “One little puff of breath, just like Mu…” and Tokusan, who was ripe, was freed of the vine. Body and mind gone. True Tokusan released. The talk closes with an explanation of Bodhidharma’s two gates, or entries—by principle and by practice.
Post & Featured Image (edited): Fire and Ice by Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0.