PZI Events Calendar
W E L C O M E to the PZI Events Calendar! Here you will find all upcoming events and registration links for PZI Zen Online retreats, sesshins, and weekly meditations & talks. Search by individual event, day, or month. Save to your Google Calendar or iCal Calendar. No experience required to participate. All event times are Pacific Time. Questions? Contact Lucas at PZI Support.
F E A T U R E D
April 26: What Is This Light That Everybody Has? – Deep Sit Sunday Zen with John Tarrant & Tess Beasley
May 7–10: Say A True Word & I Will Stay The Night – Open Mind Retreat with John Tarrant, Tess Beasley, & Allison Atwill
June 8–14: Dragons & Tigers, Oh My! – Our Great Summer Sesshin with John Tarrant & PZI Teachers
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TUESDAY ZEN with David Weinstein: Xuefeng’s Turtle-Nosed Snake
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Xuefeng said to the gathering, “There is a turtle nosed snake on South Mountain.
All of you should take a good look.”
Changqing said, “There are definitely people in this hall today in danger of losing their lives.”
Yunmen threw his staff in front of Xuefeng and acted as if he were frightened.
A student told Xuansha about this. Xuansha said, “Of course, my brother Changqing sees it like that.
But even if he’s right, I wouldn’t say it that way.”
“What point would you make?” asked the student.
“Why bring South Mountain into it?” responded Xuansha.
Part of another Book of Serenity koan came along as I kept company with this koan about Xuefeng’s turtle-nosed snake.
That koan is Case fifty-six:
A student asked Qinglin, “When a student goes along the path, what about that?”
Qinglin said, “There’s a poisonous snake on the path.
I advise the student not to run into it.”
“What about when the student runs into it?”
“She must mourn her life.”
“What about when she doesn’t run into it?”
“There is no way to avoid it.”
Qinglin advises students to not run into the poisonous snake on the path, and then says that there is no way to avoid it, that there’s a koan there for you. Xuefeng advises that we take a good look. I’m thinking that Qinglin’s snake and Xuefeng’s snake are the same snake.
In either case, we lose our life. Also, what came along was what is traditionally recited at the end of each evening of a retreat,
Life and death are grave matters, all things pass quickly away, always be completely alert, never neglectful, never indulgent.
While awareness of our mortality can focus the mind, I don’t think that’s what either Xuefeng or Qinglin are talking about.
Then there is Xuansha’s comment, “Why bring South Mountain into it?” In my conversations with several people who participated in our last retreat, they report continuing to feel carried by the retreat since it’s completion nearly two weeks ago.
Why bring the retreat into it?
Do you have a ‘South Mountain’?
—David Weinstein
COME JOIN US on Tuesdays for koan meditation, dharma talk and conversation.
Register to participate. All are welcome.
David Weinstein Roshi, Director of Rockridge Meditation Community
