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: Gotten Defensive Lately?
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Sansheng asked Xuefeng, “I’m the Golden Scales who has passed through the net, but I still haven’t figured out what to eat.”
Xuefeng said, “I’ll wait for you to come out of the net and then I’ll tell you.”
“A spiritual friend to 1500 people but you’re still not inside the world of the koans.”
“Well, I’m old, and as head of the temple I have a lot on my mind.”
—Sansheng’s Golden Scales, Book of Serenity Case 33
The first thing coming along as I hung out with this koan was Book of Serenity Case 16 with Magu, Changqing, and Nanquan. In that koan, as in this one, Magu is presenting himself to a teacher for confirmation of his awakening. Magu gets defensive when Nanquan says “Wrong!” to his presentation. He was still trapped in the net. Sansheng also seems to get defensive when Xuefeng implies that he is still in the net.
It’s interesting that the commentaries about this koan with Sansheng consider Sansheng and Xuefeng to be equals and that their conversation was a draw: no one lost, no one won. Sansheng was known to be the sole dharma heir of Linji, and perhaps he was given the benefit of the doubt that was not given to Magu.
For me, what is alive in the koan is the issue of becoming defensive or not.
Recently I was contacted by another teacher whose former student is currently working with me. They were concerned about a recent conversation they had had with this student and wanted to check in with me about it. After listening to their concerns, I found that my impression of the student was different than theirs and I noticed a lack of defensiveness in my response, that I appreciated. I don’t like conflict and it was interesting to notice that though our opinions differed, it didn’t feel like a conflict, and that was nice.
Maybe that’s what the commentators on this koan were picking up on in the conversation between Xuefeng and Sansheng.
Gotten defensive lately? Or not?
—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
