PZI Teacher Archives
Not for Anything Else (BCR11)
KOAN:
When Huangbo first met Baizhang, Baizhang said, “Magnificent! Imposing! Where have you come from?”
Huangbo said, “Magnificent and imposing, I’ve come from the mountains.”
Baizhang asked, “What have you come for?”
Huangbo said, “Not for anything else.”
—Commentary on Blue Cliff Record Case 11
The Goose in the Bottle
A woman raises a goose in a bottle—when it is grown, she wishes to remove it without breaking the bottle, or killing the goose. How do you get the goose out of the bottle? What is the glass between you and the world? This koan offers a chance to taste life. Complete session recorded September 4, 2022.