PZI Teacher Archives

Mazu's Make Yourself a Raft

KOAN:

To advance from where you can no longer advance and to do what can no longer be done, you must make yourself into a raft or ferryboat for others.

—Mazu Daoyi

Text October 30, 2023

You Can’t Cage a Koan – Make It a Raft!

John Tarrant, PZI Teachers

In the Blue Dragon’s cave, everything is there. If you think you haven’t seen a dragon, you may be wrong. In fact, who says you’re not a dragon? And if you think you don’t know about koans, you may be wrong, too. Who says you’re not a koan? Transcript of a dharma talk in Summer Sesshin 2020.

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Text October 30, 2023

Front Foot & Back Foot Walking

John Tarrant

One of the metaphors for awakening is spring. And don’t be afraid of how marvelous and powerful this thing is that’s carrying us, because it’s your nature and it’s a precious thing. And if we came here for anything, it’s that.

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Text July 14, 2023

Make Yourself a Raft Intro: A 6-Part Series on Group Facilitation

Jesse Cardin

When we lead a group in the PZI tradition, we offer ourselves to something larger. Our small identity falls away to reveal a vessel that can ferry all beings deeper into the mystery of this life we share. This is no easy task. I’m pleased to offer an online 6-part training and support series for group facilitators. In the interest of maintaining focus, this series will be limited to those who are actively facilitating koan salons and cohort groups, or who plan to do so imminently.

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Text June 30, 2023

Make Yourself a Raft: Sitting in the Leader’s Seat Part 2 of 6 Part Series on Group Facilitation

Jesse Cardin

For our second session, I’d like us to shine our light on the experience of sitting in the Leader’s Seat. I spoke briefly last time about the facilitator’s role in maintaining the vessel. In this next session, I’d like to dive deeper into the experience of doing that.

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Dharma Theme June 9, 2023

Dharma Theme: Adrift

PZI Teachers

The mind is a great artist, ceaselessly creating and assessing problems. The territory of the koan is finding the delicious helplessness of the mind and body, and settling into that—it’s the robe of the moment.

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Dharma Theme October 12, 2020
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