Description
David Weinstein gives a morning dharma talk on being captured by the mystery and the koan, “Things are not as they appear, nor are they otherwise,” and on the metamorphosis of monarch butterflies on his windowsill.
Summary
Things are not as they appear,
nor are they otherwise.
—Pacific Zen Miscellaneous Koans Case 45
(from the Lankavatara Sutra, Chapter 3)
David recounts his early days as a Zen student in Japan with Koun Yamada Roshi.
Upon arriving at Yamada’s temple, David declared, “I don’t do koan practice, I just sit. Yamada replied, “Ohhh, that is very difficult. Not many people get realization with that practice. But—I want YOU to come to realization with that practice. And let me ask you a question: How do you stop the sound of the distant temple bell?”
Thus began David’s journey of being slowly steeped in koans without his realizing it.
Where is the beginning of practice? Is this koan practice or not? Weeds become soil and we digest all of it.
Over time, David’s inquiry deepened:
What is this koan reflecting back to me?
What is it trying to help me understand?
What is this koan in my life?
Miscellaneous koans? Harada had 22. PZI currently has 75. Hakuin had 135 koans. The tradition itself is always changing. It flows like water and crashes like water. Going beyond what appears and beyond form itself—that ability to change has allowed the tradition to go from culture to culture, flowing like water.
David shares a story about raising Monarch butterflies:
A dull, fallow phase is part of the process, a chrysalis turns dark like being in a stone crypt. David is out swimming, missing how one Monarch has needed help getting its wings dried in the sunshine. They have already departed on flights as long as a thousand miles.
Constant change and the constancy of who you are do not contradict each other. There is a yes to everything where we are able to feel the gratitude.
David Weinstein gives a morning dharma talk in 2021 Fall Sesshin, recorded Wednesday, October 20, 2021.
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