PZI Teacher Archives

Blue Dragon's Cave (BCR3)

KOAN:

For twenty years I have struggled fiercely—
How many times have I gone down to the Blue Dragon’s Cave for you?

—Xuedou

From his commentary on Ma’s Sun Face, Moon Face Buddha, Blue Cliff Record Case 3

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Dharma Theme April 12, 2023

Dharma Theme: Dragon Teachers & Magical Creatures

PZI Teachers

Anything might be in the Blue Dragon’s cave: awakening, memories, sorrows, dance moves—all the possibilities of your life might be there. You just fall into meditation in the Blue Dragon’s cave. Perhaps your whole life is blessed—every struggle and confusion itself.

258 Words

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Article September 13, 2021

Meet the Blue Dragon

John Tarrant

In forty years, the earth itself, beyond our control, and human violence, also beyond our control, will have changed all our assumptions. Even so, what do I want the teachings to be?

1130 Words
Audio June 9, 2021

Put Out the Fire – A Panel on Koan Practice & Pain

Jon Joseph

Jon Joseph Roshi assembles a panel of four PZI meditators who have varied experiences of chronic and severe pain. Koan meditation has helped all of them find a way to allow in the pain—to not exclude it—and to see it as a profound teacher and ally. Recorded May 31, 2021.

52' 15"
Audio October 12, 2020

Fall Sesshin 2020: The Koan Raft – Morning Talk with Jon Joseph

Jon Joseph

PZI Fall Sesshin: The Koan Raft – with Jon Joseph Roshi. What is a koan? A koan is a “public case” in Chinese. Koan practice develops a resonance with all things. Any section or word in a koan is a gate. As recorded October 2, 2020.

26' 0"

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Transcript September 1, 2020

How Many Times Have I Gone There for You?

John Tarrant

Just at this moment, the whole universe is holding us up. It’s nice for it to have a good job like that. That’s the thing that Master Ma said, the great master Mazu, “At a certain stage you have to make yourself a raft and a ferry for others if you want to go forward from the place you cannot go forward from.” This letting yourself feel—feel the moment and how it spreads out. There is no other moment. There is this, this, this, the Blue Dragon moment. It goes out through the galaxies.

3985 Words
Audio July 7, 2020

A Guided Koan Meditation into the Blue Dragon’s Cave with John Tarrant Roshi

John Tarrant

Audio excerpt: John Tarrant guides a journey into the Blue Dragon’s Cave, a koan meditation as recorded on Sunday July 5th Meditation & Talk. 25 minutes.

25' 45"
Audio July 7, 2020
98' 27"