PZI Teacher Archives
-
Allison Atwill -
David Parks -
David Weinstein -
Eduardo Fuentes -
Jesse Cardin -
John Tarrant -
Jon Joseph -
Michelle Riddle -
Tess Beasley
Bodhidharma Comes and Goes (MK43)
KOAN:
a. Bodhidharma was last seen heading back to India, wearing one sandal. Why did he return to India?
b. Someone comes to you in a dream and asks you why Bodhidharma came from the West. If you don’t answer, you fail your responsibility. What will you say?
c. Bodhidharma’s relics are in front of the gate. Go get them and bring them here.
—PZI Miscellaneous Koans, Case 43
Why Did Bodhidharma …?
Jesse Cardin
What is the heart of any big question? We are swimming in a sea of uncertainty and the mind wants to fill in the blanks. Yet our questions are much smaller than what’s on offer, what’s possible as an answer—the whole universe might be doing something through me.
Why Did Bodhidharma … ?
Jesse Cardin
What is the heart of any big question? We are swimming in a sea of uncertainty and the mind wants to fill in the blanks. Yet our questions are much smaller than what’s on offer, what’s possible as an answer—the whole universe might be doing something through me.
Bodhidharma Comes & Goes
Why did Bodhidharma come from the West, and return to the East? Why are we born, and why do we die? Emperor Wu regretted his interview, but no one could bring Bodhidharma back. We all come and go. Jon’s talk, meditations, and student comments & stories. As recorded August 2, 2021.
The Oak Tree in the Garden
PZI Zen Online: “Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?” Answer: “The Oak Tree in the garden.” David reflects on the nature of the garden, and how life is everywhere—even is this odd time of extremes. Recorded June 4th, 2020.
The Method of Zen
In the evening dharma talk John introduces us to an ancestor in the koan tradition, Dahui Zonggao 大慧宗杲 (Ta-hui Tsung-kao, Daie Soko), 1089-1163 and his disciple Wuzhuo Miaozong (無著妙宗; 1096–1170 CE), Miaozong lived during the Song dynasty and was one of the first nuns to be included in an imperially sanctioned Zen lineage history. The conversation between Dahui and Miaozong is instructive of his early method of using only the head of the koan and become one with it. His method was formulated for his culture like we are for ours.
Bodhidharma’s Enlightenment
“No merit whatsoever!” Bodhidharma responds to Emperor Wu in Case 2, in the Book of Serenity. David follows Bodhidharma’s path, and the process of practice.