PZI Teacher Archives
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Allison Atwill -
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Eduardo Fuentes -
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John Tarrant -
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Michelle Riddle -
Tess Beasley
Fire at the End of the Universe (BCR29)
KOAN:
A monk asked Dasui, “The conflagration at the end of the eon
sweeps through and the universe is totally destroyed. I wonder,
is this one destroyed or not?”
Sui said, “It is destroyed.”
The monk said, “If so, then this goes along with it.”
Sui said, “It goes along with it.”
—Blue Cliff Record Case 29
Alternate translation from John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland:
A student asked Dasui,
“It’s clear that the fire at the end of this kalpa will completely destroy the universe.
I’m still not clear whether there’s something that won’t be destroyed.”
Dasui said, “It will be destroyed.”
“It’ll leave along with everything else?”
“It will leave along with everything else,” said Dasui.
Dharma Theme: Fire – The Extremes of Climate Change
Our era is undoubtedly difficult, and even crazy. We are in an underworld time. We know that we’re cutting down ancient trees, burning fossil fuels, melting the sustaining ice, finding leaders who pretend that we have no part in the changes that overwhelm us. We are suffering from forces greater than us and also from ourselves; we too are forces beyond our control.
Opening Talk on the Great Kalpa Fire Predicament Koan
The 3rd of John Tarrant’s Sunday series on predicament koans. John talks about the Great Kalpa Fire koan. A kalpa is a great age, eon, or universe. Opening Talk excerpted from Sunday Zen on September 18, 2022. (Complete Sunday Zen video also available.)
Predicament Koans: The Great Kalpa Fire – 2 Zen Teachers & 3 Opinions on the Great Destruction
Excerpt from the 3rd of John Tarrant’s Sunday series on predicament koans. John talks about the Great Kalpa Fire. (Kalpa is a great age, eon, or universe.) Recording from the beginning of Sunday Zen on September 18, 2022. 10 minutes.
Music for Meditation: The Great Kalpa Fire
Michael Wilding weaves a magical solo flute improvisation for the Great Kalpa Fire session from Sunday, September 18, 2022. 5 minutes.
The Great Kalpa Fire – A Predicament Koan
The great cataclysmic fire at the end of the universe is us, is in our hands, because there is no separation. A student asks three teachers the same question: “At the end of the universe, will everything be destroyed?” and gets different answers. It is like asking, “Do you think I am really going to die?” and then getting three opinions. Complete Sunday Talk recorded September 18, 2022.