PZI Teacher Archives

Sixteen Bodhisattvas Take a Bath (BCR78)

KOAN:

In the old days there were sixteen bodhisattvas. When it was time to bathe they got into the bath together. Suddenly they realized the cause of water and said,“This subtle touch releases the brightness. We have become the sons and daughters of the Buddha.”

—Blue Cliff Record Case 78

(transl. by John Tarrant & Joan Sutherland)

Text October 8, 2020

9 Sixteen Meditators Get Into The Bath Together – The Zenosaurus Course in Koans

John Tarrant

Zenosaurus Curriculum 9: For a long time I had the idea that there was a right thing that “should” be happening. I was hurrying past to get to the right thing, there was a gap between my consciousness and the world.

805 Words
Text August 25, 2020

Hosting the Life You Have

John Tarrant

Rilke said, “Life is always right.” Whatever I think about that saying, this is the life I have, and I can’t have another life. And really, fundamentally I don’t want another one, because this one is so rich and compelling, no matter what’s going down right now.

5106 Words
Audio December 3, 2019

Hosting the Life You Have

John Tarrant

“We’d give anything for the life we have,” says poet Tony Hoagland. Take the role of host wherever you are; no special undertakings are necessary. From Summer Sesshin. As recorded June 13 2016.

49' 36"
Text September 17, 2019

Soaking in the Bath, Releases the Light

John Tarrant

This is one of those “in the old days, once upon a time” stories. There are a couple of interesting things about this. The first thing is about the idea of just getting in the bath, that maybe one of the metaphors for spiritual tradition is you get in a bath, and not only that, you do it together. We do it with each other. You could say we do it with the crows who call, we do it with the frogs, with the trees, with the birds. And then something happens in the bath. What happens in the bath, I suppose, is really most of what happens on the spiritual journey.

5996 Words
Text September 17, 2019

Hosting the Life You Have – Koans for Hard Times

John Tarrant

..one of the things we can be skeptical about is that division. This is meditation, this is not meditation, and the question is always, how do you know it’s not meditation? How do you know what’s happening now isn’t it?

5810 Words
Video August 30, 2017
33' 24"
Video July 11, 2017

16 Bodhisattvas Soaking in a Bath

John Tarrant

Soaking in the meditation bath with other students of the way is the topic of this dharma talk. October 17, 2012.

49' 4"