Description
Tess reports on her pilgrimage along ancient temple paths in Kyoto, Japan. But one need not travel so far to meet the Buddha. Entering the garden of your own life is enough. Complete session recorded May 21, 2023, with music from Michael Wilding and Jordan McConnell.
Summary
Where will you meet the Buddha who has no country?
Tess Beasley shares stories from Kyoto and the ancient road home.
A student asked Jiashan, “What if you sweep away the dust and see the Buddha?”
Jiashan said, “You have to wield your sword. If you don’t, you’ll be like a fisherman
stuck in a tangle of reeds, unable to catch a single fish.”
The student then asked Shishuang, “What if you sweep away the dust and see the Buddha?”
Shishuang said, “The Buddha has no country. Where will you meet her?”
—Book of Serenity, Case 68
In the hills of Kyoto, just beyond the temple-and-tourist-lined paths in an ancient bamboo grove, lies a steep ascent and heavy wooden gate. A small sign offers tea and a chance to meet the Buddha in the garden within. Come! Just a few hundred yen, or a few dollars, will gain you admission.
But one need not travel so far to meet the Buddha. Entering the garden of your own life is enough. The old Zen masters discovered long ago that glimpsing the face of awakened mind requires no special conditions at all.
And, as it turns out, the fewer ideas we carry about who we’ll meet and where, or when, reveals a standing invitation to the golden light peeking out from everywhere. Even the jagged edges of the journey help guide the way home.
Complete Sunday Zen session with meditation, music, and stories from the ancient road.
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