PZI Teacher Archives
Master Ma
You Can’t Cage a Koan – Make It a Raft!
In the Blue Dragon’s cave, everything is there. If you think you haven’t seen a dragon, you may be wrong. In fact, who says you’re not a dragon? And if you think you don’t know about koans, you may be wrong, too. Who says you’re not a koan? Transcript of a dharma talk in Summer Sesshin 2020.
Dharma Theme: The Teachings of Great Master Ma
PZI Dharma Theme: The teachings of Mazu. A curated list of references from our KALPA Library, on this old teacher in our lineage.
Guided Koan Meditation with John Tarrant: The Whole Purpose of Your Life
John Tarrant guides a 9-minute meditation with Master Ma’s koan, “The whole purpose of your life is contained in the current matter.” Audio excerpt as recorded at a Sunday Meditation & Talk on February 9, 2021.
Dharma Theme: Zen Tuesdays – Immensity is Tapping
PZI Dharma Theme: Four PZI Guanyins reappear for Zen Tuesdays in October. They marvel at the immensity in all things from various perspectives. Drawing inspiration from Jane Hirshfield’s poem, “Tree,” The Doors’ “Light My Fire,” a golden crowned sparrow, a remarkable brother’s life, and more. Excerpts and complete audio sessions as recorded in October 2020.
Immensity is Tapping with Sarah Bender
PZI Zen Online: October Zen Tuesday session with Sarah Bender Roshi. Dharma talk with comments, features Sarah’s tender story of her brother Tom, with meditation & reflections on immensity entering a life in so many ways. Vimalakirti’s room. “What’s so so close you don’t even think it counts?” As recorded Oct 27 2020.
How Many Times Have I Gone There for You?
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.
Don’t Try to Cage the Blue Dragon
Summer Sesshin: Into the Blue Dragons Cave – audio excerpt. Koans are much more than “tools”—they do YOU! Your very heart-mind is it, so have the intimacy of your life even into death. From the Friday evening talk by John Tarrant. As recorded June 26th, 2020.
Audio Excerpt: Walking on the Red Sky & Navigating Your Bodhisattva Raft
Audio excerpt: John Tarrant, Roshi on meeting our difficult time, quoting Master Ma and Yuanwu. Friday evening at Summer Sesshin
Audio Excerpt: The Beautiful & Terrible Coexist in Our World
Summer Sesshin: Excerpt from a longer Friday morning talk on master Ma, sickness and health.
A Guided Koan Meditation into the Blue Dragon’s Cave with John Tarrant Roshi
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.