Featured Koan: Zhaozhou's Great Way Is Not Difficult - Blue Cliff Record Case 2

A student asked Xiangyang, "What is the Way?"
Xiangyan said, "Dragon murmurings in a withered tree."
"What is a person of the Way?"
"Eyes in a skull."
Later, the student asked Xishuang, "What are 'dragon murmurings in a withered tree'?"
Xishuang replied, "I still have joy."
Later still, the student asked Caoshan, "Who can hear these dragon murmurings?"
Caoshan replied, "There is no one in the world who isn't hearing it."
"What book is 'dragon murmurings in a withered tree' from?"
"I don't know what book it's from, but everyone who hears it dies."

—from Xuedou's verse commentary on Blue Cliff Record Case 2

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Poet - Machado

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Audio August 8, 2020

Machado Poem: Traveler There is No Road – Eduardo Fuentes & John Tarrant Roshi Read

Eduardo Fuentes, John Tarrant

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emptiness, July 19 2020, Poet - Machado

Audio Excerpt: from Zen Online Green Glade of Meditation with John Tarrant. Eduardo Fuentes reads a Machado poem in Spanish, “Traveler, There is No Road” from his home in Santiago, Chile. John Tarrant reads the Machado poem in English, and Eduardo reads it again in Spanish. As recorded Sunday, July 19 2020.

2' 15"

Audio July 29, 2020

This Very Mind Is It

Jon Joseph

Koans

This Very Heart-Mind is Buddha's, Who Am I?

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Mazu, Poet - Machado

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Audio PZI Zen Online: Whatever mind you have right now in the middle of covid and civil unrest is it! Is Buddha. A great gift. We soak into koan practice and thoughts are part of the mix. They come and go and small mind perceives the vast mind. Who are we and what is this? As recorded July 13 2020.

80' 20"

Audio July 21, 2020

Green Glade: Held by Emptiness

John Tarrant

Koans

Buddha Has No Country, Ikkyu's Well (MK22), Nothing Holy (BCR1)(BS2), Vast Emptiness

Tags

Bodhidharma, Duke Zhi, emptiness, July 19 2020, Mazu, Poet - Machado, Poet - Takahashi, Shishan, the valley spirit never dies, the wind blows hard through the pines, well

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Green Glade of Meditation: There is a framework in our practice for relying on emptiness and freedom, not holding pre-set views. Blessing things beyond approval and disapproval. I am you = emptiness. In Zen we shift to “before” the demons grabbed our ankles. You can’t rely on what you believe. We accord with the Dao, we can’t fall out of the dream. PZI Zen online, as recorded July 19, 2020.

94' 45"