Yuanwu
teacher
The Great Collaborators of the Blue Cliff Record
Deep in Summer Sesshin, we are in the middle of the Blue Cliff Record. We, ourselves, are under the Blue Cliff, with Yunmen and Yunmen’s friends. We are all those people. The Blue Cliff is still being written, and we’re helping out with that project.
The East Mountain Walks on the Water
Brilliant Zen student Dahui’s teacher, Yuanwu, sees his student can’t quite let go of his hold of the precipice and gives him this koan. There is something underneath everything: it is vastness. The old character was ‘sky.’ Haiku was hailed as a perfect snapshot with eternity in it. Haiku from John Tarrant, Masaoka Shiki, and others. Complete session recorded February 13, 2022.
Dharma Theme: Summer Sesshin 2021 in the Palace at the Blue Cliff
Here is a curation of sesshin dharma talks on a single page, for easy finding and listening. A sesshin is always more than the sum of its parts or its recorded talks. There are morning rituals, greetings, incense passed magically through the screen, the changing light, rich silences, moments of humor, tech gremlins, tears, synchronicities, dogs barking, dreams, and awakenings that we share. It is the timeless play of the universe, with each other. As recorded in the PZI Digital Temple, June 22-27, 2021.
The Great Collaborators at the Blue Cliff
John Tarrant introduces us to the great collaborative group of teachers, including Yunmen, who gathered at the Blue Cliff with Yuanwu to develop The Blue Cliff Record.
A Blue Cliff Record Journey of Not Picking & Choosing
You are a stowaway in a wild koan journey of picking & choosing, told by John Tarrant. He recounts the adventures, awakenings and conversations of the great teachers that were gathered at the Blue Cliff with Yuanwu.
Yuanwu & the Great Masters of the Blue Cliff
Second evening talk of Summer Sesshin 2021: John Tarrant introduces the great master of the Blue Cliff and the great questions and koans of his awakening.
Mowing the Grasses – April First Wise Foolishness
David Parks Roshi of Blue Grass Zen in Kentucky enters spring with mowing the grasses and contemplating the weeds. PZI Zen Online. Dharma talk as recorded April 1, 2021.
Fall Sesshin 2020: The Koan Raft – Morning Talk with Jon Joseph
PZI Fall Sesshin: The Koan Raft – with Jon Joseph Roshi. What is a koan? A koan is a “public case” in Chinese. Koan practice develops a resonance with all things. Any section or word in a koan is a gate. As recorded October 2, 2020.
Fall Sesshin 2020: Opening the Vessel with John Tarrant Roshi
PZI Fall Sesshin Audio Excerpt: John Tarrant Roshi’s opening talk. As recorded October 1, 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