The Basis of All Actions

Here’s one from Kodo Sawaki:

The basis of all actions is to follow through to the end. If your mind is absent even just for a moment, you’re no different from a corpse.

(Antaiji: Kodo Sawaki- “To You”, 34)

That might sound like there’s something to be done apart from waking up and falling asleep; Sawaki goes on to say:

“It’s ...  read more

Riding the Ox Home

The trick is never to mount the ox in the first place, per the Ch’an master Foyan; he said there were only two diseases at his monastery, searching for an ox while riding an ox and being mounted on an ox unable to dismount. He asked, isn’t it better never to mount in the first place?

I would say the meaning is that where we are is sufficient ...  read more

Houdini Developed an Ability to Feel

Houdini knew something about being a coffin-case; could be useful, but not at Harvard, I think.

So how’s this for an instruction of zazen: let the length of the inhalation or exhalation engender the activity in the sartorious and gluteous muscles that rotates the pelvis and extends the hips, and through the extension of the hips let the inhalation ...  read more