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SELFLESS
The true self is no-self, and this self is not self, but illusion and delusion, where delusion is enlightenment, and nothing is as it seems for nothing is and only seems and so it is with self, so let go of this self and no-self will appear, though it was always there.
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USER’S MANUAL
In my dreams last night I thought I came across the Buddha while off wandering somewhere I could not recognize. I thought long and hard about following Linji’s proscription and killing the Buddha, but while lost in contemplation the Buddha took up his keisaku, said “if you cannot follow the simplest of directions, if you…
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NAMASTE
If you stare at it very closely and carefully you will soon see that deep within it there is silence. You may take it with you, it will go along willingly, but if only you don’t try and grasp it. It is soft to the touch, certainly, and has a sweetness that settles gently into…
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TO THE SEA
Today I would like to walk to the river, fashion a boat from a sheet of paper, and set off on it to a far distant sea. Most would think me crazy, but most see only the water flowing by under the bridge, and not the sea that lies out of sight beyond the horizon,…
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PURE DHARMA BODY 正法眼蔵 二十六
Standing at the foot of the mountain, what side do you see. Standing atop the mountain, what side do you not see. Close your eyes and you will see that the mountain has no sides. Close your eyes and you will find that there is no mountain. A reflection on Case 26 of the Shobogenzo…
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TO BE, OR
The beauty and the difficulty of being in the moment is the realization that there is no moment in which to be. When you ask what time it is, I can only answer by referring to what time it is not, for time must be relative to that which no longer exists, or has yet…
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TEMPUS FUGIT
The problem with bringing then into now is that now slips away and then no longer really exists. You may wish all you like for summer to remain, but Autumn demands her due and even the leaves grow tired and need that final rest. Do not deny the clouds, but treat them like a stray…
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UN4SEEN
Next week, somewhere, something will happen. Several people will say they foresaw it, others will be equally certain it was entirely unpredictable. The truth, of course, will be elusive allowing everyone the certainty of uncertainty. It would be so much easier if nothing happened but things never happen according to anyone’s overly simple plans.
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RINZAI’S ENLIGHTENMENT 正法眼蔵 二十七
If you ask your question you will find an answer but ask another and the stick will respond each time. If you seek another teacher will you change the question or the answer, and does it matter. Take up the stick, who will you strike, your teacher or yourself, and is there any real…
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NOTA BENE
Sometime this week you will get a note. You will not know who it is from, and you won’t be at all certain just what it is supposed to mean, but you will carefully fold it, place it in your pocket and later put it in a safe place along with all the other notes…
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an old writer and his words 