an old writer and his words

  • ONLY ONCE

    I don’t know who decided that we,as a group would go to the jai alai frontonthat evening, but as the junior-most memberof the management team it seemedat that moment less of a request or evenan invitation and more a command performance.I knew nothing about jai alai and the namesof the players, all in Portuguese might…

    Lou Faber

  • FETCH

    I think I stopped going to partiesbecause I grew tired of hearing howso many other’s lives had gone to hell,how they hated their jobs, and a fewhated their significant others and hopedto make them insignificant othersif they could ever get the courageto leave or ship them out, butmaybe it was just because Istopped getting invited…

    Lou Faber

  • YUNYAN’S NOT A SINGLE WORD

    A wise teacher will tell you that to fully understandall of the Dharmayou must find a Buddha.If you ask whereyou can find onehe may point to a child.You may ask the childabout dharma andthe child will say nothingrevealing the dharma fully. A reflection on Case 84 of Dogen’s Shobogenzo Koans (True Dharma Eye) 正法眼蔵

    Lou Faber

  • KNOWLEDGE

    I suppose I ought not be shockedwhen my grandson, all of twelve,explains to me the conceptof the expanding universe, norwhen asked about the capitalof Burundi fires back Gitegaand adds that Burundi has threeofficial languages, English, Frenchand of course Kirundi, and I nodhoping my ignorance isn’t obvious.I don’t dare ask how he knowslest he says everyone…

    Lou Faber

  • LOOKING IN

    You are standing on the edgepeering in, wondering ifit is always this way, alwaysundulating between sheer joyand frustration, swept upin the calm and maelstromthat is a large family, wishingyou had that family for yours.There is always great love,and you can sense that, butthere is a tension, a frictionof personalities rubbing againsteach other, building a heatthat…

    Lou Faber

  • NEXT STOP

    It is small, dark and desolate,tucked away in a cornerthat no one wants to visit.They all stop there, as required,but only rarely does anyoneget off and it always seemsa sudden, reluctant decision.Most don’t even peer out the windowswhen it stops there, they averttheir gaze wondering if anyonewill rise to leave, not wantingto be seen looking,…

    Lou Faber

  • YUNYAN SWEEPS THE GROUND

    If your teacherapproaches you asyou are sitting zazenand asks if youare working hard,how do you answer?If you say yes he willchide you for zazenis not work, butif you say no, hewill tell youto work much harderat your practice. A reflection on Case 83 of Dogen’s Shobogenzo Koans (True Dharma Eye) 正法眼蔵

    Lou Faber

  • TO BE

    He had wondered what it would be liketo be a Buddha, I mean, he thought, doBuddhas know they are Buddhas ordoes someone have to tell them, andif so, how does that person knowthat this person must be a Buddha?He wasn’t sure he wanted to becomea Buddha since no one could explainwhat possible benefit there would…

    Lou Faber

  • WHO WILL VISIT

    Who will visit this daythe inn that is your psyche, whowill extend their stay, whowill check out early perhaps,and who will arrive expectedor just hoping for a place to stayhowever briefly or long as you allow?As the proprietor you can turn away those you don’t wishto entertain even for a day, angerand his kin can…

    Lou Faber

  • SEEING YOU AGAIN

    I saw you again yesterday, as I haveso often recently and once again thoughtof approaching you for there is muchI would like to know about you and howwe ended up in the same place.But once again I sensed that youwanted solitude, wanted notto be disturbed, not to be questioned.You did smile briefly, a momentarysoftening of…

    Lou Faber