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POWER
In my dreams, I haveinfinte power and a hintof omniscience one minuteand am impotent, deafand dumb the next,and there is no predictingwhich moment willbe which or whena shift will suddenly happen. I generally stay outof trouble, and when disasterlooms, and I am powerless,I can awaken, resetthe projector and try again,although I do havea nagging fear…
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HYAKUJO’S SECOND VISIT 正法眼蔵 語十四
You may come asking questions,and perhaps the teacherwill answer you with a discourse.If you go deaf and hear nothing,if the words flitlike so many mayfliesjust as soon gone,if no word finds purchaseyou will have a graspthe heart of the Dharma. A reflection on Case 54 of Dogen’s Shobogenzo (The True Dharma Eye)
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SHELVED
They speak of me, never to me,with terms like breakage, as thoughlife, mine at least, is a glass bottleon a shelf with so many others,and a certain percentage are pre-assumed to break and be discardedand no one will bat an eyelash. To them I am nameless, one of many,stock in trade, with no provenance,or at…
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PERSONIFICATION
The black cat walked by the patio again today. He won’t stop and engage no matter how hard I try to talk to him. Some cats are haughty and this one clearly isn’t deaf. Some say it is feral, but it’s too well groomed for that. More likely it has spent too much time with…
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MAN OF GREAT STRENGTH 無門關 二十
From this place traverse a thousand paths visit the ten directions with unmoving feet and recount your tale with frozen tongue to we deaf quadriplegics. A reflection on case 20 of the Mumonkan (The Gateless Gate)
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THE ONE-EYED MAN
He’s heard the expression “the silence is deafening” and he could never understand it. Today they studied his eyes, he staring into the the equipment, lights changing and flashing, they sitting, repeating “Blink.” Soon he understood what it was. to be “blinded by the light”, and while he waited for his eyes to undilate, he…
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UMMON’S FAMILY TRADITION 鐵笛倒吹 七十一
The greatest teacher is one who offers nothing and shouts it silently once the student has departed. You cannot know what the blind man sees for you cannot see through his eyes and the deaf woman may hear a symphony in a flower. When asked what is your practice do you answer: life? A reflection…
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an old writer and his words 