an old writer and his words

  • ROBE

    Robe of liberationembodiment of emptinessin prescribed formonce Brahmin garbtattered strips of clothcarefully stitched togetherstitches made, pulledand resewn, bitsof dharma wornover the heartwanting silencebeneath the Bodhi treeawaiting the bell,the dawn,the triple recitation,the three prostrationsBuddhas and BuddhasIn waiting, abidingfailure and compassion.

    Lou Faber

  • WWYD

    How often have I seen somethinglike WWBD – what would Buddha do –but lately I’ve stoppedto think about that. What if old Gautama Siddharthawere to arrive here, now,what would the Buddha doin a world gone wholly mad? Would he bother with sutras,bother with teishos to the fewstill willing to listen, or wouldhe check himself into…

    Lou Faber

  • MORNING SKY

    The morning skymaculate with tiny cloudsscattered about the endless blue,denied the promised rain. The wind grew angryhaving nothing to propelthrough the azure emptinessand rifled the trees seeking music. There is nothing to knowon such mornings, no languageneeded or permitted, there is onlythe sky awaiting the sun’s arrival. We are invited to watch,asked to gaze deeply…

    Lou Faber

  • FOUR ZEN HAIKU

    myself is no selfno self is universalinfinite being emptiness surroundsall forms are illusorythis is samadhi compassion aboundsalways out of your sightuntil you live it dharmas teach nothingcontain infinite knowledgejust stop looking

    Lou Faber

  • BODHIDHARMA’S VAST AND VOID

    You want holy teachingsboiled down, synthesizeddigestible in bites so dine on the holesnothing, emptinessis sustenanceenough look at me, at a windowas you do a mirrorno knowing,a familiar facebut whose the face will departyours or hisyou will awakento endless absence learn nothingnessoverflowing void A reflection on Case 1 of the Hekiganroku (Blue Cliff Record)

    Lou Faber

  • KYOZAN’S DREAM 無門關 二十語

    Hear clearly, only silence see clearly only emptiness dream of forgotten dreams awaken having forgotten dream and no dream merge in the light of the lamp. A reflection on Case 25 of the Mumonkan (Gateless Gate) Koans

    Lou Faber

  • QIANFENG’S “THREE TYPES OF SICKNESS”

      When you assume the mat and gaze at the wall, what is it you see? If you see nothing, what do you think? If you are certain that you see nothing, that is what you think. Do not see, do not think, and let the cushion fall away until the moment you no longer…

    Lou Faber

  • BROKEN VOW

    Then there are the days when the promise to write hangs over me like a curse, when the words are just loose associations of almost random letters and they deny, defy real meaning. It is on this day where, when all is set on the page, I move slowly on leaving this behind.

    Lou Faber