an old writer and his words

  • SHUZAN’S SHIPPEI 無門關 四十三

    Osho holds up a staff and cradles a small long haired dog. What do you call these, he asks the gathered assembly in both fact and reality? A chattering din brings the hall to silence, until the ghost of Joshu unfolds himself, strides to the zendo door, and while bowing, shouts MU! A reflection on…

    Lou Faber

  • AS IT SHOULD BE

    Day gives way to night. Life gives way to death. Truth gives way to truth and falsity to falsity. Nothing moves, nothing cedes, all is constant. This is enso, one stroke, complete and incomplete and this is mu. You may enter freely, but will never leave, and once captured you have never been here and…

    Lou Faber

  • THE REAL WAY 碧巌録 二

    Heed Joshu’s words the real way is not difficult look within the mind come across words, thoughts and cast them over the edge into the abyss. Continue searching until no words or thoughts remain and you are left with mu. Then carry mu to the precipice and cast it, too, into the abyss make your…

    Lou Faber

  • MU

    If you ask me whether a dog has buddha nature I will stare back at you in total silence. If you ask again, or implore an answer I will smile at you, offer gassho and a bow. If you ask yet again, I will turn away and you will be left with a box into…

    Lou Faber

  • ENSO IT GOES

    I spent much of yesterday trying to draw perfect enso. You would think it easy to draw the simple circle, one easy stroke, but my efforts suggest otherwise. It is my Western mind, my teacher once suggested, always linear, this moment next to that, and then the one that must naturally follow. If not a…

    Lou Faber