an old writer and his words

  • SHISHO’S TRANSMISSION

    If a teacher offersto give you the dharmawhat will you do.If you accept his offerhe will give youan empty sack of air.If you refuse the offeryou will havefound the dharmaall around you. A reflection on Case 64 of the Book of Equanimity (従容錄, Shōyōroku)

    Lou Faber

  • IDENTIFYING WITH CAUSE AND EFFECT

    You offer to methat which I cannot take,I refuse to give youthe one thing you can accept.We each have nothingand give nothingand are happyfor the perfect gift. A reflection on Case 90 of Dogen’s Shobogenzo Koans (True Dharma Eye)

    Lou Faber

  • AMAZONIA

    There will, I am certain, come a day when I will need to do nothing. My computer and my apps will know what I want, will obtain it without asking, will expect my thanks when it arrives, even if they are incapable of understanding what thank you means in a human world. They already plague…

    Lou Faber

  • NO MIND, NO BUDDHA 無門關 三十三

    Baso knows well only the ox truly understands the yoke but if you offer it the ox will not accept. Why would you seek to become the ox as it would be better to burn the yoke. A reflection on Case 33 of the Mumonkan (The Gateless Gate Koans)

    Lou Faber

  • ODE TO THE CAT

    I read a poem today about a cat and the memory of my last cat came to mind, and with it, the certainty that cats have an innate sense of people which people utterly lack. It may be that cats are completely ignorant of the masks we wear, or simply that they could care less…

    Lou Faber

  • NOW LISTEN UP

    I read a poem today, about a cat and it reminded me, actually the memory of my last cat came to mind, that cats have an innate sense of people, that people utterly lack. It may be that cats are completely unfooled by the masks we wear, or simply that they could care less how…

    Lou Faber