Friday, August 21, 2009

"Dasa Side"

"Dasa Side", number 140 of 188 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

In today's miniature, the old man talks of community building. It is sometimes surprising what can pass for 'community building'.

Slang and lingo glue communities. Learning the slang and lingo is the ticket to membership in many communities. Prohibiting the use of slang and lingo are ways that communities are suppressed.

Zen has a surprising amount of jargon. Learning the Zen lingo is a slow and fitful process.

What am I trying to say here? Let's sit and have a cup of coffee.



The only child, the son of a close friend died last Sunday. My heart is heavy with sadness. Life is all around us. So is death. One day we are filled with life the next day death.

Back and forth.

On and on.

This the comfortable method of reality. Bodhidharma knew this when he left India.



Any error or confusion created by my commentary on
Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance.
Any merit generated by this activity is solely the result of
Aitken Roshi's clear teaching and is dedicated to
all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time.

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