Without Beginning or End

WITHOUT BEGINNING OR END

Chuang Tzu

The Way is without beginning or end      

All things have their life and death          

Hence, you cannot rely upon them for fulfillment

One moment is empty

The next moment full    

Hence, you cannot depend upon their form         

The years cannot be restrained  

Time cannot be stopped            

Decay

Growth

Fullness

Emptiness        

All end and then begin again

This is the understanding of the Great Meaning
And the principles of The Ten Thousand Strings

 

Don't Write

Just Words

WORDS ARE MAPS of reality and dreams. Words are not reality, not dreams. Better to stop now. Sit, walk around and breathe. Later, come back to the words. Perhaps, the world would not exit without words; the "world" is a story we tell each other. Take away the story. What do you have left over? Just this, just that. Engaging directly with what is; like a new born. Of words, we don't need many. Just a phrase, a sound, can be enough
to suggest reality.

∆

This and That

Years ago there was a bohemian group that held parties at the ramshackle home of an old painter in Canyon, far back in the Oakland Hills.  His son and I used to hold long discussions on all sorts of subjects, including physics, math, philosophy, music, literature…  One night, both of us having consumed a fair amount of wine, the subject of Zen came up.  We wondered if we could make our own contribution to Zen enlightenment.  The result was the following.

 “In a Zen monastery, a monk was given the opportunity to ask the Master one and only question, with the promise that the Master would answer it.  When the appointed day arrived, the monk was presented to the Master.  ‘You may state your question,’ said the Master.  The monk replied,  ‘My question is this: What is the most important question I can ask you, and what is the answer?’  To which the Master replied, ‘That is the most important question you can ask, and this is the answer.’”

Contributed by John Franklin 

Zen Things

Spontaneous

Best Leaders

The best leaders are those who don't need to be leaders, they can gracefully step down when their work is done.  Woe, to those leaders (along with their followers) who can't let go when their work is done – for only revolution can dispose of them.   

Glenn Matson Meditation Practice

"Old" Map of the World

found at

peet's coffee vine and walnut

Knowing When to Quit

It's okay not to succeed. By acknowledging the value of failure we can open the door to true success. We can be kinder, more loving. Knowing when to quit is as important as knowing when to start. Dogged persistence is often encouraged, at the expense of community. It takes time and persistence to accomplish noble projects in life - such as raising a sane healthy child. Knowing when to quit is wise. Keep things from getting too complex. You may start a project and quickly realize that it's a waste of time. The best action may be to turn around and walk away.

Playfulness

Autumn Leaves

It is said that sometimes the only thing left to do in a horrible situation is to laugh to stop yourself from crying. Yet, there are times where we laugh so hard that we begin to cry. What a paradox; the marriage of sorrow and joy.

SAYINGS FROM THE ANCIENT MASTERS

THE FOLLOWER OF TAO

Wei-shan Ling-yu

Like the clear stillness of autumn water

Pure and without activity

In its tranquil depths are no obstructions.

Such a one is called a follower of Tao

A soul that has nothing more to accomplish

譬如秋水澄渟清浄無爲澹泞無礙。喚他作道人亦名無事人。

溈山靈祐

NOISE

The Noise calls itself Noise

It claims for itself the CROWN
Yet, the Noise cannot be noise
Without the Silent Way guiding its path

Producer Note:

One of the most excruciating aspects of our lives in the modern world is the level of disruptions that occur all around us. In other words, we live in a conundrum of Noise. We can call Noise anything we want but it always reverts to being Noise. Inputs want to take over our lives, influence the way we value things and guide us through lifestyle choices. Noise feels it is the King of our lives and the ultimate control mechanism of the way we live. We forget that in the hierarchy of thought, the highest level of being is the Silent Way / The Tao / The Essence of Life. Noise always lives underneath the bridge of the Tao and must always follow its path to survive. It ultimately becomes our choice which path to follow.