Bow & Roar
Andrew Palmer, Sensei – Dharma Teacher in The Open Source Zen Tradition
  • Home
  • Dharma Talks
  • Links
  • About
  • Good Reads
  • Writings
  • Contact
  • The Radiance of the Dark

Opening

9/21/2012

1 Comment

 
For this inaugural post, I think it would be interesting to take up the koan from the home page:

Book Of Serenity, Case 22: Yantou's Bow & Roar

Yantou came to Deshan's place. With a foot on each side
of the threshold, he asked, "Is this holy? Is this ordinary?"
  Deshan roared.
  Yantou bowed politely.
  Hearing about this, Dongshan said, "No one but clearsighted Yantou would have understood that."
  Yantou said, "That good old boy Dongshan can't tell good from bad. At that moment I raised up with one hand and pressed down with the other."

The part of the koan that draws me in is the straddling of the threshold. It seems a good place from which to ask questions and explore the way of things, a foot in each of the realms of possibility rather than taking up a position in one, both feet planted  beneath. It seems conducive to dialogue, whereas taking up a position tends to lends itself to debate (to which I can testify, having been visited by someone sharing Bible verses within the last hour, interested in having a conversation but never really meeting). It reminds me of how Chan monks are said to have greeted one another - rather than asking "How are you?" they would begin their meeting and conversation with "I am not certain." Dizang's "Not knowing is most intimate" also comes to mind.

What is it like to relate to life in this way? Not only in our meetings with one another, but throughout all we experience as we make our way along day to day, as our thoughts, opinions, judgments, emotions arise and we form ideas about the way things are. What if, in the midst of all that, we try to connect with being in
that place of the threshold, of "Yes, it seems to be like this, and yet..."

You're invited to carry the above thoughts with you as well as the larger territory of the koan, to see what happens, which I'd hope you'd share here. What part of the koan lights up for you? Where does it snag or stick? What comes up for you as you initially read  it? What happens when you allow it to be your companion over the coming days,
weeks, longer?

Enjoy!
Add Comment
1 Comment
vidmate.onl link
8/4/2024 11:30:33 am

I wanted to express my gratitude for your insightful and engaging article. Your writing is clear and easy to follow, and I appreciated the way you presented your ideas in a thoughtful and organized manner. Your analysis was both thought-provoking and well-researched, and I enjoyed the real-life examples you used to illustrate your points. Your article has provided me with a fresh perspective on the subject matter and has inspired me to think more deeply about this topic.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Andrew Palmer, Sensei

    Encouraging curiosity, uncertainty and exploration. Dive in!

    Archives

    April 2018
    February 2018
    October 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    September 2013
    July 2013
    April 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.