"Dasa Side"

August 21, 2009 Will Simpson

"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.

Colonel Boogie March

August 19, 2009 Will Simpson

"Colonel Boogie March", number 139 of 188 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

From WoodenZen

We are in a run of autobiographical miniatures. For some reason these seem less interesting. Today the Roshi reminisces about a show tune he originally heard during his interment. He associates the tune with such a positive experience that he is drawn to see the movie over and over.

Isn't this how we all move through life, somehow drawn to ideas and events by unacknowledged forces. These forces pull and push at us and until exposed to the light of day, we are slaves to their directions.

One path (psychoanalysis) would have us explored each event to discover its root. One path (Zen) would have us drop the whole structure built up around ideas and rooting around in story.

Rooting around in my story. Rooting around in my story. How silly! Make up a story about life, call it mine then root around in it. Try and make it pretty and neat, complain when it isn't smooth, compare it with other made up stories just as screwed up as mine. This scene in the play isn't even funny or even the least bit interesting. Yet I perpetuate it endlessly.

I revised the number of miniatures reported in the book. For some reason I miscounted them. There are only 188 miniatures not 200. I'm not going to change the number on the ones already commented on.

Maybe the universe is inviting me to add 12 of my own?

Here I Come!

August 19, 2009 Will Simpson

"Here I Come!", number 138 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

In this miniature, Robert Aitken expresses some of the emotion that he felt during the early stages of his repatriation after being held for almost four years of internment by the Japanese.

One can not make light of this yet it seems odd that an internee would come to embrace his captors culture and religion. This is coming from me, someone who has not had these formative experiences. I guess it could go either way, love or hate. It all depends on how much joriki we have developed.

I'm work on a way to include more woodworking into this site. I took yesterday off work and participated in a "Advance Forest Products Evaluation Field Trip" (technical jargon for a trip to the sawmill). Not any sawmill but Jensen Hardwoods in Walla Walla Washington. Owner/operator, Mark Jensen was very helpful and stayed through his lunch time to help us out-of-towners. This was mostly a scouting expedition.

We'll see what I can produce with the Curly Mango I got. Pictures coming on the newest segmented piece I've finished.

Old Age

August 18, 2009 Will Simpson

"Old Age", number 137 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

"Poll: Baby Boomers say old age begins at 80, three years more than US life expectancy. Death is the new Old."

Roland Hedley

Old Age

August 16, 2009 Will Simpson

"Old Age", number 137 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Dinosaur Mountain

August 16, 2009 Will Simpson

"Dinosaur Mountain", number 136 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

From WoodenZen

This miniature is ends with "It is my first thrill of the day." What is your 'first thrill of the day'?

I got an email from someone I haven't been in contact with for 30 years! A thrill indeed.

"Moose, Indian"

August 15, 2009 Will Simpson

"Moose, Indian", number 135 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Henry David Thoreau's last words were "Moose, Indian". There has been a lot said about this. Roshi puts forth that maybe we should "let the poor guy die in peace."

Death Poetry is a style of poetry written during the once-in-a-lifetime event of personal death.

Some samples of Zen Death Poems.

Sixty-six times have these eyes beheld the
   changing scene of autumn.
I have said enough about moonlight,
Ask no more.
Only listen to the voice of pines and cedars
   when no wind stirs.

Ryonen

Look straight ahead. What's there?

If you see it as it is

You will not err.

Bassui Tokusho

For over sixty years

I often cried Katsu! to no avail.

And now, while dying,

Once more to cry Katsu!

Won't change a thing.

Koken Sochin

Empty-handed I entered the world

Barefoot I leave it.

My coming, my going -

Two simple happenings

That got entangled.

Kozan Ichikyo

These poems come from a collection of Japanese death poems called oddly enough, Japanese Death Poems.

Watched a very interesting discussion between Dr. Robert Thurman, Karen Armstrong, and Phil Cousineau.

"The Spiritual Quest is often understood as a desire to reach God, or to attain spiritual enlightenment. It is a search that is often challenging, full of questions and uncertainties. In this episode of Global Spirit, writer and lecturer hosts comparative religion scholar Karen Armstrong and Professor of Buddhist studies Dr. Robert Thurman for a discussion of The Spiritual Quest as both a personal and religious phenomenon."

Saw the movie "Why Has Bodhi Dharma Left for the East" last night with my Zen peeps. I have to saw it was not to my tastes. It was long, boring and confusing. we were saved the ending my Matt's DVD player dying after 2.5 hours of augh! Dream scenes and what might have been flashbacks were randomly interspersed and the dialog, what little there was, was over the top Zen crap. The NY Times review painted a different picture. Guess, just not my speed. Your mileage may vary.