Taking refuge and making vows are not subjects we speak about in casual conversation, even with ourselves! Traditionally, we think of a formal ceremony where a teacher is initiating a group of students into the commitment of embracing Buddhism as their path.

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This collection of exchanges between Yuanwu and students, teachers, lay people, men, and women offers a truly fine look and feel into an exceptional teacher’s skill in finding a way to meet each person on a common ground to help them break through barriers.

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Nowhere else have I seen this particular piece on the Buddha’s last sermon. Many of us have read the admonition to “be a lamp unto yourself” as his last words, but whether the piece above was spoken before he died doesn’t impact the fact that it really was Dogen’s last piece written before his own death.

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For many of us who have not encountered that wonderful Good Friend who can help us see into our own nature, it looks like it is up to us. And there have been many people who have tried to find just that relationship, however, it is rare to find someone who has not been changed by their position of influence over others.

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So, out of the corner of our consciousness, we peek from time to time, wondering, even so, where exactly, and when is this Great Enlightenment? The maxim we hear in practice, “great effort, no goal” approximates the attitude of right intention. What a generous discourse on Great Enlightenment Dogen shares with us!

What a great combination of sharing some hints along the way with a grand adventure, discovering the Way.

Most of us have not had the almost mythic sounding breakthrough experiences of Master Kao-feng, and as a beginner, reading these enlightenment stories seems to raise an unrealistic training yardstick to jump over.

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This is a question that will stop any of us in our tracks. After so many years of practice and studying Buddhism and Zen, what would you say best represents the heart of the teaching? Do you think of the Diamond Sutra or Platform Sutra?

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These selections are taken from Sangha Instructions from ancient times and give the flavor of a master wielding a sword to cut through illusions. Sparse and to the point, Linji has no tolerance for superficial approaches and glib comments from students.

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While this selection reads like a lyrical piece about a man retiring to a meditative life, and seemingly having little to do with us today, this is not a story about a recluse or one removed from ordinary concerns.

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In the tradition of a true Zen master, Bassui always assisted his questioners to return to the origin of inquiry itself, “Who is the one who sees, hears, and understands?”

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