r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/19egf6r/layman_pang_fasted_to_death/

Post Summary:

On another day, Tan-hsia came to visit the Layman. As he entered the gateway they saw each other and Tan-hsia asked, "Is the Layman here or not?"!

The Layman said, "He died of starvation while fasting."

Tan-hsia said, "Well, is old man P'ang here or not?"

The Layman said, "Oh my god! Oh my god!" and he went into his house.

Tan-hsia said, "Oh my god! Oh my god!" and left.

Zen Teaching: Green’s trans. Of Layman Pang

Post Cast Overview: Life and Death, System of thought vs Zen, Back in the day in China vs the Internet, Emotional stakes, Honesty

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/1av66kq/do_trees_deserve_a_beating/

Post Summary: All about Case 15, where Shochou says where he spent his summer and Yunmen says he should be viciously beaten for it.

Zen Teaching:http://home.pon.net/wildrose/gateless-15.htm

Post Cast Overview: We go through the Case, the lecture, and then the instructional verse (there is a 1 min loss around min14, but that’s it).

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/s/HwDWUnQFh9

Post Summary: Yunmen once seized his staff, banged it on the seat and said,

"All sounds are the Buddha's voice, and all forms are the Buddha's shape. Yet when you hold your bowl and eat your food, you hold a 'bowl-view'; when you walk, you hold a 'walk-view'; and when you sit you have a 'sit-view.' The whole bunch of you behaves this way!"

The Master took his staff and drove them all away at once.

Zen Teaching: Yunmen aka Ummon, trans. App

Post Cast Overview: (under construction)

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/196hqs7/zen_hopefuls_faith_in_teachings_vs_normies_trust/

Post Summary: A while ago ewk gave a description of the difference between trust and faith that stuck with me and has influenced my thinking quite a bit ever since. To paraphrase:

• faith can ignore evidence in favour of confidence in a given principle. that apparent confidence is seen as a worthwhile end in its own right.

• trust can test endlessly, having no preference that any given principle is true or false. there's no question of 'i'd rather not have this information.'

Zen Teaching: A little Layman Pang, a lot of Dongshan (because I say so)

Post Cast Overview: We started with people who hate Zen actually spend more time hating online than studying what they claim they believe, and we ended up talking about cooking and how following the recipe can be like following the bird path (what? How?)

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://old.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/192cmi1/what_are_some_fundamental_texts_to_read_the_less/

Post Summary: What is a Zen text? Where are the sutras?

Zen Teaching:

Post Cast Overview: (under construction)

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/s/mO9j80BU2v

Post Summary: ewk claims to have derived Zen precepts algorythmically, chaos ensues.

1st Zen Precept: No Nest, No Tracks Having no nest means not preferring some particular set of faith-based principles, not insisting on only one answer or formula, not clinging or attaching to any set of beliefs, values, or ideologies. Leaving no tracks means not giving people something to follow. Leaving no tracks means no method, no practice, no instruction-that-transmits. Zen Masters talk about leaving no tracks in order to remind people that Zen isn’t about being a follower. In Wansong’s book of Zen instruction, Book of Serenity, there is a reference to Zhaozhou’s answers to the question of that dog having the Buddha nature 9 ; Zhaozhou says no, and then later yes. Wansong points out if you take either side you have a problem: “[Wansong’s Instructive Commentary]: If you say a dog’s buddha-nature surely exists, afterwards he said ‘no’—if it surely does not exist, still previously he said ‘yes’. And if you say that to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is just a temporary response spoken according to the situation, in each there is some reason. That is why it is said that someone with clear eyes has no nest.” (Zen Master Wansong, 2005, Case 18)

Zen Teaching: Wansong, for example Book of Serenity, Cleary trans.

Post Cast Overview: (under construction)

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://old.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/18rkcoe/poor_helpless_and_drunk/

Post Summary: It's about this.

Zen Teaching:

The Gateless Checkpoint of the Zen Lineage

Chan Zong Wumen Guan (J. Mumonkan)

禅宗無門關

By Wumen Huikai (1183-1260, J. Mumon Ekai)  Translated by Gregory Wonderwheel © 2007

 10. Qingshui is Orphaned and Poor

Venerable Caoshan: because a monk said the question, “Quingshui is orphaned and poor.  I beg, the master to give alms to aid."

            Shan said, “Shui practices*."

            Shui agreed.

            Shan said, "You have drunk and finished three cups of wine from the Clear House of Qingyuan (the source of Qing), yet [MM 20] you say you have not moistened your lips."

 Wumen's Lecture: Qingshui donated his function; what was the business of his heart-mind?  Caoshan possessed a deep eye to discern function.  So although it was thus, just say what is within “Shui practices” that deals with drinking wine?

 Wumen's Explanatory Verse:

Poor like Fandan,

Spirit like Xiangyu;

Although without a plan of work,

He dares to participate and struggle for wealth.

 Post Cast Overview: (under construction)

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://old.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/18pv108/christmas_eve_message_buddha_was_cured/

Post Summary: I am going to mix in lots of weird ingredients, but keep in mind that Zen Masters teach

Zen Master Buddha was cured

In fact, that is the only possible interpretation of the Buddha myth. He is born, gets up from under the tree, and says IN ALL OF HEAVEN AND ACROSS THE FACE OF THE EARTH, I'M THE ONE CURED.

Now I certainly don't want anyone to believe in him, take his word for it, or trust me on this. But there is no question that this was the essential nature of his experience.

And now... on to Christmas Party! And drugs, meditation, Arnold, and the Father of Christmas!

Zen Teaching: Foyan’s lectures, trans by Cleary under the title “Instant Zen”

Post Cast Overview:

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://old.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/18emajv/ama_usedsuggestion4412/

Post Summary: Foyan's Independence and Freedom passage was the first thing I read in Zen that blew me away. Without thinking, I wrote it down to memorize it and then for several days, I reread it in my mind, contemplating what it meant.

Zen Teaching: Foyan’s record, published under the title Instant Zen, Cleary trans.

Post Cast Overview:

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted

r/zen is a reddit forum about Zen scholarship, study, and practice.

Reddit Post: https://www.reddit.com/r/zen/comments/18ebx91/real_life_zen_versus_church/

Post Summary: Zen Masters either quitting or joining and what is “real life” experience

Zen Teaching: Xuefeng, Huineng, Yuanwu

Post Cast Overview: What rules are there? What is work? Which kinds of work are real? The individual in the real world vs academic/monastic worlds. Person vs social norms.

Zen Lineage: www.reddit.com/r/zensangha/wiki/getstarted