Saturday, November 9, 2019

ZEN MASTER RAVEN

At my Zendo, Sensei Robert Chodo Campbell often reads from 'Zen Master Raven' text and uses it as the basis for a Dharma talk.
In this new edition of the Buddhist classic, Zen Master Raven and his group of fellow travelers—Zen beginners like Mole and Mallard and venerable teachers like Porcupine and Moose Roshi—have set out to search for the path to enlightenment. Along the way, they discuss serious subjects: death, karma, ego, essential nature, suffering, and the importance of Buddhist practice.
Robert Aitken Roshi was one of the first and most important American Zen teachers and a founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. He died in 2010, but the short dialogues, which are insightful as well as playful, have won the book a devoted audience.”

Zen Master Raven
The Teachings of a Wise Old Bird
By Robert Aitken

Wisdom Publications
2017
Three Selections

The Middle Way
One evening Woodpecker asked, "What is the Middle Way?"
Raven said, "Good question."
Woodpecker said, "You're dodging my question,"
Raven said, You're dodging my answer."

Suffering
Winter set in firmly and frequent snowstorms prevented the community from meeting. One day was unseasonably warm, however and a few members gathered for a day of zazen. In the question period, Owl said, "Many of us aren't surviving the Winter and I think all of us are reminded that we won't be here long. I'm not sure what my question is, but..." His voice trailed off.
Raven said, "Maybe there isn't a question."
Mole spoke up and said, "I think there is -There's a lot of suffering in this forest. Folks are dying and leaving little ones with no one to care for them; folks get sick; they get killed and eaten. How does this fit the teaching of the Buddha?"
Raven said, "He was concerned with suffering."
Mole was silent.
Owl asked "So the teaching of the Buddha was really just to grin and bear it?"
Raven jumped up and down chanting, "Getting old! Getting old!" and he gave a great croak.

Giving
Grouse spoke up at a gathering and asked, "Mole said that a while back you said that you give away all your belongings when you die. I've been brooding about this, but it still isn't clear to me."
Raven said, "What isn't clear?"
Grouse asked, "Is there anything left?"
Raven said, "Oh lots: the moon, the wind, the crickets."     

LINKS 
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/zen-master-raven/

https://zencare.org/ 

2 comments:

deemallon said...

I love that answer: you’re not paying enough attention to my answer.

grace Forrest~Maestas said...

these are stark to me. But as i read again and again,
they are
just how it is.
True.
so.
stark.
True.