‘I learned this koan off by heart. Allowing it to seep into my skin and bones. Repeating the word ordinary like a mantra again and again. Asking the question, ‘What is it?’ again and again. Stopping and starting and not knowing what to do. The whole thing not doing anything. Not knowing anything but trusting that I didn’t know. Then beginning to experience ordinary. Everything ordinary. I kept going. And this ordinary got bigger and more spacious… Also at some point a fresh and unexpected word appeared. The word was love.’ (from the StoneWater zen site)
I was checking in with Alan about the upcoming weekend in London with Shohaku Okumura. It seems that the English sangha is coming en masse – from the Deshimaru groups, the Dogen Sangha, Throssel Hole and StoneWater Zen among others. I had not heard of the latter – they are a group in the Maezumi lineage, which I have spent more time amongst than some others. Having a quick look around their website, I enjoyed this commentary on the ‘Ordinary Mind Is The Way’ koan.
Shundo David Haye 