The Master, whom he had expected to be the very soul of compassion, begun to shout at him, “How dare you come here seeking the dead words of men! Why don’t you open your ears to the living words of nature?”
(from Dropping Ashes on the Buddha, the teachings of Zen Master Seung Sahn)
At first, these were in fact dead words to me. I recognized the presence of wisdom but didn’t really get it! I took it too literally, something that’s never got me very far in Zen understanding… I thought to myself, “So, how do I know which words in this book are dead, and which ones are still alive?” Well, they all seemed like worthwhile teachings, so maybe they’re all alive, but they’re just printed words on paper, maybe they’re all dead??
It was a while before another experience led me back to this teaching with better understanding, and it was just that which did it… experience!
Until I had that inner experience, changing my “dead word” conceptual knowledge into the experiential knowledge of life, no book, no teacher, no amount of thinking was going to teach me.
As we open our perceptions to the fundamental experience, then words will leap to life before our eyes!
Searching for the Dharma
You’ve traveled up ten thousand steps in search of the Dharma.
So many long days in the archives, copying, copying.
The gravity of the Tang and the profundity of the Sung make heavy baggage.
Here! I’ve picked you a bunch of wildflowers.
Their meaning is the same but they’re much easier to carry.
~ Xu Yun ~
from Empty Cloud: The Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Master, Trans. Charles Luck, ed. by Richard Hunn
http://www.hsuyun.org/chan/en/hsuyun/400-searching-for-the-dharma-.html
Wake Up and Laugh! 
Ah, another excuse for me to post my favourite Zen poem! Thank you Joseph!
Searching for the Dharma
You’ve traveled up ten thousand steps in search of the Dharma.
So many long days in the archives, copying, copying.
The gravity of the Tang and the profundity of the Sung make heavy baggage.
Here! I’ve picked you a bunch of wildflowers.
Their meaning is the same but they’re much easier to carry.
~ Xu Yun ~
from Empty Cloud: The Autobiography of the Chinese Zen Master, Trans. Charles Luck, ed. by Richard Hunn
http://www.hsuyun.org/chan/en/hsuyun/400-searching-for-the-dharma-.html
thank you, Marcus!
Let me add that to the post!!! q(^_^ )
Yes, great idea! That’s superb added to the post! (I hope you don’t mind but I’ve edited out the credit pointing to me though! It looks so much better without!). Thanks again for another great lesson Joseph. Nice one!
Wow, that’s great, Marcus! Thanks!
very beautiful, Joseph!
Thank you, Tanya!
It pleases me that you think so~ ^_^
Very profound, and beautiful imagery Joseph. Everyone’s postings help feed me as I process things (experience them) in my daily life. As Daehaeng Kun Sunim says something along the lines of, when are you going to take a bite of the watermelon instead of analyzing and conceptualizing. Thank you all 🙂
With Love to All,
Rachael
rather beneficial reminders for my daily life, Joseph and Marcus 🙂
there’s a sentence by the author Erich Kästner (e.g. ‘Lottie and Lisa’), in fact it was his motto:
‘There’s nothing good unless you do it!’