Every-Minute Zen

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clyde
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Every-Minute Zen

Post by clyde »

Recently this Zen tale came to mind which I only remember reading in Zen Flesh, Zen Bones 50 years ago!
35. Every-Minute Zen

Zen students are with their masters at least ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wooden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: "I suppose you left your wooden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the right or left side of the clogs."

Tenno, confused, had no instant answer. He realized that he was unable to carry his Zen every minute. He became Nan-in's pupil, and he studied six more years to accomplish his every-minute Zen.
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

clyde wrote: Fri Jan 13, 2023 5:43 am Recently this Zen tale came to mind which I only remember reading in Zen Flesh, Zen Bones 50 years ago!
35. Every-Minute Zen

Zen students are with their masters at least ten years before they presume to teach others. Nan-in was visited by Tenno, who, having passed his apprenticeship, had become a teacher. The day happened to be rainy, so Tenno wore wooden clogs and carried an umbrella. After greeting him Nan-in remarked: "I suppose you left your wooden clogs in the vestibule. I want to know if your umbrella is on the right or left side of the clogs."

Tenno, confused, had no instant answer. He realized that he was unable to carry his Zen every minute. He became Nan-in's pupil, and he studied six more years to accomplish his every-minute Zen.
Great book!
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
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clyde
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

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Does anyone know where this originally came from?

And does anyone know of any in-depth commentary on this story?
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
Meido
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

Post by Meido »

This wiki article names original sources for the Zen stories found in Rep's Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101_Zen_Stories

The article incidentally repeats the popular error of referring to those stories as koans. They are not koans or used as such, but rather just a collecton of anecdotes and Buddhist parables (setsuwa). I would think it unlikely to find much commentary on it.
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clyde
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

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Meido wrote: Wed Feb 08, 2023 11:47 pm I would think it unlikely to find much commentary on it.
Meido, Thank you for the information about its origin (Shaseki-shu, Collection of Stone and Sand, written by Zen Master Muju in the 13th century).

Would you like to offer some words about the parable?
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
Meido
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

Post by Meido »

That particular anecdote would not be from Shasekishu, since Nan-in died in 1912. It would be among the 19th-20th century anecdotes collected by Senzaki.
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clyde
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

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Meido wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 12:37 am That particular anecdote would not be from Shasekishu, since Nan-in died in 1912. It would be among the 19th-20th century anecdotes collected by Senzaki.
Meido, Thank you for the clarification. I was familiar with Nan-in from the famous “teacup” story. If I understand you correctly, the “Cup of Tea” and “Every-Minute Zen” anecdotes would be relatively modern stories collected by the Rinzai Zen monk Senzaki. Do you know where he would have found them? Or had these been passed along orally?

And has any Rinzai Zen teacher commented on these stories?
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
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clyde
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Re: Every-Minute Zen

Post by clyde »

After I posted the above, I went back to my copy of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. It seems that Rinzai Zen monk Nyogen Sensaki’s book 101 Zen Stories (1939) was later incorporated into Zen Flesh, Zen Bones and in the introduction to the collection of stories it says:
THESE stories were transcribed into "English from a book called the Shaseki-shu (Collection of Stone and Sand), written late in the thirteenth century by the Japanese Zen teacher Muju (the "non-dweller"), and from anecdotes of Zen monks taken from various books published in Japan around the turn of the present century. [emphasis added]
So I think that answers the question of origins, at least as far as I can learn.
“Enlightenment means to see what harm you are involved in and to renounce it.” David Brazier, The New Buddhism

“The most straightforward advice on awakening enlightened mind is this: practice not causing harm to anyone—yourself or others—and every day, do what you can to be helpful.” Pema Chodron, “What to Do When the Going Gets Rough”
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