Stonehouse

I grabbed my staff and left the pines

I wandered up an emerald peak

a flock of cranes chased a hawk

tree shadows darkened the streams

thorns protected the wild fruit

their scent made herbs easy to find

a veil of smoke in fading light

crimson leaves on a cliff in shade

-Stonehouse translated by Red Pine

Stonehouse the reluctant abbot of Fuyan Temple left to live alone in the mountains of Hsiamushan. 

Buddha of Many Faces

It's common to see images of Buddha with exaggerated Asian features or mellow Anglo features and a perfectly coiffed bun. 

With all these portraits I just sit down and start drawing away. This Buddha looks like an Armenian cab driver or Curly Joe from the Three Stooges.

Zen Is Biology

To study Zen is to study life.

“Zen “ is used to sell air fresheners and MP3 players. The word Zen is used as an adjective to describe or “modify” a person, place or thing. In common use “Zen” the adjective describes something that is mellow, calm, earthy connected to the land, natural and accepting. Plus there is a bit of the hipster or coyote spirit in “Zen”.

Zen is often associated with its traditional ritual. Black clothing, Chinese bells, chanting, incense, Buddhist vows, meditation, bowing and shaved heads all bring Zen to mind.

Zen is simply a result of paying attention and acting accordingly. In the earliest Zen monasteries meditation was the technique used to study or “pay attention” to the mind. Later in China nature was understood as an extension of the mind. To study nature is to study the mind. “The Way” or practice of Taoism and Zen is the active participation in the world from the understanding developed by paying attention.

Zen understanding is grounded in biology or life. The universe itself is a living organism. Zen would have surfaced and does surface in every human population. Every time we pay attention and act accordingly we are practicing the ancient way of Zen.

Zen Is Simple

 

sit down

be quiet

don't wiggle

pay attention

see what happens

Under a Full Moon

drinking claret
alone in the backyard
feeling abandoned
I offer the moon a glass
the moon, my shadow and I
sober enough
singing to the moon
and shadow dancing
as the camellia bloom
one drink too many
and the feeling’s gone
the three of us friends
the moon, my shadow and I
forever dancing
along the milky way

-Li Po translation by Brian Howlett

Full Moon

There is a full moon coming up. Looks like Saturday so, grab a beverage, get outside, check out the full moon and send Deanna or I your "first thought best thought" full moon poem. Remember it doesn't have to be about the moon, just what the moon does or doesn't inspire you to write.
Deanna's email : deannarhopper@gmail.com
Brian's email: brianhowlettsonoma@gmail.com

Buddha Sun Disc

I was just having a conversation with someone in Tricycle online regarding the history of sun discs in Buddhist art.
It dates back to Alexander the Great and his travels through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Alexander traveled with artists. Learning of Buddhism they started to create the earliest Buddhist figurative sculpture. Because the Greek deities were based on sun worship their deity figures often include a sun disc behind the figure.
The image above is of Siddhartha Gautama before he became the Buddha. It's from Ghadhara, 2nd century created by Greek artists, or at least influenced by, Greek sculpture.