I've switching between two texts for the past few weeks. One, of which the title is the title of this post, is a biography of Shunryu Suzuki, a great Zen Master. The other is 'Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness', Suzuki's commentary on the Sandokai, an ancient poem by Sekito Kisen. Suzuki gave the talks shortly before he died, something Zen Masters are known to do. I don't know why, but I'm trying to find out.
At 66, I don't think my chances are very great at becoming a teacher of Zen, so I hope my actions in the last section of a life that has swung from being a promising poet to wearing a coat and tie and creating wealth for the captains of industry to be an unofficial zen monk who sits and carves and walks and sees will be enough to lighten my load in the next round. If I've learned anything form zen practice, it is that all creatures deserve compassion and that all creatures are capable of giving it. If I can be a positive infuence on one other creature, it will be a start. I'll be putting more thought into this blog, become everthing happens on Stone Street.
At 66, I don't think my chances are very great at becoming a teacher of Zen, so I hope my actions in the last section of a life that has swung from being a promising poet to wearing a coat and tie and creating wealth for the captains of industry to be an unofficial zen monk who sits and carves and walks and sees will be enough to lighten my load in the next round. If I've learned anything form zen practice, it is that all creatures deserve compassion and that all creatures are capable of giving it. If I can be a positive infuence on one other creature, it will be a start. I'll be putting more thought into this blog, become everthing happens on Stone Street.
