Art & Buddhism
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Ardfern Zen Retreat – a few recipes from the Tenzo…
Here are a few recipes and images (many thanks to Ylva Champion for her photos) from the kitchen during the retreat. Huge thanks to all that helped with the food prep. TOFU TERIYAKI (bit tricky as delicate, side for 4) 1 pack of tofu – carefully removed from packaging using scissors and wrap up with
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Dogen’s Waka: 2 Poems, 2 Commentaries
First poem and commentary by John Fraser: My free translation of Master Dogen’s poem Shobogenzo: 波も引き風もつながぬ捨小舟 月こそ夜半のさかひ成けり In the heart of the dark The moonlight holding A small boat drifting Unmoved by the wind Unthrown by the waves Dogen’s poetry – because it is imagistic – makes it easier to express apparent paradox than prose. We
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Dogen’s white heron poem: a Zen commentary by John Fraser
I have been thinking quite a bit recently about the mindset and visuals of Japanese Waka/Tanka and (the shorter, short song) of Haiku which came later. By good fortune at Zazen recently, during his Kusen my friend John Fraser recited and talked about this poem by Soto Zen Master Dogen Zenji (1200-1253), which takes the
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Arran Zen Retreat
In July the Glasgow Zen Group had their summer retreat down at Kilmory in the south of Arran. It was great to have a longer sustained period of Zazen meditation over a few days for the mind and body to settle down and drop off whilst tuning in to reality more… being Tenzo again, responsible
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2012 – The Year of the Dragon
‘When a dragon howls in its hidden cave, The entire universe becomes quiet; When a tiger roars on a cliff’s edge, A cold valley becomes warm. Katsu!’ Master Dogen Going by the lunar calendar we are entering the new year of the dragon, which in Japan are flying creatures of the sky rather than stuck
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A thought on Zazen and painting
Zazen Silent movement Passing through the stillness And empty form. This wee haiku is a thought on zazen and experience. After my recent studio shift, zazen and considering the looser paintings I’ve been doing, I think it’s good not to bring too much, or any at all although this can be impossible, of the bias,
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New Year Zen Retreat
Over the new year weekend I went to the inaugural Glasgow Zen Group retreat, or sesshin, at Kagyu Samye Dzong in Glasgow’s west end. Every morning up at half past five to start the day with one and a half hours zazen meditation before breakfast during the holiday may not be many people’s idea of
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Wakabayashi’s Zen Calligraphy
This is my sensei Wakabayashi’s Sho calligraphy of zen master Dogen’s poem coming to terms with reality ’empty-handed’ after returning from China – ‘The eyes are horizontal, and the nose is vertical.’ This prompted my partner to tell me the story she read of Ikkyu (Rinzai zen master, 1394-1481) who placed a curving, twisted bonsai