Essence of Insight; or, Who Swallows the Moon?

April 4, 2015

Blood Moon April 4 2015, Brian Oller

Blood moon—– a brief total eclipse before dawn this morning in the brisk, fresh air,
our brief snow melted and the green things springing up.
Pasque flowers are blooming, forsythia, too. And with Passover and Easter, we celebrate the mysteries.

This Sunday afternoon, come and look into some koans in community.
Koans are alchemical gifts of the Zen tradition, with the uncanny ability to suddenly reveal the world within this one.
Stories, images, poems, questions. You don’t have to have experience with them to meet them.
Your own life, your own deep questions are all you need.

3 to 5 PM Sunday
7528 Jenkin Place
Colorado Springs

For more info, contact Sarah, sembender@gmail.com

We’ll start with this koan:

Case 90 : Zhimen’s Prajna[1]

A monk asked Zhimen, “What is the essence of prajna?”
Zhimen said, “The oyster encloses the bright moon.”
“What is the function of prajna?”
“The rabbit conceives her young.”[2]

 

[1] Prajna is a particular kind of clear insight that comes with meditation and opening experiences

[2] According to Chinese folklore, the oyster rises to the water’s surface at the full moon of mid- autumn, opens its shell, and envelops the light of the moon, thus forming a pearl; all rabbits are female and conceive by opening their mouths and swallowing the full-moon light

Photo credit:  Bryan Oller