ZENGO CALENDAR

here the translations of the words of the calendar:

January - February: directly see into your mind and experience awakening (by Hakuin Zenji)

Mach-April: Three thousand great worlds of value are Buddha Nature (by Torei Zenji, Hakuin´s student)

May- June: Walking I reach the source of the water (by Genpo Roshi)

July-August: Enmei Jukku Kannongyo (by Hakuin) a sutra to practice samadhi

September-October: The bright moon, wind in the pines (by Genpo Roshi)

November-December:  Look at society with eyes of compassion, good fortune gathers as deep as the ocean (by Suio san)

Return the horses to the southern slopes of Mount Ka (Kasan),

Release the cattle into the fields of the Peach Grove (Torin).

“Return the horses to the southern side of Mount Ka,

Let the cattle go free in the wilds of the Peach Grove.”

This refers to the story that, after King Buo of Shu destroyed the Yin dynasty, he released the cattle and horses into the mountains and fields to show the world that he would no longer employ military force.

King Buo, who founded the Shu dynasty, expressed his resolve that although war had been unavoidable to liberate the people from the tyranny of the Yin dynasty, now that peace had been won, he would not use force without necessity.

When this phrase is taken as a Zen saying, it conveys the meaning: “What is it that binds you?”

Nothing external truly restrains us; rather, each of us carries within our own hearts the delusive ego that binds us throughout our lives.

When the mind is set in order and awakens to the stillness of Nirvana, only then can true peace be attained. (Kaian Kokugo)

Rohatsu Sesshin 2025 Memorial foto

A flower as if in a dream

This year´s Chokudai is YUME – dream.

The famous Zen master Nansen was asked, “when you do zazen and your mind becomes pure, the seeing self awareness and the objective seen world, perceiving these as one is satori. No matter what you see, all is seen as truth. How about this?”

Nansen replied: “people nowadays see the flower growing in the garden, and say to themselves, `what a beautiful flower has blossomed! ´ Seeing all as if in a dream, that is how it is, isn´t it? Who would there be to say that their mind is pure and so is the world?”

Zen is only about experience, no dualistic ideas needed. If there is no experience, then it is not the truth. The purer your zazen becomes, then the whole world is the flower! That is true mind.

This is how he answered from his own experience.