Words on Zen

• Words on Zen

"The mother leads her little children up the stairs step by step."

Words on Zen

It often pays to deal with things deeper than mere surface spectacles

The artistic temperament often finds more highly evolved sensations. Good Zen can help that as well.

Before you understand Zen, it's like gold; after you understand it, it's like dung. [Zen Saying] ◊

Neat artistry balances old know-how with tidings, much technical drill with attempts at innovation.

Politics is also the Zen artistry of preventing people from sticking to much that was formerly their business, I regret to say.

It may be wise to keep silent about those engaged in Zen artistry; to speak well of them could border on ignorant flattery; to speak ill of them is hardly necessary.
      One would do well to be the gentle truth-teller rather than the onlooker who loves gist and other forms of Zen artistry.

Reach up to delight in gentle Zen artistry and flowers, not wholly unlike a master musician that loves harmonies.

Marring 'pangs of non-Zen' hover over some bad vocations because they fit not artistry of handling, of deals and cogent (insider) thinking.

The more minimal the Zen outlets, the more needs for some candid explanations.

The Zen of knowing exactly what one is dealing with is out of the question for koan readers in general.

There are no mundane things outside of Buddhism, and vice versa. [With Yuan-Wu]

Zen artistry tends to correlate better with individual manhood than surface diplomacy, at least in Rinsai Zen.

Be sparing and you may die alone, die your own death!

One primary distinction of the Zen man is that he is actively cultivating what mankind often tries to avoid: the state of being just himself in plain deals, and also solidly alone. Otherwise: being sparing of outlets can be good help.
      Every great work of Zen art should have a face toward eternity. Living could be the foremost of the harsh arts.

The rewards have failed if they come too late. Counteract that.