KOANWhenever Master Hyakujo gave teisho on Zen, an old man sat with the 
monks to listen and always withdrew when they did. One day, however, h remained behind, and the Master asked, "Who are you standing here befor me?" The old man replied, "I am not a human being. In the past, in the tim of the Kasho Buddha, I was the head of this monastery. Once a monk aske me, 'Does an enlightened man also fall into causation or not?' I replied, 'H does not.' Because of this answer, I was made to live as a fox for five hundre lives. Now I beg you, please say the turning words on my behalf and releas me from the fox body." The old man then asked Hyakujo, "Does an enlight ened man also fall into causation or not?" The Master said, "He does no ignore causation." Hearing this the old man was at once enlightened. Making a bow to Hyakujo he said, "I have now been released from the fox body, which will be found behind the mountain. I dare to make a request of the Master Please bury it as you would a deceased monk."

I used to enjoy playing Pokemon Go — and then one day a friend — who disowned me when he had a daughter — said — Why don’t you spend time opening actual portals? — gate(less) was my answer — maybe — someday — when he’s older and saner — he’ll see my answer

**Sometimes words fail — fall off a cliff — it makes for interesting reading**

When someone has wakened to what is really thereis that person free of the chain of consequencesand I answered yes and with that I turned into a foxand I have been a fox for five hundred livesand now I have come to ask you to say what willfree me from the body of a fox please tell mewhen someone has wakened to what is really thereis that person free of the chain of consequencesand this time the answer was That person sees it as it is - W. S. Merwin

Friday’s folly: Every time we speak we plagiarize — What do we own? Can you point to it? Can you point to it in 100 years? Forward — Backward — It doesn’t matter — how did you come to own it? Now without this history — Do you still own it?

Much love,

Con/Jur/d, 1/27/2023

gate(less)

"I will not speak of the mountain"