Three Wednesday evenings in November: 4, 11, and 18, on poetry as a dharma gateway and an aid in Zen practice.
The first, November 4, will be a seminar-style discussion of the Hokyo Zanmai, Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi, from Song dynasty China, written by one of the founders of our Soto Zen lineage. The text is on the Stone Creek website here.
For the second, November 11, we will consider and discuss poems old or new, that invite us into an experience of non-duality. Bring one you’d like to share.
The third Wednesday, November 18, will be poems of mortality and death. Inspired by a Japanese traditional practice of writing a short verse about one’s own end of life, sort of a poetic last words statement. We will consider some from that tradition, and then write and share our own.
If you’d like to take part in any one of these or all, sign up so I’ll know to expect you, but please be aware that this dharma engagement is not transactional. Energy freely given, reciprocation freely received, no one turned away.
Myozen Barton Stone discovered Buddhism and poetry during his college years, which led him to the vibrant cultural scene of San Francisco. In 1960, he participated in the first sesshin at Sokoji temple under the guidance of Suzuki Roshi. His commitment to peace and social justice prompted a remarkable journey in 1962, walking from San Francisco to Moscow to protest nuclear weapons and war. Settling in south Chicago, Barton worked in a steel mill and car assembly line, mobilizing workers against war and racism. Later, he lived with his family at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center for four years, deepening his Zen practice. His passion for craftsmanship led him to collaborate with architect Paul Discoe on Japanese wood joinery. Throughout his life, Barton has embraced goddess religion and cultivated a deep awareness of interspecies life, enriching his spiritual journey and activism. He received Dharma transmission from Jisho Warner Roshi.
