Lost Coin Zen

The Practice of Reality

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:47:38 +0000

The koan asks you to pick something up without moving your hands. The teacher shows you how its done but he moves his hands. You point out that he is moving his hands. He says, “moving your hands is a concept’. Words that describe this underlying reality.” He moves his hands again. [...]

The Quiet World

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:44:07 +0000

If you are looking for a place to rest, Cold Mountain is a good place to stay. The breeze flowing through the dark pines Sounds better the closer you come. And under the trees a white-haired man Mumbles over his Taoist texts. Ten years now he hasn’t gone home; He has even forgotten the [...]

Miles Smiles

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:29:05 +0000

The Pointer: This interviewer is clearly a deaf man talking. How could he possibly play music? The Koan: An interviewer talking to Miles Davis referred to the music Miles played as Jazz. Miles said, “Don’t call it Jazz that makes you think of black people, it makes it a stereotype – just call it [...]

The Dharma Tongue

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 17:48:35 +0000

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama In our practice we learn to appreciate the distinguishing marks of the Dharma. They are sometimes formulated as non-duality, transience and no [...]

The Force

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 18:32:41 +0000

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees Is my destroyer. And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose My youth is bent by the same wintry fever. The force that drives the water through the rocks Drives my red blood; [...]

“Like a Dragon Returning to the Sky, Like a Tiger Returning to the Mountain”

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 18:53:57 +0000

This week from March 1st through the 4rth we will be engaged in the retreat/intensive “Like a Dragon Returning to the Sky, Like a Tiger Returning to the Mountain.” I think we can all find the desire to return in ourselves. The desire to return evokes images of [...]

Song

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:01:38 +0000

From one point of view life is a story. When we forget the story life is music. In music no note is more important than any other – it is all song. In the same way, in our lives, every moment is as important as any other and no moment will ever be more important than [...]

Visible

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 18:37:10 +0000

In early morning rain, it has become invisible, the little path. [...]

Gateless Gate

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:47:58 +0000

Generally speaking, religion is often tied to some discrete past event: a miracle, the manifestation of a deity, or the enlightenment experience of the Buddha. On the other hand, science, technology and art are based on an evolving understanding. For instance, the union of human and machine thinking and the exploration of our universe and extraterrestrial life may [...]

The Dragon’s Mask

Daniel Doen Silberberg — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 20:06:13 +0000

The aim of Zen practice is the return to our normal state of mind. Although people often associate Zen with “special states of awareness” the truth is that the “special” state is the one we are in now. Blown around by fear and its weaker brother anxiety, led by greed, blame and self doubt we live [...]