Musho Rodney Alan Greenblat
Pear Blossoms on Main Street the pear blossoms on Main Street are in full bloom.beyond this I don’t know what the Truth is.go ahead and search for the Truth.like the ancient Tao,you will never find it.the closer to it you feel you are,the further away it becomes.the sound of the stick that whacks the sitting monksrelives them of their beliefs.beliefs are all around:racism, sexism, nationalismand denials of every kind.we have to question them.a meditation student asked the teacher;“What is Buddha?”the teacher replied“pear blossoms on Main Street” Shoveling Snow on William Street If you do a lot of meditation in stillness,You will be able to do meditation in action.Shoveling snow on William Street is my new practice.Shovel is the body, an extension of hands, arms, back and breath.Don’t overdo it. Snow is the Buddha, pure and covering everything.Show respect.See how carefully I shovel? Look how good I am.On the opposite corner a man yanks a snowblower out of a van.I feel envy.He starts it up. It is very noisy.I breath the exhaust.It makes quick even work of the snow.There is the sidewalk.As he drives away, Buddha laughs at me. Tapping at the Universal I am a chick in the egg. Tap tap tap. I want to break through.Help me mother, father, teacher whoever is out there.Help me pass this barrier and be born. The dragon doesn’t lay around in the sunny pasture. Thundering clouds and crashing waves are its home. If you haven’t been born where are you? Become at ease with the barrier and find your way. Tap tap tap, the buddhas and ancestors are waiting Musho Rodney Greenblat is a senior student from the Village Zendo in New York City. He is also a well known visual artist and the author/illustrator of "Dharma Delight, a Visionary Post-Pop Guide to Buddhism and Zen." He now lives in Catskill NY and is the leader of the Catskill Zen Circle.