Opening bell
echoes from the canyon walls –
raindrops on the river.

The sounds of rocks bouncing off rocks;
the shadows of trees traced on trees.

I sit, still.
The canyon river chants,
moving mountains.

The sermon spun on the still point:
dropping off eternity, picking up time;
letting go of self, awakened to Mind.

- Michael P. Garofalo, Above the Fog

All the fish needs is to get lost in water. All man needs is to get lost in Tao.
- Chuang-Tzu

At first, I saw mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers.
Then, I saw mountains were not mountains and rivers were not rivers.
Finally, I see mountains again as mountains, and rivers again as rivers.
- Zen Proverb

(Image: Canoe with a View)

“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy amidst the simple beauty of nature.” – Anne Frank

Image Credit: Fiona Westner-Ramsay (BadgerPaddles.com)

If you understand,
Things are just as they are.
If you don’t understand,
Things are just as they are.
- Bryans’s Favourite Zen Saying

(Image: Grand Marais Shoreline. Credit: Bryan Hansel – PaddlingLight.com)

Zen masters say you cannot see your reflection in running water, only in still water.
— Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love)

The Rainbow (Image Credit: Doug McFarlane)

Whether he is wealthy or poor, the Rebel is really an emperor because he has broken the chains of society’s repressive conditioning and opinions. He has formed himself by embracing all the colors of the rainbow, emerging from the dark and formless roots of his unconscious past and growing wings to fly into the sky. His very way of being is rebellious–not because he is fighting against anybody or anything, but because he has discovered his own true nature and is determined to live in accordance with it. The eagle is his spirit animal, a messenger between earth and sky. The Rebel challenges us to be courageous enough to take responsibility for who we are and to live our truth.
- Osho

As flowing waters disappear into the mist
We lose all track of their passage.
Every heart is its own Buddha.
Ease off … become immortal.
Wake up! The world’s a mote of dust.
Behold heaven’s round mirror.
Turn loose! Slip past shape and shadow,
Sit side by side with nothing, save Tao.
- Shih-shu

1. Don’t wish for perfect health. In perfect health, there is greed and wanting. So an ancient said, ” Make good medicine from the suffering of sickness.”
2. Don’t hope for life without problems. An easy life results in a judgmental and lazy mind. So an ancient once said, “Accept the anxieties and difficulties of this life”.
3. Don’t expect your practice to be clear of obstacles. Without hindrances the mind that seeks enlightenment may be burnt out. So an ancient once said, “Attain deliverance in disturbances”.
- Kyong Ho

One single still light shines bright: if you intentionally pursue it, after all it’s hard to see. Suddenly encountering it, people’s hearts are opened up, and the great matter is clear and done. This is really living, without any fetters – no amount of money could replace it. Even if a thousand sages should come, they would all appear in it’s shadow.
- Chuzhen