Robert Aitken Roshi – Selected sayings

When the children fight in the car

I vow with all beings

to show how the car doesn’t move

unless all of its parts are engaged

When I’m drawn to watch crime on TV

I vow with all beings

to smile at my own little drama

and expose the killer of time

If action must wait for satori

I vow with all beings

to foget satori completely

What a relief! Let’s go home!

When someone speaks of no-self

I vow with all beings

to be sure there is no contradiction –

the speaker is there after all

Hearing the crickets at night

I vow with all beings

to find my place in the harmony

crickets enjoy with the stars

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Facing my imminent death

I vow with all beings

to go with the natural process

at peace with whatever comes.

When someone close to me dies

I vow with all beings

to settle in ultimate closeness

and continue our dialogue there.

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Raven took his perch on the Assembly Oak

and addressed a special meeting of the

Tallspruce community, saying,

‘It’s time for me to be moving on.’

Porcupine asked,

‘Where will you be going?’

Raven said,

‘Where cedar roots stand bare in the creek.’

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If your teacher is not a fake, he or she will tell you

to count your breaths. If he or she advises you

to do something else at the outset of your practice,

you have a fake teacher. Use this criterion

and find somebody genuine.

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