![]() The whole of the Dharma can be found by exploring the nature of wonder, and what it is that obstructs wonder. One way, I think, is to slice it into two pieces: Wonder, and the absence of wonder. There is enough in this passage to give us material for a bunch of podcast episodes, but as I said, I want to emphasize “wander into the center of the circle of wonder.” From time to time, I’ll look to other aspects of this passage in order to better understand my chosen phrase.Īs my teacher Kyogen Carlson used to say, there are many ways to slice the Dharma tomato. This is how you must penetrate and study.” With thoughts clear, sitting silently, wander into the center of the circle of wonder. Proceeding you are able to guide the assembly. Enacting and fulfilling the way of non-mind, finally you can rest. An Ancient said that non-mind enacts and fulfills the way of non-mind. Very naturally mind and dharmas emerge and harmonize. The whole affair functions without leaving traces, and mirrors without obscurations. The subtlety of seeing and hearing transcends mere colors and sounds. The deep source, transparent down to the bottom, can radiantly shine and can respond unencumbered to each speck of dust without becoming its partner. In this field birth and death do not appear. Accordingly we are told to realize that not a single thing exists. Just expand and illuminate the original truth unconcerned by external conditions. Utter emptiness has no image, upright independence does not rely on anything. Then you can reside in the clear circle of brightness. You must purify, cure, grind down, or brush away all the tendencies you have fabricated into apparent habits. “The field of boundless emptiness is what exists from the very beginning. Today I want to share one passage from Hongzhi, and focus my subsequent discussion on part of one sentence, toward the end of the passage, “wander into the center of the circle of wonder.” This translation is by Taigen Dan Leighton, from his book Cultivating the Empty Field: The Silent Illumination of Zen Master Hongzhi: I think Hongzhi is remarkable in his ability to straddle negation and affirmation, giving us some of the most beautiful and inspiring passages in Zen, but denying us anything to grab hold of with his fluid imagery. There are pros and cons to both the apophatic and cataphatic approaches. A cataphatic religious tradition, on the other hand, such as Christianity, primarily focuses on celebrating the divine. This is because Zen is an apophatic religious tradition – one that points toward what is greater by pointing out what it is not, and thereby avoiding the trap of concretizing the Ineffable by associating it with concepts and words. ![]() Most Chan and Zen authors emphasize what it is we need to let go of, and see through. He dares to emphasize and celebrate the positive aspects of realization, of the suchness that is revealed when we awaken. What Does It Mean to Wander into the Center of the Circle of Wonder?Ĭhan master Hongzhi Zhengjue lived in China from 1091-1157, and he is one of my favorite writers in the Zen tradition. To Perceive Reality Is to Experience Wonder The Utility and Limitations of Having a Mental Map of Reality In this episode I explore a teaching from 12 th-century Chan master Hongzhi, in which he instructs us to “wander into the center of the circle of wonder.” I propose that the whole of the Dharma can be found by exploring the nature of wonder, and what it is that obstructs wonder. 195 - "Pasea por el centro del círculo del asombro" de Hongzhi
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