Zen Hermits
Zen Hermits
Lots of people talk about hermits, tantric yogis in the tibetan and ancient indian traditions.
Does anyone know about examples of this kind of solitary retreat in the history of the Zen tradition, preferably Soto?
Does anyone know about examples of this kind of solitary retreat in the history of the Zen tradition, preferably Soto?
"Cause is not before and Effect is not after"
- Eihei Dogen Zenji
- Eihei Dogen Zenji
Re: Zen Hermits
Sorry, not Zen, but Chan:
Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits by Red Pine - The writing is a bit dry and disjointed, but it had stories of Chan, Pure Land and esoteric practitioners. Life is a bit rougher for these practitioners than people realize.
Also, the documentary "Amongst White Clouds" which was inspired by Road to Heaven.
Road to Heaven: Encounters with Chinese Hermits by Red Pine - The writing is a bit dry and disjointed, but it had stories of Chan, Pure Land and esoteric practitioners. Life is a bit rougher for these practitioners than people realize.
Also, the documentary "Amongst White Clouds" which was inspired by Road to Heaven.
- How foolish you are,
grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
- Vasubandhu
Re: Zen Hermits
Hsu Yun, at least for many years. Don't know of any Soto hermits although there have been some.
Kirt
Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”
"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”
"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
Re: Zen Hermits
Not Soto but Soto-friendly:
George Bowman (or Bo Mun sunim), the "resident hermit" at Furnace Mountain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bowman" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
George Bowman (or Bo Mun sunim), the "resident hermit" at Furnace Mountain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bowman" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Zen Hermits
I know that there is a story that Bodhidharma sat facing the wall in meditation for nine years. Please correct this if it is just a story, but I always thought that this had something to do with the reason why Soto Zen practitioners sit facing the wall. So, even though he was not a Soto Zen person, it would seem to have relevance to that tradition.
with metta
with metta
no tea is too good for me
Re: Zen Hermits
That is an incredible film.Mr. G wrote: Also, the documentary "Amongst White Clouds" which was inspired by Road to Heaven.
Look at the unfathomable spinelessness of man: all the means he's been given to stay alert he uses, in the end, to ornament his sleep. – Rene Daumal
the modern mind has become so limited and single-visioned that it has lost touch with normal perception - John Michell
the modern mind has become so limited and single-visioned that it has lost touch with normal perception - John Michell
Re: Zen Hermits
Yup, good stuff!
- How foolish you are,
grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
- Vasubandhu
Re: Zen Hermits
In Chan, I can think of a fair few Dharma brothers and sisters, and other friends and acquaintances.Beatzen wrote:Lots of people talk about hermits, tantric yogis in the tibetan and ancient indian traditions.
Does anyone know about examples of this kind of solitary retreat in the history of the Zen tradition, preferably Soto?
Won't find these on the internet, thank goodness!
~~ Huifeng
Re: Zen Hermits
Ryōkan Taigu 良寛大愚 (1758-1831) comes to mind.Beatzen wrote:Lots of people talk about hermits, tantric yogis in the tibetan and ancient indian traditions.
Does anyone know about examples of this kind of solitary retreat in the history of the Zen tradition, preferably Soto?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dkan" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Not just as a solitary yogi in the wilderness, he also wrote a lot of poetry.
- Qian Zheng Yi
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Re: Zen Hermits
http://www.hermetica.info/hanshan.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Han Shan - he was a Ch'an hermit:
"If I hide out at Cold Mountain
Living off mountain plants and berries -
All my lifetime, why worry?
One follows his karma through.
Days and months slip by like water,
Time is like sparks knocked off flint.
Go ahead and let the world change -
I'm happy to sit among these cliffs."
I know that is not exactly what you are looking for but I hope it is of some help.
Han Shan - he was a Ch'an hermit:
"If I hide out at Cold Mountain
Living off mountain plants and berries -
All my lifetime, why worry?
One follows his karma through.
Days and months slip by like water,
Time is like sparks knocked off flint.
Go ahead and let the world change -
I'm happy to sit among these cliffs."
I know that is not exactly what you are looking for but I hope it is of some help.
- Adamantine
- Former staff member
- Posts: 4027
- Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:09 am
- Location: Space is the Place
Re: Zen Hermits
Yeah Cold Mountain, Pick Up and Big Stick were three buddies that sometimes lived together in one retreat temple but often were on their lonesomes out in the caves and mountains... They all were poets, although Cold Mountain the most prolific, and they inscribed all the poetry we have records of on the sides of cliffs or caves, etc. This one is one of my favorites, -- of Pick Up(Shih-te) -translated by Red Pine-:
For a mud ball dropped in water
big plans make no sense
for a fragile dreamlike body
a hundred years are rare
unable to ponder deeply
and claiming they're immortal
people steal a ton of gold
then leave it all behind
For a mud ball dropped in water
big plans make no sense
for a fragile dreamlike body
a hundred years are rare
unable to ponder deeply
and claiming they're immortal
people steal a ton of gold
then leave it all behind
Contentment is the ultimate wealth;
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha
Detachment is the final happiness. ~Sri Saraha