DHARMA SPRING
This is the podcast of Andrew Palmer, a Dharma Teacher in The Open Source Koan Zen Tradition, covering topics related to meditation, koan practice, Zen/Chan, Daoism, spirituality and more. Recent talks and teachings as well as those from prior months/years are posted weekly, so tune in regularly to catch each episode.
DHARMA SPRING
Nanquan's Cats and Oxen Know It
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Andrew Palmer
A student asked Nanquan, “The buddhas of the past, present, and future don’t know it; cats and oxen do know it. Why is it that the buddhas of the past, present, and future don’t know it?”
Nanquan said, “They still knew something before entering the Deer Park*.“
“Why is it that cats and oxen do know it?“
“How could you possibly doubt that they would?“ answered Nanquan.
-from Entangling Vines, Thomas Yuho Kirchner, trans
*The Deer Park is where the Buddha, after his awakening under the Bodhi Tree, gave his first sermon and gained his first disciples.