Cave of Tigers

Announcement: William Tsao, Accredited by Sheng Yen to teach Chan, will be in Courtenay September 10th, 11th, and 12th for a three day workshop at the Hermitage on Denman Island. More information to come.

And from Cave of Tigers: The living Zen practice of Dharma Combat, John Daido Loori on Cause and Effect…


“Teacher: When you realize responsibility for causality, you make yourself free. Prior to that time, it will seem like anything could be causing an event or creating a situation. But when you realize that you are responsible for the situations and the conditions of your life, it empowers you to do something about them. If you think that somebody else made you angry, it’s their fault and the way you solve the problem is to say, “Please stop making me angry,” or, “You made me angry; do something about it or else.” But, in reality, nobody can make you angry. It’s you who makes you angry. Once you clearly realize that, you can do something about it.

Student: So, we bring it upon ourselves.

Teacher: Exactly. Dogen said, “If you’re the effect, you must also be the cause.”

Student: Thank you for your answer.

Teacher: May your life go well.”

“While the self ultimately needs to be dissolved, in the meantime, we need this self to help us reach selflessness. To think of being selfless from the very beginning, without having gone through the path of practice, is called ‘wild fox Chan’. Just as a baby must crawl before it can walk, you must begin with your ordinary self before finding self-nature. From there you proceed by stages of practice to wisdom. Therefore, you should understand why we must start the practice with our ordinary, selfish self. It is not to be despised; it is your vehicle to selflessness.”…..from Getting the Buddha Mind by Chan Master Sheng Yen
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