Knot Zen

Bankei 13.07.2021 1:05:38 ↓

Bringing Bankei to your brain with this controversial laden zen-topic parade!

Luopu About to Die 05.07.2021 1:21:35 ↓

James and Ewk take on a few memes and topics brought on by the density of the case in question. 

Emptiness 22.06.2021 45:51 ↓

How does Yunmen's explanation of emptiness: "hearing the sound of the bell", differ from Wittgenstein, and religious concepts of emptiness?  

Wash Your Bowl 14.06.2021 1:16:13 ↓

The famous, "wash your bowl" koan.  Steve shows up, too.  

Completion of Study 09.06.2021 1:03:59 ↓

Just Scott taking on a case. 

Two Sicknesses 01.06.2021 1:01:15 ↓

Our very second Foyan cast.  Foyan was much more of a lecturer than the Zen Masters which taught using Cases, and here he outlines the two sicknesses which he sees in the Zen school. 

Three Diseases 24.05.2021 1:32:51 ↓

Are you deaf, but wonder how you are going to listen to Knot Zen?  Tune in and find out.

The Fox Case 17.05.2021 1:17:59 ↓

After 500 hours of podcasting we finally made it to the Fox Case.  A complicated case in which there's many things to grab on to: cause and effect, rebirth, violence., and if you're lucky, you might regret listening. 

Guishan's Water Bottle 03.05.2021 1:23:08 ↓

What is outstanding action?  Here, it's kicking over a water bottle.  Although, Mumon says the guy who did that: "could not jump out of the trap".   The gang talks through the case and then debates what it means to instruct and whether the case is an example of instruction or something else. 

Dahui's No Grass 19.04.2021 1:16:15 ↓

How do you find a parched pasture, a place where no grass blades? Do you look outside the "gate", inside the "gate"?  What even is grass..no, no, Steve, that's not what they mean...we think. Join The Gang for a dharma talk about 3 Zen masters mysteriously weighing in on a metaphor presented by the most prominent among them: Dahui!

Mu 12.04.2021 1:11:02 ↓

Our most cujo-esque-ian episode yet ...the puppy returns!  Is Mu meditation?  What is this "concentration" that Mumon calls for?  

Joshu's Sermon 05.04.2021 1:23:53 ↓

Joshu usually keeps it laconic, but in this saying he sermonizes at length...which means the gang goes along and weaves in many topics, ideas, and controversies!

Meet Brian 29.03.2021 32:35 ↓

Well, hi there, Brian

Gobblers of Dregs 29.03.2021 1:10:21 ↓

A Knot Zenner gave this sweet version of the case: Huangbo: "You people are all eating out of the dumpster. When are you going to have your own meal, don't you know there's nobody that cooks for you in all of china?"  Monk: "What about all the cooks"  Huangbo:  "They're not cooking for you".

Twin Trees 15.03.2021 1:13:57 ↓

Episode 2, featuring, once again, Emperor Wu.  Emperor Wu meets Bodhidharma's brother.

Meet Dan 09.03.2021 33:42 ↓

Hi Dan

Treasure In The Robe 08.03.2021 48:31 ↓

The Gang clears up the case by touting  the treasure when two translators try to untangle the verbal knot tied by Joshu's tongue.  

Xuedou's Poem 01.03.2021 53:44 ↓

Again, we are reading from the first chapter in the Blue Cliff Record!  This time focusing on Xuedou's verse!

Meet Scott! 22.02.2021 34:35 ↓

It's Scott!  

Episode 69: Layman Pang's Good Snowflakes 22.02.2021 1:11:00 ↓

The Gang adds "frost on top of snow" by bringing up a koan that's as cold as the weather in Texas (and the person writing the description uses the sort of Verbal Irony thrown around in the commentary).   Welcome to the Sanga