Knot Zen

The Zhuangzi Arc, Ep 4: Huizi's Great Gourd and Stinktree

Welcome back! In this episode Jay, Jim and Kevin talk about use and uselessness, myopic imaginations, and radically different readings of the Zhaungzi! Is Daoism meant to be read as a liberatory text, or a more hermetic interpretation? Niether? Come on in and decide for yourself! 

The Zhuangzi Arc, Ep 3: Shoulder Self And Unk Linkin'

Tune in to this episode for some CRAZY Daoist wisdom as two dudes with really, really, cool names go head to head on the topic of... er... what the diets of virgin-like spirits are?  No, no, really, we really stumble into some awesome insights this episode, specifically around the "Dao Of Forgetting," which blew my mind!  Anywho, for those interested this is the third story of the first Chapter of the Zhuangzi, staring Shoulder Self and Unk Linkin. The translation of the Zhuangzi is do...

The Zhuangzi Arc, Ep 2: Yao and Xu You

This week we continue with the stories from the first chapter of the Zhaungzi, 'Wandering Far and Unfettered'! It's basically a conversation between these two based rulers of ancient China talking about even more ancient and based rulers of ancient-er China. If you are interested in how one RULES things, and whats the deal with all these titles we give ourselves, you should totally check out this episode! 

The Zhuangzi Arc, Ep 1: Peng And Kun

Hey, there listener! Long time no see! Welcome to the Zhuangzi Arc of Knotzen! We decided to breathe new life into the podcast by studying what is NOT Zen... so we took up the classic of Daoism, the infamous, the long-winded (and convoluted), Zhuangzi!  We also have a new guy, and he's bloody smart.  Anyway, today we are looking at the very first story from the very first chapter of the Zhuangzi, "Wandering Far and Unfettered." If you like fish, birds, and philosophies that are radical...

Calling the Attendant

Jiufeng's Head and Tail

Rhino Fan

Contemplating - a tough topic to think about!  We do it anyway, so does that make us knot zen?  Let the fans decide

Yunmen's Teaching

A Man of Great Powers

Detachment and Subtley

Dongshan's Always Close

Dongshan's 3 Beatings

Zuigan Calls to Himself

Dongshan Was Unwell

Nansen Kills a Cat

Gore gore gore

Turtle Nosed Snake

Ryutans's: The Constant Principle

Bb's all alone??!!  Oh no, he climbs the peak and stumbles down.  Expect minor coherency and haughty analysis.  

You Can't Call It a Fist

1 sickewk and two tired dudes get on the case of the case of the fist; bringing their best with rants on modern interpretations, amoeba imagery and confused textual analysis.  

Purity

Three Bowls of Wine

Mt. Sumeru

James questions, ewk rants, brian Rhymes , and scott...well, I'll let you find out about scott.   Stop thinking, or maybe not, as we mount Sumeru the mysterious mountain.

Why He No Buddha?

Huguo's "Three Embarrassments"

Joshu's "A Mountain of Shit"

If you control F the koans for cusses you find this first!  Great, lets dig in!

Mazu's Hiss

Bankei

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

Luopu About to Die

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

Dongshsan and the White Rabbit

Emptiness

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

Wash Your Bowl

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

Completion of Study

Just Scott taking on a case. 

Two Sicknesses

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

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

The Fox Case

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. 

Bodhisattvas in the Bath

Guishan's Water Bottle

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. 

Tokusan's Bowl

Dahui's No Grass

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

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

Meet Kevin

Joshu's Sermon

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

Well, hi there, Brian

Gobblers of Dregs

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

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

Meet Dan

Hi Dan

Treasure In The Robe

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

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

Meet Scott!

It's Scott!  

Episode 69: Layman Pang's Good Snowflakes

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

Wild Ducks

The great casters, studious as ever in their endeavors, take a stab at birds.  One Zen Master sees ducks, one plays "Duck, Duck, You...", and Yuanwu maybe disregards the integrity of either approach in a in a revisionist eulogy. How BOUT them ducks?  When you see them take flight, where do they go?  Where have they ever gone? Welcome to the Sangha.