Harmony and compassion

“Where have you been?’ is a common opening phrase from the teacher in many koans. In this talk about case 15, Book of Serenity, ‘Yangshan thrusts his hoe in the ground’, Jane discusses aspects of this koan in relation to the story of the Buddha’s awakening and to our own realisation. We can appreciate the dance of words between Guishan and Yangshan as they present to us the spirit of harmony and compassion.
This talk was given by Jane Andino roshi at Rohatsu sesshin 2024