12/06/2025
Hey Everybody,
It’s the end of 2025. Where has it gone? We’re on the cusp of 2026. Where is it? Coming, going, coming, going, coming, going. We think we have something here. We know we do; we would swear on it. We’ve seen it, felt it, put it through its paces and it has put us through its.
But what exactly is here?
I’m reminded of case 53 of the Blue Cliff Record:
Once when Great Master Ma and Baizhang were walking together they saw some wild ducks fly by. The Great Master asked, “What is that?” Baizhang said, “Wild ducks.” The Great Master said, “Where have they gone?” Baizhang said, “They’ve flown away.” The Great Master then twisted Baizhang’s nose. Baizhang cried out in pain. The Great Master said, “When have they ever flown away?”
Right here it is, but try to make something of it and the Great Master will be there to twist your nose and bring you right back to it.
Such, perhaps, is the pang we might feel as we lament that another year has flown away. But that pang isn’t so much a sign of “Here I am again, lost in confusion,” as it is a reminder that just this is it, and now is the opportunity to realize it.
We have a few more nose twists to offer this month: Rohatsu begins at the end of the week (a beginning at the end—how Zen!), our daily sittings continue, and our annual Solstice Sitting is on the evening of December 21 (when else?). Hopefully, you can join us. See the update below for more information.
Happy Holidays!
Until next month, take care and be well,
Steve Matuszak, Dharma Field head teacher
