Dharma Library

I am not sure where or when the journey to Maenllwyd began, but it had its roots long before the day of our arrival for a Western Zen retreat in February. It was a relief to arrive on that darkened Welsh hillside, and somewhat surreal to enter the gas-lit farmhouse and find a small crowd of other retreatants, talking, laughing, drinking tea – all of whom had also made their own journeys there on…

Simon Child continues his account of koan practice, introduced in the last issue of New Chan Forum, by describing the breakthrough to enlightenment. We thank Jeanine Woodward who transcribed the original recordings of these edited retreat talks.

What do we think we’re playing at? We are sitting here, with our minds mixed up, confused, upset, tangled up, knotted up by words from a thousand years…