Tenkei Denson & Zen River
When Tenkei Roshi and Myoho Sensei by the end of 2000 arrived in The Netherlands with the vision of setting up a residential training centre, many different names were considered. The one that stuck was "Zen River", partly because Roshi had fond memories of the great Dutch rivers and thought it might be possible to find a place on one of their shores, but mostly because the word "river" presents such a fitting image of Zen practice. And after Roshi and Sensei designed the logo, the name was really set. Never mind that the centre ended up on the northern coast of Groningen!! But then again, what's in a name? Perhaps more than we think in this case. Some time ago they discovered that Tenkei Denson, Roshi's illustrious namesake and grand ancestor in the White Plum lineage, uses the terms "River of Zen" and "Zen River" as a standard expression in his beautiful commentaries on the Hekiganroku. A strong coincidence indeed! Especially since this expression is not common in Zen literature and apparently unique for him. Tenkei Denson often eulogizes master Setcho in his added verses to the koans, saying things like "Setcho rouses his usual wave." But he is regularly also very specific as you can see in the following examples. These quotes are taken from "Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record", translated by Thomas Cleary. Words in italics refer to the actual poem, which is not included here. It is quite an impressive list, and the one on page 307, "This is an upward wave of the Zen river, a switchabout for survival" could easily be our motto!
Page 5 ----- This is Setcho's "living wave on the river of Zen"
Page 37 --- From here on is a wave of Setcho's river of Zen.
Page 43 --- This is a living wave of Setcho's river of Zen.
Page 51 --- Again Setcho rouses a wave of the Zen river: distinctly outstanding, there is something exceptionally important here, something unusual.
Page 94 --- Then Setcho again rouses a wave of the Zen river, saying Thief, thief.
Page 140 -- So saying, Setcho leaves it at that, in his usual manner, a wave of the river of Zen adding no flavor at all.
Page 161 -- Not staying in the stagnancy of the spiritual water of the river of Zen, not using simplistic devices and objects like the cane and the shout, not needing to consume any of the sayings or statements of Zen or Buddhism, is there anything else to eat?
Page 162 -- He is not lingering in the river of Zen or the ocean of Buddhism: the golden fish is alive, so it isn't like that.
Page 178 -- This is a wave of the river of Zen, with which Setcho helps people out of benevolent concern.
Page 272 -- Like the monk in this koan, even if you clain to be studying the Way, if you are merely conceited and have no inner substance, you die in the tide of the river of Zen, the ocean of Buddhism, a lamentable thing indeed.
Page 275 -- In the boundlessness of active consciousness, this is seen as the transcendental living water of the river of Zen, the eye of Zennists.
Page 307 -- This is an upward wave of the Zen river, a switchabout for survival.
Page 326 -- If the waves of the river of Zen were alike - if they had faked it on the bank of the river where Buddha died, putting on a dance like this monk or something ... Endless ordinary people would get bogged down - Everyone in the world would be dead, so make sure not to hoke up imitations; everyone breathe through your nose.
Jan '10
go to archived Notes here
