All posts by Ross Blum

Ross has lived in Zen temples over half his life. He began his practice in 1984 under the abbacy of Bernie Glassman at The Zen Community of New York. In 1987 he entered residency at Berkeley Zen Center and became a Lay Entrusted student of Sojun Roshi.

Light and Dark

While studying with Rocky, Ross points out a quote from Dogen’s teacher Rujing which throws both Ross and Rocky into great doubt:

“Nowadays elders in monasteries keep cats; this is really unacceptable; only stupid people do this.”

Between Nan Chu’an’s cutting the cat in two and this present reading, both Rocky and Ross are seeing Dogen in a new light which is rather dark…