Joshu's Dog*

In gray BMW
a white dog barks an answer
to evening church bells.

~ written August 24, 2010

*Joshu's Dog, a Zen koan
"A monk asked Joshu, a Chinese Zen master: 'Has a dog Buddha-nature or not?'
"Joshu answered: 'Mu'. ["Mu" is the negative symbol in Chinese meaning "no-thing" or "nay" or, perhaps, "no way"]

"This is the barrier of Zen...If you want to pass this barrier, you must work through every bone in your body, through every pore in your skin, filled with this question: 'What is Mu?' and carry it day and night. Do not believe it is the common negative symbol meaning nothing. It is not nothingness, the opposite of existence."
~ from The Gateless Gate (Wúménguān in Mandarin, Mumonkan in Japanese)

~~~~~~~~~~~ to escape pain, you must go through it ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~