Knot Zen

Welcome back! In this episode Jay, Jim and Kevin talk about use and uselessness, myopic imaginations, and radically different readings of the Zhaungzi! Is Daoism meant to be read as a liberatory text, or a more hermetic interpretation? Niether? Come on in and decide for yourself! 

Tune in to this episode for some CRAZY Daoist wisdom as two dudes with really, really, cool names go head to head on the topic of... er... what the diets of virgin-like spirits are?  No, no, really, we really stumble into some awesome insights this episode, specifically around the "Dao Of Forgetting," which blew my mind!  Anywho, for those interested this is the third story of the first Chapter of the Zhuangzi, staring Shoulder Self and Unk Linkin. The translation of the Zhuangzi is done by none other than Brook Ziporyn. Check him out! 

This week we continue with the stories from the first chapter of the Zhaungzi, 'Wandering Far and Unfettered'! It's basically a conversation between these two based rulers of ancient China talking about even more ancient and based rulers of ancient-er China. If you are interested in how one RULES things, and whats the deal with all these titles we give ourselves, you should totally check out this episode! 

Hey, there listener! Long time no see! Welcome to the Zhuangzi Arc of Knotzen! We decided to breathe new life into the podcast by studying what is NOT Zen... so we took up the classic of Daoism, the infamous, the long-winded (and convoluted), Zhuangzi!  We also have a new guy, and he's bloody smart.  Anyway, today we are looking at the very first story from the very first chapter of the Zhuangzi, "Wandering Far and Unfettered." If you like fish, birds, and philosophies that are radically skeptical towards any sort of conventional, or non-conventional, essentialism, then you're gonna love this episode! 

Again, we are reading from the first chapter in the Blue Cliff Record!  This time focusing on Xuedou's verse!

The great casters, studious as ever in their endeavors, take a stab at birds.  One Zen Master sees ducks, one plays "Duck, Duck, You...", and Yuanwu maybe disregards the integrity of either approach in a in a revisionist eulogy. How BOUT them ducks?  When you see them take flight, where do they go?  Where have they ever gone? Welcome to the Sangha.

Scott, Brian and Ewk, weathering the winter woes and summer blues bring some five start level philosophizing in this latest cast about...food.

Does the cook do the cleaning? The Gang ponders the classic Case where Joshu congratulates a monk for eating breakfast before reminding him to do the dishes.