The Koan Transformed ...

March means we sit with Step Three. In February, the koan to sit with was set in my mind, ready for all. The Universe stepped in and made a few changes, beginning a few weeks ago when I came to the notion that God's will for me was happening in this very moment. This a wrote about last time and am continuing today.

Step 3: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him."

The koan:

What is Zen?

Attention! Attention! Attention!

What is Zen? Another Zen community in our county has a newspaper ad which reads, Zen is Life! O.K.

I'm taking a shower. Posted on the wall inside a plastic bag reads a quote from Daniel Terrangno Roshi, "This is your life right now."

If Zen is life and my life is right now, and God's will appears as right now, then it seems
reasonable to say that Zen is God's will. Yes?

Koan transformed, this is what I offered to meditation last Friday:

A sponsee asks, "What is God's will?"

The sponsor replied, "Attention! Attention! Attention!

There were about 15 people that evening. I think everyone had something to add to the discussion. I could see how this "transformed" koan stirred up deep and reflective thoughts and experiences that these people have/had with Step Three. Our discussion was ever widened by the comments made about others' experiences.

We stayed perhaps a half hour longer this evening. By the end, it seemed to me that everyone left in an almost festive mood, full of LIFE. Full of Zen! Full of being in God's will!

Bill K.

P.S. The next day I received a telephone call from a friend who just couldn't make it on Friday. She was exhausted from you work schedule and chose to stay home instead. But she wanted me to tell her what the koan for the evening was. She wants to carry this koan with her this month.
This is how our 12 & Zen is working in people's lives!