“The Zen master has no deliberate scheme on his part to make his statements of satori uncouth or logically unpalatable; the statements come forth from his inner being, as flowers burst out in spring-time, or as the sun sheds its rays. Therefore to understand them we have to be like flowers or like the sun; we must enter into their inner being.”—D. T. Suzuki, The Zen Koan as a means of Attaining Enlightenment

Too much Zen at times.

The Word—even that one—as ultimate impediment.

How to communicate these things, whatever they be, without words interceding, shoe-horning themselves between the almost melodically fluid reality of that which is trying to be conveyed and that which is received?

With that in mind I’ve been playing more music, with an emphasis on the ‘playing,’ in order to augment, enhance that which I try to convey.

Hence the drop off in posts.

The written Word as powerful tool and yet the greatest obstacle to our transcending of ourselves: those are the kind of thoughts occupying us here at the Cafe.

Ok, I haven’t been entirely accurate here. A distinction should be made between ‘word’ and ‘Word.’ The former, words, are ideas—that is, circumscribes entities. Things possessed and conveyable from one mind to another, via language. They are discrete and largely self-contained… fixed. The latter, Words, are different, magical, mythical, indiscrete, fluid, poetic; they flow, like water… and Life. Either you experience them, like music, or as old D.T. sings: ‘like flowers or… the sun,’ or you don’t.

There are books, the vast majority of published material these days, written with words; and there are some, scant few if any these days, written with Words. The former are easier to teach and clog our educational institutions. Here at the Cafe we deal in the latter. Our shelves are filled with them, a small sample granted, but one gathered from around the world in place and time.

Who speaks for them?

Who, therefore, truly speaks for you?