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Universal Teachings For Everyday Living Page 2

Dharma Glimpses - Poems - Reader Replies

I would like to tell you about an interesting experience I had.

Last year I was invited to give two Dharma talks at a local

Zen Center during their Fall Intensive Practice Period. I spoke

at the beginning of the Practice period in October and then

at the end in December.

What was interesting was that a few days before my talk

in December, I received a reminder postcard from the resi-

ended with, “See you on December 10

for your final teach-

ing to us.” I knew the context of what this referred to—that

is, my last talk to them at the end of their Fall Practice Pe-

table and laughingly exclaimed, “Your

Well, several months have gone by and I am happy to

report that I am still alive and still giving Dharma talks. But

upon reflection, isn’t life such that who knows when my final

teaching will be? My most recent Dharma talk might turn

out to be my final teaching. Perhaps it is not a bad idea to

give each Dharma talk with the feeling that it is one’s final

teaching. It has been said that dying things teach best. Aware-

ness of the reality of impermanence can give a vibrant im-

mediacy to sharing the Dharma.

There is a Japanese tradition of writing an annual New

Year Day’s poem. If a Buddhist teacher were to die during

“death verse.” I wondered, “If I really were to give my final

teaching, what would it be?” What teaching would I want to

Recently I have been saying, “Keep going, keep going…”

This is more than just a simple expression of encourage-

ment. Sometimes simple things are the most profound. Life

is simple but we make it complicated. What is the meaning

of life? What is the secret to happiness? Likewise, the Bud-

dhist path is simple but we think it is complex. What is the

Buddhist Way? Where is it? Beyond any complications and

the Path.” It’s the jour-

ney, not the destination. No success or failure--just do it.

When we ask older folks what keeps them going, they

often say, “You just have to keep getting up in the morning.”

Beyond plans and hopes; beyond achievement and progress;

just live life. Don’t worry about evaluating, judging, con-

cluding— just keep on going. Let go and grow. Let go of

whatever thoughts are holding you back. Just keep going.

There is a story behind why I started to say “Keep go-

them look like they are barely shuffling along. I would think,

“Man, if they’re passing me, I must be going super slow.” I

smile and say to myself, “Just call me rabbit!” So any way,

this one morning I’m jogging along and an elderly man walk-

ing his dog sees me and as we pass each other, he says with

a smile, “Guess you just have to keep on going!” I smiled

thought, “That’s right, there are no short cuts or deep in-

sights about running or about life either. No secret insights

or fancy teachings for motivation. The most important thing

is to just keep on going.

someone else’s life, I say with conviction, “Keep going, keep

going…” I think this expression of “Keep going, keep go-

“Beginner’s Mind” and Seung Sahn’s “Only Don’t Know

Mind.” Kosho Uchiyama’s favorite saying was, “Atamaga

tebanashi” which can be translated as, “Don’t grab on with

your head.” So, in other words, you don’t have to try and

achieve the expert’s mind or feel you have to really “know”

or attain something. Don’t grab onto whatever it is that you

think is necessary or desirable. Life/truth/reality is dynamic

I suppose this expression of “Keep going, keep going”

can be considered my possible ‘death verse’ as of January

Millennium, please consider it my final teaching and the ex-

tent of my understanding of the Dharma.