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News from Chris Chapman, JDPSN
This month, I have news to share: I'll be away from Blue Heron to take an extended pilgrimage. Multiple things are aligning with family, work, and a nonprofit where I volunteer, to allow time for travel and different locations of practice. Among other things, I'll travel my third pilgrimage route in Japan.
In dialogue 20 in the Book of Serenity (as translated by Thomas Cleary), the future master Fayan was on pilgrimage with several other monks when he encountered the master Dizang:
Dizang: "Where are you going?"
Fayan: "Around on pilgrimage."
Dizang: "What is the purpose?"
Fayan: "I don't know."
Dizang: "Not knowing is nearest."
The last line is also translated, "Not knowing is most intimate." We may be tempted to read this as a celebration of ignorance or uncertainty, yet the commentary shares a warning from master Nanquan: "The Way is not in knowing or in not knowing." Whether there is knowing or not knowing, our practice continues without settling into one position.
Here's another question: "What is a pilgrimage?" Being nearest, it is already here. The traditional white vest, stamp book, and a pack of incense are all very nice, and they fit neatly into a backpack. Yet with a mat or a chair or a bed, sitting or peeling onions or helping a neighbor with groceries, a pilgrimage has already appeared.
Thank you for your practice, and I'll see you in mid-2025 🙏
Chris Chapman, JDPSN
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