The master Bankei's talks were attended not only by Zen students but by persons of all ranks and sects. He never quoted sutras not indulged in scholastic dissertations. Instead, his words were spoken directly from his heart to the hearts of his listeners.
 
His large audience angered a priest of the Nichiren sect because the adherents had left to hear about Zen. The self-centered Nichiren priest came to the temple, determined to have a debate with Bankei.

"Hey, Zen teacher!" he called out. "Wait a minute. Who ever respects you will obey what you say, but a man like myself does not respect you. Can you make me obey you?"

"Come up beside me and I will show you," said Bankei.

Proudly the priest pushed his way through the crowd to the teacher.

Bankei smiled. "Come over to my left side."

The priest obeyed.

"No," said Bankei, "we may talk better if you are on the right side. Step over here."

The priest proudly stepped over to the right.

"You see," observed Bankei, "you are obeying me and I think you are a very gentle person. Now sit down and listen."

G U M M B A H

Necrologie

Veel handgeklap van weinigen

Applause voor Elia Kazan, Tennessee Williams,
Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter.

Alle mensen zijn gelijk?

Rijk en arm
zijn niet gelijk...

Troostende troetelwoorden...

Na vijftig jaar in de stad te hebben gewoond...

Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful.
It's the transition that's troublesome.

1980 - 1985

5 dagen / week

Let's Go Make Love In Dead

Where there is plenty of light there is strong shadow.

1967 - 2005

Remember what your parents said in sixty-four?
When they saw you grow your hair and didn't want to see more.
You swore you'd never be like them
and you stood for your convictions rebel girls and men.
Frisco flower power sixty-seven
and hippies had their cool thought they had their heaven.
Screwed their heads up when they used their dope.
Now they're so messed up that they've lost all hope.
Look and see the kids how they've cut their hair.
See the pins and the blades that they like to wear.
You hate them and you don't want more
and you're just like your parents were in sixty-four.
You're a rebel too.

Angel came down
From heaven yesterday,
Stayed with me just long enough
To rescue me....

And she told me a story yesterday;
About the sweet love
Between the moon and the deep blue sea.

Then she spread her wings high over me.
She said,’i’ll come back again to see you tomorrow....

And I said fly on, my sweet angel.
Fly on through the sky.
Fly on, my sweet angel.
Tomorrow I’m gonna be by your side....

Sure enough,
This woman came home to me.
Silver wings silhouetted against a child’s sunrise....

And my angel,
She said unto me,
’today is the day for you to rise.’
Take my hand, you’re gonna be my mind,
And she took me high over yonder.....

And I said fly on, my sweet angel.
Fly on through the sky.
Fly on, my sweet angel.
Tomorrow I’m gonna be by your side....

Blue Night

Lost my place, gazing in your face.
And the deeper I fell the darker my desires
in night blue.
"More than this! " my spirit cries, just beyond the priests prayers/lies.
Straight from my heart this sin that is you
this lie that is my life, the night's blue.
Fall with me beyond the grasp of Angels and Demons.
To where love's no longer a lie.
To sing without lifes regrets, in night's blue,
For my darling all else is lies, but what we feel here and now.
And dreams of the Eternal, a whirlpool of confused emotions, holds no charm for me.
Your skin so pale against the night....
invites me to shed all that I held as true......
To swim with you
in
nights blue.
 
 
by Iam

Karkant