The Wild Geese and the Water
Discourses
Table of Contents
And Escape to Reality
And Escape to Reality. Not escape from—escape to reality. And escape to reality: the world calls its illusion 'reality.' The spiritual path escapes from that—to the REAL reality. The wild geese don't escape the sky—they fly deeper into it.
Religion is Rebellion
Religion is Rebellion. True religion is rebellion against the dead past. Religion is rebellion: not conformity but rebellion. The Buddha rebelled against the Vedas; Jesus rebelled against the temple. The true religious person is the ultimate rebel—against all that is false.
Ecstatic All the Way
Ecstatic All the Way. The path is not suffering—it's ecstasy. Ecstatic all the way: the Buddha is not solemn—he's ecstatic. The path is not a funeral procession—it's a dance. The wild geese don't fly in sorrow—they fly in joy.
Soul-living by Loving
Soul-living by Loving. Love is the way the soul lives. Soul-living by loving: the soul doesn't live by thinking—it lives by loving. Love is the soul's breath. Without love, the soul suffocates. The wild geese fly in formation—they love each other into flight.
Pure Non-Zense
Pure Non-Zense. Zen is nonsense to the mind—pure non-sense. Pure non-zense: the mind calls Zen nonsense—and it's right! Zen IS beyond sense. The wild geese don't make sense—they fly. Sense is the mind's; flying is Zen's.
Still Believing in Leprechauns?
Still Believing in Leprechauns? The question of belief vs. experience. Still believing in leprechauns? beliefs are like leprechauns—imaginary. The Buddha doesn't ask you to believe—he asks you to see. The wild geese don't believe in the sky—they fly in it.
Life's Complementariness
Life's Complementariness. Opposites complement—life is both/and, not either/or. Life's complementariness: day and night, joy and sorrow, life and death—complementary, not contradictory. The wild geese need both wings to fly. Don't choose one—use both.
When Ignorance Becomes Luminous
When Ignorance Becomes Luminous. Conscious ignorance is the highest knowing. When ignorance becomes luminous: the sage's ignorance is not dark—it's luminous. He knows he doesn't know, and that knowing is light. The wild geese don't know where they're going—and that's their freedom.
Bon Voyage Baby!
Bon Voyage Baby! The journey of the soul—bon voyage! Bon voyage baby! the master's blessing: have a good journey! The spiritual path is a voyage—into the unknown. The wild geese say bon voyage to each other as they take off. Don't fear the journey—enjoy it.
The Dignity of the Poor?
The Dignity of the Poor? Is poverty spiritual? No. The dignity of the poor: poverty is not spiritual—it's often just poverty. The Buddha was a prince, not a beggar. The dignified person is not poor—he's free from greed. Wealth or poverty doesn't matter—awareness does.
No Higher, No Lower
No Higher, No Lower. The Tao sees no hierarchy—no higher, no lower. No higher, no lower: the sage doesn't see himself above or below anyone. The wild geese don't have a hierarchy—they fly together. The Tao: no hierarchy in existence.
Back to the Garden
Back to the Garden. The return to innocence—not the lost garden but the found one. Back to the garden: the garden of Eden is not lost—it's within. The sage returns to the garden—not by going back but by going within. The wild geese return to the sky every spring.
The Immediate is the Ultimate
The Immediate is the Ultimate. The present moment is the ultimate reality. The immediate is the ultimate: don't seek the ultimate far away—it's in the immediate. This moment, this breath—this is the ultimate. The wild geese are always in the immediate—they fly NOW.
The Bird has Flown
The Bird has Flown. The disciple's enlightenment—the bird has flown. The bird has flown: the cage (ego) is empty—the bird (consciousness) has flown. The master says: the bird was never in the cage. The wild geese are always free—they were never trapped.