Zen Master Charlie Roshi

I need to introduce Charlie. Ervin says Charlie is a Zen master because: ‘You can ask him any question, and he will not answer.’

I think Charlie is just a bear, at least when I bought him he was. I bought him to give to Ervin because he had never had a soft toy when he was a kid. (I didn’t either, but I had a loving family and lots of animals)

So I gave this bear to him and he said, ‘Thanks,’ and sat there reading, occasionally giving a quizzical look sideways at the bear. Later he came into my room and said,’Is this bear male or female?’
I said, ‘I can’t decide that; it’s not my bear. What do you think?’
Whereupon he got impatient and said, ‘I’m asking you! Is this bear male or female?’
‘Male.’ I said, because it obviously is.

Five minutes later Ervin came back into my room, put the bear in my hands and said, ‘What’s his name?’ To which I said again that it wasn’t my bear, and he needs to name it. And again he got impatient and said, ‘Just tell me his name.’ So I had a good look into the face of the bear and said, ‘Charlie.’

Charlie’s been around. He comes camping with us and even has his own photo album of his travels and daily life. Here he is at Mount Monster.

Directing Ervin, who is making a sculpture.

And again in the sand hills at Katarapko Creek, South Australia.

A damn cold morning, camping at Wreck Crossing, The Coorong.
But he loves being home too, here he is reading about Chris Drury. (wonderful artist)

He doesn’t mind the odd tipple.

And, like Ervin, he has his morning sit, wherein he has no trouble at all being empty of thoughts.

gazing
into space
into one
into the essence
of Buddha Nature

This is in response to Carpe Diem #394 Horinji (temple 9) where we chant the mantra, ‘Nômaku Sammanda bodanan baku.’ It means ‘Homage to all the Buddhas’. And, to quote Kristjaan, ‘it refers to all and everything, because all and everything can become Buddha.’

A little tongue in cheek, Zen Master Charlie Roshi just proves it.