To cast aspersions on another man is as easy as casting sand upon the water. What are you doing there, alone at the seaside, casting sand upon the water? Some kind of pervert?

The koan: "Great Waves"

In the early days of the Meiji era there lived a well-known wrestler called O-nami, Great Waves.

O-nami was immensely strong and knew the art of wrestling. In his private bouts he defeated even his teacher, but in public he was so bashful that his own pupils threw him.

O-nami felt he should go to a Zen master for help. Hakuju, a wandering teacher, was stopping in a little temple nearby, so O-nami went to see him and told him of his trouble.

"Great Waves is your name," the teacher advised, "so stay in this temple tonight. Imagine that you are those billows. You are no longer a wrestler who is afraid. You are those huge waves sweeping everything before them, swallowing all in their path. Do this and you will be the greatest wrestler in the land."

The teacher retired. O-nami sat in meditation trying to imagine himself as waves. He thought of many different things. Then gradually he turned more and more to the feeling of the waves. As the night advanced the waves became larger and larger. They swept away the flowers in their vases. Even the Buddha in the shrine was inundated. Before dawn the temple was nothing but the ebb and flow of an immense sea.

In the morning the teacher found O-nami meditating, a faint smile on his face. He patted the wrestler's shoulder. "Now nothing can disturb you," he said. "You are those waves. You will sweep everything before you."

The same day O-nami entered the wrestling contests and won. After that, no one in Japan was able to defeat him.

Originally posted here:
Zen Koans Explained: "Great Waves"

A GROUP of fitness fanatics have choreographed and filmed their own music video to raise awareness about breast cancer.

The pool at Waterworx Aquatic Lifestyle Centre in Springfield became the location for the short video, which was made as part of the Medline Pink Glove Dance phenomenon to help raise money for breast cancer research.

Donning pink gloves, swimming caps, sunglasses, the group of 16 ladies and one gentleman glided around the water to Justice Crew's hit Que Sera, shaping their pink inflatable noodles into the breast cancer symbol.

Aqua aerobics instructor Terri Brownings said breast cancer was a disease that had affected many members of her weekly classes.

"I have people in the class who are survivors themselves," she said.

"So by making our own little video, it is our way of showing our support to them, their families and everyone else who has been touched by breast cancer."

This was the second time the group from Waterworx had made a video for the Medline Pink Glove Dance.

They made their debut to YouTube in 2012, with that video being viewed more than 3000 times.

Their latest movie will be uploaded to YouTube this week.

See original here:
Pink Glove Dance makes waves for a great cause

Classes and Workshops

MONday-TUEsday, OCT. 20-21

Cold-Water Safety Workshop for Commercial Fishermen: Instructor Beverly Noll will cover cold-water survival skills, flares, maydays, man-overboard recovery, firefighting, flooding control, dewatering pumps and more in two-day workshop. 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Harbor Master Office Conference Room, 7881 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing. $195. Registration and information: 907-747-3287, http://www.amsea.org.

THursday, Oct. 30

'Excercise a Medicine': Learn from Neurologist Stephen Peroutka about the benefits of exercise as medicine. 2-3 p.m. at the Alzheimer's Association, 21 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Monterey. 1-800-272-3900.

SUNDAY, OCT. 19

The 54th annual Sandcastle Contest: Theme is "Commotion in the Ocean." Judges award for multiple categories. Building begins at 8 a.m. with judging from noon-2 p.m. on Carmel Beach south of 10th Avenue, Carmel. Free. 620-2020.

Monterey Bay Antiques & Vintage Market: Antiques and vintage items from more than 100 vendors from California. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont St., Monterey. http://www.montereyantiques.com.

The fourth annual Dogtoberfest: Enter your dog in the Howl-O-Ween costume contest. 2:30-4:30 p.m. at Tarpy's Roadhouse, 2999 Monterey-Salinas Highway, Monterey. $35. 333-0722, http://www.animalfriendsrescue.org.

Greenfield Harvest Festival: Parade, live music on four stages, food and crafts. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on El Camino Real between Apple And Oak avenues, Greenfield. http://www.greenfieldartscenter.org.

See original here:
Calendar of events, week of Oct. 19