Run With Mu

I’m pleased with how training is going so far. It’s still early days, but I’m feeling a level of strength and resolve that I haven’t felt since my first 100-miler last February. I think it essentially took me almost a year to fully recover from my first 100, at least mentally. Fortunately, as some famous runner said (I think it was Frank Shorter, but I’m not sure), it’s usually long enough between our major race efforts that we forget how the last one felt — or otherwise we might not ever climb on the back of that particular bronco again.

As part of my irregular personal reading on the foundational classics of Zen Buddhism, I’m starting to dissect the Heart Sutra, which has been called “Buddhism in a nutshell.” I have three commentaries to work from: a somewhat scholarly but highly readable effort by the estimable Red Pine (Bill Porter), a more general practitioner’s look by Thich Nhat Hanh, and an odd, slim little volume by Mu Soeng that apparently approaches it largely from the viewpoint of modern physics. If I realize any running-related insights as I read, I’ll post them here.

Oh, and if you’re in the Dallas area tonight and jonesing for some zazen, join us at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church at 7:30 Central for an hour and a half of non-thinkingness, as part of our sangha’s Central Dallas outreach. I monitor the sit (meaning I’m the bell ringer/timekeeper, not that I’m taking names of the noisy), and Ruben Habito, our lead teacher, will be offering dokusan for the first time on Thursday nights. Join us if you can!