THE SONG OF THE WIND IN THE DRY TREE

The Song of the Wind in the Dry Tree is a book of commentaries given by Zen Master Philippe Coupey from two 13th-century Japanese texts. In Part I, he s chosen twelve poems from the Sansho Doei, a collection of poetry composed by Master Dogen Zenji between 1245 and 1253. In Part II, Coupey comments on the complete text of Komyozo Zanmai, written in 1278 by Dogen s disciple and successor, Master Koun Ejo. Reciting and commenting on the sayings of the elders is a style of practice that Zen has fostered. Teachers in this tradition hold that ancient poems and writings actually transmit and enrich the fundamental teachings. These writings bring life and renewed vitality to authentic experiences of the Zen tradition, outside of time, to contemporary Zen practitioners. The author s fresh interpretation of these two classic texts should be taken as the resonance of an intimate and fundamental experience which, beyond space and time, is addressed to our heart, shedding light on our own quest and ratifying the discoveries that we may have made along the way. (...)