Norman Fischer: When You Greet Me I Bow: Notes and Reflections from a Life in Zen

When you Greet Me I Bow, Roshi Norman Fischer’s latest book came about differently from his past writing endeavors. For Norman, and his editor, the past four decades of writing can be condensed into four main themes: A) Relationships; B) Buddhist Emptiness teachings; C) Culture & its Shapings, and D) Engagement. As a precursor to his day-long Saturday program at Upaya, Roshi Norman spent the hour speaking to us about the first theme of his book, Relationships. In the recounting of two stories of ancient Zen masters and their students, it becomes evident that their relationships aren’t marked by the standards of the contemporary sort. One where we seek to fulfill each other’s needs, or even be kind and supportive. But rather, these ‘…characters meet on another plane entirely, the Dharma gate of deepest truth…between them there is a deep harmony and trust…no one needs to understand anyone else,…their encounter goes beyond, their love runs deeper.’ As Roshi Norman goes on to underscore, ‘Sometimes people complain about Zen being excessively formal. Isn’t it all about formality? The point is that it enacts, whether we get it or not, the transcendent sort of relationship… when we enter the Zen forms, we are literally practicing every day, being covered all over, by the whole world, till there is nothing left of us, inside and out, but the whole world.’