Drum Circle Zen

>Heshan instructed an assembly, > >Cultivating learning is called "hearing," transcending learning is called "proximity." Beyond these two is called real transcendence. > >A monk asked, "What is real transcendence?" > >Heshan said, "Knowing how to beat the drum." > >"What is real truth?" > >Heshan said, "Knowing how to beat the drum." > >"Mind itself is Buddha - I don't question this. What is neither mind nor Buddha?" > >Heshan said, "Knowing how to beat the drum." > >"When people who have gone beyond come, how do you deal with them?" > >Heshan said, "Knowing how to beat the drum."

I suspect that anyone that's ever participated in a drum jam knows what Heshan is talking about. You hit the drum when it's time for you to hit it, not a moment sooner or later. How do you know when? Hearing the (party) music around you, and being moved by it! Do you hit it high or low, hard or soft? You listen and respond, following and leading those on your left and on your right.

Discussion on r/zen is very limited in terms of what we discuss - we only ever really talk about the tiny sliver of the dharma expressed by ALL the Zen masters of history that has been translated into English, preserved, and written down in the first place. We have a small smattering of stories about, for instance, Gutei's One Finger Zen, but none of us can ever see Gutei's One Finger Zen. Stories like this one with Heshan (along with my own participation in hippy-dippy drum circles) leave me wondering what other non-literary dharmas we're missing out on.

What is *your* "knowing how to beat the drum"?

How do *you* know how to beat the drum?"

edit: found a [picture](https://web.archive.org/web/20080720154139/http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/exhib/sama/arh/pgs/T1016M.html) of the dude