Central image of menju as mutual recognition of light
Menju is two lights appearing in utter darkness, or two blind people appearing in utter brightness, yet each recognizing there is another besides himself. If two lights meet in utter darkness, because there are two of them, they recognize they are light.
Emphasis on the student moving beyond the teacher
A new person has to go beyond tradition, find a new element, find a new form. What is now an old form was considered new, just a moment ago.
Transmission transcends all religious form
Menju, real meeting, goes beyond forms, so all religious concepts, symbols, doctrines fall apart when such a meeting is done. Retracing a religious form, you can never reach it, it is simply past. You are in the present and you don't return the fallen leaf to the branch.
Warning against unhealthy guru-student dynamics
Guru's favor is just an illusion. It happens when a student senses a lack of something in himself, and the guru stands like a king, with an empire of power. That isn't the right way.
Correcting the misconception of surrender to teacher
"Guru favor" is to lose yourself in the teacher. This isn't the way. You don't lose yourself. You shine a light into ancient darkness, through your teacher, other teachers, your friends, even the next generation.
Self-mastery as prerequisite for true meeting
I am continuously suggesting to you that you are your own master. Otherwise a meeting will never happen; even if you live on this earth ninety or one hundred years, you will just live alone.
The two moons metaphor for transmission
Transmission, face to face, body to body, mind to mind, is often called two moons, because an impossible thing has become possible.
Personal expression of the two moons lineage pattern
I became a new moon when I met with my master. My master became a new moon when he met with my grandmaster.
Suzuki Roshi embodying the two moons teaching
Suzuki Roshi fully expressed this when he said, "I walk slowly. You go ahead." We went walking in the rain and he said, "I am weak and old. You are young and strong. Walk in front of me. I'll follow you." This is the expression of two moons.
Elaborating the two moons as temporal directions within one being
When the bright full moon and new moon are together, it is a grey moon. Half of your body is bright moon, half is new moon. Confronting the future, is bright moon, facing the past is new moon.
Paradox of enlightenment as blindness from excess light
Full enlightenment is the same as utter darkness, blind mind, blind eye, which cannot see things because they are too bright. That kind of utter darkness exists.
The ultimate object of menju revealed as self
Wiping away hindrances, you meet with such existences. Finally, you discover that the one you really wanted to see, to meet with, was yourself.