Gathering Wisdom

YOKA DAISHI'S "SONG OF ENLIGHTENMENT"

2012-02-08T03:20:00.000-06:00

Continuing with the next ancient teaching from the " Manual of Zen Buddhism", I present Part IV. of this Section:

IV. FROM THE CHINESE ZEN MASTERS

YOKA DAISHI'S "SONG OF ENLIGHTENMENT"

This is an incredible ancient Zen teaching on Enlightenment from a very early Zen Master. The original text by Master Yoka Daishi, Cheng-tao Ke, "realization-way-song", is more complex than the previous teachings and is filled with ancient terminology so I have spent quite some time contemplating whether I should post it here or not. After reading it many times and studying it thoroughly, though, the answer is now obvious. The great Wisdom contained within this very important teaching is a Must-read for everyone who is serious about their respective Practice(s). Please take your time with this one and it's beauty, it's true clarity, and it's infinite importance will be revealed. As always, domo arigato' to the late, great Zen Master and scholar, D.T.Suzuki, for translating the original text and presenting it's great Wisdom here for the benefit of all. Enjoy!

Namaste'

YOKA DAISHI'S "SONG OF ENLIGHTENMENT"[1]

1. Knowest thou that leisurely philosopher who has gone beyond learning and is not exerting himself in anything?

He neither endeavours to avoid idle thoughts nor seeks after the Truth;

[For he knows that] ignorance in reality is the Buddha-nature,

[And that] this empty visionary body is no less than the Dharma-body.

2. When one knows what the Dharma-body is, there is not an object [to be known as such],

The source of all things, as far as its self-nature goes, is the Buddha in his absolute aspect;

The five aggregates (skandha) are like a cloud floating hither and thither with no fixed purpose,

The three poisons (klesa) are like foams appearing and disappearing as it so happens to them.

3. When Reality is attained, it is seen to be without an ego-substance and devoid of all forms of objectivity,

And thereby all the karma which leads us to the lowest hell is instantly wiped out;

Those, however, who cheat beings with their false knowledge,

Will surely see their tongues pulled out for innumerable ages to come.

4. In one whose mind is at once awakened to [the intent of] the Tathagata-dhyana

The six paramitas and all the other merits are fully matured;

While in a world of dreams the six paths of existence arc vividly traced,

But after the awakening there is vast Emptiness only and not even a great chiliocosm exists.

5. Here one sees neither sin nor bliss, neither loss nor gain;

In the midst of the Eternally Serene no idle questionings are invited;

The dust [of ignorance] has been since of old accumulating on the mirror never polished,

Now is the time once for all to see the clearing positively done.

6. Who is said to have no-thought? and who not-born?

If really not-born, there is no no-birth either;

Ask a machine-man and find out if this is not so;

As long as you seek Buddhahood, specifically exercising yourself for it, there is no attainment for you.

7. Let the four elements go off your hold,

And in the midst of the Eternally Serene allow yourself to quaff or to peck, as you like;

Where all things of relativity are transient and ultimately empty,

There is seen the great perfect enlightenment of the Tathagata realized.

8. True monkhood consists in having a firm conviction;

If, however, you fail to have it, ask me according to your ideas, [and you will be enlightened].

To have a direct understanding in regard to the root of all things, this is what the Buddha affirms;

If you go on gathering leaves and branches, there is no help for you.

9. The whereabouts of the precious mani-jewel is not known to people generally,

Which lies deeply buried in the recesses of the Tathagata-garbha;

The sixfold function miraculously performed by it is an illusion and yet not an illusion,

The rays of light emanating from one perfect sun belong to the realm of form and yet not to it.

10. The fivefold eye-sight[1] is purified and the fivefold power[2] is gained,

When one has a realization, which is beyond [intellectual] measurement;

There is no difficulty in recognizing images in the mirror,

But who can take hold of the moon reflected in water?

11. [The enlightened one] walks always by himself, goes about always by himself;

Every perfect one saunters along one and the same passage of Nirvana;

His tone is classical, his spirit is transparent, his airs are naturally elevated,

His features are rather gaunt, his bones are firm, he pays no attention to others.

12. Sons of the Sakya are known to be poor;

But their poverty is of the body, their spiritual life knows no poverty;

The poverty-stricken body is wrapped in rags,

But their spirit holds within itself a rare invaluable gem.

13. The rare invaluable gem is never impaired however much one uses it,

And beings are thereby benefited ungrudgingly as required by occasions;

The triple body[3] and the fourfold jnana[4] are perfected within it,

The eightfold emancipation[5] and the sixfold miraculous power[6] are impressed on it.

14. The superior one has it settled once for all and forever

The middling one learns much and holds much doubt;

The point is to cast aside your soiled clothes you so dearly keep with you;

What is the use of showing off your work before others?

15. Let others speak ill of me, let others spite me;

Those who try to burn the sky with a torch end in tiring themselves out;

I listen to them and taste [their evil-speaking] as nectar;

All melts away and I find myself suddenly within the Unthinkable itself.[7]

16. Seeing others talk ill of me, I acquire the chance of gaining merit,

For they are really my good friends;

When I cherish, being vituperated, neither enmity nor favouritism,

There grows within me the power of love and humility which is born of the Unborn.

17. Let us be thoroughgoing not only in inner experience but in its interpretation,

And our discipline will be perfect in Dhyana as well as in Prajna, not one-sidedly abiding in Sunyata (emptiness);

This is not where we alone have finally come to,

But all the Buddhas, as numerous as the Ganga sands, are of the same essence.

18. The lion-roaring of the doctrine of fearlessness--

Hearing this, the timid animals' brains are torn in pieces,

Even the scented elephant runs wild forgetting its native dignity;

It is the heavenly dragon alone that feels elated with joy, calmly listening [to the lion-roaring of the Buddha].

19. I crossed seas and rivers, climbed mountains, and forded freshets,

In order to interview the masters, to inquire after Truth, to delve into the secrets of Zen;

And ever since I was enabled to recognize the path of Sokei,[8]

I know that birth-and-death is not the thing I have to be concerned with.

20. For walking is Zen, sitting is Zen,

Whether talking or remaining silent, whether moving or standing quiet, the Essence itself is ever at ease;

Even when greeted with swords and spears it never loses its quiet way,

So with poisonous drugs, they fail to perturb its serenity.

21. Our Master, [Sakyamuni], anciently served Dipankara the Buddha,

And again for many kalpas disciplined himself as an ascetic called Kshanti.

[I have also] gone through many a birth and many a death;

Births and deaths-how endlessly they recur!

22. But ever since my realization of No-birth, which quite abruptly came on me,

Vicissitudes of fate, good and bad, have lost their power over me.

Far away in the mountains I live in an humble hut;

High are the mountains, thick the arboreous shades, and under an old pine-tree

I sit quietly and contentedly in my monkish home;

Perfect tranquillity and rustic simplicity rules here.

23. When you are awakened [to the Dharma], all is understood, no strivings are required;

Things of the samskrita[9] are not of this nature;

Charity practised with the idea of form (rupa) may result in a heavenly birth,

But it is like shooting an arrow against the sky,

When the force is exhausted the arrow falls on the ground.

Similarly, [when the heavenly reward comes to an end], the life that follows is sure to be one of fortune.

Is it not far better then to be with Reality which is asamskrita and above all strivings,

And whereby one instantly enters the stage of Tathagatahood?

24. Only let us take hold of the root and not worry about the branches;

It is like a crystal basin reflecting the moon,

And I know now what this mani-gem is,

Whereby not only oneself is benefited but others, inexhaustibly;

The moon is serenely reflected on the stream, the breeze passes softly through the pines,

Perfect silence reigning unruffled-what is it for?

25. The morality-jewel inherent in the Buddha-nature stamps itself on the mind-ground [of the enlightened one];

Whose robe is cut out of mists, clouds, and dews,

Whose bowl anciently pacified the fiery dragons, and whose staff once separated the fighting tigers;

Listen now to the golden rings of his staff giving out mellifluous tunes.

These are not, however, mere symbolic expressions, devoid of historical contents;

Wherever the holy staff of Tathagatahood moves, the traces are distinctly marked.

26. He neither seeks the true nor severs himself from the defiled,

He clearly perceives that dualities are empty and have no reality,

That to have no reality means not to be one-sided, neither empty nor not-empty,

For this is the genuine form of Tathagatahood.

27. The Mind like a mirror is brightly illuminating and knows no obstructions,

It penetrates the vast universe to its minutest crevices;

All its contents, multitudinous in form, are reflected in the Mind,

Which, shining like a perfect gem, has no surface, nor the inside.

28. Emptiness negatively defined denies a world of causality,

All is then in utter confusion, with no orderliness in it, which surely invites evils all around;

The same holds true when beings are clung to at the expense of Emptiness,

For it is like throwing oneself into a flame, in order to avoid being drowned in the water.

29. When one attempts to take hold of the true by abandoning the false,

This is discrimination and there are artificialities and falsehoods;

When the Yogin, not understanding [what the Mind is], is given up to mere discipline,

He is apt, indeed, to take an enemy for his own child.

30. That the Dharma-materials are destroyed and merit is lost,

Comes in every case from the relative discriminatory mind;

For this reason Zen teaches to have a thorough insight into the nature of Mind,

When the Yogin abruptly by means of his intuitive power realizes the truth of No-birth.

31. A man of great will carries with him a sword of Prajna,

Whose flaming Vajra-blade cuts all the entanglements of knowledge and ignorance;

It not only smashes in pieces the intellect of the philosophers

But disheartens the spirit of the evil ones.

32. He causes the Dharma-thunder to roar, he beats the Dharma-drum,

He raises mercy-clouds, he pours nectar-showers,

He conducts himself like the lordly elephant or dragon and beings innumerable are thereby blessed,

The three Vehicles and the five Families are all equally brought to enlightenment.

Hini the herb grows on the Himalaya where no other grasses are found,

And the crows feeding on it give the purest of milk, and this I always enjoy.

One Nature, perfect and pervading, circulates in all natures;

One Reality, all comprehensive, contains within itself all realities;

The one moon reflects itself wherever there is a sheet of water,

And all the moons in the waters are embraced within the one moon;

The Dharma-body of all the Buddhas enters into my own being,

And my own being is found in union with theirs.

33. In one stage are stored up all the stages;

[Reality] is neither form, nor mind, nor work;

Even before fingers are snapped, more than eighty thousand holy teachings are fulfilled;

Even in the space of a second the evil karma of three asamkhyeya kalpas is destroyed;

Whatever propositions are made by logic are no [true] propositions,

For they stand in no intrinsic relation to my inner Light.

34. [This inner Light] is beyond both praise and abuse,

Like unto space it knows no boundaries;

Yet it is right here with us ever retaining its serenity and fulness;

It is only when you seek it that you lose it.

You cannot take hold of it, nor can you get rid of it;

While you can do neither, it goes on its own way;

You remain silent and it speaks; you speak and it is silent;

The great gate of charity is wide open with no obstructions whatever before it.

35. Should someone ask me what teaching I understand,

I tell him that mine is the power of Mahaprajna;

Affirm it or negate it as you like-it is beyond your human intelligence;

Walk against it or along with it, and Heaven knows not its whereabouts.

36. 1 have been disciplined in it for ever so many kalpas of my life;

This is no idle talk of mine, nor am I deceiving you;

I erect the Dharma-banner to maintain this teaching,

Which I have gained at Sokei and which is no other than the one proclaimed by the Buddha.

37. Mahakashyapa was the first, leading the line of transmission;

Twenty-eight Fathers followed him in the West;

The Lamp was then brought over the sea to this country;

And Bodhidharma became the First Father here:

His mantle, as we all know, passed over six Fathers,

And by them many minds came to see the Light.

38. Even the true need not be [specifically] established, as to the false none such have ever been in existence;

When both being and non-being are put aside, even non-emptiness loses its sense;

The twenty forms of Emptiness are not from the first to be adhered to;

The eternal oneness of Tathagatahood remains absolutely the same.

39. The mind functions through the sense-organs, and thereby an objective world is comprehended--

This dualism marks darkly on the mirror;

When the dirt is wiped off, the light shines out;

So when both the mind and the objective world are forgotten, the Essence asserts its truth.

40. Alas! this age of degeneration is full of evils;

Beings are most poorly endowed and difficult to control;

Being further removed from the ancient Sage, they deeply cherish false views;

The Evil One is gathering up his forces while the Dharma is weakened, and hatred is growing rampant;

Even when they learn of the "abrupt" school of the Buddhist teaching,

What a pity that they fail to embrace it and thereby to crush evils like a piece of brick!

41. The mind is the author of all works and the body the sufferer of all ills;

Do not blame others plaintively for what properly belongs to you;

If you desire not to incur upon yourself the karma for a hell,

Cease from blaspheming the Tathagata-wheel of the good Dharma.

42. There are no inferior trees in the grove of sandalwoods,

Among its thickly-growing primeval forest lions alone find their abode;

Where no disturbances reach, where peace only reigns, there is the place for lions to roam;

All the other beasts are kept away, and birds do not fly in the vicinity.

43. It is only their own cubs that follow their steps in the woods,

When the young ones are only three years old, they roar.

How can jackals pursue the king of the Dharma?

With all their magical arts the elves gape to no purpose.

44. The perfect "abrupt" teaching has nothing to do with human imagination;

Where a shadow of doubt is still left, there lies the cause for argumentation;

My saying this is not the outcome of my egotism,

My only fear is lest your discipline lead you astray either to nihilism or positivism.

45. "No" is not necessarily "No", nor is "Yes" "Yes";

But when you miss even a tenth of an inch, the difference widens up to one thousand miles;

When it is "Yes", a young Naga girl in an instant attains Buddhahood,

When it is "No", the most learned Zensho[10] while alive falls into hell.

46. Since early years I have been eagerly after scholarly attainment,

I have studied the sutras and sastras and commentaries,

I have been given up to the analysis of names and forms, and never known what fatigue meant;

But diving into the ocean to count up its sands is surely an exhausting task and a vain one;

The Buddha has never spared such, his scoldings are just to the point,

For what is the use of reckoning the treasures that are not mine?

All my past achievements have been efforts vainly and wrongly applied-I realize it fully now,

I have been a vagrant monk for many years to no end whatever.

47. When the notion of the original family is not properly understood,

You never attain to the understanding of the Buddha's perfect "abrupt" system;

The two Vehicles exert themselves enough, but lack the aspirations [of the Bodhisattva];

The philosophers are intelligent enough but wanting in Prajna;

[As to the rest of us] they are either ignorant or puerile;

They take an empty fist as containing something real, and the pointing finger for the object pointed;

When the finger is adhered to as the moon itself, all their efforts are lost;

They are indeed idle dreamers lost in a world of senses and objects.

48. The Tathagata is interviewed when one enters upon a realm of no-forms,

Such is to be really called a Kwanjizai (Avalokitesvara)

When this is understood, the karma-hindrances are by nature empty;

When not understood, we all pay for the past debts contracted.

49. A royal table is set before the hungry, but they refuse to eat;

If the sick turn away from a good physician, how are they cured?

Practise Zen while in a world of desires, and the genuine power of intuition is manifested;

When the lotus blooms in the midst of a fire, it is never destroyed.

Yuse (Yung-shih) the Bhikshu[11] was an offender in one of the gravest crimes, but when he had an enlightened insight into No-birth

He instantly attained to Buddhahood and is still living in another world.

50. The doctrine of fearlessness is taught as loudly as a lion roars:

What a pity that confused minds inflexibly hardened like leather

Understand only that grave offences are obstructions to Enlightenment,

And are unable to see into the secrets of the Tathagata's teaching.

51. Anciently, there were two Bhikshus, the one committing murder and the other a carnal offence:

Upali's insight was like that of the glowworm, and ended only in tightening the knots of offence;

But when they were instantly enlightened by the wisdom of Vimalakirti,

Their griefs and doubts melted away like the frost and snow before the blazing sun.

52. The power of incomprehensible emancipation

Works wonders as innumerable as the sands of the Ganga and knows no limits;

[To him] the four kinds of offerings are most willingly made,

By him thousands of pieces of gold are disbursed without involving anybody in debts;

The bones may be crushed to powders, the body cut

up to pieces, and yet we cannot repay him enough for what he does for us;

Even a phrase [issuing from him] holds true for hundreds of thousands of kotis of kalpas.

53. He is the Dharma-king deserving the highest respect;

The Tathagatas, as many in number as the Ganga-sands, all testify to the truth of his attainment;

I now understand what this mani jewel is,

And know that all those who accept it in faith are in correspondence [with it].

54. As to seeing it, the seeing is clear enough, but no objects are here to be seen,

Not a person here, nor the Buddha;

Chiliocosms numberless are mere bubbles in the ocean,

All the sages and worthies are flashes of lightning.

55. However rapidly revolves the iron-wheel over my head,

The perfect brightness of Dhyana and Prajna in me is never effaced;

The sun may turn cold. and the moon hot;

With all the power of the evil ones the true doctrine remains forever indestructible.

The elephant-carriage steadily climbs up the steepest hill,

Before whose wheels how can the beetle stand?

56. The great elephant does not walk on the hare's lane,

Supreme Enlightenment goes beyond the narrow range of intellection;

Cease from measuring heaven with a tiny piece of reed;

If you have no insight yet, I will have the matter settled for you.

Notes:

[1] Yoka Daishi (died 713, Yung-chia Ta-shih, in Chinese), otherwise known as Gengaku (Hsuan-chiao), was one of the chief disciples of Hui-neng, the, sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism. Before he was converted to Zen he was a student of the T'ien-tai. His interview with Hui-neng is recorded in the Tan-ching. He died in 713 leaving a number of short works on Zen philosophy, and of them the present composition in verse is the most popular one. The Original title reads: Cheng-tao Ke, "realization-way-song".

[2] The fivefold eye-sight (cakshus) : (1) Physical, (2) Heavenly, (3) Prajna-, (4) Dharma-, and (5) Buddha-eye.

[3] The fivefold power (bala): (1) Faith, (2) Energy, (3) Memory, (4) Meditation, and (5) Prajna.]

[4] (1) The Dharma-body, (2) the Body of Enjoyment, and (3) the Body of Transformation.

[5] (1) Mirror-intuition, (2) intuition of identity, (3) knowledge of doing Works, and (4) clear perception of relations.

[6]The Abhidharmakosa, VIII, gives an explanation of the eight Vimoksha. See La Vallee Poussin's French translation, Chap. VIII, pp. 203-221.

[7] For the six Riddhi, which are the supernatural products of the meditations, see op. cit., VII, 122 ff.]

[8] T'sao-ch'i is the name of the locality where Hui-neng had his monastery, means the master himself.]

[9] According to Buddhist philosophy, existence is divided into two groups, samskrita and asamskrita. The samskrita applies to anything that does any kind of work in any possible manner, while the asamskrita accomplishes nothing. Of this class are space regarded as a mode of reality, Nirvana, and nonexistence owing to lack of necessary conditions.]

[10] Shang-hsing, lit. "good star", was a great scholar of his age.]

[11] The story of this Bhikshu is told in the Sutra on Cleansing the Karma-hindrances (Ching Yeh-chang Ching).

Calm Down

2012-01-09T22:55:00.000-06:00

This article is a great introduction to some formal types of meditation practices available to everyone. They All work very well IF you will be consistent with your daily Practice and give them the necessary time to change the neural makeup of your brain. This is called "Neural Plasticity" - something amazing that Science just recently discovered and is rapidly expanding it's research in worldwide. There are several links at the bottom to more information about each of them. Doing this Practice in one of these or any other proven system is the most important thing you will ever do, Period! Enjoy!

Namaste'

Calm down

Can Sacramento meditation practices help us learn to quiet the noise and cultivate appreciation for our world?

By Nancy Brands Ward

On one of the most exquisite days of Sacramento’s summer, three dozen people elected to spend the day indoors, sitting straight-backed in a darkened room, paying careful attention to the inner workings of their minds and the wisdom of an unassuming Zen master.

What could motivate these ordinary people to sit silently

for many hours, settling into a formless meditation called

shikantaza, paying no mind to thoughts as they arise, simply

bringing the attention back home over and over again each

time it wandered?

The promise of enlightenment, perhaps?

Lin Jensen, who led the retreat sponsored by the Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group that’s met weekly to study all Buddhist traditions for the past 20 years, believes there’s an overemphasis on enlightenment in popular discourse on Buddhism and meditation.

“Soto Zen says you’re already enlightened, you just haven’t noticed it,” said Jensen, senior Buddhist chaplain to High Desert State Prison in Susanville and founder of the Chico Zen Sangha, noting that he found being asked to hold still when he first began meditation a revolutionary idea.

The stillness of meditation is all about the noticing.

Most religions incorporate some form of meditation into their traditions, and in recent years the contemplative practice has been swelling in popularity, with millions of Americans now reporting that they meditate.

That upswing can be evidenced beyond a doubt in the Sacramento region.
Why do they meditate? They do it for stress relief, to control pain and to achieve emotional balance. They practice it to become familiar with a new way of perceiving themselves and the world. And they endure it to cultivate loving kindness or compassion.

Enlightenment? Maybe. Maybe not.

Meditation has been around since at least the time of the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago, and there are many methods espoused for finding peace and liberation through the practice. Dozens are represented in the Sacramento region, and SN&R visited a handful to give you the scoop on where they are and what to expect when you visit.

Nearly all are run completely by volunteers and operate through donations. Some recognize the existence of an external deity, though most speak only of the divinity within. All welcome newcomers and don’t require that you become a Buddhist, a yogi or even a Christian to engage in meditation. What SN&R found is that at their cores, they’re all aiming for the same result through contemplative practice: the equanimity to engage life with generosity and kindness.

Engage the world
Theravada Buddhism: Sacramento Insight Meditation

Twice a month on Thursday evenings, several dozen Sacramentans gather in the Friends meeting house (Quakers) near Sacramento State to work at cultivating their minds through a practice called vipassana, or insight meditation, which is the simple and direct practice of moment-to-moment mindfulness.

Some sit on cushions, but most sit in chairs aligned inside the arc of the circular meeting hall. They come together as members of the Sacramento Insight Meditation group to practice the four foundations of mindfulness: contemplation of the body, feelings, mind and dharma (the teachings of Buddhism, or simply “the way things are”).

Like many meditative techniques, vipassana begins by paying attention to the breath to help calm and focus the mind. But what distinguishes insight meditation from many other practices is that in it nothing is pushed away, said Diane Wilde, a teaching mentor at SIM. “We engage with whatever comes to the forefront during meditation—a really strong feeling … the sounds of birds chirping—we investigate it.”

From this mindful awareness comes a deep understanding about the reality of the world and ultimately freedom from the often painful results of reacting in a conditioned, or not mindful, way.

“Are we aware of what we’re putting out in the world for ourselves and for others?” Wilde said in explaining the goal of mindfulness meditation. “It’s not a retreat from the world—it’s engaging the world with compassion and understanding.

“God, yes, it’s hard!” she said. “However, for the people who stick with it—what a difference. I work with men at Folsom prison who are no longer suffering.
“It’s possible,” Wilde said. “But the question is, do you want to make [a] commitment or not? It means less TV, less Internet, more mindfulness.”

Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg are among the most well-known American teachers in this tradition. Kornfield teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin, and many local teachers have studied with him and teach there themselves. SIM’s supervising senior teacher, John Travis, is a member of Spirit Rock’s Senior Teachers Council and is the founding teacher of Mountain Stream Meditation Center in Auburn.

A reputation for discipline
Soto Zen Buddhism: Valley Streams Zen Sangha

On a recent Monday night, 25 Zen students sat in a makeshift zendo in East Sacramento, contemplating a belief posted by the Dalai Lama on Facebook that a surefire cure for anxiety is to focus attention away from one’s self and toward others.

“Yes,” said Myo Denis Lahey, guiding teacher of the Valley Streams Zen Sangha, before posing the question: “But if there is no inherent existence, how then can compassion for fellow beings arise?”

Discussion meandered around the question for a half-hour, with both the flashes of clarity and cloudy ambiguity Zen is famous for when exploring the burning questions of existence that the tradition holds cannot be answered by dualist Cartesian reasoning. The discussion led by Lahey, teacher in residence at San Francisco’s Hartford Street Zen Center in the lineage established in the 1960s by Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, capped off the evening that began with 30 minutes of meditation.

Earlier that evening, sangha members had turned The Yoga Solution’s largest studio into a meditation hall. Students dress modestly in black or dull colors and sit on cushions or chairs facing the wall in silence.

While meditation—called zazen in this tradition—is about training the mind, it’s not as some mistakenly believe about eliminating all thought or transcending ordinary experience. Jim Hare, who has served as ino, or head of the meditation hall, since 2002, describes the practice this way: “We wouldn’t stand by a stream and say that with the power of our concentration, we make the stream flow. Similarly, we don’t say about zazen that with the power of our concentration we awaken to true mind. True mind is fully awake. Meditation is the noticing of this never-beginning, never-ending wakefulness of mind.”

Expect incense, bells, bowing, chanting and walking meditation at Valley Streams Zen Sangha. Beginning meditation instruction, which is offered before the practice period on Monday evenings and through a Tuesday-night course beginning in October, focuses on teaching newcomers the forms of practice.
Zen’s reputation for strict discipline can be off-putting, and some may react to what they see as the conformity of the sitting postures, mudras for holding hands, severity of dress and seeming isolation involved in facing a blank wall. Hare notes that practicing with others supports individual resolve, and he likens the discipline of Zen to his experience of learning to play the violin.

“Anyone who’s ever played the violin knows you can’t just put your fingers down anywhere and make music,” Hare explained. “Through many people’s study of the violin, there’s developed a narrow way to play it. The more I became adept at the technique, the better I played.”

Riding the breath
Tibetan Buddhism: Davis Shambhala Meditation Center

Buddhism explodes into color in the Tibetan tradition. In a second-floor suite of a strip-mall-type building on D Street, practitioners enter the Davis Shambhala Meditation Center’s meditation hall through a shiny red door. There’s more color inside, with rectangular red and gold meditation blocks positioned atop neat rows of red mats facing an altar adorned with bright-colored tapestries, flowers, candles, bowls and gold-colored statues.

In a separate room on a Monday evening, senior student Richard Darsie instructed a handful of beginners in the basics of shamatha meditation, which is also known as peaceful, or calm, abiding. Again, the basic instruction is to focus awareness on the breath, either by feeling the sense of breath in the chest, the abdomen or the base of the nostrils, following the breath until the awareness is “riding the breath” as it moves in and out of the body.

As thoughts inevitably arise, they’re acknowledged, labeled
“thinking,” and they fade from awareness. Each time a flash of awareness occurs that awareness has wandered from the breath, the instruction is to bring the focus back gently to the motion of breath. With practice, the frequency and duration of these wanderings diminishes.

Darsie was drawn to this tradition primarily because of its focus on working with emotions through meditation. Working intelligently with emotions can help us make less trouble for ourselves in our everyday lives, he explained.

“Our minds are addicted to complexity and drama,” Darsie said. “The repetition of meditation wears away our habitual ways of thinking, and helps us cultivate gentleness toward ourselves and appreciation for our world.”

Meditation is an opportunity to rest the mind by paying attention to what’s before it. Like other traditions, Shambhala aims to move mindfulness into all aspects of daily life. Darsie explained: “There’s no activity in your life that would not benefit from paying more attention to it.”

Darsie also spoke of the difficulty of meditation and cautioned newcomers against thinking it’s some sort of quick fix to the ordinary suffering of life that everyone experiences.

“You have to turn toward the parts of yourself you don’t like. It’s like sitting in a bath of manure,” he said. “But you surround yourself with space and nonjudgmental kindness as you come face to face with all your stuff.”

Shambhala was founded in 1973 by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist meditation master, artist, author and poet. His son, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, leads the tradition today. The Northern California Shambhala senior dharma teacher is Pema Chödrön, a best-selling author and well-known teacher who has opened some previously advanced meditative practices like tonglen to followers in the West.

Walk this way
Walking meditation: the labyrinth, Episcopal Church of St. Martin

Most Buddhist and other religious traditions incorporate some form of walking meditation into their practices. But moving meditation is not what most people typically associate with Christian faiths—that is, unless they’ve tapped into the recent resurgence of interest in walking the labyrinth.

The region’s most stunning labyrinth can be found at the Episcopal Church of St. Martin in Davis. It’s modeled after the world-famous labyrinth built at the Chartres Cathedral in France around 1220. Like that one, it’s about 42 feet in diameter and leads the walker one-quarter mile along a single path over 11 different circuits.

A labyrinth isn’t a maze. There are no tricks to it, no decisions to be made and no dead ends. Some say that walking one is like holding up a mirror to reveal your life. You’re never sure where the path will lead you, but ultimately you find yourself at the center of the circle. Then you set out to return to where you began.

St. Martin members laid down the labyrinth created by famed designer Robert Ferre in just 10 days, completing it in November 2009. The church installed it to enhance parishioners’ spiritual experience, as well for outreach to the community.
Walking it takes about 15 minutes, more or less, depending on your own pace and labyrinth etiquette, which demands that walkers follow the path and try to stay out the way of other walkers along the path.

“But if no one’s walking the labyrinth, there’s no problem walking across it,” said Janet Lane, senior warden and president of the church’s board. “It’s kind of sacred space, but for a recent celebration we set up a bubble machine in the center and let the kids play.”

The benefits of walking include meditation, relaxation, balance, enjoyment and contemplation or prayer, Lane said, adding that “the energy of people walking produces good vibes.”

Lane, who shepherded the labyrinth into existence, has seen students sitting in its center studying, a group of turbaned Sikhs walking it and people from the medical center across the street finding their centers along its meandering concrete and resin path.

“We’re just really glad it’s being used,” Lane said.
The revival of interest has spawned other labyrinths across the region, including a monthly walk at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Midtown Sacramento, one at the Methodist church in Davis, a couple cut into the grass at the Davis Cemetery and others.

The space between the eyebrows
Raja yoga: Self-Realization Fellowship

The Self-Realization Fellowship was founded by Paramahansa Yogananda, who is often credited with introducing Westerners to meditation and yoga. Many arrive at the SRF’s doors after reading his 1946 Autobiography of a Yogi.

That’s how Michael Mair, who coordinates the Self-Realization Fellowship group in Carmichael, came to practice the raja yoga—or meditation practices—advanced by Yogananda. Devoted practice of the highest level of meditation, called kriya yoga, is said to lead to “realization of God and liberation of the soul from all forms of bondage.” In his autobiography, Yogananda explained that “Elijah, Jesus, Kabir and other prophets were past masters in the use of Kriya or a similar technique, by which they caused their bodies to dematerialize at will.”

Adherents don’t get to practice the advanced techniques of kriya yoga until they’ve spent at least a year in study and preparatory exercises and have decided to enter into “the sacred guru-disciple relationship.” And no one can learn the techniques from anyone other than the original source. The reason for that, Mair said, is to prevent the kind of errors of transmission that result from passing along messages as happens in the children’s game of Chinese Whispers, or as we Americans more commonly call it, Telephone. Yogananda died in 1952, but the tradition continues on from headquarters in Los Angeles.

The local Self-Realization Fellowship center, situated in a quiet residential neighborhood, feels more like a church than any yoga studio you’ve ever visited. Rows of pews fill the main hall. In place of a cross on the altar hang the pictures of Yogananda, various Indian saints and Jesus Christ, who’s counted as a guru in the tradition’s lineage.

On a Wednesday night, a series of “energization exercises” practiced in the courtyard preceded meditation. Designed to draw “cosmic energy into the body through the medulla oblongata by the power of will,” the exercises felt more like basic calisthenics as the leader suggested they might at first glance. The resulting relaxation provided a foundation for a two-hour session of prayer, chants to the accompaniment of a squeeze-box harmonium and meditation to come.
“Heavenly father, divine mother … help me convert from limited human consciousness to cosmic consciousness,” the half-dozen members of the group prayed to begin the session.

The basic meditation instruction given is to focus attention on the spiritual eye, or the space between the eyebrows. Meditators sat in straight-backed chairs in a darkened room separate from the main church facing a mini-altar showing the same guru’s images. A peculiar-looking wooden instrument—a board 3 inches wide and about 3 feet long—attached in the center to an adjustable length of pole sat on the floor next to each person’s chair. Some time into the first meditation period, each person positioned the pole on the chair between their legs, rested their arms on the flat of the board and raised their hands to their heads with splayed fingers straddling their temples.

Written lessons that promise to explain the mystery are available from SRF headquarters for a small fee to cover duplication and shipping.

Concentrate, observe, detach

Sivananda yoga: Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm

Fifteen miles west of Grass Valley, the hot, dry countryside on one early fall day opened into a green oasis, where hammocks were strung between majestic shade trees, lounge chairs sat beside a seductive pond, and visitors strolled talking softly in couples or trios past an outdoor yoga platform, meditation temples, cottages, tents and corrals housing pet lamas and goats.

Some came just for the day, others were staying longer for retreats and workshops of varying lengths, and still others live at the yoga farm, which is one of the two Sivananda monastic communities in the United States. The tradition boasts that it’s a synthesis by Swami Sivananda of all the myriad traditional yoga paths. It was brought from India to the West by Swami Vishnu-devananda. Devotees dress modestly in yellow shirts—symbolic of learning—and white pants—symbolic of teaching. Peaceful relaxation is the unmistakable vibe at the 80-acre ashram, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in April.
Meditation is practiced in the tradition, but it’s the end of the five points of Sivananda yoga rather than the beginning: proper exercise (asanas), proper breathing (pranayama), proper relaxation (savasana), proper diet (vegetarian) and meditation (dhyana).

Silent and guided meditation to condition the mind to be “here and now” is performed each morning and evening. The daily routine also includes two hours of yoga asanas, a half-hour of chanting and two vegetarian meals.
Everything is geared to minimize distraction, said Swami Sitaramananda, who has directed the ashram for the past 15 years. Of all the traditions of yoga, this one has a reputation for completely transforming one’s life. “We lead a balanced life to bring about a balanced mind.”

Yoga exercises, or asanas, circulate energy in preparation for meditation. Specialized breathing techniques and mantras chanted in Sanskrit moderate the emotions, calming and focusing the mind. The idea is that when body and energy are under control, meditation comes naturally. Sitaramananda called meditation a “spiritual science of controlling the mind” that yogis use to inquire into their own true nature and into the nature of reality.

The meditation methods involve concentration, observing and detaching from thoughts and aims, and a complete transcendence of the mind and merging with the absolute reality. Sitaramananda said, “The goal is self-realization.”

Find your own path

Nearly everyone SN&R talked to mentioned having found the “right path,” and they expect to follow it throughout their lifetimes. Having found vipassana 10 years ago after trying Zen, Hindu and martial arts, Sacramento Insight Meditation’s Wilde concluded: “This is the way I want to live my life.”
Most have experimented with other forms of meditation practices. Many, including the guide at the yoga farm’s open house, Mair from the Self-Realization Fellowship and Darsie, now with the Davis Shambhala Meditation Center, started out practicing Zen.

“A lot of people try it—it fits for only a minority,” said the Valley Streams Zen Sangha’s Hare, quoting a saying common among Christian ministers: “‘They comes, and they goes. But mostly they goes.’

“Only a handful finds the practice moves them so that they’re willing to endure the difficulties, especially when they don’t see immediate breathtaking results,” Hare said.

“It’s very much about your own personal experience,” Mair said. “Choose what resonates with you and then follow up.”

Whether individuals meditate in a completely secular and nonideological way—with methods such as those thrust into the mainstream by teachers like Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of the best seller Wherever You Go, There You Are—or choose to follow one of the timeless contemplative paths, diligent practice promises liberation from suffering and peace of heart and mind.

What if you don’t find it? Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao, abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles, had some advice about that during a visit to Sacramento several years ago: “If meditation has not transformed your life, then you better ask yourself what you’ve been doing.”

Meditate local
Davis Shambhala Meditation Center
Meditation instruction at 9 a.m. Sundays, 7 p.m. Thursdays
133 D Street, Suite H in Davis
www.davis.shambhala.org

The Episcopal Church of St. Martin
Labyrinth open during daylight hours
640 Hawthorne Lane in Davis
http://churchofstmartin.org

Sacramento Buddhist Meditation Group
Meets Sundays at 7 p.m.
Social hall, Congregation B’nai Israel
3600 Riverside Boulevard
www.sbmg.org

Sacramento Insight Meditation
Second and fourth Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Sacramento Friends meeting house • 890 57th Street
www.sactoinsight.org

Self-Realization Fellowship
Meets Sundays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
4513 North Avenue in Carmichael
http://sacramentocenter.org

Sivananda Ashram Yoga Farm
Next open house: November 21
14651 Ballantree Lane in Grass Valley
www.sivanandayogafarm.org

Valley Streams Zen Sangha
Meets Mondays at 7 p.m.
The Yoga Solution • 887 57th Street, Suite B
www.valleystreamszen.org

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING

2012-01-05T00:39:00.000-06:00

Here is Part III of Section IV. From the Chinese Masters from the Manual on Zen Buddhism written by the late, great brilliant scholar and Zen Master D. T. Suzuki. This teaching is so important! In essence, it explains the absolute necessity for living in the Present without the dualistic nature of thought or words and actually Being the Truth within the words. You must let go of All dogma and actually Live the Oneness of our True Nature which can not be described. Just live the meaning of the word "BE"!
Everything happens for a reason and my writing this now and sharing these great words of Wisdom from an ancient Chan, or Zen, Master, are directly related to a conversation I had earlier tonight about this very aspect of Wisdom. All I can say is, "WOW"! This IS the True Nature of Reality and is realized in everyday life by those who understand the One Truth. I am constantly in Awe of the workings of this One Truth as it reveals IT's Presence and settles the waves of our illusory duality back to Reality's natural Stillness to reveal the explicit grandeur of the Calm and Peaceful Oneness within us All! With great honor and sincere humbleness, I offer you this impeccable Teaching. Enjoy!

Namaste'

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING [1]

24. Mahaprajnaparamita is a Sanskrit term of the Western country; in T'ang it means "great-wisdom (chih-hui), other-shore reached". This Truth (dharma=fa) is to be lived, it is not to be [merely] pronounced with the mouth. When it is not lived, it is like a phantom, like an apparition. The Dharmakaya of the Yogin is the same as the Buddha.

What is maha? Maha means "great". The capacity of Mind is wide and great, it is like emptiness of space. To sit with a mind emptied makes one fall into emptiness of indifference. Space contains the sun, the moon, stars, constellations, great earth, mountains, and rivers. All grasses and plants, good men and bad men, bad things and good things, Heaven and hell-they are all in empty space. The emptiness of [Self-] nature as it is in all people is just like this.

25. [Self-] nature contains in it all objects; hence it is great. All objects without exception are of Self-nature. Seeing all human beings and non-human beings as they are, evil and good, evil things and good things, it abandons them not, nor is it contaminated with them; it is like the emptiness of space. So it is called great, that is, maha. The confused pronounce it with their mouths, the wise live it with their minds. Again, there are people confused [in mind]; they conceive this to be great when they have their minds emptied of thoughts--which is not right. The capacity of Mind is great; when there is no life accompanying it, it is small. Do not merely pronounce it with the mouth. Those who fail to discipline themselves to live this life, are not my disciples.

26. What is prajna? Prajna is chih-hui (wisdom). When every thought of yours is not benighted at all times, when you always live chih-hui (=prajna, wisdom), this is called the life of Prajna. When a single thought of yours is benighted, then Prajna ceases to work. When a single thought of yours is of chih, i.e. enlightened, then Prajna is born. Being always benighted in their minds, people yet declare themselves to be living Prajna. Prajna has no shape, no form, it is no other than the essence (hsing) of chih-hui (wisdom).

What is Paramita? This is a Sanskrit term of the Western country. In Yang it means "the other shore reached". When the meaning (artha in Sanskrit) is understood, one is detached from birth and death. When the objective world (visaya) is clung to, there is the rise of birth and death; it is like the waves rising from the water; this is called "this shore". When you are detached from the objective world, there is no birth and death for you; it is like the water constantly running its course: this is "reaching the other shore". Hence Paramita.

The confused pronounce [Prajna] with their mouths; the wise live it in their minds. When it is merely pronounced, there is at that very moment a falsehood; when there is a .falsehood, it is not a reality. When Prajna is lived in every thought of yours, this is known as reality. Those who understand this truth, understand the truth of Prajna and practise the life of Prajna. Those who do not practise it are ordinary people. When you practise and live it in one thought of yours, You are equal to the Buddha.

Good friends, the passions are no other than enlightenment (bodhi). When your antecedent thought is confused yours is an ordinary mind; as soon as your succeeding thought is enlightened, you are a Buddha.

Good friends, Prajnaparamita is the most honoured, the highest, the foremost; it is nowhere abiding, nowhere departing, nowhere coming; all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future issue out of it. By means of Great Wisdom (ta-chih-hui=mahaprajna) that leads to . the other shore (paramita), the five skandhas, the passions, and the innumerable follies are destroyed. When thus disciplined, one is a Buddha, and the three passions [i.e. greed, anger, and folly] will turn into Morality (sila), Meditation (dhyana), and Wisdom (prajna)

27. Good friends, according to my way of understanding this truth, 84,000 wisdoms (chih-hui) are produced from one Prajna. Why? Because there are 84,000 follies. If there were no such innumerable follies, Prajna is eternally abiding, not severed from Self-nature. He who has an insight into this truth is free from thoughts, from recollections, from attachments; in him there is no deceit and falsehood. This is where the essence of Suchness is by itself. When all things are viewed in the light of wisdom (chih-hui=prajna), there is neither attachment nor detachment. This is seeing into one's Nature and attaining the truth of Buddhahood.

28. Good friends, if you wish to enter into the deepest realm of Truth (dharmadhatu), and attain the Prajnasamadhi, you should at once begin to exercise yourselves in the life of Prajnaparamita; you just devote yourselves to the one volume of the Vajracchedika-prajnaparamita Sutra, and you will, seeing into the nature of your being, enter upon the Prajnasamadhi. It should be known that the merit of such a person is immeasurable, as is distinctly praised in the sutras, of which I need not speak in detail.

This Truth of the highest order is taught to people of great intelligence and superior endowments. If people of small intelligence and inferior endowments happen to hear it, no faith would ever be awakened in their minds. Why? It is like a great dragon pouring rains down in torrents over the Jambudipa: cities, towns, villages are all deluged and carried away in the flood, as if they were grass-leaves. But when the rain, however much, falls on the great ocean, there is in it neither an increase nor a decrease.

When people of the Great Vehicle listen to a discourse on the Vajracchedika their minds are opened and there is an intuitive understanding. They know thereby that their own Nature is originally endowed with Prajna-wisdom and that all things are to be viewed in the light of this wisdom (chih-hui) of theirs, and they need not depend upon letters. It is like rain-waters not being reserved in the sky; but the water is drawn up by the dragon-king out of the rivers and oceans, whereby all beings and all plants, sentient and non-sentient, universally share the wet. All the waters flowing together once more are poured into the great ocean, and the ocean accepting all the waters fuses them into one single body of water. It is the same with Prajna-wisdom which is the original Nature of all beings.

29. When people of inferior endowments hear this "abrupt" doctrine here discoursed on, they are like those plants naturally growing small on earth, which, being once soaked by a heavy rain, are all unable to raise themselves up and continue their growth. It is the same with people of inferior endowments. They are endowed with Prajna-wisdom as much as people of great intelligence; there is no distinction. Why is it then that they have no insight even when listening to the Truth? It is due to the heaviness of hindrance caused by false views and to the deep-rootedness of the passions. It is like an overcasting cloud screening the sun; unless it blows hard no rays of light are visible.

There is no greatness or smallness in Prajna-wisdom, but since all beings cherish in themselves confused thoughts, they seek the Buddha by means of external exercises, and are unable to see into their Self-nature. That is why they are known to be people of inferior endowments.

Those beings who, listening to the "Abrupt" doctrine, do not take themselves to external exercises, but reflecting within themselves raise this original Nature all the time to the proper viewing [of the Truth], remain [always Undefiled by] the passions and the innumerable follies; and at that moment they all have an insight [into the Truth]. It is like the great ocean taking in all the rivers, large and small, and merging them into one body of water -'this is seeing into one's own Nature. [He who thus sees into his own Nature] does not abide anywhere inside or outside; he freely comes and departs; he knows how to get rid of attaching thoughts; his passage has no obstructions. When one is able to practise this life, he realizes that there is from the first no difference between [his Self-Nature] and Prajnaparamita.[2]

30. All the sutras and writings, all the letters, the two vehicles Major and Minor, the twelve divisions [of Buddhist literature]-these are all set forth because of the people of the world. Because there is wisdom-nature (chih-hui-hsing), therefore there is the establishment of all these works. If there were no people of the world, no multitudinous objects would ever be in existence. Therefore, we know that all objects rise originally because of the people of the world. All the sutras and writings are said to have their existence because of the people of the world.

The distinction of stupidity and intelligence is only possible among the people of the world. Those who are stupid are inferior people and those who are intelligent are superior people. The confused ask the wise, and the wise discourse for them on the Truth in order to make the stupid enlightened and have an intuitive understanding of it. When the confused are enlightened and have their minds opened, they are not to be distinguished from the people of great intelligence.

Therefore, we know that Buddhas when not enlightened are no other than ordinary beings; when there is one thought of enlightenment, ordinary beings at once turn into Buddhas. Therefore, we know that all multitudinous objects are every one of them in one's own mind.[3] Why not, from within one's own mind, at once reveal the original essence of Suchness? Says the Bodhisattvasila Sutra: "My original Self-nature is primarily pure; when my Mind is known and my Nature is seen into I naturally attain the path of Buddhahood." Says the Vimalakirti Sutra: "When you have an instant opening of view you return to your original Mind."

48. The Great Master died on the third day of the eighth month of the second year of Hsien-t'ien (713 C.E.). On the eighth day of the seventh month of this year he had a farewell gathering of his followers as he felt that he was to leave them forever in the following month, and told them to have all the doubts they might have about his teaching once for all settled on this occasion. As he found them weeping in tears he said: "You are all weeping, but for whom are you so sorry? If you are sorry for my not knowing where I am departing to, you are mistaken; for I know where I am going. Indeed, if I did not, I would not part with you. The reason why you are in tears is probably that you do not yourselves know whither I am going. If you did, you would not be weeping so. The Essence of the Dharma knows no birth-and-death, no coming-and-going. Sit down, all of you, and let me give you a gatha with the title, "On the Absolute"[4]

There is nothing true anywhere,
The true is nowhere to be seen;
If you say you see the true,
This seeing is not the true one.[5]

Where the true is left to itself,
There is nothing false in it, which is Mind itself.
When Mind in itself is not liberated from the false,
There is nothing true, nowhere is the true to be found.
A conscious being alone understands what is meant by "moving";
To those not endowed with consciousness, the moving is unintelligible;
If you exercise yourself in the practice of keeping your mind unmoved, [i.e. in a quietistic meditation] [6]
The immovable you gain is that of one who has no consciousness.
If you are desirous for the truly immovable,
The immovable is in the moving itself,
And this immovable is the [truly] immovable one;
There is no seed of Buddhahood where there is no consciousness.
Mark well how varied are aspects [of the immovable one],
And know that the first reality is immovable;
Only when this insight is attained,
The true working of Suchness is understood.
I advise you, O students of the Truth
To exert yourselves in the proper direction;
Do not in the teaching of the Mahayana
Commit the fault of clinging to the relative knowledge of birth and death. [7]

Where there is an all-sided concordance of views
You may talk together regarding the Buddha's teaching;
Where there is really no such concordance,
Keep your hands folded and your joy within yourself.
There is really nothing to argue about in this teaching;
Any arguing is sure to go against the intent of it;
Doctrines given up to confusion and argumentation
Lead by themselves to birth and death.

Notes

1. The Dunhuang copy, edited by D. T. Suzuki, 1934. Hui-neng = Daikan Enō; 637-712 A.D.

2. The text has "the Prajnaparamita Sutra" here. But I take it to mean Prajna itself instead of the sutra.

3. The text has the "body", while the Koshoji edition and the current one have "mind".

4. The title literally reads: "the true-false moving-quiet". "True" stands against "false" and "moving" against "quiet" and as long as there is an opposition of any kind, no true spiritual insight is possible. And this insight does not grow from a quietistic exercise of meditation.

5. That is, the Absolute refuses to divide itself into two: that which sees and that which is seen.

6. "Moving" means "dividing" or "limiting". When the absolute moves, a dualistic interpretation of it takes place, which is consciousness.

7. Chih, jnana in Sanskrit, is used in contradistinction to Prajna which is the highest form of knowledge, directly seeing into the Immovable or the Absolute.

Altered Muse: Silence really is golden

2011-12-11T07:16:00.000-06:00

This is a blog post from a new acquaintance, Celina, the author of a wonderful blog, Altered Muse, who just discovered what meditation really is. She participated in a rapidly growing form of psychological therapy, MBSR, where Mindfulness is used to treat various forms of stress-related problems including those experienced by the returning combat veterans with PTSD. The brilliant Ph.D from MIT and founder of MBSR, Jon Cabat-Zinn, is Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

I hope you enjoy this post and take some time to visit Celina's blog and personal website. Be well!

Namaste'

Altered Muse: Silence really is golden

Yesterday I spent the majority of my day not speaking. No it wasn't a silent treatment directed at my husband, but a series of exercises in pure blissful stillness. I am rounding out my 8th and final week of a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction class based on John Cabit Zinn's curriculum and approach to meditation. The class has been an eye opening experience on how many of us (myself very much included) get skillfully good at going through our days on auto-pilot. Everything from the way we eat to the way we drive can become incredibly zoned out. The exercises I participated in yesterday were something I did not ever envision myself sitting through so peacefully. Which led me to the realization that I am behind in checking off one item on my life list: Learn the Art of Meditation.

Here is what I now know to be true about meditation:

You don't "learn" to meditate. Meditation is not a destination. It is a practice. It is not a skill, it just is what it is.

Meditation is about being gentle with yourself and what you can do in this moment. There are no "shoulds."

Taking a walk through the woods listening to the sound of the wind in the trees and noticing the color of the grass is a meditation.

Sitting quietly in your car focusing on one breath, then another.....and then another before stepping out into your busy day is a meditation.

Placing your attention on your toes and breathing with that tiny part of your body is a meditation.

Eating your food one slow bite at a time, tasting, feeling, smelling and seeing is a meditation.

Meditation is not about thinking about absolutely nothing, but instead an opportunity to compassionately reel yourself back in as your mind slips away.

You see, what I've learned over this past year is that I do in fact already have everything inside of me I need to know to practice meditation. Every day life is a meditation if you allow it to be. If you practice noticing, sensing, feeling then you are practicing a form of meditation. Something I was not aware of when I was plunking down wishes on my life list. I realize now it isn't a skill that can be learned but an artful practice that occurs moment to moment to moment every day of our lives.

Namaste~

What is the Dantian?

2011-12-10T20:37:00.001-06:00

There are three Dantians (dan tiens). The Lower Dantien is the one referred to as your "Center' and is where chi is accumulated and stored. All movement originates and is directed from here. Enjoy!

Namaste'

What is the Dantian?

There are numerous references to the dantian in T’ai Chi Ch’uan practice, as well as in other martial arts and in Chinese methods of meditation and self-cultivation. In Japanese practices, it is referred to as the hara.
The word dantian, also written as tan t’ien, usually refers to the general area in the lower abdomen, beneath the navel and about one-third of the way in the abdominal cavity.

It is sometimes associated with the acupuncture point Guanyuan, Origin Pass, conception vessel 4. The dantian is also sometimes associated with conception vessel 6, qi hai, sea of qi or ocean of breath.

The word dantian translates as cinnabar fields, or elixir field. Alchemists in ancient China, as in the West, were interested in transmuting base metals into gold. Others were interested in transforming the base materials of life into a golden elixir for immortality or long life. Others sought higher stages of illumination or to create a soul. Another use is to transmute the qi in the dantian into spirit, or shen.

For the average practitioner, it involves improving health and reinvigorating internal organs. Sometimes massaging the dantian helps to stabilize one’s emotions or to improve internal organ function. A famous Japanese healer diagnoses diseases using the patient’s dantian.
Since the dantian is so fundamental to the culture, there are many uses and locations described. There are three primary dantian. One is in the abdomen, one in the heart, area and the upper one in the location of the third eye, or brain.

Sometimes one of the dantians is described as being at the top of the head, at the Bahui acupuncture point, a second at the navel, and a third at the Huiyin acupuncture point at the bottom of the torso between the legs.
The dantian at the navel, or in the lower abdomen, is sometimes described as including the important mingmen area at the back, between the kidneys, roughly opposite the navel.
The dantian in the lower abdomen is said to be the residence of primordial qi, or the yuan qi, the energy that each person receives from their parents.

This inheritance is the foundation of life, and as one matures, it is consumed as people use it in daily life. People learn to get other energy from food, air, and their environment for daily life.
T’ai Chi Ch’uan and meditation are said to be two methods of replenishing this original qi. During daily life, energy from the dantian is drawn upward and used by intellectual activity. If properly used, some of the energy re-circulates throughout the body, returning to the abdomen.

Too often it remains in the head, causing distress or disease. Often, when people get emotionally upset, it can mean that their qi has risen to their emotional or mental centers, where it stagnates.
In T’ai Chi Ch’uan and meditation, one tries to "sink" the qi, or energy, into the lower abdomen. Of course, one cannot sink all of the qi. The idea is to help recirculate the qi through the dantian.

For most beginners, there is no specific feeling in the dantian and no feeling of energy there. So, it is hard for them to comprehend. The practitioner may be told to put their mind in their lower abdomen. This also is not that easy to do for a beginner, or even an advanced practitioner. But it is easy to say.

It sometimes helps to be aware of the abdominal wall moving out and in as you breathe. This awareness helps to give a focus point. But don’t make a judgement whether it is too little or too much.There are many ways to work with the dantian, including rotating it and coordinating the rotation with movements as practiced in the Chen style. There are many variations on this.Most styles just let the energy sink to the dantian. Then the movements will naturally activate and massage the dantian.

The important thing is not to try to force the energy or the mind. The first principle is relaxed awareness. Even awareness of one’s own body will help to release qi and let it gently return to the lower abdomen.
Over time, one may experience some fullness or heat in the lower abdomen, but this is not a measure of success or failure. With reasonably good practice over time, qi will accumulate in the dantian.
The abdomen should always be kept relaxed, but as qi accumulates from daily practice, it does become "strong," like a drum during movement.

This condition may exist even in a relaxed state. But it is self-defeating to try to create this artificially by force or try to make it become strong.

Keep in mind that teachers are often limited in what they can say about this and other complex practices because they are often talking to beginners and people they do not know well. So, they can only speak in the simplest terms lest the students try too hard, do the wrong thing, and injure themselves because they are inexperienced.
So, the beginner should listen with this in mind and continue practice with common sense. Later, they can ask for clarification based on their experience.

Like all internal practices, this is not a procedure where day by day you get better and better in a linear fashion. It is an organic process with delays and errors and gradual development. Your development depends on your own abilities and efforts, like everything else. You cannot expect a teacher to always want to or be able to tell you what to do next in this process, since you are dealing with yourself in a global perspective.

Even more important than the teacher or the result is training yourself to consistently search for insight and to always keep trying. Proper humility helps to preempt impatience.•—Marvin Smalheiser

Six Poems on Living in the Mountains

2011-11-30T22:35:00.001-06:00

Six Poems on Living in the Mountains

By Ch'an Grandmaster Hsu Yun

I've got a little picture in my mind of a clean and quiet place.

Everywhere you look it's completely natural.

The house is made of plaited rushes.

There's a good half-acre for growing tubers and flowers.

Beautiful birds perch on cliffs

That encase a few clouds that hang around green peaks.

The world's red dust won't be able to get up here.

Simple elegance is better than saintliness or spirituality.

Can joy be found in the mountains?

Let me tell you. There's more joy in the mountains

Than anywhere else.

Pines and bamboos perform sacred chants.

The songs of Sheng flutes are played by birds.

In the trees, monkeys climb for fruit.

In the ponds, ducks cavort with lotus lilies.

This escape from the ordinary world

Month by month and year by year

Eliminates the hindrances to Enlightenment.

Don't try to stand tall in the courtyards of fame.

In the mountains such dreams fade away.

Your body stands on its own when it's up with the clouds.

Your heart pulls away from worldly attachments.

The moon that I love clears a path through the pines

And guides a stream right to the bamboo gate.

Naturally, this is nothing short of amazing.

How could you disparage it... or ever tire of the sight?

In the mountains there's nothing at all which prohibits

Dreams of cooking millet during afternoon naps.

If you're lazy by nature, you won't brood about problems.

You'll make light of the body and won't fear the cold.

Chrysanthemums grow by the three ancient paths.

A few planted plum trees make the whole yard fragrant.

Engagements are blessedly short.

Leisure is blessedly long.

Just wake up from an afternoon nap in a grass hut.

Drag a walking stick and let it bounce free and easy.

Lean on a rock and watch the clouds rise.

Listen to the pine saplings and hear the sound of waves.

When the forest is dense, no guests pass by.

When the roads are dangerous, they're only used for gathering firewood.

The place is so pristine and cool

How could it fail to quench my mind's furnace of cares?

People complain of a hard life in the mountains.

I don't think it's much different from the hardships of anywhere else.

A clay oven burning birch twigs,

A stone cauldron boiling wild sprouts.

It seems that you've only just picked the chrysanthemums

That grow in the three months of autumn

When it's time to view the flowers of March.

Pity more the moon that night after night

Is forced to entertain society.

Grandmaster Hsu Yun

Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff- perspectives on inner work: Be the grass

2011-11-27T00:12:00.000-06:00

This is an excellent blog post from a student/teacher of the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff - a Sufi Master who developed a distinctive Practice, a Way, to become One again with our True Nature. The title says it all so I will let this wonderful blog by Lee van Laer take it from here. Enjoy!

Namaste'

Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff- perspectives on inner work: Be the grass

~ By Lee van Laer, a member of the New York Gurdjieff Foundation

This morning, I was pondering the role of time, and ended up reading part of Dogen's Uji, or, “existence–time.”

In the Tanahashi translation (Shambhala, 2011), we hear:

“Know that in this way there are myriads of forms and hundreds of grasses [all things] throughout the entire earth, and yet each grass and each form itself is the entire earth. The study of this is the beginning of practice."

"When you are at this place, there is just one grass, there is just one form; there is understanding of form and beyond understanding of form; there is understanding of grass and beyond understanding of grass. Since there is nothing but just this moment, the time being is all the time there is. Grass being, form being, are both time. Each moment is all being, each moment is the entire world. Reflect now whether any being or any world is left out of the present moment.”

Because Dogen routinely presents sophisticated ideas, and because his arguments appear to be dense and complex, one tends to be drawn towards abstract, or intellectual, analysis. So much of his work reads like an argument of this kind, one is perhaps tempted to be academic about it.

Yet I think that the whole point of his arguments is to defeat such an approach. His ubiquitous, self-reflective dialectic isn't meant as a de facto call to complexity; rather, it is to point our own complexity out to us, calling our attention to the fact that we are perpetually trapped in dualistic complications. His words and statements, one after another, throughout his teaching, morph into koans. Each one tries to point beyond the dualism that we know, the affirming and denying, towards a third force–a force of reconciliation–that we are not sensitive to. Gurdjieff, one may recall, indicated that man is “third force blind.” We are unaware of this reconciling factor, which could otherwise make the world whole.

Sp there is nothing academic or intellectual about this brief passage. We are called, rather, to a sensitive emotional moment: in this translation, the point has been deftly realized by referring to grass. (The Nishijima and Cross translation,which has its own transcendental moments, does not quite rise to the occasion in the same way this time.) Associations are called forth: the green color of grass, the delicacy of grass, its tenderness, flexibility, suppleness. The way that grass cover surfaces gently, its movement in wind, the ability of grass to be composed of myriad forms (blades) and yet be one thing, acting together, seen together, experienced together.

Buried deep in this teaching- in all of Dogen's teachings- are body, blood, bones and marrow, not just of the intellect, but of an emotional opening.

We are called to a simple moment, a moment that has nothing to do with trying to figure things out. We are called to this immediate moment. We are called to a relationship with grass, to form- to a relationship with both our inability to understand form and the existence of form itself. Our awareness becomes a bridge in which we inhabit both the condition and our failure to understand the condition. ( I am reminded of my conversation with my daughter last night, in which she pointed out that for Kant, the sublime– the quality of spiritual purity or excellence–begins with our failure, our inability, to comprehend... "the study of this is the beginning of practice."

We discover feeling.

An emotional opening to the quality of grass and the existence of form brings us to a moment where wholeness is possible. Nothing is left out of the present moment. We are called to understand– and do not understand– the present moment, at the same time. Our understanding lies– as the understanding of Socrates lay– in being neither wise with our wisdom, nor stupid within our stupidity, but being just as we are.

"The wisest of you men is he who has realized, like Socrates, that in respect of wisdom he is really worthless." (Plato: The Collected Dialogues, Apology, p. 9, Hamilton & Cairns, Princeton University Press, 1989)

Hence we discover blades of grass that gather themselves together in a landscape: Zen Masters, German philosophers, wise Greeks. All of them understanding that while we try, and while we fail, we still inhabit the wholeness of all the forms we know– and that this wholeness comprises an ineffable truth that cannot be denied.

Jeanne de Salzmann calls us back over and over to this act of seeing, this act of inhabiting the moment. Nothing is left out of the present moment. We do not need to change the present moment. The need is for the present moment to be seen.

It is not the present moment, its nature, or its content, that distracts us from experience and relationship; the present moment, its nature, and its contents are completely valid and true. They need not change; only our relationship to them must change.

Don't think about the grass... be the grass.

I respectfully ask you to take good care.

“There do exist enquiring minds, which long for the truth of the heart, seek it, strive to solve the problems set by life, try to penetrate to the essence of things and phenomena and to penetrate into themselves. If a man reasons and thinks soundly, no matter which path he follows in solving these problems, he must inevitably arrive back at himself, and begin with the solution of the problem of what he is himself and what his place is in the world around him.”

~ G. I. Gurdjieff

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING

2011-11-10T01:31:00.000-06:00

Here is Part III of Section IV. From the Chinese Masters from the Manual on Zen Buddhism written by the late, great brilliant scholar and Zen Master D. T. Suzuki. This teaching is so important! In essence, it explains the absolute necessity for living in the Present without the dualistic nature of thought or words and actually Being the Truth within the words. You must let go of All dogma and actually Live the Oneness of our True Nature which can not be described. Just live the meaning of the word "BE"!

Everything happens for a reason and my writing this now and sharing these great words of Wisdom from an ancient Chan, or Zen, Master, are directly related to a conversation I had earlier tonight about this very aspect of Wisdom. All I can say is, "WOW"! This IS the True Nature of Reality and is realized in everyday life by those who understand the One Truth. I am constantly in Awe of the workings of this One Truth as it reveals IT's Presence and settles the waves of our illusory duality back to Reality's natural Stillness to reveal the explicit grandeur of the Calm and Peaceful Oneness within us All! With great honor and sincere humbleness, I offer you this impeccable Teaching. Enjoy!

Namaste' **

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING[1]

24. Mahaprajnaparamita is a Sanskrit term of the Western country; in T'ang it means "great-wisdom (chih-hui), other-shore reached". This Truth (dharma=fa) is to be lived, it is not to be [merely] pronounced with the mouth. When it is not lived, it is like a phantom, like an apparition. The Dharmakaya of the Yogin is the same as the Buddha.

What is maha? Maha means "great". The capacity of Mind is wide and great, it is like emptiness of space. To sit with a mind emptied makes one fall into emptiness of indifference. Space contains the sun, the moon, stars, constellations, great earth, mountains, and rivers. All grasses and plants, good men and bad men, bad things and good things, Heaven and hell-they are all in empty space. The emptiness of [Self-] nature as it is in all people is just like this.

25. [Self-] nature contains in it all objects; hence it is great. All objects without exception are of Self-nature. Seeing all human beings and non-human beings as they are, evil and good, evil things and good things, it abandons them not, nor is it contaminated with them; it is like the emptiness of space. So it is called great, that is, maha. The confused pronounce it with their mouths, the wise live it with their minds. Again, there are people confused [in mind]; they conceive this to be great when they have their minds emptied of thoughts--which is not right. The capacity of Mind is great; when there is no life accompanying it, it is small. Do not merely pronounce it with the mouth. Those who fail to discipline themselves to live this life, are not my disciples.

26. What is prajna? Prajna is chih-hui (wisdom). When every thought of yours is not benighted at all times, when you always live chih-hui (=prajna, wisdom), this is called the life of Prajna. When a single thought of yours is benighted, then Prajna ceases to work. When a single thought of yours is of chih, i.e. enlightened, then Prajna is born. Being always benighted in their minds, people yet declare themselves to be living Prajna. Prajna has no shape, no form, it is no other than the essence (hsing) of chih-hui (wisdom).

What is Paramita? This is a Sanskrit term of the Western country. In Yang it means "the other shore reached". When the meaning (artha in Sanskrit) is understood, one is detached from birth and death. When the objective world (visaya) is clung to, there is the rise of birth and death; it is like the waves rising from the water; this is called "this shore". When you are detached from the objective world, there is no birth and death for you; it is like the water constantly running its course: this is "reaching the other shore". Hence Paramita.

The confused pronounce [Prajna] with their mouths; the wise live it in their minds. When it is merely pronounced, there is at that very moment a falsehood; when there is a .falsehood, it is not a reality. When Prajna is lived in every thought of yours, this is known as reality. Those who understand this truth, understand the truth of Prajna and practise the life of Prajna. Those who do not practise it are ordinary people. When you practise and live it in one thought of yours, You are equal to the Buddha.

Good friends, the passions are no other than enlightenment (bodhi). When your antecedent thought is confused yours is an ordinary mind; as soon as your succeeding thought is enlightened, you are a Buddha.

Good friends, Prajnaparamita is the most honoured, the highest, the foremost; it is nowhere abiding, nowhere departing, nowhere coming; all the Buddhas of the past, present, and future issue out of it. By means of Great Wisdom (ta-chih-hui=mahaprajna) that leads to . the other shore (paramita), the five skandhas, the passions, and the innumerable follies are destroyed. When thus disciplined, one is a Buddha, and the three passions [i.e. greed, anger, and folly] will turn into Morality (sila), Meditation (dhyana), and Wisdom (prajna).

27. Good friends, according to my way of understanding this truth, 84,000 wisdoms (chih-hui) are produced from one Prajna. Why? Because there are 84,000 follies. If there were no such innumerable follies, Prajna is eternally abiding, not severed from Self-nature. He who has an insight into this truth is free from thoughts, from recollections, from attachments; in him there is no deceit and falsehood. This is where the essence of Suchness is by itself. When all things are viewed in the light of wisdom (chih-hui=prajna), there is neither attachment nor detachment. This is seeing into one's Nature and attaining the truth of Buddhahood.

28. Good friends, if you wish to enter into the deepest realm of Truth (dharmadhatu), and attain the Prajnasamadhi, you should at once begin to exercise yourselves in the life of Prajnaparamita; you just devote yourselves to the one volume of the Vajracchedika-prajnaparamita Sutra, and you will, seeing into the nature of your being, enter upon the Prajnasamadhi. It should be known that the merit of such a person is immeasurable, as is distinctly praised in the sutras, of which I need not speak in detail.

This Truth of the highest order is taught to people of great intelligence and superior endowments. If people of small intelligence and inferior endowments happen to hear it, no faith would ever be awakened in their minds. Why? It is like a great dragon pouring rains down in torrents over the Jambudipa: cities, towns, villages are all deluged and carried away in the flood, as if they were grass-leaves. But when the rain, however much, falls on the great ocean, there is in it neither an increase nor a decrease.

When people of the Great Vehicle listen to a discourse on the Vajracchedika their minds are opened and there is an intuitive understanding. They know thereby that their own Nature is originally endowed with Prajna-wisdom and that all things are to be viewed in the light of this wisdom (chih-hui) of theirs, and they need not depend upon letters. It is like rain-waters not being reserved in the sky; but the water is drawn up by the dragon-king out of the rivers and oceans, whereby all beings and all plants, sentient and non-sentient, universally share the wet. All the waters flowing together once more are poured into the great ocean, and the ocean accepting all the waters fuses them into one single body of water. It is the same with Prajna-wisdom which is the original Nature of all beings.

29. When people of inferior endowments hear this "abrupt" doctrine here discoursed on, they are like those plants naturally growing small on earth, which, being once soaked by a heavy rain, are all unable to raise themselves up and continue their growth. It is the same with people of inferior endowments. They are endowed with Prajna-wisdom as much as people of great intelligence; there is no distinction. Why is it then that they have no insight even when listening to the Truth? It is due to the heaviness of hindrance caused by false views and to the deep-rootedness of the passions. It is like an overcasting cloud screening the sun; unless it blows hard no rays of light are visible.

There is no greatness or smallness in Prajna-wisdom, but since all beings cherish in themselves confused thoughts, they seek the Buddha by means of external exercises, and are unable to see into their Self-nature. That is why they are known to be people of inferior endowments.

Those beings who, listening to the "Abrupt" doctrine, do not take themselves to external exercises, but reflecting within themselves raise this original Nature all the time to the proper viewing [of the Truth], remain [always Undefiled by] the passions and the innumerable follies; and at that moment they all have an insight [into the Truth]. It is like the great ocean taking in all the rivers, large and small, and merging them into one body of water -'this is seeing into one's own Nature. [He who thus sees into his own Nature] does not abide anywhere inside or outside; he freely comes and departs; he knows how to get rid of attaching thoughts; his passage has no obstructions. When one is able to practise this life, he realizes that there is from the first no difference between [his Self-Nature] and Prajnaparamita.[2]

30. All the sutras and writings, all the letters, the two vehicles Major and Minor, the twelve divisions [of Buddhist literature]-these are all set forth because of the people of the world. Because there is wisdom-nature (chih-hui-hsing), therefore there is the establishment of all these works. If there were no people of the world, no multitudinous objects would ever be in existence. Therefore, we know that all objects rise originally because of the people of the world. All the sutras and writings are said to have their existence because of the people of the world.

The distinction of stupidity and intelligence is only possible among the people of the world. Those who are stupid are inferior people and those who are intelligent are superior people. The confused ask the wise, and the wise discourse for them on the Truth in order to make the stupid enlightened and have an intuitive understanding of it. When the confused are enlightened and have their minds opened, they are not to be distinguished from the people of great intelligence.

Therefore, we know that Buddhas when not enlightened are no other than ordinary beings; when there is one thought of enlightenment, ordinary beings at once turn into Buddhas. Therefore, we know that all multitudinous objects are every one of them in one's own mind.[3] Why not, from within one's own mind, at once reveal the original essence of Suchness? Says the Bodhisattvasila Sutra: "My original Self-nature is primarily pure; when my Mind is known and my Nature is seen into I naturally attain the path of Buddhahood." Says the Vimalakirti Sutra: "When you have an instant opening of view you return to your original Mind."

48. The Great Master died on the third day of the eighth month of the second year of Hsien-t'ien (713 C.E.). On the eighth day of the seventh month of this year he had a farewell gathering of his followers as he felt that he was to leave them forever in the following month, and told them to have all the doubts they might have about his teaching once for all settled on this occasion. As he found them weeping in tears he said: "You are all weeping, but for whom are you so sorry? If you are sorry for my not knowing where I am departing to, you are mistaken; for I know where I am going. Indeed, if I did not, I would not part with you. The reason why you are in tears is probably that you do not yourselves know whither I am going. If you did, you would not be weeping so. The Essence of the Dharma knows no birth-and-death, no coming-and-going. Sit down, all of you, and let me give you a gatha with the title, "On the Absolute"[4]

There is nothing true anywhere,

The true is nowhere to be seen;

If you say you see the true,

This seeing is not the true one.[5]

Where the true is left to itself,

There is nothing false in it, which is Mind itself.

When Mind in itself is not liberated from the false,

There is nothing true, nowhere is the true to be found.

A conscious being alone understands what is meant by "moving";

To those not endowed with consciousness, the moving is unintelligible;

If you exercise yourself in the practice of keeping your mind unmoved, [i.e. in a quietistic meditation] [6]

The immovable you gain is that of one who has no consciousness.

If you are desirous for the truly immovable,

The immovable is in the moving itself,

And this immovable is the [truly] immovable one;

There is no seed of Buddhahood where there is no consciousness.

Mark well how varied are aspects [of the immovable one],

And know that the first reality is immovable;

Only when this insight is attained,

The true working of Suchness is understood.

I advise you, O students of the Truth

To exert yourselves in the proper direction;

Do not in the teaching of the Mahayana

Commit the fault of clinging to the relative knowledge of birth and death. [7]

Where there is an all-sided concordance of views

You may talk together regarding the Buddha's teaching;

Where there is really no such concordance,

Keep your hands folded and your joy within yourself.

There is really nothing to argue about in this teaching;

Any arguing is sure to go against the intent of it;

Doctrines given up to confusion and argumentation

Lead by themselves to birth and death.

Please excuse the formatting problem resulting in all capital letters with my introduction and the following notes. My blogging skills are humorously lacking but after contemplating this situation, I concluded that the great Wisdom contained in this post should be hollered from the rooftops! :)**

Notes

1. The Dunhuang copy, edited by D. T. Suzuki, 1934. Hui-neng = Daikan Enō; 637-712 A.D.

2. The text has "the Prajnaparamita Sutra" here. But I take it to mean Prajna itself instead of the sutra.

3. The text has the "body", while the Koshoji edition and the current one have "mind".

4. The title literally reads: "the true-false moving-quiet". "True" stands against "false" and "moving" against "quiet" and as long as there is an opposition of any kind, no true spiritual insight is possible. And this insight does not grow from a quietistic exercise of meditation.

5. That is, the Absolute refuses to divide itself into two: that which sees and that which is seen.

6. "Moving" means "dividing" or "limiting". When the absolute moves, a dualistic interpretation of it takes place, which is consciousness.

7. Chih, jnana in Sanskrit, is used in contradistinction to Prajna which is the highest form of knowledge, directly seeing into the Immovable or the Absolute.

ON BELIEVING IN MIND (SHINJIN-NO-MEI)

2011-10-23T23:13:00.000-05:00

Here is Part II of Section IV. of From the Chinese Masters from the Manual of Zen Buddhism written by the late, great scholar and Zen Master, D. T. Suzuki. This teaching is so clear in it's attempt to help us understand the essence of Reality which is the state of non-duality or Oneness. It can not be described but must be experienced. We All are currently in this Reality and always have been so it is not any place we need to go. We All must come to the realization that what we perceive to be reality is just that, a perception and flawed personal definition of Reality. It is an illusion created by our Egos. Every one's "reality" is different too because each is based upon their individual Ego's experiences. Time for the ancient Masters to speak now. Enjoy!

Namaste'

ON BELIEVING IN MIND (SHINJIN-NO-MEI)* [1]

1. The Perfect Way knows no difficulties
Except that it refuses to make preferences;

Only when freed from hate and love,

It reveals itself fully and without disguise;

A tenth of an inch's difference,

And heaven and earth are set apart;
If you wish to see it before your own eyes,
Have no fixed thoughts either for or against it.

2. To set up what you like against what you dislike--
This is the disease of the mind:
When the deep meaning [of the Way] is not understood
Peace of mind is disturbed to no purpose.

3. [The Way is] perfect like unto vast space,
With nothing wanting, nothing superfluous:
It is indeed due to making choice
That its suchness is lost sight of.

4. Pursue not the outer entanglements,
Dwell not in the inner void;
Be serene in the oneness of things,
And [dualism] vanishes by itself.

5. When you strive to gain quiescence by stopping motion,
The quiescence thus gained is ever in motion;
As long as you tarry in the dualism,
How can you realize oneness?

6. And when oneness is not thoroughly understood,

In two ways loss is sustained:

The denying of reality is the asserting of it,

And the asserting of emptiness is the denying of it.[2]

7. Wordiness and intellection--
The more with them the further astray we go;
Away therefore with wordiness and intellection,
And there is no place where we cannot pass freely.

8. When we return to the root, we gain the meaning;
When we pursue external objects, we lose the reason.
The moment we are enlightened within,
We go beyond the voidness of a world confronting us.

9. Transformations going on in an empty world which confronts us
Appear real all because of Ignorance:
Try not to seek after the true,
Only cease to cherish opinions.

10. Abide not with dualism,
Carefully avoid pursuing it;
As soon as you have right and wrong,
Confusion ensues, and Mind** is lost.

11. The two exist because of the One**,
But hold not even to this One;
When a mind is not disturbed,
The ten thousand things offer no offence.

12. No offence offered, and no ten thousand things;
No disturbance going, and no mind set up to work:
The subject is quieted when the object ceases,
The object ceases when the subject is quieted.

13. The object is an object for the subject,
The subject is a subject for the object:
Know that the relativity of the two
Rests ultimately on one Emptiness.**

14. In one Emptiness the two are not distinguished,
And each contains in itself all the ten thousand things;
When no discrimination is made between this and that.
How can a one-sided and prejudiced view arise?

15. The Great Way is calm and large-hearted,
For it nothing is easy, nothing is hard;
Small views are irresolute,
The more in haste the tardier they go.

16. Clinging is never kept within bounds,
It is sure to go the wrong way;
Quit it, and things follow their own courses,
While the Essence neither departs nor abides.

17. Obey the nature of things, and you are in concord with the Way,**
Calm and easy and free from annoyance;
But when your thoughts are tied, you turn away from the truth,
They grow heavier and duller and are not at all sound.

18. When they are not sound, the spirit is troubled;
What is the use of being partial and one-sided then?
If you want to walk the course of the One Vehicle,
Be not prejudiced against the six sense-objects.

19. When you are not prejudiced against the six sense-objects,
You are then one with the Enlightenment;
The wise are non-active,
While the ignorant bind themselves up;
While in the Dharma itself there is no individuation,
They ignorantly attach themselves to particular objects.
It is their own mind that creates illusions--
Is this not the greatest of all self-contradictions?

20. The ignorant cherish the idea of rest and unrest,
The enlightened have no likes and dislikes:
All forms of dualism
Are contrived by the ignorant themselves.
They are like unto visions and flowers in the air;
Why should we trouble ourselves to take hold of them?
Gain and loss, right and wrong--
Away with them once for all!

21. If an eye never falls asleep,

All dreams will by themselves cease:

If the Mind retains its absoluteness,

The ten thousand things are of one Suchness.[3]

22. When the deep mystery of one Suchness is fathomed,
All of a sudden we forget the external entanglements;
When the ten thousand things are viewed in their oneness,
We return to the origin and remain where we ever have been.

23. Forget the wherefore of things,
And we attain to a state beyond analogy;
Movement stopped and there is no movement,
Rest set in motion and there is no rest;
When dualism does no more obtain,
Oneness itself abides not.

24. The ultimate end of things where they cannot go any further
Is not bound by rules and measures:
In the Mind harmonious [with the Way] we have the principle of identity,
In which we find all strivings quieted;
Doubts and irresolutions are completely done away with,
And the right faith is straightened;
There is nothing left behind, There is nothing retained,
All is void, lucid, and self-illuminating;
There is no exertion, no waste of energy--
This is where thinking never attains,
This is where the imagination fails to measure.

25. In the higher realm of true Suchness

There is neither "self" nor "other":

When direct identification is sought,

We can only say, "Not two".[4]

26. In being "not two" all is the same,
All that is is comprehended in it;
The wise in the ten quarters,
They all enter into this Absolute Reason.

27. This Absolute Reason is beyond quickening [time] and extending [space],
For it one instant is ten thousand years;
Whether we see it or not,
It is manifest everywhere in all the ten quarters.

28. Infinitely small things are as large as large things can be,
For here no external conditions obtain;
Infinitely large things are as small as small things can be,
For objective limits are here of no consideration.

29. What is is the same as what is not,
What is not is the same as what is:
Where this state of things fails to obtain,
Indeed, no tarrying there.

30. One in All,
All in One--
If only this is realized,
No more worry about your not being perfect!

31. Where Mind and each believing mind are not divided,

And undivided are each believing mind and Mind,

This is where words fail;

For it is not of the past, present, and future.

Notes:

* Since this translation from the Transmission of the Lamp, two Tun-huang MSS. containing the text have come to light. The one is in the Masters and Disciples of the Lanka (Leng-chia Shihtzu Chi), already published, and the other still in MS., which however the present author intends to have reproduced in facsimile before long. They differ in minor points with the translation here given.

** The Mind = the Way = the One = Emptiness.

[1] By Seng-t'san (Sosan in Japanese). Died 606 C.E. Mind = hsin. Hsin is one of those Chinese words which defy translation. When the Indian scholars were trying to translate the Buddhist Sanskrit works into Chinese, they discovered that there were five classes of Sanskrit terms which could not be satisfactorily rendered into Chinese. We thus find in the Chinese Tripitaka such words as prajna, bodhi, buddha, nirvana, dhyana, bodhisattva, etc., almost always untranslated; and they now appear in their original Sanskrit form among the technical Buddhist terminology. If we could leave hsin with all its nuance of meaning in this translation, it would save us from the many difficulties that face us in its English rendering. For hsin means "mind", "heart", "soul", "spirit"--each singly as well as all inclusively. In the present composition by the third patriarch of Zen, it has sometimes an intellectual connotation but at other times it can properly be given as "heart". But as the predominant note of Zen Buddhism is more intellectual than anything else, though not in the sense of being logical or philosophical, I decided here to translate hsin by "mind" rather than by "heart", and by this mind I do not mean our psychological mind, but what may be called absolute mind, or Mind.

[2] This means: When the absolute oneness of things is not properly understood, negation as well as affirmation tends to be a one-sided view of reality. When Buddhists deny the reality of an objective world, they do not mean that they believe in the unconditioned emptiness of things; they know that there is something real which cannot be done away with. When they uphold the doctrine of emptiness this does not mean that all is nothing but an empty hollow, which leads to a self-contradiction. The philosophy of Zen avoids the error of one-sidedness involved in realism as well as in nihilism.

[3] The Masters and Disciples of the Lanka also quotes a poetical composition of So-san on "The Mysterious" in which we find the following echoing the idea given expression here:

"One Reality only--

How deep and far-reaching!

The ten thousand things--

How confusingly multifarious!

The true and the conventional are indeed intermingling,

But essentially of the same substance they are.

The wise and the unenlightened are indeed distinguishable,

But in the Way they are united as one.

Desirest thou to find its limits?

How broadly expanding! It is limitless!

How vaguely it vanishes away! Its ends are never reached!

It originates in beginningless time, it terminates in endless time."

[4] [1. I.e. Tat tvam asi.]

Interlude Outside of Linear Time, Courtesy of Chuang-tse

2011-10-13T02:00:00.000-05:00

I have been experiencing and exploring the depths of my Path and have not written in my blog until now. For this momentous occasion, I shall entertain you with some stories from a true Sage who understands. Who else but the great Sage, Chuang-tse could explain such dereliction to one's "duty"!

I have been feeling such a great need to post something and have now realized the pure folly of this man-made linear time structure that we allow to interfere with our living our lives as they are designed, specifically, Not-doing. We must learn to Let Go and allow ourselves to enjoy, savor, and then Let Go again so the next moment can be lived fully. My sharing of my Path is indeed My Calling, My Destiny, and It shall continue to unfold here in depth. Please continue following for if my words here can help just one person to realize Reality, it is worth my entire lifetime of sharing my Path to achieve. May you All be Blessed with many infinite moments spent "unknowingly" within the Peace, Love, and Joy of the Present and Not-doing Everything so perfectly!

Enjoy these beautiful bits of Wisdom as only the greatest storyteller of the Ancient Sages can entertainingly put into writing. I will return soon to continue where I left off with the Ancient Chan Teachings of the Masters interpreted by the great contemporary Zen Master, D. T. Suzuki. Thank you!

Namaste'

Chuang-tse Story - Autumn floods

Chuang Tzu told the story
of the autumn floods:

The autumn floods had come.
Thousands of wild torrents
poured furiously into the
Yellow River.
It surged and flooded its banks until,
looking across,
you could not tell an ox from a horse
on the other side.

Then the River God laughed,
delighted to think
that all the beauty in the world
had fallen into his keeping.

So downhill he swung,
untill he came to the ocean.
There he looked out over the waves
towards the empty horizon in the east,
and his face fell.

Gazing out at the far horizon,
he came to his senses
and murmured to the Ocean God:
“Well, proverb is right:
‘He who has got himself a
hundred ideas,
he thinks he knows more than anybody else.’
Such a one am I.
Only now do I see
what they mean by expanse!”

The Ocean God replied,
“Can you talk about the sea to a frog in a well?
Can you talk about ice to a dragonfly?
And can you talk about the Way of life
to a doctor of

Chuang-tse Story - Wholeness

How does the true man of Tao
Walk through walls without obstruction
And stand in fire without being burnt?

Not because of cunning or daring,
Not because he has learned –
But because he has unlearned.

His nature sinks to his root in the one.
His vitality, his power,
Hide in secret Tao.

When he is all one,
There is no flaw in him

By which a wedge can enter.

So a drunken man who falls out of a wagon
Is bruised, but not destroyed,
His bones are like the bones of other men,
But his fall is different.
His spirit is entire.
He is not aware of getting into the wagon,
Or falling out of it.
Life and death are nothing to him.
He knows no alarm,
He meets obstacles without thought,
without care,
And takes them without knowing they are there.

If there is such sincerity in wine,
How much more in Tao?
The wise man is hidden in Tao,
Nothing can touch him.

Chuang-tse Story - The Empty Boat

Who can free himself of achievement and fame
Then descend and be lost
Amidst the masses of men?

He will flow like Tao, unseen…
He will go about like life itself,
With no name and no home.

Simple is he, without.
To all appearances he is a fool.
His steps leave no trace.

He has no power.
He achieves nothing.
He has no reputation.

Since he judges no one,
No one judges him.

Such is the perfect man.
His boat is empty.

BODHIDHARMA ON THE TWOFOLD ENTRANCE TO THE TAO

2011-09-27T01:53:00.000-05:00

This is Part I of Section IV. entitled From the Chinese Masters from the Manual of Zen Buddhism written by the great and brilliant Zen Master D. T. Suzuki. In Part I of this section, he briefly outlines the teachings of Bodhidharma that define the only Way(s) to enter the Path to Enlightenment. The many Paths no matter the system or belief can All be converged into only two and, ultimately, into only One Path or Way. This post explains in greater detail this information found in my earlier post: The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma. You should probably read it first if you are not familiar with Bodhidharma. There is so much Wisdom just in this Manual of Zen Buddhism but this is just one of many translations and other great works by the Zen Master and brilliant scholar, D.T. Suzuki. Enjoy!

Namaste'

BODHIDHARMA ON THE TWOFOLD ENTRANCE TO THE TAO[1]

There are many ways to enter the Path, but briefly Speaking they are of two sorts only. The one is "Entrance by Reason" and the other "Entrance by Conduct".[2] By "Entrance by Reason" we mean the realization of the spirit of Buddhism by the aid of the scriptural teaching. We then come to have a deep faith in the True Nature which is the same in all sentient beings. The reason why it does not manifest itself is due to the overwrapping of external objects and false thoughts. When a man, abandoning the false and embracing the true, in singleness of thought practises the Pi-kuan ["Wall-gazing"] he finds that there is neither self nor other, that the masses and the worthies are of one essence, and he firmly holds on to this belief and never moves away therefrom. He will not then be a slave to words, for he is in silent communion with the Reason itself, free from conceptual discrimination; he is serene and not-acting. This is called "Entrance by Reason".

By "Entrance by Conduct" is meant the four acts in which all other acts are included. What are the four? 1. To know how to requite hatred; 2. To be obedient to karma; 3. Not to crave anything; and 4. To be in accord with the Dharma.

1. What is meant by "How to requite hatred"? He who disciplines himself in the Path should think thus when he has to struggle with adverse conditions: "During the innumerable past ages I have wandered through a multiplicity of existences, all the while giving myself to unimportant details of life at the expense of essentials, and thus creating infinite occasions for hate, ill-will, and wrongdoing. While no violations have been committed in this life, the fruits of evil deeds in the past are to be gathered now. Neither gods nor men can foretell what is coming upon me. I will submit myself willingly and patiently to all the ills that befall me, and I will never bemoan or complain. The Sutra teaches me not to worry over ills that may happen to me. Why? Because when things are surveyed by a higher intelligence, the foundation of causation is reached." When this thought is awakened in a man, he will be in accord with the Reason because he makes the best use of hatred and turns it into the service in his advance towards the Path. This is called the "way to requite hatred".

2. By "being obedient to karma" is meant this: There is no self (atman) in whatever beings are produced by the interplay of karmaic conditions; the pleasure and pain I suffer are also the results of my previous action. If I am rewarded with fortune, honour, etc., this is the outcome of my past deeds which by reason of causation affect my present life. When the force of karma is exhausted, the result I am enjoying now will disappear; what is then the use of being joyful over it? Gain or loss, let me accept the karma as it brings to me the one or the other; the Mind itself knows neither increase nor decrease. The wind of pleasure [and pain] will not stir me, for I am silently in harmony with the Path. Therefore this is called "being obedient to karma".

3. By "not craving (ch'iu) anything" is meant this: Men of the world, in eternal confusion, are attached everywhere to one thing or another, which is called craving. The wise however understand the truth and are not like the ignorant. Their minds abide serenely in the uncreated while the body moves about in accordance with the laws of causation. All things are empty and there is nothing desirable to seek after. Where there is the merit of brightness there surely lurks the demerit of darkness. This triple world where we stay altogether too long is like a house on fire; all that has a body suffers, and nobody really knows what peace is. Because the wise are thoroughly acquainted with this truth, they are never attached to things that change; their thoughts are quieted, they never crave anything. Says the Sutra: "Wherever there is a craving, there is pain; cease from craving and you are blessed." Thus we know that not to crave anything is indeed the way to the Truth. Therefore, it is taught not "to crave anything".

4. By "being in accord with the Dharma" is meant that the Reason which we call the Dharma in its essence is pure, and that this Reason is the principle of emptiness (sunyata) in all that is manifested; it is above defilements and attachments, and there is no "self", no "other" in it. Says the Sutra: "In the Dharma there are no sentient beings, because it is free from the stain of being; in the Dharma there is no 'self' because it is free from the stain of selfhood." When the wise understand this truth and believe in it, their lives will be "in accordance with the Dharma".

As there is in the essence of the Dharma no desire to possess, the wise are ever ready to practise charity with their body, life, and property, and they never begrudge, they never know what an ill grace means. As they have a perfect understanding of the threefold nature of emptiness, they are above partiality and attachment. Only because of their will to cleanse all beings of their stains, they come among them as of them, but they are not attached to form. This is the self-benefiting phase of their lives. They, however, know also how to benefit others, and again how to glorify the truth of enlightenment. As with the virtue of charity, so with the other five virtues [of the Prajnaparamita]. The wise practise the six virtues of perfection to get rid of confused thoughts, and yet there is no specific consciousness on their part that they are engaged in any meritorious deeds. This is called "being in accord with the Dharma".[1]

[1] From The Transmission of the Lamp, XXX.

[2] "Entrance by Reason" may also be rendered "Entrance by Higher Intuition", and "Entrance by Conduct", "Entrance by Practical Living".]

Methods of Practice in the Chan Hall By Master Hsu Yun (Part 2 of 2)

2011-08-30T01:52:00.000-05:00

In Part two of this wonderful teaching, Master Hsu Yun describes very clearly how to properly practice Chan. He uses clever ancient stories to help you understand the proper State of Being necessary for proper Practice. Some of you may be confused by his terminology associated with not being properly prepared to Practice. He calls this "regulating the body and mind". I have added a link to information that explains the necessity for being prepared. It is written by a well-known psychotherapist who describes MBCT - Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.

Again, many thanks to the nice folks at Western Chan Fellowship for granting me permission to share this great teaching. Enjoy!

Namaste'

Methods of Practice in the Chan Hall

By Master Hsu Yun.

This is part two of a translation of a text by the great Chan master of the early part of the 20^th century, Hsu Yun (1839-1 959). It is reprinted by permission of the Institute of Chung Hwa Buddhist Culture, New York, from Chan Newsletter 87, August 1991. The first part of this talk appeared in New Chan Forum No.4. Spring 1992.

1. Introduction:

Many people come to ask me for guidance. This makes me feel ashamed. Everyone works so hard - splitting firewood, hoeing the fields, carrying soil, moving bricks - and yet from morning to night not putting down the thought of practising the Path. Such determination for the Path is touching. I, Hsu-Yun, repent my inadequacy on the Path and my lack of virtue. I am unable to instruct you and can use only a few sayings from the ancients in response to your questions. There are four prerequisites concerning methods of practice:

Deep faith in the law of cause and consequence
Strict observance of precepts
Immovable faith
Choosing a Dharma door method of practice

2. The Essentials of Chan Practice:

Our everyday activities are executed within the Path itself Is there anywhere that is not a place for practising the Path? A Chan Hall should not even be necessary. Furthermore, Chan practice is not just sitting meditation. The Chan Hall and Chan sitting meditation are for sentient beings with deep karmic obstructions and shallow wisdom.

When one sits in meditation, one must first know how to regulate the body and mind. If they are not well regulated, then a small harm will turn into an illness and a great harm will lead to demonic entanglements. This would be most pitiable. Walking and sitting meditation in the Chan Hall are for the regulation of body and mind. There are other ways to regulate the body and mind, but I will talk about these two fundamental methods.

When you sit in the lotus position, you should sit naturally straight. Do not push the waist forward purposely. Doing so will raise your inner heat, which later on could result in having sand in the comer of your eyes, bad breath, uneasy breathing, loss of appetite, and in the worst case, vomiting blood. If dullness or sleepiness occur, open your eyes wide, straighten your back and gently move your buttocks from side to side. Dullness will naturally vanish. If you practice with an anxious attitude, you will have a sense of annoyance. At that time you should put everything down, including your efforts to practice. Rest for a few minutes. Gradually, after you recuperate, continue to practice. If you don't do this, as time goes on you will develop a hot-tempered character, or, in the worst case, you could go insane or fall into demonic entanglements.
There are many experiences you will encounter when sitting Chan, too many to speak of. However, if you do not attach to them, they will not interfere with you. This is why the proverb says: "See the extraordinary yet do not think of it as being extraordinary, and the extraordinary will retreat." If you encounter or perceive an unpleasant experience, take no notice of it and have no fear. If you experience something pleasant, take no notice of it and don't give rise to fondness. The "Surangama Sutra" says: "If one does not think he has attained a supramundane experience, then this is good. On the other hand, if one thinks he has attained something supramundane, then he will attract demons."

3. How to Start the Practice: Distinction between Host and Guest

How should one begin to practice? In the Surangama assembly, Kaundinya the Honoured One mentioned the two words "guest" and "dust". This is where beginners should begin their practice. He said, "A traveller who stops at an inn may stay overnight or get something to eat. When he is finished or rested, he packs and continues his journey, for he does not have time to stay longer. If he were the host, he would have no place to go. Thus I reason: he who does not stay is called a guest because not staying is the essence of being a guest. He who stays is called a host. Again, on a clear day, when the sun rises and the sunlight enters a dark room through an opening, one can see dust in empty space. The dust is moving but the space is still. That which is clear and still is called space; that which is moving is called dust because moving is the essence of being dust." Guest and dust refer to illusory thoughts, whereas host and space refer to self-nature. That the permanent host does not follow the guest in his comings and goings illustrates that permanent self-nature does not follow illusory thoughts in their fleeting rise and fall. Therefore it was said, "If one is unaffected by all things, then there will be no obstructions even when one is constantly surrounded by things." The moving dust does not block the clear, still empty space; illusory thoughts which rise and fall by themselves do not hinder the self-nature of Suchness. Thus it was said, "If my mind does not arise, all things are blameless." In such a state of mind, even the guest does not drift with illusory thoughts. If he understands space and dust, illusory thoughts will no longer be hindrances. It is said that when one recognizes an enemy, there will be no more enemy in your mind. if one can investigate and understand all this before starting to practice, it is unlikely that one will make serious mistakes.

4. Hua-t'ou and Doubt:

The ancient patriarchs pointed directly at Mind. When one sees self-nature, one attains Buddhahood. This was the case when Bodhidharma helped his disciple to calm his mind and when the Sixth Patriarch spoke only about seeing self-nature. All that was necessary was the direct understanding and acceptance of Mind and nothing else. There was no such thing as investigating hua-t'ou. More recent patriarchs, however, saw that practitioners could not throw themselves into practice with total dedication and could not instantaneously see their self-nature. Instead, these people played games and imitated words of wisdom, showing off other people's treasure and patriarchs were compelled to set up schools and devise specific ways to help practitioners, hence the method of investigating hua-t'ou.

There are many hua-t'ous, such as "All dharmas return to one, where does this one return to?" "What was my original face before I was born?" and so on. The most common one, however, is "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?".
What is meant by hua-t'ou? Hua means the spoken word; t'ou means the head or beginning, so hua-t'ou means that which is before the spoken word. For example, reciting Amitabha Buddha is a hua, and hua-t'ou is that which precedes one's reciting the Buddha's name. The hua-t'ou is that moment before the thought arises. Once the thought arises, it is already the tail of the hua. The moment before that thought has arisen is called non-arising. When one's mind is not distracted, is not dull, is not attached to quiescence, or has not fallen into a state of nothingness, it is called non-perishing. Singlemindedly and uninterruptedly, turning inward and illuminating the state of non-arising and non-perishing is called investigating the hua-t'ou or taking care of the hua-t'ou.

To investigate the hua-t'ou, one must first generate doubt. Doubt is like a walking cane for the method of investigating hua-t'ou. What is meant by doubt? For example, one may ask, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" Everyone knows that it is he himself who is reciting the name, but is he using his mouth or mind? If it is his mouth, then after the person dies and the mouth still exists, how come the dead person is unable to recite Buddha's name? If it is the mind, then what is the mind like? It cannot be known. Thus there is something one does not understand, and this gives rise to a slight doubt regarding the question of "who".

This doubt should never be coarse. The finer it is the better one should singlemindedly watch and keep this doubt, and keep it going like a fine stream of water. Do not get distracted by any other thought. When the doubt is there, do not disturb it. When the doubt is no longer there, gently give rise to it again. Beginners will find that it is more effective to use this method when stationary rather than when moving; but you should not have a discriminating attitude. Regardless of whether your practice is effective or not or whether you are stationary or moving, just singlemindedly use the method and practice.

In the hua-t'ou, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" The emphasis should be on the word "who". The other words serve to provide a general idea, just like in asking, "Who is dressing?", "Who is eating?", "Who is moving their bowels?'', ''Who is urinating?'', ''Who is ignorantly fighting for an ego?'', ''Who is being aware?". Regardless of whether one is walking, standing, sitting or reclining, the word "who" is direct and immediate. Not having to rely on repetitive thinking, conjecture, or attention, it is easy to give rise to a sense of doubt.
Hence, hua-t'ou's involving the word "who" are wonderful methods for practising Chan. But the idea is not to repeat, "Who is reciting Buddha's name?" like one might repeat the Buddha's name itself; nor is it right to use reasoning to come up with an answer to the question, thinking that this is what is meant by having doubt. There are people who uninterruptedly repeat the phrase, "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?" They would accumulate more merit and virtue if they repeatedly recited Amitabha Buddha's name instead. There are others who let their minds wander, thinking that is the meaning of having doubt, and they end up more involved in illusory thoughts. This is like trying to ascend but descending instead. Be aware of this.

The doubt that is generated by a beginning practitioner tends to be coarse, intermittent and irregular. This does not truly qualify as a state of doubt. It can only be called thoughts. Gradually, after the wild thoughts settle and one has more control, the process can be called "ts'an" (ts'an means to investigate or look into). As one's cultivation gets smoother, the doubt naturally arises without one's actively inducing it to. At this point one is not aware of where one is sitting. One is not aware of the existence of a body or mind or environment. Only the doubt is there. This is a true state of doubt.

Realistically speaking, the initial stage cannot be considered cultivation. One is merely engaging in illusory thoughts. Only when true doubt arises by itself can it be called true cultivation. This moment is a crucial juncture, and it is easy for the practitioner to deviate from the right path:

At this moment it is clear and pure and there is an unlimited sense of lightness and peace. However, if one fails to fully maintain one's awareness and illumination (awareness is wisdom, not delusion; illumination is samadhi, not disorder), one will fall into a light state of mental dullness. If there is an open-eyed person around, he will be able to tell right away that the practitioner is in this mental state and hit him with the incense stick, dispersing all clouds and fog. Many people become enlightened this way.
At this moment it is clear and pure, empty and vacuous. If it isn't, then the doubt is lost. Then it is "no content", meaning one is not making an effort to practice any more. This is what is meant by "the cliff with dry wood" or "the rock soaking in cold water". In this situation the practitioner has to "bring up". "Bring up" means to develop awareness and illumination. It is different from earlier times when the doubt was coarse. Now it has to be fine - one thought, uninterrupted and extremely subtle. With utter clarity, it is illuminating and quiescent, unmoving yet fully aware. Like the smoke from a fire that is about to go out, it is a narrow stream without interruption. When one's practice reaches this point, it is necessary to have a diamond eye in the sense that one should not try to "bring up" any more. To "bring up" at this point would be like putting a head on top of one's head.

Once a monk, asked Chan master Chao-chou, "What should one do when not one thing comes?" Chao-chou replied, "Put it down". The monk, asked, "If not one thing comes, what does one put down?" Chao-chou replied, "If it cannot be put down, take it up". This dialogue refers precisely to this kind of situation. The true flavour of this state cannot be described. Like someone drinking water, only he knows how cool or warm it is. If a person reaches this state, he will naturally understand. If he is not at this state, no explanation will be adequate. To a sword master you should offer a sword; do not bother showing your poetry to someone who is not a poet.

5. Taking Care of Hua-t'ou and Turning Inward to Hear One's Self-Nature:

Someone might ask, "How is Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara's method of turning inward to hear self-nature considered investigating Chan?". I have previously explained that taking care of hua-t'ou is being, moment after moment, with only one thought, singlemindedly shining the light inward on "that which is not born and not destroyed". Inward illumination is reflection. Self-nature is that which is not born and not destroyed. When "hearing" and "illuminating" follow sound and form in the worldly stream, hearing does not go beyond sound and seeing does not go beyond form. However, when one turns inward and contemplates self-nature against the worldly steam, and does not pursue sound and form, then he becomes pure and transparent. At that time, "hearing" and "illuminating" are not two different things.

Thus we should know that taking care of the hua-t'ou and turning inward to hear self-nature does not mean using our eyes to see and our ears to hear. If we use our ears to hear or our eyes to see, then we are chasing sound and form. As a result we will be affected by them. This is called submission to the worldly stream. If one practices with one thought only, singlemindedly abiding in that which is not born and not destroyed, not chasing after sound and form, with no wandering thoughts, then one is going against the stream. This is also called taking care of the hua-t'ou or turning inward to hear one's self-nature. This is not to say you should close your eyes tightly or cover your ears. Just do not generate a mind of seeking after sound and form.

6. Determined to Leave Samsara and Generating a Persevering Mind:

In Chan training the most important thing is to have an earnestness to leave birth and death and to generate a persevering mind. If there is no earnestness to leave birth and death, then one cannot generate the "great doubt" and practice will not be effective. if there is no perseverance in one's mind, the result will be laziness, like a man who practices for one day and rests for ten. The practice will be incomplete and fragmented. Just develop a persevering mind and when great doubt arises, vexations will come to an end by themselves. When the time comes, the melon will naturally depart from the vine.

I will tell you a story. During the Ch'ing dynasty in the year of K'eng Tse (1900) when the eight world powers sent their armies to Peking, the Emperor Kuang-hsu fled westward from Peking to Shen Hsi province. Everyday he walked tens of miles. For several days he had no food to eat. On the road, a peasant offered him sweet potato stems. After he had eaten them, he asked the peasant what they were because they tasted so good. Think about the Emperor's usual awe-inspiring demeanour and his arrogance! How long do you think he could continue to maintain his imperial attitude after so long a journey on foot? Do you think he had ever gone hungry? Do you think he ever had to eat sweet potato stems? At that time he gave up all of his airs. After all, he had walked quite a distance and had eaten stems to keep from starving. Why was he able to put down everything at that time? Because the allied armies wanted his life and his only thought was to save himself But when peace prevailed and he returned to Peking, once again he became proud and arrogant. He didn't have to run any more. He no longer had to eat any food that might displease him. Why was he unable to put down everything at that time? Because the allied armies no longer wanted his life. If the Emperor always had an attitude of running for his life and if he could turn such an attitude toward the path of practice, there would be nothing he could not accomplish. It's a pity he did not have a persevering mind. When favourable circumstances returned, so did his former habits.

Fellow practitioners! Time is passing, never to return. It is constantly looking for our lives. It is more frightening than the allied armies. Time will never compromise or make peace with us. Let us generate a mind of perseverance immediately in order to escape from birth and death! Master Kao-fung (1238-1295) once said, "Concerning the practice, one should act like a stone dropping into the deepest part of the pool - ten thousand feet deep - continuously and persistently dropping without interruption toward the bottom. If one can practice like this without stopping, continuously for seven days, and still be unable to cut off one's wandering, illusory thoughts and vexations, I, Kao-fung, will have my tongue pulled out for cows to plough on forever". He continued by saying, "When one practices Chan, one should set out a certain time for success, like a man who has fallen into a pit a thousand feet deep. All his tens of thousands of thoughts are reduced to one - escape from the pit. If one can really practice from morning to dusk and from night to day without a second thought, and if he does not attain complete enlightenment within three, five or seven days, I shall be committing a great lie for which I shall have my tongue pulled out for cows to plough on forever". This old master had great compassion.

Essentials of Chan Practice by Master Hsu-yun (Part 1 of 2)

2011-08-22T23:40:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate to come across the wonderful Wisdom-filled web presence of the Western Chan Fellowship headquartered in the U.K. Some of you may not know what Chan is so, for those who do not, it is the Chinese name for Zen. In fact, Zen descended from Chan. Chan originated in the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province around 500 A.D. when the Indian monk Bodhidharma introduced Mahayana Buddhism to the monks there. His teachings were translated from a Taoist perspective so those familiar with the Tao Te Ching will see the similarity. I am not familiar with Master Hsu-yun but his teachings are very clear and supported with beautiful stories from ancient Chan Masters.

Many thanks to Simon Child at Western Chan Fellowship for granting me permission to share this insightful work with you.

Enjoy!

Namaste'

Essentials of Chan Practice

by Master Hsu-yun

The Prerequisites and Understanding Necessary to Begin Chan Practice

1. The Objective of Chan Practice

The objective of Chan practice is to illuminate the mind by eradicating its impurities and seeing into one's true self-nature. The mind's impurities are wrong thoughts and attachments. Self nature is the wisdom and virtue of the Tathagata. The wisdom and virtue of Buddhas and sentient beings are not different from one another. To experience this wisdom and virtue, leave behind duality, discrimination, wrong thinking and attachment. This is Buddhahood. If one cannot do this, then one remains an ordinary sentient being.

The prerequisite for Chan practice is to eradicate wrong thinking. Sakyamuni Buddha taught much on this subject. His simplest and most direct teaching is the word "stop" from the expression "stopping is Bodhi." From the time when Bodhidharma transmitted Chan teachings to today, the winds of Chan have blown far and wide, shaking and illuminating the world. Among the many things that Bodhidharma and the Sixth Patriarch taught to those who came to study with them, none is more valuable than the saying, "Put down all entangling conditions, let not one thought arise."

This expression is truly the prerequisite of Chan. If you cannot fulfil this requirement, then not only will you fail to attain the ultimate goal of Chan practice, but you will not even be able to enter the door of Chan. How can you talk of practicing Chan if you are entangled by worldly phenomena with thought after thought arising and passing away?

2. Put Down All Entangling Conditions

"Put down all entangling conditions, let not one thought arise" is a prerequisite for the practice of Chan. Now that we know this, how do we accomplish it? The best practitioner, one of superior abilities, can stop all thoughts forever, arrive directly at the condition of non-arising, and instantly experience Bodhi. Such a person is not entangled by anything.The next best kind of practitioner uses principle to cut off phenomena and realises that self-nature is originally pure. Vexation and Bodhi, Samsara and Nirvana - all are false names which have nothing to do with one's self-nature. All things are dreams and illusions, like bubbles or reflections.

Within self-nature, my body, made up of the four great elements, as well as the mountains, rivers and great earth itself are like bubbles in the sea, arising and disappearing, yet never obstructing the original surface. Do not be captivated by the arising, abiding, changing and passing away of illusory phenomena, which give rise to pleasure and aversion, grasping and rejecting. Give up your whole body, as if you were dead, and the six sense organs, the six sense objects and six sense conciousnesses will naturally disperse. Greed, hatred, ignorance and love will be destroyed. All the sensations of pain, suffering and pleasure which attend the body - hunger, cold, satiation, warmth, glory, insult, birth and death, calamity, prosperity, good and bad luck, praise, blame, gain and loss, safety and danger - will no longer be your concern. Only this can be considered true renunciation - when you put everything down forever. This is what is meant by renouncing all phenomena.

When all phenomena are renounced, wrong thoughts disappear, discrimination does not arise, and attachment is left behind. When thoughts no longer arise, the brightness of self-nature manifests itself completely. At this time you will have fulfilled the necessary conditions for Chan practice. Then, further hard work and sincere practice will enable you to illuminate the mind and see into your true nature.

3. Everyone Can Instantly Become a Buddha

Many Chan practitioners ask questions about the Dharma. The Dharma that is spoken is not the true Dharma. As soon as you try to explain things, the true meaning is lost. When you realize that "one mind" is the Buddha, from that point on there is nothing more to do. Everything is already complete. All talk about practice or attainment is demonic deception.

Bodhidharma's "Direct pointing at the mind, seeing into one's nature and attaining Buddhahood" clearly states that all sentient beings are Buddhas. Once pure self-nature is recognized, one can harmonize with the environment yet remain undefiled. The mind will remain unified throughout the day, whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down. This is to already be a Buddha. At this point there is no need to put forth effort and be diligent. Any action is superfluous. No need to bother with the slightest thought or word. Therefore, to become a Buddha is the easiest, most unobstructed task. Do it by yourself. Do not seek outside yourself for it.

The vow to deliver all sentient beings, made by all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and patriarchs, is not a boast nor is it a baseless, empty vow. The Dharma is exactly that. It has been elucidated again and again by the Buddha and the patriarchs. They have exhorted us with the truth. They do not deceive us.

4. Investigating Chan and Contemplating Mind

Our sect focuses on investigating Chan. The purpose of practising Chan is to "Illuminate the mind and see into one's true nature." This investigation is also called "Clearly realizing one's self-mind and completely perceiving one's original nature."

Since the time when Buddha held up a flower and Bodhidharma came from the East, the methods for entry into this Dharma door have continually evolved. Most Chan practitioners, before the T'ang and Sung dynasties, became enlightened after hearing a word or half a sentence of the Dharma. The transmission from master to disciple was the sealing of Mind with Mind. There was no fixed Dharma. Everyday questions and answers untied the bonds. It was nothing more than prescribing the right medicine for the right illness.

After the Sung dynasty, however, people did not have such good karmic roots as their predecessors. They could not carry out what had been said. For example, practitioners were taught to "Put down everything" and "Not think about good or evil," but they could not do it. They could not put down everything, and if they weren't thinking about good, they were thinking about evil. Under these circumstances, the patriarchs had no choice but to use poison to fight poison, so they taught the method of investigating gongans (ie. Koans) and hua-t'ous.¹

When one begins looking into a hua-t'ou, one must grasp it tightly, never letting go. It is like a mouse trying to chew its way out of a coffin. It concentrates on one point. The mouse doesn't try different places and it doesn't stop until it gets through. Thus, in terms of hua-t'ou, the objective is to use one thought to eradicate innumerable other thoughts. This method is a last resort, just as if someone had been pierced by a poison arrow, drastic measures must be taken to cure the patient.

The ancients used gongans, but later on practitioners started using hua-t'ou. Some hua-t'ous are: "Who is dragging this corpse around?" "Before you were born what was your original face?" and "Who is reciting the Buddha's name?"
In fact, all hua-t'ous are the same. There is nothing uncommon, strange or special about them. If you wanted to, you could say: "Who is reciting the sutras?" "Who is reciting the mantras?" "Who is prostrating to the Buddha?" "Who is eating?" "Who is wearing these clothes?" "Who is walking?" "Who is sleeping?" They are all the same. The answer to the question "who" is derived from one's Mind. Mind is the origin of all words. Thoughts come out of Mind; Mind is the origin of all thoughts. Innumerable Dharmas generate from the Mind; Mind is the origin of all Dharmas. In fact, hua-t'ou is a thought. Before a thought arises, that is Mind. Before a thought arises there is the origin of words. Hence, looking into a hua-t'ou is contemplating Mind. There was Mind before your parents gave birth to you, so looking into your original face before you were born is contemplating Mind.

Self-nature is Mind. When one turns inward to hear one's self-nature, one is turning inward to contemplate Mind. In the phrase, "Perfectly illuminating pure awareness," pure awareness is Mind and illumination is contemplation. Mind is Buddha. When one recites Buddha's name one contemplates Buddha. Contemplating Buddha is contemplating Mind.

Investigating hua-t'ou or "looking into who is reciting Buddha's name " is contemplating Mind. Hence contemplating Mind is contemplating pure awareness. It is also illuminating the Buddha-nature within oneself. Mind is nature, pure awareness, Buddha. Mind has no form, no characters, no directions; it cannot be found in any particular place. It cannot be grasped. Originally, Mind is purity, universally embracing all Dharma realms. No in or out, no coming or going. Originally, Mind is pure Dharmakaya.

When investigating hua-t'ou, the practitioner should first close down all six sense organs and seek where thoughts arise. Practitioners should concentrate on the hua-t'ou until they see the pure original mind which is apart from thoughts. If one does this without interruption, the mind becomes fine, quiet, tranquil, silently illuminating. At that moment the five skandas are empty, body and mind are extinguished, nothing remains. From that point, walking, standing, siting and lying down are all done motionlessly. In time the practice will deepen, and eventually practitioners will see their self-nature and become Buddhas and suffering will cease.

A past patriarch named Kao-feng (1238-1295) once said: "You must contemplate hua-t'ou like a falling roof tile sinking endlessly down into a pond ten thousand feet deep. If in seven days you are not enlightened, I will give you permission to chop off my head." These are the words of an experienced person. He did not speak lightly. His words are true.

Although many modern day practitioners use hua-t'ou, few get enlightened. This is because compared to practitioners of the past, practitioners today have inferior karmic roots and less merit. Also, practitioners today are not clear about the purpose and path of hua-t'ou. Some practitioners search from east to west and from north to south until they die, but still do not penetrate even one hua-t'ou. They never understand or correctly approach the hua-t'ou. They only grasp the form and the words. They use their intellect and attach only to the tail of the words.

Hua-t'ou is One Mind. This mind is not inside, outside or in the middle. On the other hand, it is inside, outside and in the middle. It is like the stillness of empty space prevailing everywhere.

Hua-t'ou should not be picked up. Neither should it be pressed down. If you pick it up, your mind will waver and become unstable. If you press it down you will become drowsy. These approaches are contrary to the nature of the original mind and are not in accordance with the Middle Path.

Practitioners are distressed by wandering thoughts. They think it is difficult to tame them. Don't be afraid of wandering thoughts. Do not waste your energy trying to repress them. All you have to do is recognize them. Do not attach to any wandering thoughts, do not follow them, and do not try to get rid of them. As long as you don't string thoughts together, wandering thoughts will depart by themselves.

1 A classic hua-t'ou is a brief pithy sentence or question which is the main point or "punchline" of a koan story. (JHC)

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

2011-08-13T03:10:00.000-05:00

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

Tozan Ryokai

- Ch'an Master Tung-shan Liang-chieh

The teaching of suchness, is given directly,

Through all buddha ancestors,

Now that it's yours, keep it well.

A serving of snow in a silver bowl,

Or herons concealed in the glare of the moon

Apart, they seem similar, together, they're different.

Meaning cannot rest in words,

It adapts itself to that which arises.

Tremble and you're lost in a trap,

Miss and there's always regrets.

Neither reject nor cling to words,

Both are wrong; like a ball of fire,

Useful but dangerous. Merely expressed

In fine language, the mirror will tarnish.

At midnight truly it's most bright

By daylight it cannot still be seen.

It is the principle that regulates all,

Relieving every suffering.

Though it doesn't act it is not without words.

In the most precious mirror

Form meets reflection:

You are not It, but It is all you.

Just as a baby, five senses complete,

Neither going or coming, nor arising or staying,

Babbles and coos: speech without meaning,

No understanding, unclearly expressed.

Six lines make the double li trigram,

Where principle and appearances interact.

Lines stacked in three pairs

Yet transform in five ways.

Like the five flavors of the hyssop plant

Or the five branches of the diamond scepter,

Reality harmonizes subtly just as

Melody and rhythm, together make music.

Penetrate the root and you fathom the branches,

Grasping connections, one then finds the road.

To be wrong is auspicious,

There's no contradiction.

Naturally pure and profoundly subtle,

It touches neither delusion nor awakening,

At each time and condition it quietly shines.

So fine it penetrates no space at all,

So large its bounds can never be measured.

But if you're off by a hair's breadth

All harmony's lost in discord.

Now there are sudden and gradual schools

With principles, approaches so standards arise.

Penetrating the principle, mastering the approach,

The genuine constant continues outflowing.

A tethered horse, a mouse frozen in fear,

Outwardly still but inwardly whirling:

Compassionate sages freed them with teaching.

In upside down ways folks take black for white.

When inverted thinking falls away

They realize mind without even trying.

If you want to follow the ancient path

Then consider the ancients: the buddha,

Completing the path, still sat for ten eons.

Like a tiger leaving a trace of the prey,

Like a horse missing the left hind shoe,

For those whose ability is under the mark

A jeweled footrest and brocaded robe.

For others who still can manifest wonder

There's a house cat and cow.

Yi the archer shot nine of ten suns

From the sky, saving parched crops,

Another bowman hit targets at hundreds of paces:

These skills are small to compare with that in which

Two arrow points meet head on in mid air.

The wooden man breaks into song,

A stone maiden leaps up to dance,

They can't be known by mere thought

Or feelings, so how can they be analyzed?

The minister still serves his lord

The child obeys his parent.

Not obeying is unfilial,

Not serving is a useless waste.

Practicing inwardly, functioning in secret,

Playing the fool, seemingly stupid,

If you can only persist in this way,

You will see the lord within the lord.

Translation by:

Toshu John Neatrour;

Sheng-yen;

Kaz Tanahashi

There is a Treasure in Our Own House

2011-07-27T03:36:00.001-05:00

This is a simple story of old that can show us the true intrinsic value of even the simplest things in life. Obviously, we should never take the "wealthy" lives we enjoy here in America for granted because we can all lose everything in the blink of the eye. This financial crisis has done that to millions of people, and families, and continues to this day to destroy the financial and personal lives of many more daily. We must slow down, observe and realize how very fortunate we are, and take the time to mindfully be thankful for each and every "treasure" we have at the moment we use it. There is so much more, though, to be thankful for in our lives. I will follow this wonderful story with some final thoughts. Enjoy!

There is a Treasure in Our Own House

By Trevor Leggett
Posted on 17 June 2011 by Buddhism Now

There is a treasure in our own house which we often don’t see. We can say, ‘Well, how can there be?’

One of the Indian stories tells how the merchants in some of the towns (when India was the richest country in the world) were very strict about business ethics. One man cut some corners. Well, they used to expel such people from the city and stone them ― not kill them ― but stone them and drive them away. So they took everything this man had, tied him to a stake outside the city, held back his wife and child, and threw stones.

There was a little boy there, the son of one of the big merchants. Not often you get the chance to throw a stone at a grown-up! He picks up a sharp stone, and he throws it. It catches the man on the face and just misses his eye. The blood pours down.

Well, then they release his wife and child, and all the people go away. The two of them rush to him and set him free. Now ― he’s got nothing; he’s penniless; he’s disgraced ― in the sunset, the dying sun. He will have to go to the next city. Perhaps he has some faint hope of an uncle somewhere, but it is total destruction.

As he hangs his head and looks down, he sees a gleam; the ray of the dying sun makes a gleam on one of the stones. He bends down and picks it up ― it is a great jewel. The rich merchant had a ring with a big jewel in it; in the excitement he must have knocked it somehow against a brick or something like that, and it fell down. The little boy, not looking, just grabbed the sharp stone and threw it.

There is a Japanese poem:

The stones which were thrown at me —
When I picked it up,
One of them was a jewel.

This comes again and again. There is something hidden even in the terrible experiences we have, which ― if we have spiritual sight and discrimination ― we can find.

I will read from a translation of a book which I did translate all except this little bit. It is in A First Zen Reader and is by Sessan:

There is an old saying in the Zen school: ‘When you come to pick them up, the very stones are gold.’ When the eye of the heart is opened and we see rightly, the shattered tiles that have been dropped on the road are shining with the gleam of gold. In our everyday life, to recognize the true worth of every little thing, every tiny fragment of what we are using every day, to respect it — that gives life real meaning. In the daily life of Zen, everything is to be made pure and exact and elegantly simple. In our conduct — going, staying, sitting, and lying down, as we say — we are never to think of anything as trivial, but to find a great meaning in it. In using one’s personal things, we must not use them casually or forgetfully or wrongly or mistakenly ― they must be used rightly. These days they talk about consumables which, of course, is all right, but it is not good to use for profit the consumables, to acquire economic advantage for oneself. Higher than use for profit, is the loving use of the things in the right way; it means to love the things we use. But even so, to love things because they are pleasant and because they suit me, still does not yet get away from self-satisfaction. There has to be proper living use. Then, for the first time, there is life in the handling of the things, and that is a very fine thing. But it is not yet outside the sphere of practical wisdom. We have to go further and come to — good use of things. Now, for the first time, we come to follow the nature of the thing itself when we use it, and we come to live virtuously. Again one step: we must come to pure use; we must purify the things when we use them. Now it is that their religious meaning appears. Nowadays it is fashionable to use phrases like ‘cleaning up society’, but it is when we try to make things pure, uncontaminated, infinitely clear and noble as we use them, that the seeds of religious life are sprouting. Again a step: we must come to spiritual use; to spiritualize the things as we use them. Now it is not just a thing, not just a material substance, but it is of spiritual nature, spiritual essence, and it becomes radiant. ‘When we pick them up, the very stones are gold.’ The thing is a blessing, is precious — instinctively we find a gesture of reverence in ourselves.

Extract from:
Fingers and Moons
Zen Stories,

By Trevor Leggett

The story above begins with the material things in our "realities" and gradually moves toward to the spiritual essence of every thing in our Reality. It shows how every thing in our "tealities"is actually a spiritual teasure that reasonates with our Spiritual Essense within. I will take it one more step. This spiritual treasure reasonates within us because it IS Within Us. I speak of the Pure Love, the Empathic Compassion, the Ultimate Bliss, and the Absolute Oneness which is our True Nature. Search for IT but it is no where to be found. Think about it's location and it moves further away. Chase and chase and chase it until the end of time but you will Never find it. Exhausted and frustrated, you give up. Behold! You Feel IT! Now, let go of everything - thoughts, desires, the illusion of control, the Ego. Welcome to the Present! Welcome to the Treasure Within - your True Nature! Welcome back to Paradise! Welcome back to the Infinite Oneness of Home!!

Namaste'

Letting Go Part II: Enter the Dragon

2011-07-05T02:51:00.001-05:00

At the end of Part I: "IT", my state of Being had returned to "normal" and I was facing my attacker. The total Peace of mind I had just experienced ended and all of my training was flooding my mind as I sized up my opponent. By god, he had hit my car, tried to flee, attacked me from behind, so now he was going to pay dearly. My adrenaline was rushing as I switched quickly from left lead to right lead back and forth visualizing my arsenal in search of the proper first-strike to begin destroying this fool. He was just THERE in front of me, bleeding like a stuck pig, left hand covering his face as blood poured from everywhere, right hand limp at his side, and a frightened look in his eyes. I had barely hit the guy! Everything I knew was designed to maim and kill but I wanted to teach him a lesson. The only thing less than that short little punch was a finger-flick to his eyes to temporarily blind him. I was really ANGRY and wanted to put some hurt on this guy!! I kept hitting a wall. Nothing! I had nothing smaller left and no reason to continue. The more I looked at him, this feeling of emptiness began to fill my gut, my Center, until it engulfed me. What to do??

The next thing I knew, a well-dressed man got between us, looking me in the eyes, his hands on my shoulders, as he worked to calm me down. He had seen everything, knew I had been attacked, but also knew the fight was over. He was concerned that the cops would be by any minute and knew that I would rather not spend Christmas Eve in jail. I quickly came to my senses and calmed down. Ironically, I actually said Merry Christmas to my bloody attacker as I left.

Now, I was confused and scared too. Scared of this Power I now possessed. I went to see my Sensei as soon as possible. I was so confused. I never wanted to fight again. I was afraid I would kill someone next time. I had felt that man's pain too and it hurt. What was going on? I was training and instructing 4 hours every week night after work so as soon possible I ask to speak with my Sensei in private. He ran a very disciplined and traditional school. He was a little shorter than me but hard as nails and powerful. Highly skilled, faster than sound, so it seemed, and had come straight off of the fighting circuit to start this school. He sat down behind his desk as I sat across from him. I explained everything, except about "IT" because whatever "THAT" was, was just too much to deal with then. I told him how I was attacked, the damage I had done with basically nothing, and about my fears. His response surprised me. He had this bewildered look on his face as he leaned back in his chair in deep contemplation. He was kind of shaking his head as he leaned up to speak. He said, "Tom, I can't believe you already learned the Lesson of the Dragon. It takes most people many years, if not a lifetime, before they get it. Most Westerners stay the Tiger and believe the martial arts are all about fighting and hurting people. Those few who move on to learn the Lesson of the Dragon gain Compassion, the true essence of the martial arts. This is exactly what you have done."

The true Warrior is Always the Dragon and will only fight to save someone's life and limb, including his, but does only what is absolutely necessary to neutralize the situation. The Tiger, on the other hand, has no Compassion and, therefore, no limits. They never realize that you learn martial arts so that you never need to fight. I was very blessed to have gained the Compassion of the Dragon and, hopefully, would never need to use my skills on the street again. I later realized that I had become so Centered, so Calm, and so confident that no one could anger me. This extreme confidence created an aura around me that seemed to repel conflicts. I had learned to win my battles without ever striking a blow. The sign of a true Warrior!

Now I will explain "IT" and then it's connection with The Lesson of the Dragon. The latter was far easier to understand than the experience of a state of Being somewhat outside of time and space - the state of Being One with "IT". When the archery student finally hit the bulls eye, he was really not responsible for this feat. His Zen Master made this very clear. He told him that "IT" hit the intended target. Whether the student understood this experience or not is unclear. However, when the student became so frustrated at missing every time, he finally gave up and Quit Trying. He then became relaxed, clear-minded, and Just Did It! I will always remember when Nike came up with their advertizing slogan, "Just Do It". I about fell out of my chair the first time I heard it. It was brilliant! So simple, so true, yet, as profound a statement as possible. This Ego we developed eons ago has been becoming a bigger nuisance ever since it appeared. This "I", "me", "self", et al thinks it is somehow in control of everything but it is actually the "opposing player" in this "game" called life. The Ego has created a separate "reality" in which this Ego is who we are and this "reality" is The Reality.. This is the greatest con-job of all time! But wait, our Ego created time too! Wow, we never had a chance! But, then again, we do not have to let it keep messing up Paradise.*

The true Reality is still here and we get quick glimpses of this Reality fairly often. Sadly, only a relative few of us ever notice it's significance. We have all experienced very brief moments of this perfection. Say, after hitting a pool shot, batting a ball, throwing horseshoes, shooting a basketball, or letting an arrow fly effortlessly towards it's target. We Know it is not going to miss whatever the Intended goal is. This Knowing is instantaneous - before thought, before emotion, even before Ego. We "feel" it in our gut, our Center, or Tan Tien. Since the Ego was not involved, this action was untainted and, therefore, must be Perfect. You see, Reality is Perfect. "We" never left Paradise! All of the problems, all of the pain and suffering, All Evil, is of the Ego's creation by misperceiving Reality and reacting to this illusion. Bypass the Ego and everything is Absolute Perfection! And more...

In this natural State of Being without the infinite amount of problems and Evils created by the Ego, All is Love. When I experienced and actually observed my actions within this Perfect state before Ego, every move was exactly right and exactly the least amount of force necessary to stop the attack. There was nothing I could have done to him that was less destructive so my action was also the most Compassionate possible. "IT' changed my life to one of Compassion and I never needed to use my skills on the street again. I quickly learned the Compassion of the Dragon and many years later I came to understand what "IT" is. "IT" is our True Nature and Being "IT" is our purpose here. We must rediscover Reality to escape this "illusion" filled with unconscionable pain, suffering, and Evil so we will All Be One with the Peace, Love, and Joy of our True Nature.

Namaste'

* None of us ever left the Paradise described in the Christian mythological story of the Garden of Eden. The "Tree of Knowledge" represented the emerging Ego and the "eating of the fruit" represented the initial separation from the Perfection of One, our True Nature, into this "illusion" of Duality created by this new Ego.

Letting Go Part I: "IT"

2011-06-11T03:55:00.001-05:00

This is a subject that goes to the very core of our Being. It is also very problematic to talk about because it can not be described. It must be experienced. We all have and do experience fleeting happenings of "IT" throughout our lifetimes but rarely notice it. Just a "weird" moment or something and life goes on. However, to the adepts, "IT" is Everything. And Everything "IT" is indeed!

Many of you have heard the story of the Zen Master teaching a student the Art of archery. The student tries to steady the bow, align the arrow, and hit as close to the bulls eye as possible but with each effort, he does not even get close. Each time the Master calmly watches as the student slowly gets frustrated with himself. Finally, the student reaching a point of just not caring, quickly and mindlessly draws the bow and lets the arrow fly. Bulls eye! The Master bows. The student bows back. The Master looks at him and says, "I did not bow to you for you did not do anything. I was bowing to "IT". "IT" did it."

I had the very rare occasion of experiencing "IT" and observing "IT" work through me. It took many years for me to understand what I had witnessed. This life-changing Event occurred back in the early to mid 1970's when I had progressed from student to teacher of Kenpo/Kempo - Kung fu. I was filled with knowledge but had never needed to draw upon it in "real life". When that occasion finally occurred, my life changed forever.

It was a Christmas Eve, a beautiful sunny afternoon, as I was going to my car after paying my electric bill in the largest bank in Amarillo, Texas. I saw my girlfriend waiting patiently for me in my new VW Super Beetle as I was passing by the car parallel parked in front it. The driver backed right into my car so I calmly walked to his closed window and tapped on it. All I wanted was for us to take a look and check for any damage. The man was with his family, looking over his shoulder, and trying to pull out into the busy one way traffic. He did not respond so I knocked on his window again. No response. I hit it harder and said. "hey!". Everyone in the car was looking at me now except him. I hit harder. Nothing! I almost broke it when I punched it. Nothing!! Okay, he hit my car, is trying to flee, so I will handle this another way. I turned, walked briskly toward my car, abruptly stopped after passing his back door, spun left, right snap-kicked his left rear quarter panel into the frame, and turned towards my car. This is when reality became Reality!

I felt a presence approaching from behind, swung my left leg counter-clockwise to face this presence, and entered a different state of Being. "IT" literally took control of my body. I was now just the "Observer". My mind was so still. My body was very relaxed and fluid. My Awareness expanded beyond description as I experienced time slow to a crawl. I was moving with calm perfection as my left leg stepped back and my right foot slid ever so softly backward in a controlled withdrawal. My right hand open, arm slightly bent at the elbow and chest-high, my left hand open but a little lower - a modified fighting horse stance. Both hands flowing like sheets in a gentle breeze. I could see the individual freckles on the knuckles of his fists as they slowly, so slowly passed by as he attacked throwing punches in the typical "windmill style". The next instant my body sprung slightly forward as my right arm locked out in a 3 or 4 inch vertical punch striking him right under his nose. Time returned to normal speed as my perspective changed from Observer to actor. Now, I was ready to fight! The "fight", however, was over before I could use any of the vast arsenal contained within. His face was destroyed, pouring blood, his body limp, and no one left to fight. But what about "IT"?

The answer to that question took me many years to truly grasp. I will try to explain this in Part II: Enter the Dragon.

Namaste'

A Basic Buddhism Guide

2011-05-31T01:19:00.000-05:00

I ran across this wonderful blog on Buddhism while doing the usual research for my blog. It is filled with well-written and informative essays along with entertaining posts that will make you smile. As usual, I have linked back to this blog and highly recommend you visit it also. I am still looking for the name of it's owner but for now, all I can offer is it's name: Buddha of Hollywood. I even used his "wheel of dharma" too because it is cooler than any I could find...lol! I love this person's sense of humor too! This is an excellent essay especially for anyone who does not know anything about Buddhism. Enjoy!

Namaste'

A Basic Buddhism Guide

Who Was the Buddha?

Siddhartha Gotama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he realised that wealth and luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions and philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness. After six years of study and meditation he finally found 'the middle path' and was enlightened. After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism — called the Dhamma, or Truth — until his death at the age of 80.
• Was the Buddha a God?

He was not, nor did he claim to be. He was a man who taught a path to enlightenment from his own experience.

• Do Buddhists Worship Idols?

Buddhists sometimes pay respect to images of the Buddha, not in worship, nor to ask for favours. A statue of the Buddha with hands rested gently in its lap and a compassionate smile reminds us to strive to develop peace and love within ourselves. Bowing to the statue is an expression of gratitude for the teaching.

• Why are so Many Buddhist Countries Poor?

One of the Buddhist teachings is that wealth does not guarantee happiness and also wealth is impermanent. The people of every country suffer whether rich or poor, but those who understand Buddhist teachings can find true happiness.
• Are There Different Types of Buddhism?

There are many different types of Buddhism, because the emphasis changes from country to country due to customs and culture. What does not vary is the essence of the teaching — the Dhamma or truth.
• Are Other Religions Wrong?

Buddhism is also a belief system which is tolerant of all other beliefs or religions. Buddhism agrees with the moral teachings of other religions but Buddhism goes further by providing a long term purpose within our existence, through wisdom and true understanding. Real Buddhism is very tolerant and not concerned with labels like 'Christian', 'Moslem', 'Hindu' or 'Buddhist'; that is why there have never been any wars fought in the name of Buddhism. That is why Buddhists do not preach and try to convert, only explain if an explanation is sought.
• Is Buddhism Scientific?

Science is knowledge which can be made into a system, which depends upon seeing and testing facts and stating general natural laws. The core of Buddhism fit into this definition, because the Four Noble truths (see below) can be tested and proven by anyone in fact the Buddha himself asked his followers to test the teaching rather than accept his word as true. Buddhism depends more on understanding than faith.
• What did the Buddha Teach?

The Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up by the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
• What is the First Noble Truth?

The first truth is that life is suffering i.e., life includes pain, getting old, disease, and ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment and anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. It is realistic rather than pessimistic because pessimism is expecting things to be bad. lnstead, Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided and how we can be truly happy.
• What is the Second Noble Truth?

The second truth is that suffering is caused by craving and aversion. We will suffer if we expect other people to conform to our expectation, if we want others to like us, if we do not get something we want,etc. In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting deprives us of contentment and happiness. A lifetime of wanting and craving and especially the craving to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be born. So craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.
• What is the Third Noble Truth?

The third truth is that suffering can be overcome and happiness can be attained; that true happiness and contentment are possible. lf we give up useless craving and learn to live each day at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy and free. We then have more time and energy to help others. This is Nirvana.

• What is the Fourth Noble Truth?

The fourth truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

• What is the Noble 8-Fold Path?

In summary, the Noble 8-fold Path is being moral (through what we say, do and our livelihood), focussing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts and actions, and developing wisdom by understanding the Four Noble Truths and by developing compassion for others.

• What are the 5 Precepts?

The moral code within Buddhism is the precepts, of which the main five are: not to take the life of anything living, not to take anything not freely given, to abstain from sexual misconduct and sensual overindulgence, to refrain from untrue speech, and to avoid intoxication, that is, losing mindfulness.

• What is Karma?

Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. This simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born handicapped and some gifted, why some live only a short life. Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past and present actions. How can we test the karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summed up by looking at (1) the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the action on oneself, and (3) the effects on others.
• What is Wisdom?

Buddhism teaches that wisdom should be developed with compassion. At one extreme, you could be a goodhearted fool and at the other extreme, you could attain knowledge without any emotion. Buddhism uses the middle path to develop both. The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality, all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent and do no constitute a fixed entity. True wisdom is not simply believing what we are told but instead experiencing and understanding truth and reality. Wisdom requires an open, objective, unbigoted mind. The Buddhist path requires courage, patience, flexibility and intelligence.
• What is Compassion?

Compassion includes qualities of sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern, caring. In Buddhism, we can really understand others, when we can really understand ourselves, through wisdom.

• How do I Become a Buddhist?

Buddhist teachings can be understood and tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches that the solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. The Buddha asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves. ln this way, each person decides for themselves and takes responsibility for their own actions and understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety, and more of a teaching which each person learns and uses in their own way.

Possibly the owner?? If so, thank you!

Nagarjuna's Negative Dialectic and the Significance of Emptiness by Alan Gullette

2011-05-18T02:30:00.000-05:00

Here is yet another wonderful essay from Allen Gullette composed by him for one of his college classes in Philosophy back in 1975. Brilliant, as always, and very interesting and informative indeed! This one pertains to the Buddhist concept of "Emptiness", a very important concept in All spiritual doctrines containing the One Truth. I am sure that you will have a decent grasp of this State of Being after a careful study of Mr. Gullette's clear analysis. I sincerely hope you enjoy this intelligently written essay as much as I do!

Namaste'

Nagarjuna's Negative Dialectic

And the Significance of Emptiness

Alan Gullette

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Winter 1975

Philosophy 3660: Buddhism

Dr. Lee

Of the two great schools in Buddhism, the Hinayana and the Mahayana, the latter is divided into two major systems of thought, of which the Madhyamika predominates. As the Mahayana school is the more widespread school that has evolved from Buddha's original Order, so is the body of underlying principles of the Madhyamika system of considerable importance in relation to other doctrines. Apart from this distinction, it is considered to embody the central philosophy of Buddhism and so created a revolution in that religion which carried over, in its influence, into the whole of Indian philosophical thought (Murti, vii – see Bibliography; citations are given in parentheses within the text of this paper). I will discuss the negative dialectic process of Nagarjuna (AD 200), the founder of Madhyamika, in order to clarify the doctrine of Emptiness (sunyata).

Beyond what is given in the selective basic secondary Buddhist texts of Ch'en, de Bary, Robinson, and Conze, there is actually little that need be said of the dialectic "apparatus" and the significance of the doctrine of Emptiness. For these texts offer a very good basic understanding of the doctrine, though they do not go into much detail. But while Ch'en is precise in his excellent summary and de Bary is revealing in his very clear explication, Conze and Robinson, especially the former, seem to have no deep understanding of the doctrine, failing to see all of the considerable implications of the statement of Emptiness. Nevertheless, I shall rely as much as possible upon readings from Bapat, Koller, Murti, Raju, Stcherbatsky, and Streng.

Nagarjuna's central work was the Madhyamika-karika, considered to be a masterpiece as it systematically presents the philosophy of the Madhyamika school (Bapat, 106). His fundamentals are set forth in the invocation or dedication: that "There is neither origination nor cessation, neither origination nor cessation, neither permanence nor impermanence, neither unity nor diversity, neither coming-in nor going-out in the law of Pratitya-samutpada" (or dependent arising, dependently-coordinating-origination, etc.)(Bapat, 107). This is Buddha's "principle of relativity" or svabhava-sunyata [(the emptiness of self-being)], which is to say that everything is relative [and nothing absolute]. Starting from this point, Nagarjuna set out to prove that no conceptual system can hold absolutely true. This he did by first accepting the various concepts and propositions of the various opposing schools of thought current in his day, and using the standard rules of formal debate, arrived at contradictions in all of the systems. The consistency with which he was able to do this, and the sheer brilliance of his dialect mind, has impressed many scholars who set out to study his "dialectic apparatus" or method. His dialectic skill has never been surpassed (Raju, 127).

In more specific terms, Nagarjuna took causality – the basis not only of Buddhism but also very much the basis of all scientific thought – and reduced ad absurdum both our conception of the causal law and all realistic theories. That is, by holding that there exist no separate, distinguishable real things or elements (dharmas), he threw causality out the window. All relationships are thus seen to be false. If a contradiction was seen to exist in a system, a proof of error was thereby found (Ch'en, 74). He sat about applying his results to each and every item of the Hinayanist philosophical system (Stcherbatsky, 48). By taking logical argument as his tool, Monism removed the possibility of knowing Truth conceptually through demonstrating the absurdity of conceptualizing about what is real. Beginning with the premise that systems of rations thought based on any absolute and definite statement of reality lead only to self-contradiction, he proved the illogic of a rational approach to Truth. By taking rational thought – the only common sense – that can exist between people in this false world of words and names and forms (all of which are concepts) – he shows that thought is only relatively correct, is only of relative truth – is therefore false. From this we have a statement "whatsoever is relative is false, transient, and "illusory" (46).

An idea is formed of the nature of his arguments, which are very straightforward and so laconic as to require considerable study to make sense out of them. This chore of following this though becomes a delightful one, and the student is easily persuaded of the complete validity of the argument. As an example I will present a paraphrase of Chapter XIX, "An Analysis of Time (kala)," as it is the shortest, being of six verses. (The entire work, "Fundamentals of the Middle Way," is translated in prose from Streng, 183-220; Ch. XIX is on p. 205). If the present and future exist presupposing the past (i.e., if they are seen to have emerged from the past), then they must have already existed in the past. If they did not exist in the past, they could not have emerged therefrom. But if the past is not presupposed as the source of the present and future, then these latter cannot be proved to exist: therefore neither present nor future time exist. In this way, the two can be inverted; thus one would regard "highest," "lowest," and "middle," etc., or oneness and difference – i.e., by arranging the past, present and future, they are seen to be in different orders, or as all one, or as separate. A non-stationary time cannot be grasped; and a stationary time that can be grasped does not exist; yet we cannot perceive time without grasping it. Sine time is dependent on a thing (which will change, revealing time), how can it exist without a thing? No things exist apart (svabhava), so how can time become something? Thus Time does not exist.

The only notable device used in his "analyses" that can be mentioned is noted by Raju. In several cases, including the initial chapter on causality, Nagarjuna uses the "four-cornered negation" – i.e., he refutes an idea as being, as nonbeing, as both, and as neither (Raju, 127). Belief in any of the four cases is an extreme thesis and must be transcended by a higher synthesis through the dialectic method. This process, also called "The Middle Path of Eightfold Negations," is one by which the Ultimate Truth is eventually arrived at (de Bary, 191).

Now, if everything is relative, and all that is relative is false, then what Truth is there? The answer is found in the doctrine of Sunyata, Emptiness. By saying that concepts are false, the quality of Emptiness of pinpointed. Since all is false, Emptiness is in all. This is [presented as] the Absolute Truth. The truth of emptiness is the same as the unreality of all existing elements, which is to say that Samsara (the phenomenal world, existence-in-flux) is Sunyata. But Nirvana is also the Truth, and Nirvana is the same as Sunyata and Samsara (Bapat, 107). Furthermore, the Buddha-nature is the Ultimate Reality of the basis of each person, and the Buddha-nature – and Buddha himself – is empty (Koller, 167). The significance of this is great, as we shall see later. Now we may add that since Nirvana is Enlightenment, Emptiness is Enlightenment (Streng, 161f). With all of these implications, Nagarjuna cancelled the existing definitions of reality and the whole edifice of Early Buddhism was undermined and smashed." The idea of absolute would become meaningless if there is nothing to set it against or relate it to. As well, the phenomenal would cease to be if there was nothing non-phenomenal for contrast. And so, the Absolute becomes as relative as all other ultimates and is filled with Sunyata: there is no difference between the Absolute and the Phenomenal (Stcherbatsky, 45, 48). Strangely, there is no contraction here, even though Samsara, which is "false," becomes indistinct from Sunyata, which is "true." The key is in the flexibility of "real" or "true," which is being widened in its definition through these comparisons.

One paradox that seems to crop up is indicated by an argument against the Madhyamika doctrine. The argument is that Nagarjuna's arguments are themselves empty. But so is this argument against him, etc. Every logical argument can be reduced to absurdity (de Bary, 78). But Nagarjuna had made his point, and his system of thought designed to rid us of theories is not a theory itself. Nevertheless, the Sunyata or doctrine of Emptiness is certainly empty itself. Where are we left? Murti writes, "Negation is not total annulment but comprehension without abstraction" (128). The dialectic is primarily a judgment on the limitation of reason which simply clears the mind for a perception or apprehension of reality by a higher faculty – that of intuition. This intuition is perfection of wisdom or prajna (126). So the logical system of dialectics was meant to be abandoned from the beginning, which further evidences Nagarjuna's brilliance. He says that clinging to it as a false system is worse that clinging to a non-existent self. He actually shows the Emptiness of his "Treatise on Relativity" if the Relative is significant, then the non-relative surely has meaning, else the Relative would fall by having nothing to relate to. But there is nothing that exists outside of Samsara (interdependency, or relativity) if everything is relative. Therefore, Relativism itself is meaningless. What remains to use is only intuitive sensitivity to the Truth, to the Buddha, whereby we can attain Nirvana or perfection of wisdom or prajna-paramita.

Here, then, is a strong indication that meditation-yoga techniques are aids for realizing Emptiness, allowing an "ultimate indifference" to "pervade the mind, feelings, and activities of the religions student. Emptiness is an answer to the quest for enlightenment when it promotes a practical solution to the problem of sorrow" (Streng, 163). For Conze, "Wisdom is understood as a refined dialectics which kills all thought" (162). Pure consciousness – the absence of thought and perception in the mind – is achieved by an extremely high-level meditation. Dialectics means, "if you think properly and deeply on anything, you arrive at contradictions, i.e., at statements which to some extent cancel each other out" (17). What is left but Emptiness as the middle path between all extremes?

The significance of the non-difference between Nirvana and Samsara is this: Nirvana is here and now. It is all around us and in us (actually, we are in it, being of the whole), as is the Buddha-nature and Buddhahood. We need only to be awakened to it. Chinese and Japanese modifications of the Madhyamika doctrine show in their Buddhists "a frank acceptance of the beauty of the world, and especially of the beauty of nature, as a vision of Nirvana here and now" (de Bary, 78). This places Nirvana in Samsara. This realization of Nirvana does put an end to suffering and suggests a revision of the strongly Buddhist statement that "all life is suffering." For enlightenment allows one to enjoy life here and to appreciate the beauty of life. The "problem of sorrow" solved, we have hope – which is what any religion will offer us – and a clarification of Buddha's main doctrine (of suffering).

Conze notes that Sunyata was symbolized in art by an empty circle, representing absence of self or self-effacement. Now, this self-denying aspect of Buddhism – of Nirvana as a "blowing out" of the self – is disturbing to one who believes in individuality. But we have a more complete understanding of the dialectics that remove the subject-object distinction and so abolish the individual. Conze is unclear on this point: The self is certainly destroyed as a concept, but the believer in the doctrine need not efface himself to become empty. He is allowed to be amused with the illusion of self, understanding all the while that the individual only seems to exist…

Bibliography

Bapat, P. V. 2500 Years of Buddhism. India: Publications Division, 1956.

Koller, John M. Oriental Philosophies. New York: Scribner's, 1970.

Murti, T. R. V. The Central Philosophy of Buddhism. London: George Allen and Unwin, second edition 1960.

Raju, P. T. The Philosophical Traditions of India. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1971.

Stcherbatsky, Th. The Conception of Buddhist Nirvana. The Hague: Mouton & Co., 1965 reprint of Leningrad, 1927 edition.

Streng, Frederick J. Emptiness – A Study in Religious Meaning. Nashville: Abindon Press, 1967.

Nothing is Sacred; Or, The Concept of Nothing in Zen by Alan Gullette

2011-04-27T02:18:00.015-05:00

Here is another great essay by Allan Gullette that I want to share with you. I find that his grasp of the concepts in Zen as well as those of Meso-American Shamanism from Carlos Castaneda's works is right-on from my understanding and explained in such a clear and very interesting manner. Since I am still unable to type for extended periods, I will probably share more of his wonderful essays in the near future. The use and strength of my shoulder is slowly improving so I will begin to write some of my own again as soon as my endurance and comfort improves. Until then, please enjoy absorbing the concept of "Nothing" below from the Wisdom of Zen Buddhism.

Namaste'

Nothing is Sacred; Or,

The Concept of Nothing in Zen

Alan Gullette

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Spring 1976

Religious Studies 3770: Zen Buddhism

Dr. Stan Lusby and Dr. Camp

Nothing is sacred in Zen: it is a central theme, an essential concept in Zen thought. Yet it is not a concept, for there is no conceptualization in true Zen; and there is no Zen thought, for there is no thought in true Zen. Nothing is, rather, something that is experienced and not merely conceptualized. Yet nothing is no "thing" as all, for there is no "thing" to be experienced in Zen: the experienced and the experiencer and the experiencing are all one and the same. Sunyata, emptiness, nothingness is the heart of Zen.

Sunya means empty, and emptiness (sunyata) is, in Mahayana Buddhism, a necessary and essential quality of all phenomena, as is the quality maya (illusion)(Robinson, 49). In earliest Indian (Vedic) thought, being (sat) was considered to be "the solid, reified state of things," and nonbeing (asat) was "their subtle, unmanifest state." Shortly before the Buddha's time, "being came to mean that which endures as against that which changes, the ground in contrast to its modifications." But the Buddha discarded both the idea of nonbeing ("seeing how the world arises") and the idea of being ("seeing how the world perishes"). Such is the middle Path (30).

The concept of a substance or substratum that is unchanging was thus rejected, and the Buddhist position was that no substance exists apart from its modifications or particular forms. Existence and nonexistence are only relative to each other and pertain only to the world of the conditioned – absolute (nonrelative) being was thus denied. Still, there is nirvana, absolute reality, the unconditioned, which transcends such relative categories as existence and non-existence (31). Nirvana is the unmanifest source, yet is not a substance at all – it is only Nothing. Emptiness (sunyata) is not "a stuff out of which all things are," Robinson writes. "Rather, it is the fact that no immutable substance exists and none underlies phenomena." This emptiness is a "descriptive law," not a "substantial entity" (52). It is nothing at all. The world of phenomena (samsara) is a phantom that is conjured up by a phantom (maya). "These phantoms exist" only "insofar as they appear and act, but inexist insofar as they are insubstantial and impermanent." Nirvana is changeless, permanent, yet not "substantial in any sense. It is dependent coarising, sunyata, that is the process of change" (52). Emptiness of all things is the fact of Nirvana, which is itself nothing.

Here we must carefully distinguish between terms. Nonbeing and being are dialectically interdependent, relative terms. Nothing has usually been confused in the West with nonbeing, though in the east it is seen differently. Nonbeing is "parasitic" on being; it is a negative term deriving its meaning from the positive. But in the east, nothing is what gives meaning to the positive in the first place, as we shall see later. Absolute nothingness is what is meant by "nothing" or "nothingness" or "no-thingness." (Although the latter term is somewhat derivative from the idea of "thing" and "thingness," I use it only because I am used to thinking of things, and like most westerners I can best understand Nothing in relative terms, all the while keeping in mind that this is not an exact understanding – but only an experiential understanding is a true one, so that all conceptual understanding is necessarily inexact.) Absolute nothingness is thus distinct from relative nothingness or mere nonbeing (which is, again, parasitic). Thus the westerner Paul Tillich understands nothing only as derivative nonbeing:

Nonbeing is dependent on the being it negates…. The ontological status of nonbeing as nonbeing is dependent on being. The character of the negation of being is determined by that in being which is negated. (40)

Yet we must allow that not all of our sources use these terms strictly, and it is necessary to understand what is meant by their terms. For instance, Alan Watts writes: "whether one looks longingly toward 'non-being' (wu) or cultivates 'emptiness' (sunyata), the principle involved is the same" (82).

Nothingness (wu-i-wu) is the same as emptiness (sunyata) and is true "purity" for Hui-neng. According to D. T. Suzuki, "It is the negation of all qualities, a state of absolute non-ness" yet is not misconceived as a separate entity outside of a perceiver engaged in "the pure act of seeing." This "seeing" is quintessential To Zen. It is satori – seeing into one's inner, true nature – and thus "seeing into the ultimate nature of things" – perceiving the true Mind. This seeing is termed chien-hsing ("to look into the nature [of the mind]")(159-61). Seeing is also called Prajna (wisdom), or at least seeing is with the "eye of Prajna" and Prajna is what enables one to see (178). Prajna allows one to graspsunyata, the emptiness of all things, and is itself "knowledge of the highest order permitted to the human mind, for it is the spark of the ultimate constituent of all things." This ultimate constituent, the sine qua non, the quintessence, ishsing or Mind (172).

The Mind is the Buddha. It means "no-mind-ness" (wu-hsin), and its attainment is "the ultimate end of the Buddhist life." Mind does not belong to the categories of being and nonbeing, but "is absolute thusness" or "suchness" (tathata)(216). Suchness is "the Body of Consciousness, and Consciousness is the Use of Suchness," according to Suzuki, though this actually says little. Better: "Suchness means the Absolute… formlessness… the unconditioned… Emptiness (sunyata)," and is unattainable in that it is "beyond perception, beyond grasping" for our conditioned minds. "All our relative knowledge is concerned with dualities," but "emptiness is on the other side of being and nonbeing" (190). Perceiving as we know it, grasping, attaining must cease, for we are already "attained." "It is Prajna which lays its hands on emptiness, or Suchness, or Self-nature" (191) and we are all endowed with a Prajna-eye. "Seeing into nothingness – this is true seeing and eternal seeing" (Shen-hui, in Suzuki, 191).

The relationship between sunyata and tathata, being one of identity, can be clarified: sunyata is tathata "when sunyata is awakened to itself or becomes aware of itself, which is 'knowing and seeing itself.'" Tathata, Suchness, is "the viewing of things as they are: it is affirmation through and through" (263).

Self-nature (Buddha) is nothing in the sense that it is not a thing (165). This is one use of "nothingness." If a being, a thing, must be distinguished from other beings, other things –i.e., if a being only has being within all of existence, Being – then the whole of Being is not-a-being, not-a-thing, since there is nothing (in the derivative sense) to distinguish it from. Being is, therefore, non-being or no-thing. Furthermore, if a thing is what is experienced dualistically (i.e., as an object in contradistinction from the subject and in contradistinction from the whole of Being, from which it is singled out), then for one who experiences oneself nondualistically (i.e., as an inseparable part of All) and who experiences things likewise (as inseparable parts of the whole) – for this one, there is no thing. This enlightened one, this Buddha, experiences Nothing – sees Suchness with the Prajna-eye.

In the world of ordinary experience every experience is conceptualized, since this world is really our intellectual reconstruction and not reality as it is in itself, not in its 'suchness'… Sunyata is experience only when it is both subject and object. (262)

As such, it is neither subject nor object, but merely is. Tathata is Being-as-it-is, it is Self-nature, Dharma (truth), suchness and isness, and is at the same time (again) "the viewing of things as they are." Reality is self-conscious, introspective. When a man discovers that his mind does not really exist (as separate), then mind and ego pass away, leaving only Mind.

While in this West nothing gains meaning only through the negation of something – is parasitic and derivative –, in eastern thought it is the experience of nothing that reveals the meaning of everything. The exception in the West is found in mystics and certain existentialists; the understanding these thinkers have of nothingness is very much like the Zen understanding in many interesting ways. I will now examine the similarities between Martin Heidegger and Zen concerning nothing.

Vincent Vycinas, writing about Heidegger's philosophy, notes that, "Just as death is that which gives life (in the sense of existence) its fullness and makes it stick out as an organized whole, so nothingness is presupposed to give Being its framework and graspability" (quoted in Lescoe, 240). In Heidegger, anxiety or dread (Angst) is the psychological coefficient of the experience of nothingness. It is not fear, for fear is always of something. Angst is rather of noting, though this nothing is "something" very real, yet not a "thing" as we understand the world. Nothing (Nichts), for Heidegger, is prior to logical negations rather than derivative from them – it allows us to say "there is no money," "I have eaten nothing," etc. It is also, in James Collins's words, an "anterior principle" for "our understanding of particular instances of being" (quoted in Lescoe, 239).

According to William Richardson, Heidegger's Nichts is "Non-being… that renders possible the manifestation of beings as beings." Egon Vieta adds: "Nothingness, being the absolute opposite of being, puts a limit on being, by isolating it and making it a unified whole" (quoted in Lescoe, 240). It is in this sense that Nothingness is an essential part of being, necessarily intertwined with it. Besides being merely a part of Being, Nothingness is, in a sense, Being itself: "In the state of anguish [Angst], nothingness exhibits itself to us simultaneously with the totality of being" (241). In this experience of dread, the individual's attention is drawn to things in the world, which are seen to form a unity but which are also seen to slip away, and nothing is left to be experienced. "Against the background of 'nothingness,' a background of horror and awe, the things in the world begin to stand out as what they actually are" and reality itself is grasped (Werner Brock, quoted in Lescoe, 242). And so Nothingness brings the individual (Heidegger's Dasein) "face to face with what is as such" (Heidegger, in Lescoe, 242). The parallel here is obviously with Suchness.

The relationship between Nothing and Being (Everything) is problematic. Thinking logically, nothing cannot really exist – it must be outside of existence. If it is to be thought of as being outside existence yet as giving Being, in effect, its being – rather than Nothing "being" derivative from Being – then it is more or less nirvana as understood by Buddhists. Yet here we have arrived, through a process of logical thinking, at a dualism between Nothing and Being, and dualisms are not allowed in Zen thinking (even if thinking itself is allowed)! The solution seems to lie in the equation of Nothingness and Being hinted at in the discussion of Heidegger above. This equation is affirmed in the equation (already mentioned) of sunyata, nothingness, emptiness, with tathata or the Buddha-nature, reality, Being-as-it-is. This equation is also found explicitly in the ideas of Nishida and the modern Kyoto school of philosophy. But an easier solution is found simply in the negation of the problem (!) as it were: Nothing, in itself and in relation to Being, is to be understood experientially and not conceptually. If there is a contradiction found in the concept of sunyata (in itself and in its equation to Being, as in the equation of nirvana with samsara – which is basically the same equation), then, says Suzuki, "we are out of sunyata. As long as we live in it, there is no contradicting, and this is where Zen wants to be" (261).

Nishida Kitaro, according to Hans Waldenfels, is "the father of modern Japanese philosophy" (378). His idea of nothing began with the concept of place (cf. Plato's topos and Aristotle's hypokeimenon). Place (basho) is beyond being and relative nothingness (364). It is the place of Absolute nothingness, a certain place wherein everything exists, "the substratum within which all forms become actualized" (356). According to Takeuchi, another of the Kyoto philosophers, "the philosophy of Absolute Nothingness" is the common concern of Nishida and Tanabe (a third Kyoto thinker) – that is, " the absolute must be considered first as Absolute Nothingness" (quoted in Waldenfels, 355).

For Nishida, the starting point of a philosophy must be a "pure experience," an experiencing of things "just as they are" (356), with is tathata. This fundamental religious experience is "the immediate realization of Absolute Nothingness" (378) and becomes the principle of a philosophical system, thus combining "eastern religious experience with western philosophical thought, mystical experience and logical structure" (373). Absolute nothingness here takes the place of the God of mystical experience, but Nishida goes on to equate God, "the foundation of the universe," with this Nothingness:

God is absolute nothingness (mattaku mu). However, if one says that God is merely nothingness (tan ni mu), this is certainly not so. At the base of the establishment of reality there is the unifying function which clearly cannot be moved. … God… is the basis of reality, and only because He is able to be Nothingness, is there no place whatsoever where He is not. (357-8)

Nishida resorts to some interesting terminology in delineating his idea of the absolute. "That which is called the true Absolute, must… be self-identical in an absolutely contradictory manner. When we express God in a logical manner, there is no other way to say it than this" (378). For "the final experience of the Absolute is… beyond any philosophical expression, and, therefore, is the 'absolute contradictory self-identity.'" Absolute Nothingness is "unity of opposites," is "(absolute) contradictory self-identity," is "identity of self-contradictories" (369, 362). Nishida develop this single idea in examining the relationship between self and world. The concept wasused to probe the problems of a philosophy of religions: the contradictions of man's existence, where the satisfaction of desire means the extinction of desire and the will makes it s own extinction its object… In these problems religion is established, for in the awareness of the absolute contradictoriness and nothingness of the self-existence we first touch the absolute and God. (Edwards, 519)

The experience of nothingness for Nishida is satori for Zen. Itsprings from your laboring thinking, and you find 'satori,' enlightenment. The Universe has being nothing, and the Ego has become nothing. But in the same spark of Nothingness you regain the world and yourself in wonderful self-identity. In the experience of Nothingness, everything is as it is. (Waldenfels, 368)

This is Prajna seeing tathata, sunyata experiencing itself in its "self-identity." Again,

In one who is really overwhelmed by the consciousness of absolute nothingness, there is neither 'Me' nor 'God,' but just because there is absolute nothingness, the mountain is mountain, and the water is water, and the being is as it is." (Waldenfels, 367)

For Tanabe, "absolute nothingness belongs to the realm of eastern religious self-realization," which "consists of seeing by being nothingness" (Waldenfels, 387). Suzuki also speaks of being as seeing and seeing as knowing with respect to sunyata, where we are (Suzuki, 262-3). Takeuchi, who designated absolute nothingness as "the place of encounter," asks, "How are being-itself and absolute negatively related in God or in the Absolute?" He answers:

God is at once Being-itself and Absolute Nothingness. It is understandable that I prefer the latter designation, because absolute nothingness as Absolute Negativity (that is, the negation of negation) at the same time implies the former, the affirmative. (Waldenfels, 388)

Suzuki also stresses that sunyata is not negative but positive, and that sunyata as tathata is obviously "an affirmation through and through" (261, 263).

God as nothing is also found in certain western mystics. Harry Weinberg surveys this equation in the west:

As the Christian mystics state, 'God is Nothing' He is Utterly Other; He is the VOID.' Eckhart proclaims, 'Thou shalt love God as He is, a Non-God, a Non-Spirit, a Non-Person, a Non-Form.' Tauler describes God as 'The divine darkness, the nameless, formless nothing.' In Jewish mysticism we find frequent reference to the conception of God as Nothing. It is when these mystics proceed to making affirmative statements about the nature of God that misevaluation occurs. God cannot exist in the sense that we normally mean existence. As with things, whatever we say God is, he is not. (Weinberg, 248-9)

Returning, finally, to Zen, let me quote from Huang-po and Alan Watts on nothingness, its significance, the experience of it, and its significance. Huang-po said: "Men are afraid to forget their minds, fearing to fall through the void with nothing onto which they can cling. They do not know that the void ids not really the void but the real realm of the Dharma" (in Watts, 141). Watts writes that the dharmakaya (the body of the Buddha, the cosmic body of the universe, the Absolute) "is the void itself" (71). Watts goes on to talk about Hui-neng. In opposing the false dhyana (meditation) of mere "empty-mindedness" (the idea "that the highest state of consciousness is a consciousness empty of all contents, all ideas, feelings, and even sensations"), Hui-nengcompares the Great Void to space, and calls it great, not just because it is empty, but because it contains the sun, moon, and stars. True dhyana is to realize that one's own nature is like space, and that thoughts and sensations come and go in the 'original mind' like birds through the sky, leaving no trace. (93-4)

This calls to mind the famous, beautiful couplet from the Zenrin:

The wild geese do not intend to cast their reflection;

The water has no mind to receive their image.

As Watts points out, "The true mind is 'no mind' (wu-hsin), which is to say that it is not to be regarded as an object of thought or action, as if it were a thing to be grasped and controlled" (94). That is to say, the mind is no-thing.

References

Edwards, Paul et al, eds. The Encyclopedia of Philosophy. New York: Macmillan, 1967. Vol. 5.

Lescoe, Francis. Existentialism: With or Without God. New York: Alba House, 1974.

Robinson, Richard. The Buddhist Religion. Belmont, CA; Dickerson, 1970.

Suzuki, D. T. Zen Buddhism. Garden City: Doubleday, 1956. Ed., William Barrett.

Tillich, Paul. The Courage To Be. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1952.

Waldenfels, Hans. "Absolute nothingness: preliminary considerations on a central notion in the philosophy of Nishida Kitaro and the Kyoto school." Monumenta Nipponica 21 (1966): 354-391.

Watts, Alan. The Way of Zen. New York: Pantheon, 1957.

Weinberg, Harry. Levels of Knowing and Existence: Studies in General Semantics. New York: Harper & Bros., 1959.

Bibliography

Nieda, Rokusaburo. "'Nothing' in Zen in comparison with Christian eschatology and 'Nothing' in European philosophers." Numen IX (1962): 37-44.

Novak, Michael. The Experience of Nothingness. New York: Harper & Row, 1970.

Professor's Comments: Grade A. A really superior paper, probing central Zen motifs in a substantial manner. [Dr. Camp.]

Mere suffering exists, no sufferer is found;
The deeds are, but no doer of the deeds is there;
Nirvana is, but not the person who enters it;
The path is, but no traveler thereon is seen.

The Real Color

Buddha held in his hand a crystal ball which he showed to the kings of the gods of the East, West, North and South. These gods controlled human beings. Buddha asked them, ‘what color is this ball?’ One god said blue, another said yellow, the third said red, and the fourth god said that the ball was white. All of the gods had spiritual power but they all saw different colors. Buddha put the ball in his pocket and showed the gods his empty hand. He asked them, ‘what do you see now?’ All of the gods said, ‘nothing is there.’ Buddha said, ‘You are ignorant. The real color has come and you have all said that there is nothing.’

Castaneda's Journey to Ixtlan: A Review by Alan Gullette

2011-03-27T03:05:00.024-05:00

This is another one of the gems from Allen Gullett's essays written in one of his Philiosophy classes in the studies of Comparitive Religion and Philosophy. This is a review of "Journey to Ixtlan", the third of four books comprising The Teachings of don Juan: A Yaqui Indian Sorceror. Being more of a review than the essay in my previous post, it nevertheless contains very valuable explanations of our perceived "realities" and the Infinite "canvas" of true Reality upon which we "paint" our "picture of reality". Since the vast majority of people have been wrongly told and wrongly believe that sorcerors are "evil", they need only to review the "miracles" that Jesus performed and imagine being there, superstitious and vastly ignorant, witnessing some stranger magically turning water into wine or feeding multitudes with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. It is all the same. Indeed, if anyone did this in 1600's Salem, MA, he would surely have been hung as a "magic witch" or "warlock"! And yes, witches were hung, not burned at the stake. Now with that adulteration of mind out of the way, enjoy the wonderful essay below containing the Wisdom of a Meso-American Man of Knowledge teaching the One Truth.

Namaste'

Note: Reference points pertain to the book.

Castaneda's Journey to Ixtlan

Alan Gullette

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Winter 1979 (2/20/79)

Religious Studies 3011: Phenomenology of Religion

Dr. Jay Kim

This is Castaneda's third volume on his experiences with Yaqui sorcerer don Juan Matus (and company). The key concept is seeing, which is don Juan's version of the living, growing mystical experience of life in which there is true perception of realty and of oneself (in relationship to that reality)(etc.). In don Juan's particular terminology, seeing involves stopping the world – or the interruption of the constant flow of interpretation (internal dialog) that creates our (phenomenal) world through description in accordance with the belief system which we have been taught since childhood. This description/projection of the world as we know it involves particular conceptions of the things of the world, and the self-concept seems to be an important (but often overlooked) part of the picture. People who live in such a closed world in which there is almost no self-awareness (or any attempt to either corroborate or invalidate the belief in a "self" by openly observing the fact) are called "phantoms" by those (such as don Juan and don Genaro) who are not trapped by the world. To be able to untrap oneself, or collapse the world, one first has to question the worldview that has been assumed all along to be reality itself. For don Juan, this is accomplished by learning a different description or away of perceiving the world (the sorcerer's description). When one's conviction in one's very own "reality" (world-construct including self-conception) is shaken, it is hoped that one will catch a glimpse of the fact, the truth, the actually real world that is there beyond our projections. This is what don Juan calls seeing. Don Juan's sole concern is to help Castaneda through this process, and various techniques are taught to aid in stopping the world. There is something of a progression in the experiences Castaneda has when he is with don Juan, and don Juan unfolds the sorcerer's description in the lessons he draws from these experiences (which he takes at least some part in creating). I will discuss these experiences, lessons, and techniques, together with the development of Castaneda's understanding, in terms of seeing.

Insofar as don Juan intends almost all along to initiate Castaneda into "the path of knowledge" (which leads to seeing, not as an end but as a beginning), their entire relationship is pertinent to the study of mysticism. At first, Castaneda does not really have much of a purpose in life – he is an anthropology student interested in the ritual use of psychotropic plants among Indians. In asking don Juan to teach him about these plants and their use, he doesn't know what he's getting himself into! Don Juan's whole approach to Castaneda is very subtly geared toward helping him open up to what is real, and as such the program is tailor-made and, as one can appreciate more in Tales of Power (Castaneda's fourth book), is a work of considerable genius. In the course of mystifying and horrifying experiences, Castaneda becomes dependent on don Juan as a teacher and guide, as well as becoming aware that don Juan is a rare and very real individual.

Don Juan's "lessons" take place in the field. They are not intellectual or academic (despite Castaneda's note-taking), but are geared to awaken a part of the human being that is dormant – namely, the body, which has an innate intelligence (will) apart from the intellect (reason). In the course of these lessons, the sorcerer's worldview is revealed. The basic premise of the view concerns views: "the world of everyday life is not real, or out there, as we believe it is" but is merely a description, a view (viii). Therefore, plants are not "just" plants but are sensitive and might become malevolent if we are ungrateful fro their generosity (6, 25). Likewise, crows become more than "just" crows but are also omens, giving important indications for those to whom they are friendly (19-20, 49). And there are other ways (than crows) that a man can get "agreements from the world" – the wind in the leaves, a falling rock, a jet flying over, the "comments" of a coffee percolator, etc. (6-8). In thinking that the world is only the way we think it is (which is arrogant and involves self-importance), we prevent ourselves from appreciating the vastness and awesomeness of life and of ourselves. IN fact, the self-concept is evidently a very important part of the world-construct. In erasing or dropping personal history, one frees oneself from the encumbering thoughts of others who, purposefully or not, seek to contain one in the conception they have of one (11-16). One is not one's name, national origin, past history; one is the world about oneself at any moment – i.e., one is mysterious, unknowable, unpredictable, always new (14). The new self-concept that don Juan teaches Castaneda is that of the "hunter" or "warrior."

The anxiety that Castaneda seems to habitually experience is probably related to death, which makes a reflection on the impermanence (thus, vitality) of the self. The warrior is aware of his own death as a presence that he uses as an "advisor." Facing the fact of one's death, one begins to see all things as equal, for nothing matters outside of death's touch. This requires one to assume responsibility for one's actions and decisions – for each act might result in death. As each act could be the last, the warrior rids his life of pettiness and focuses his attention on the present moment. Impeccable, he does his best in whatever he does: he is tremendously aware of the finality, the serious actuality of his engagements. Castaneda is definitely not a warrior: he frets and moans, doesn't want to think about death, doesn't assume responsibility for himself. He often feels that the path of the warrior is too arduous for him.

In the course of their activities in the desert, Castaneda experiences intense fear as well as exquisite well-being. The fear is not only for physical safety but is also a supernatural fear, as when he encounters "allies" and other forces. Once, he his so afraid that his thoughts cease and fear is purely a physical sensation, which is unusual for him (175). When lying on a "bed of strings" which d don Juan made for him, he experiences "quietness, an exquisite sense of well-being," in which thought also stops (148). This experiences borders on the mystical.

Not-doing is a mode of relating and perceiving in which the body becomes more sensitive to its surroundings. One technique is to focus on the shadows of the leaves on a tree (rather than the leaves and branches themselves) until they are perceived in a gestalt-like whole. The sorcerer learns much from shadow-gazing. Castaneda practices not-doing for hours on end under don Juan's supervision and finds it enjoyable and relaxing. Meandering in the desert is another form of not-doing. Doing, on the other hand, involves relating to something as a thing – brining to gear all the knowledge one has about it within one's paradigm.

As a lesson in the power of interpretation, don Juan appears to Castaneda and four other sorcerer's apprentices in such a way that each of them describes his dress and manner in a completely different way. They are, of course, mystified when they share their descriptions (207-8). Another time, don Juan and don Genaro make Castaneda's car "disappear" and then "reappear" in a different place (though it never "really" moved). don Genaro makes a kite out of his hat and it falls on the car or turns into the car – and this ambiguity indicates the insufficiency of conceptual interpretation (244). The experience of the unexplainable forces one to question one's conviction in one's worldview.

In the next to last chapter, Castaneda goes into the mountains alone to stop the world. Watching a dung beetle, he realizes that there are worlds upon worlds before us and that death makes him and the beetle equal in importance. He experiences overwhelming joy and elation. A coyote comes along and talks to him and makes his mind "wobble;" the animal turns into an iridescent being, but Castaneda thinks that this is a projection form the memory of his first peyote experience. Then he has what is surely a mystical experience, "a state of ecstasy for what appeared to be an endless time," etc. (252). The talking coyote was a perception according to the sorcerer's description; the familiar world had stopped. But the luminous being and the perception of the lines of the world, although explained by sorcerers, were apparently perceptions that were not filtered by any conceptualization or interpretation: Castaneda saw.

At the end, Castaneda realizes that he is not prepared to "meet the ally" (a magical being he is sent into the desert to meet) or accept full responsibility for his being-here (mortally)(alone)(etc.). He has not, by the end of his volume, "achieved" the full development of his understanding; he has not arrived at the reality of the self in the real world. This reality is not "achieved" by any doing (which merely s sustains the world-construct), but is arrived at naturally through not-doing (which stops the world). The real world is perceived in not-doing; the real self is realized spontaneously in the not-doing of the self. This real self is one with the world, which is the mystical state of being.

"Stopping the world" and "Not-doing" in Journey to Ixtlan

2011-02-11T03:07:00.000-06:00

This is just one of the many gems I have discovered while doing my research. To those of you who have read and/or studied the first four books by Carlos Castaneda, will be familiar with the terminology in this essay. This is a very well done and detailed description of the core teachings of don Juan Matus, a Yaqui Indian Man of Knowledge. This Way to the One Truth Within was derived from his ten years of studying this Meso-American Way for his doctoral thesis in Anthropology. This wonderful essay was written by Allen Gullette for his college Philosophy class. He is a brilliant, creative, and most interesting writer and musician. Enjoy!

Namaste'

"Stopping the world" and "Not-doing" in Journey to Ixtlan

Alan Gullette

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Fall 1975 (10/30/75)

Philosophy 1520

Dr. Kathy Emmett

The relationship between stopping the world and not-doing in Carlos Castaneda's Journey to Ixtlan^[1] is here discussed. I will define these terms and place them properly in the overall scheme that is the philosophy and lessons of don Juan. The interrelation of the concepts can then be shown more clearly. In addition, I will draw parallels between the lessons and other systems of thought in an attempt to clarify points in don Juan's philosophy to my own satisfaction.

A brief summary of don Juan's philosophy follows. We are men born into a world that we cannot possibly comprehend in its awesome totality. We are cultural animals, and so are taught a system of beliefs in a process of conditioning that will allow us to function properly in the society of our fellows. This system is a world-construct, a description of the world and of reality, a paradigm of which we are members. And so, we erroneously think we are able to describe reality – the world – accurately, thereby comprehending it (see, esp., p. ix). Since we life in the world for only a short time, we should bring quality to our existence by seeking perfection of spirit. This entails living "existentially," being in control of (and having power over) one's situations, and, in short, being as completely aware as possible of one's own conscious, temporary existence. Although there are other aspects of the complete philosophy, the abbreviation of these points is sufficient in order to place the two concepts dealt with in this paper against a conceptual background and therefore demonstrate their relationship on that ground.

Don Juan's existential man seeks to relate directly to the world without the intermediary world-construct; he wants to experience the world directly without thought or language, which normally continuously reinforce the world-construct by presenting one with preconceptions taught to one since infancy. In order to achieve this experience, one must stop thought and thus the flow of preconceptions. Since all life is experience, then the highest quality experiences (direct experiences of the world or reality) are most desirable. From these experiences "knowledge" is gained (cp. the wisdom gained through mystical experiences, e.g., the gyana swaroopa or "perfect experience of consciousness" in Vedanta^[2]). Don Juan's "man of knowledge" is the idea of the existential man. The direct experience is called seeing by don Juan. It entails "responding to the perceptual solicitations of a world outside the description we have learned to call reality" (xiv), which requires a stopping of thought. This experience, therefore, is very close to that of superconsciousness in Yoga or Vedanta, wherein thought ceases and the world fades away.^[3] This state of consciousness is also seemingly akin to Zen satori, enlightenment, Buddhist samadhi, etc.

Don Juan says, "Seeing . . . is the final accomplishment of the man of knowledge, and seeing is attained only when one has stopped the world" (194). In order to see, one must stop the world or suspend the world-construct operating on one's perceptions and experiences. Stopping the world is "a technique by virtue of which the world as we know it is made to collapses" (104). The world-construct, however, is necessary for life as we know it, and the man of knowledge restores it again "in order to keep on living" (136). The term world-construct can be used interchangeably with the term world when one understands that the world is a way of looking at reality (external reality), a way of ordering experience, a grid projected onto that outside reality. Further, the system of beliefs that comprise a world organizes experience without the use of a controlling imagery that can be called a "mythology" or body of myths. A myth is an attempt to describe or explain reality or phenomena witnessed.^[4]

The technique of stopping the world is facilitated by simultaneous membership; the achievement of the technique can also be aided by those who have simultaneous membership. In simultaneous membership, one description of the world is opposed to another, so that perhaps the mechanism in the mind that forces us to experience the world through a filter will be suspended or temporarily knocked-out, allowing us to see. The alternate description is used also in order to stop the world as described by our native culture. In seeing, "one sneaks between the worlds" and does without a world-construct for a while (254)j. In the case of Castaneda, don Juan' teaches him the sorcerer's description. Don Juan and don Genaro, another man of knowledge, both know this other description, and are so able to aid Castaneda in stopping the world as we know it. This alternative description is the only other way don Juan knows to look oat the world (256). It particulars are probably unimportant – many descriptions of the world being possible, but just one other than the "normal" is sufficient for stopping the world. To illustrate: seeing the world as we were taught to see it is like a habit. To break this habit, we first exchange it for another habit – one more easily controlled; here, that is seeing the world in a different way. We see that both are only habits, and we eventually learn to see without either description.

"In order to stop the world, you must stop doing" (189). Not-doing, or "to not do what you know how to do," is more difficult to understand that seeing(see 180). In fact, to try to understand it is a matter of doing. Clearly, it is easier to explain doing. It seems to be akin to objectivity; for a rock is a rock because of doing – "because of all of the things you know how to do to it" (189). This ties in with the preconceptions we must ignore in our direct experience of the world. Looking at the leaves of a bush as a whole, a gestalt, is doing; looking rather at the shadows of the leaves and seeing them as a whole is an exercise in not-doing(see 180-1). Shadows are "the doors of not-doing" (195). Not-doing is done by the body, not with the mind, which explains our difficulty in understanding it fully (180). It would seem, then, that not-doing would be the natural thing to do, so to speak: the advanced animal body of man does it and the culturally condition mind (which is equated to the world-construct in Vedanta) is meanwhile suspended. So it is seen already that not-doing leads to stopping the world.

It is important that without doing nothing is familiar (see 189). If nothing is familiar, everything is new and unknown and experienced for the first time – it is unconditioned. When you try "to figure it out, all you're really doing is trying to make the world familiar" (135). This is doing and involves rational activity -- specifically rational or intellectual formulation of experience.^[5] As "the world is the world because you know the doing involved in making it so," reasoning or rational explanation is an integral part of being a member (in good standing) of the world or conceptual paradigm. Castaneda's difficulty in stopping the worldwoes to his conditioned insistence on explaining rationally the phenomena he witnesses (see 246). This insistence prevents seeing (232). The prevention, however, is probably indirect: explaining is doing, which prevents not-doing, which is necessary for stopping the world, the sine qua non of seeing.

Don Juan says: "The most difficult part of the warrior's way is to realize that the world is a feeling. When one is not-doing, one is feeling the world" (193). (The warrior is the existential man striving to be a man of knowledge.) Feeling is done with the body – it is like seeing, "responding to the perceptual solicitations of a world outside" the paradigm (xiv). The three techniques of not-doing, stopping the world, and seeing seem to be very close in actuality; it is the difficulty of understanding them which makes them into separate stages in the process of de-conditioning to face the unconditioned. The feeling that is the world would seem to be a single perception and not divided among the traditionally distinguished sense organs.

Acting without belief is not-doing (see 199). Belief, again, orders experience (see note 4) in an attempt to make it meaningful. On the absolute level, there is no meaning; vain attribution of meaning to trivial moods and events and actions is frivolous in the light of our mortality. The technique of not-doing is facilitated by displacement of normal doing by a different doing in a trick analogous to learning an alternative world description. This sis the doing of strategy, in which "there are only actions" (227). That is, there is no meaning attached to the actions. Both doings are unreal, but are useful in attaining what the warrior hunts for: power. (This power is like mental energy; it also allows some deliberate control over situations in reality and, to an extent, over other people, though over-emphasis of the latter leads to a loss of the power.) In the same way, both world – the world we all know and the sorcerer's world – are unreal, but they are useful i f not necessary models of reality (200).

Power is an important concept in don Juan's philosophy The summary given earlier of the philosophy stresses seeing. This is interpretive. Another, briefer sketch of the philosophy follows in which the concept of power is stressed. With this alternative approach, not-doing and stopping the world are also seen to relate to each other. Don Juan's existential man, the warrior, lives strategically, for he knows his life is in his own hands and he is completely free and complete responsible. To avoid being hunted himself, he lives like a hunter, and he needs power over situations in order to carry out his strategies. Not-doing is the first step toward accumulating power (181). Once he has stored power, the warrior becomes a man of knowledge, and enough power will enable him to stop the word and see. If power were analogous to psychic energy, then stores of power would allow one to raise one's awareness and control one's state of consciousness at will. Thus, one could live as fully as possible in the perfection of spirit that belongs to the man of knowledge.

Within this second sketch of don Jan's philosophy – emphasizing power, its hunting and storing – not-doing and stopping the world are also clearly related, just as in the first summary emphasizing the almost mystical experience of the unconditioned (reality) through the body (or instincts and intuition, as distinct from mind, intellect, reason, etc.). Both interpretations indicate the worth of the model don Juan offers us.

"For me there is only the traveling on the paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge for me is to traverse its full length. And there I travel—looking, looking, breathlessly."
~ don Juan Matus

Notes

^[1] Carlos Castaneda, Journey to Ixtlan: The Lessons of Don Juan (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972).

^[2] Swami Vishnudevananda, The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga (New York: Pocket Books, 1972), 318.

^[3] Several chapters of Swami Vishnudevananda's book deal with this state and its nature to great extent, as it is the very aim of Yoga and Vedanta. The point of thought-suspension is mentioned at least on p. 349; the need to transcend the mind is dealt with on pp. 305f.

^[4] Mark Schorer, "The Necessity of Myth." In Henry Murray, ed., Myth and Mythmaking (Boston: Beacon Press, 1968), 354-8. Includes a discussion of belief, myth, imagery, reality, etc.; see especially 355-6.

^[5] Ibid.

Surgery Recovery Update

2011-01-30T01:13:00.000-06:00

Please forgive me for the long absence but my recovery from this surgery is going to take a long time. Typing is still very difficult and becomes painful rather quickly. Unfortunately, the damage was far more extensive than my surgeon could see on the x-rays and MRI films so this Lesson continues. I will begin posting some wonderful gems soon that I discovered months ago while doing my research but must refrain from any lengthy explanations for the foreseeable future. My Practice, my Path, continues, of course, however, it is mainly sitting meditation and form imagery for now. Be well and Practice!

Namaste'

AWAY DUE TO SURGERY - PLEASE BE PATIENT - THANK YOU

2010-11-08T02:07:00.000-06:00

I am sorry for not posting for a while but I suffered a painful injury recently. I finally had surgery last Tuesday and typing is even more of a challenge now. I must stay focused on the major challenge at hand but will be back as soon as possible much wiser and stronger than ever. Keep up your Practice and stay true to your Path.

Be well! Be One! Be!

Namaste' :)

Tao Stories by Ta Wan

2010-10-24T03:20:00.003-05:00

The person of Tao

The 'real' person, the person of Tao - truly a Tao master - Is someone

you have met and had no idea of their views, wants, needs, likes or

dislikes.

Religion never came up in conversation, they were good to you but

never made out they were being good. They were calm and collected

but never felt the need to tell you how easy going they were. They

fitted in and blended with the crowd without any loss of

individuality. They were good at all things that came their way, did

there best and had no bashfulness over their poor performance or ego

over their greater achievements. They shone with an inner brightness

and radiated a deep seated warmth but wore no label, no jewels, no

robe, no dog collar, no stripes on their arms, no marks of distinction.

Fitting in and getting along they were solid and dependable - you

could miss them for a day or a year and be greeted the same on

meeting again. Always fit for a good laugh and a joke, they could be

told your inner woes and neither give you advice or break your trust.

If you asked for advice on life they'd tell you something about death,

if you asked for advice on colours they'd play you a song, if you

wanted fine food they'd make you some tea. On every occasion

meeting your needs in the most simplistic, unassuming yet well

chosen responses.

They appeared in your life without you noticing them, and

disappeared softly without a trace. They were your greatest masters

and never asked for thanks. You probably owe them your heartfelt

gratitude but their reward is that you treated them like a completely

normal person.

The wave who wanted to be the ocean

The big wave who wanted to be as vast as the ocean - eventually

gave up trying to get bigger and bigger - it dropped down, forgot

itself and became.

Only an ego searches for enlightenment as an ego is the only thing

that is not enlightened. The only fake in reality is this idea of self.

When ego finds what it selfishly seeks it finds the absence of ego.

Realizing itself as nothing but an idea, it renders itself Extinguished.

What reality finds when it is rid of ego is that ..

You can not become what you already are.

My dogs best jacket

I asked my dog what she'd like to do for her birthday and she said

she had nothing to wear and no money but wanted to have a nice run

by the river and chew a stick or two.

I thought this was a great idea.

I asked my friend and she said her boyfriend had exams, they had

just moved house, work was stressful and she may not get home in

time to even have a rest before her birthday was out.

I thought "and you, human, are the smart one?"

Stories by Ta Wan

"Where Zen and Buddhism will say the truth, enlightenment,
and so on can be reached through dedicated meditation and
practice, a Tao master may sip some wine, fart, and go to sleep."

Letting Go by Gil Fronsdal

2010-10-07T03:50:00.000-05:00

Learning to let go of frustrating events, mistakes we all make, and even catastrophic and traumatic events like I experienced many years ago is something we all must learn to do if we are to ever be truly happy. Meditation in one form or another is the only way to achieve this. There are countless forms from ancient times and newer mindful techniques used today in psychological therapies but they all have one purpose - to learn to live in the Present. Below is an article from a Mindfulness Center that pertains to this "letting go". Enjoy!

Namaste'

Letting Go by Gil Fronsdal

Letting go is an important practice in everyday life, as well as on the path of liberation. Daily life provides innumerable small and large occasions for letting go of plans, desires, preferences, and opinions. It can be as simple as when the weather changes, and we abandon plans we had for the day. Or it can be as complex as deciding what to sacrifice, when pulled between the needs of family, friends, career, community, or spiritual practice. Daily life provides many situations where letting go is appropriate, or even required. Learning how to do so skillfully, is essential to a happy life.

Buddhist practice leads to a letting go that is more demanding than what ordinary life usually requires. Beyond relinquishing particular desires and opinions, we practice letting go of the underlying compulsion to cling to desires and opinions. The liberation of Buddhism is not just letting go of outdated and inaccurate self-concepts; it also involves giving up a core conceit that causes us to cling to ideas of who we are or aren’t. Liberation is releasing the deepest attachments we have.

The practice of letting go is often mistrusted. One good reason for this mistrust is because, without wisdom, it is easy to let go of the wrong things; for example, when we let go of such healthy pursuits as exercising or eating well, instead of our clinging to those pursuits. Another reason for mistrust, is that letting go or renunciation, can suggest deprivation, weakness, and personal diminishment if we think we have to abandon our views and wishes in favor of the views and wishes of others.

It is possible to let go either of a thing or of the grasping we have to that thing. In some circumstances, it is appropriate to give something up. In others, it is more important to let go of the grasping. When someone is addicted to alcohol, it is necessary to renounce alcohol. However, when someone is clinging to the past, it is not the past that needs to be abandoned, rather it is the clinging. If the past is rejected, it can’t be a source of understanding. When there is no clinging to it, it is easier to learn the lessons the past provides.

At times, it is important to understand the shortcomings of what we are clinging to before we are able to let go. This may require investigation into the nature of what we are holding on to. For example, many people have found it easier to let go of arrogance when they see clearly the effect it has on one’s relationships with others. When we see clearly what money can and can’t do for us, it can be easier to let go of the idea that money will give us a meaningful life.

Sometimes it is more important to understand the shortcomings of the grasping itself rather than the object of grasping. Grasping always hurts. It is the primary source of suffering. It limits how well we can see what is happening. When it is strong, clinging can cause us to lose touch with ourselves. It interferes with our ability to be flexible and creative and it can be a trigger for afflictive emotions.

By investigating both the grasping itself and the object of our grasping, it becomes possible to know which of these we need to let go of. If the object of grasping is harmful, then we let go of that. If the object of grasping is beneficial, then we can let go of the grasping so that what is beneficial remains. Helping a neighbor, caring for your own health and welfare, or enjoying nature can be done with or without clinging. It is accomplished much better without the clinging.

The Buddhist practice of letting go, has two important sides that fit together like the front and back of one’s hand. The first side, which is the better known, is letting go of something. The second side is letting go into something. The two sides work together like letting go of the diving board while dropping into the pool, or giving up impatience and then relaxing into the resulting ease.

While letting go can be extremely beneficial, the practice can be even more significant when we also learn to let go into something valuable. From this side, letting go is more about what is gained than what is lost. When we let go of fear, it may also be possible to let go into a sense of safety or a sense of relaxation. Forsaking the need to be right or to have one’s opinions justified can allow a person to settle into a feeling of peace. Letting go of thoughts might allow us to open to a calmer mind. By letting go into something beneficial, it can be easier to let go of something harmful. At times, people don’t want to let go because they don’t see the alternative as better than what they are holding on to. When something is clearly gained by letting go, it can be easier to do so.

We can see the Buddhist emphasis on what is gained through letting go by how the tradition understands renunciation. While the English word implies giving something up, the Buddhist analogy for renunciation, is to go out from a place that is confined and dusty, into a wide open, clear space. It is as if you have been in a one room cabin with your relatives, snowed in for an entire winter. While you may love your relatives, what is gained when you open the door and get out into the spring, probably feels exquisite.

One of the nice things about letting go into something is that it has less to do with willing something or creating something than it does with allowing or relaxing. Once we know how to swim, it can be relaxing to float by allowing the water to hold us up. Once we know how to have compassion, there may be times when we not only let go of ill-will, but also let go into a sense of empathy. Letting go of fear, may then also be resting back into a sense of calm.

A wonderful result of letting go is to experience each moment as being enough, just as it is. It allows us to be present for our experience here and now with such clarity and freedom that this very moment stands out as something profound and significant. We can let go of the headlong rush into the future, as well as the various, imaginative ways we think, “I’m not enough” or “this moment is not good enough”, so we can discover a well-being and peace not dependent on what we want or believe.

A fruit of Buddhist practice is to have available a greater range of wholesome, beautiful and meaningful inner states to let go into. In particular, one can come to know a pervasive peace, accessible through both letting go and letting go into. The full maturity of this peace is when we let go of our self as the person experiencing the peace. With no self, there is just peace.

Gathering Wisdom

YOKA DAISHI'S "SONG OF ENLIGHTENMENT"

IV. FROM THE CHINESE ZEN MASTERS

Calm Down

Namaste'

Calm down

Can Sacramento meditation practices help us learn to quiet the noise and cultivate appreciation for our world?

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING [1]

Altered Muse: Silence really is golden

What is the Dantian?

Six Poems on Living in the Mountains

Zen, Yoga, Gurdjieff- perspectives on inner work: Be the grass

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING

Namaste' **

FROM HUI-NENG'S TAN-CHING[1]

** Please excuse the formatting problem resulting in all capital letters with my introduction and the following notes. My blogging skills are humorously lacking but after contemplating this situation, I concluded that the great Wisdom contained in this post should be hollered from the rooftops! :)

Notes

1. The Dunhuang copy, edited by D. T. Suzuki, 1934. Hui-neng = Daikan Enō; 637-712 A.D.

2. The text has "the Prajnaparamita Sutra" here. But I take it to mean Prajna itself instead of the sutra.

3. The text has the "body", while the Koshoji edition and the current one have "mind".

4. The title literally reads: "the true-false moving-quiet". "True" stands against "false" and "moving" against "quiet" and as long as there is an opposition of any kind, no true spiritual insight is possible. And this insight does not grow from a quietistic exercise of meditation.

5. That is, the Absolute refuses to divide itself into two: that which sees and that which is seen.

6. "Moving" means "dividing" or "limiting". When the absolute moves, a dualistic interpretation of it takes place, which is consciousness.

7. Chih, jnana in Sanskrit, is used in contradistinction to Prajna which is the highest form of knowledge, directly seeing into the Immovable or the Absolute.

ON BELIEVING IN MIND (SHINJIN-NO-MEI)

Interlude Outside of Linear Time, Courtesy of Chuang-tse

BODHIDHARMA ON THE TWOFOLD ENTRANCE TO THE TAO

BODHIDHARMA ON THE TWOFOLD ENTRANCE TO THE TAO[1]

Methods of Practice in the Chan Hall By Master Hsu Yun (Part 2 of 2)

Methods of Practice in the Chan Hall

1. Introduction:

2. The Essentials of Chan Practice:

3. How to Start the Practice: Distinction between Host and Guest

4. Hua-t'ou and Doubt:

5. Taking Care of Hua-t'ou and Turning Inward to Hear One's Self-Nature:

6. Determined to Leave Samsara and Generating a Persevering Mind:

Essentials of Chan Practice by Master Hsu-yun (Part 1 of 2)

Essentials of Chan Practice

The Prerequisites and Understanding Necessary to Begin Chan Practice

1. The Objective of Chan Practice

2. Put Down All Entangling Conditions

3. Everyone Can Instantly Become a Buddha

4. Investigating Chan and Contemplating Mind

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

The Song of the Jeweled Mirror Samadhi

Tozan Ryokai

- Ch'an Master Tung-shan Liang-chieh

There is a Treasure in Our Own House

Letting Go Part II: Enter the Dragon

Letting Go Part I: "IT"

A Basic Buddhism Guide

Nagarjuna's Negative Dialectic and the Significance of Emptiness by Alan Gullette

Nothing is Sacred; Or, The Concept of Nothing in Zen by Alan Gullette

Castaneda's Journey to Ixtlan: A Review by Alan Gullette

"Stopping the world" and "Not-doing" in Journey to Ixtlan

Surgery Recovery Update

AWAY DUE TO SURGERY - PLEASE BE PATIENT - THANK YOU

Tao Stories by Ta Wan

Letting Go by Gil Fronsdal

Letting Go by Gil Fronsdal

Please excuse the formatting problem resulting in all capital letters with my introduction and the following notes. My blogging skills are humorously lacking but after contemplating this situation, I concluded that the great Wisdom contained in this post should be hollered from the rooftops! :)**