happy new year

the flowers that bloomed this year
are commensurately as beautiful as those
that appeared last year.
the beings who exist this year
have now become older
than they were at this time last year.
fortune that befalls an individual
tends not last for a thousand days;
flowers tend not to blossom
for more than a hundred days.
this is the function of mother earth
and comes by itself through natural process.
treasure your opportunities now,
we have nothing when they have departed.
on this very day last year–
at this entry point–
your face and the poinsettias flushed the same.
yet now your lovely face has slowly diminished,
but the poinsettias radiate just as brightly
with the winter wind’s return.
please pay attention,
make time for the essence of this life–
right now is a good time to start,
making a resolution in the future,
is truly an exercise in futility–
change can only exist
in this very moment in time.
whatever that resolution might be,
just do it now,
yes,
right now this very moment–
don’t wait
or life will have passed you by.
happy new year
may we all find everlasting peace
in the unfolding chaos of the cosmos.

photo: passiflora, Maui, HI by Paul Lynch

What is Zen?

Zen is very simple. What are you? In this world today, as it has been since human beings began to discriminate and to think, we all began searching for satisfaction outside of ourselves; however, because it seems almost counter-intuitive very few of us ever seek to find happiness within ourselves. Listening to typical conversations we hear others speak of this thing that is labeled “I.” Also, if we have enough internal witness and we listen to our own speech it may surprise us how many times we also use the word “I’ in our conversations. We all talk about this “I” as if it had a separate self, as if this “I” were somehow existent outside of us. We say things like, “I want this,” or “I am like this” but how many of us truly understand this “I” of which we speak, and where does our “I” come from?
In Zen we sometimes ask, “before you were born, before your mother and father conceived you, what was your original nature?” Along these same lines we might ask; when we die, where will we go? If we can sincerely ask ourselves, ‘What am I?’ Eventually we will run into a wall where all thinking is cut off. In our Zen Lineage we call this ‘don’t know;’ however, this state of perception is not exclusive to Zen and other traditions call this state by different names. Christians may call it Christ Consciousness, Jews may call it, YHWH, Daoists might call it the Great and Ineffable Dao, the great twentieth Century Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki Roshi called it Beginner’s Mind, consequently each path has a separate name for this one state of mind. So, Zen practice is about keeping a don’t-know mind always and everywhere.

when walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking,
being silent moving, being still...
at all times, in all places, without interruption–what is this?
one mind is infinite kalpas.-- Zen Master Seung Sahn

We define meditation in Zen as maintaining a don’t-know mind when bowing, chanting, as well as during seated meditation. Yet, for us in this modern twenty first century it is highly important to keep this don’t know mind every minute of our waking life. There are no special forms of existence or places that will take us out of our current situation or condition; this is the place where we try to escape reality by using drugs, alcohol, video games, the company of others, etc. In and of themselves, these actions are not good or not bad, it is just that it all boils down to a simple question. “Do you control your thinking, or does your thinking control you?” For most of us we have a constant dialog going on in our heads, but who is it that we are talking with? We create this separation inside our own heads. If we can stop this endless train of thoughts, this constitutes what we call formal Zen practice, and it isn’t what we think. We may think that we must meditate, or go off to a mountain top in silence to find ourselves; but Buddha taught that if we are ever to wake up to our own humanity it must be in this very moment. By keeping a don’t know mind when we are doing something, we can just do it. When driving, we just drive; when eating, we can just eat; when working we can just work.
Eventually our don’t know-mind will become clear. Then when we see the sky, there is only blue—when we see the tree, there is only green. Our mind becomes like a clear untarnished mirror­­­—if red appears the mirror reflects red; if white appears the mirror reflects white. If a hungry person arrives, we can give some food; if a thirsty person arrives, we can give something to quench their thirst. In the end there is no desire for myself, only for all sentient beings. This mind is already enlightened; it is what we call Great Love, Great Compassion, and the Great Bodhisattva Way. Zen is very simple, it is not difficult!

Perfect Enlightenment Sutra

Samantabhadra Bodhisattva

Samantabhadra, understand
that the infinite misleading unawareness
of all sentient beings
is based upon the Tathāgata’s
attainment of Complete Enlightenment.
Like a phantom appearing in empty space,
its appearance depends upon the open space.
When the phantom disappears,
the empty space returns to its original unmoving state.
Delusion is dependent
upon enlightenment for its arising.
With the extinction of illusion,
enlightenment is entirely perfect,
for the enlightened mind is ever steadfast.
All bodhisattvas and sentient beings
in the decline of the Dharma Age
must forever leave delusions far, far away
until they are all finally extinguished.
It is like creating a fire with wood,
when the wood is burned away,
the fire is also extinguished.
Enlightenment contains no gradual steps;
which also applies to expedient means.

before its over

today is December 21st
in the two thousand and eighth year
of the Christian calendar;
Christmas is as yet to appear
and already minds are racing ahead
to the new year.
on Christmas eve
spend time with your family
on New Year’s eve spend time
with family and friends;
may the utter and unfettered mind
of all that has come
and all that is yet to be
find a place in your heart

dochong, jdpsn

What Buddha Taught

I try to use Buddha’s teaching in my life. Buddha suggested that his followers only do what he taught if it worked in the context of their own lives. He encouraged people to listen to his ideas, think about his suggestions, try out what made sense – keep doing what worked – and to just “let go” of what did not work.

Sounds like sage advice indeed.

Temptation of a Monk

This being Christmas, and after reading my Dharma Brother, Barry's, recent blog http://www.oxherding.com/my_weblog/2008/12/this-is-it.html I decided that it was time that I shared my favorite Zen movie with you all. This is such a wonderful depiction of what a seeker of the dharma goes through and doesn't feign a single point. As for the Dukkha, this movie is full of the genuine 'suffering' of life. The movie deals with all of the issues of life head on and is not meant for a "G" audience. If you don't like explicit sex or violence, don't watch this movie. It is not exploitive in its deliverance of the sex and violence, it merely supports one man's journey through life. The zen lessons are so powerful in the end of this movie, that I am in awe of the writers and directors. If you have a few bucks to spend, please watch this movie, you won't be disappointed.

There is also great humor in this video, as well as a great story line. It does follow a great warrior into a life of redemption and solitude. The diffuculties don't leave him, but the end result will leave you with a marked impression of what it means to practice the Dharma.

This melodramatic epic martial arts and Zen Buddhist film from Hong Kong filmmaker Clara Law is set in 7th-century China and center's on a disgraced warrior's quest for redemption. Formerly a general, he trustingly made a devil's bargain with a rival general that resulted in the assassination of his troops and the prince he was sworn to protect. Though every part of him aches for bloody vengeance, the fallen fighter follows his mother's last dying wish and becomes a peaceful wanderer. He tries, but things don't go the way he hoped for everywhere he goes. His nemesis attacks, and, before long, kills everyone the good general cares about, including his lover, a beautiful princess. He finally finds solace in a remote Buddhist temple where he undergoes instruction from a community of Zen Monks that look like something out of a Doctor Seuss novel, but the Zen Master is the real deal here. This time trouble comes in the form of a beautiful widow, a woman who looks exactly like his slain love. On the heels of her betrayal comes the wicked general and before the heroic warrior can find lasting peace, he must survive one last battle.

Mirror of Zen, Chapter 2

The appearance of the Buddhas and Chán Ancestors in this world are like waves arising on a mirror ocean.

Commentary

“The Buddha and Chán Ancestors” in this sentence refers to Śākyamuni and Mahākāśyapa. The phrase, “the appearance... in this world” means to consider great compassion as the essential aspiration to saving all sentient beings. However, if we examine this from the perspective of the one thing, each individual’s Original Nature is already perfect and complete; then, why should we rely on others to “baste it with seasonings and dredge it in flour?”16 For this very reason, “being born into this world” causes many ripples on the calmness of the original ocean. Furthermore, the Hsu-k’ung-tsang Sutra states: “Written words are evil karma. Name and form are evil karma. Even the words of the Buddha are evil karma.”

This means that you should directly perceive what is originally yours; the Buddha and ancestors cannot help you.

Verse

heaven and earth have lost their brilliance.
the sun and the moon do not shine.

Wanting Enlightenment

Wanting enlightenment is like going to the airport say in Los Angeles and asking for a ticket to Los Angeles. The ticket agent will most likely tell you, “You’re already in Los Angeles.”
“But you don’t understand,” the person will say, “I want to go to Los Angeles.”
“But you’re already in Los Angeles.”
“No, no! I want to go to Los Angeles.”
“O.K.,” so the ticket agent might say. “We can route you from Los Angeles to San Francisco, then to Denver, then to Chicago, then to New York, then to Atlanta, then to Dallas, then to Phoenix, then to Los Angeles. Would you like that?”“Wonderful,” the seeker will say as if in a dream.

Zen practice is just like this-you are already there, but you don’t know it.

Its like Linji said, "looking for the true meaning of life is much like riding an ox, while looking for the ox.

Al Halláj Mansur

Al Halláj Mansur was a legendary Iranian Sufi Master who lived between 858—922 ACE and is reputedly one of the earliest Islamic Sufi Masters recorded in history. He is said to have lived his life as a dervish wandering through the vast expanse of the Middle Eastern Desert teaching and sharing his love of Allah (God) wherever he went. He would often go into trance where his only explanation of the state of mind he connected with was that it seemed he had become one with all creation, existence, and with Allah.

In 922, Halláj was convicted of blasphemy by the leaders of a local religious community and was executed through the slow tortuous process of pouring molten lead into his ear. The case against him was that he had claimed to have discovered God within himself and that he had repeatedly declared, “Ana al-haqq” which means; “I am the truth.” This statement may seem innocuous to those of us in the West, but following the tradition of the Sufi’s who would purposefully build ambiguity into their songs and poetry, this statement also had a dual meaning and he was also saying: “I am God!” Jesus Christ, was quoted as saying, “I am the way; I am the truth and I am life.” (John 14:6) Indirectly, Jesus was also executed for the very same reason. Halláj and Jesus both spoke of the truth but what is this truth to which they allude? How many of us know what the truth is to which these men referred?

Six hundred years ago Kabir was born in India in 1398 AD. He is said to have lived for 120 years and legend has it that he finally relinquished his body in 1518. The period of his life is also said to be the beginning of Bhakti Movement in India. Kabir, who was reputedly an illiterate weaver, ranks among the world’s greatest poets. He lived in the Indian city of Benares about a hundred years before William Shakespeare gained popularity in Europe. In India he is perhaps the most quoted of writers, but, at the same time, in his life he criticized all the religious sects of his country. He refused to allow anyone to classify him as Hindu, Muslim, Sufi or Bhakta. However, he is still mentioned with respect and honor by even those most tradition–bound. This paradox can be accounted for by the fact that Kabir spoke the Truth. He, simply, had wisdom. Kabir, whose present–day followers claim was born of a virgin, performed many miracles which included raising people from the dead, said; “Behold but One in all things; it is the second that leads you astray.” A famous poem by Kabir is:

what is seen is not the truth,
what is cannot be said.
trust comes not without seeing,
nor understanding without words.
the wise comprehends with knowledge,
to the ignorant it is but a wonder.
some worship a formless God,
others worship God’s various forms.
how is God unlike these mental attributes?
only the Knower knows,
a music that cannot be written.
what is the tune of your own song?
Kabir, with what awareness
will you overcome this severe illusion?
awareness alone is the key.

Sakyamuni Buddha sat under a bodhi tree for six years, and following his enlightenment, is reported to have said, “In all the universe I am the only One.” Following the now infamous encounter with a crowd of people intent on stoning an adulterous woman to her death, Jesus Christ was questioned by the Temple Priests about his family heritage and who exactly he was. Jesus simply said, “My Father and I are One.” Yet, how many of us know who or what is this One with which these men claimed union?

The various religions of the world recorded their teachings using the stories and metaphors that form their philosophies and theologies and are some times unique to a particular culture. However, if we look below the surface there is a common foundation that is based upon the experiences of the rare individuals (the Sage or the Saint) who actually transcended their ordinary world. Furthermore, our perception of the ordinary world is actually established and maintained by dependence upon our intellect and force of habit; conversely, it is by nurturing the more powerful functions of mind, such as direct perception, that we can eventually learn to transcend our own mental bondage. Depending upon our logical thought processes and by using our cognitive faculties we perceive imaginatively distinguished parts; however, if we can shift the focus to our before-thinking mind (direct perception) we get a chance to perceive the whole from which the parts are conceptually separated. Cognitive function therefore serves to separate us from the unified truth and from the kingdom of God that the Sages are all jabbering about.

The name “Pharisees” means “the separated ones” and, as Jesus Christ indicated repeatedly, the Pharisees were not only separated from other men, but also from God. Like so many of us, the Pharisees were separated from the truth by their insistence upon an exclusively conceptual understanding of the world.

It should not be surprising, therefore, that the words of sages from all religious traditions seem to defy logic and rationality, what we call common sense. After his enlightenment, Bankei, a famous seventeenth-century Japanese Zen Master, said, “When I woke up, I realized that I could never die because I had never been born.” Speaking about the same sort of realization, Jesus Christ said; “In very truth I tell you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58)
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was probably the most famous Indian sage of the twentieth century. He was renowned for his saintly life, for the fullness of his self–realization, and for the feelings of deep peace that visitors experienced in his presence. So many people came to see him at the holy hill of Arunchala where he spent his adult life that an ashram had to be built around him. He answered questions for many hours every day, but never considered himself to be anyone's guru.

At the age of sixteen Ramana Maharshi left his home, his family, and all he knew. He felt drawn to Arunachula—a small mountain in Southern India. His only possessions were a piece of cloth to cover himself, and a walking stick. Little by little word of a sage living alone on Arunachula mountain became known. Many felt drawn to sit in his presence. Ramana Maharshi, was on his deathbed when his followers began crying and tearfully asked, “Master, are you leaving us?” Ramana laughed and asked, “Where could I possibly go?” He was not saying that nothingness awaited him, nor was he denying the physical death of the body. He was saying that who he is, in truth, couldn’t possibly die. Ramana Maharshi, like Al Halláj Mansur, Jesus Christ, Sant Kabir, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Bankei Roshi, had realized his unity with the One who never dies. He had discovered what Jesus Christ called “my Father.”

Each of us has the fundamental choice of whether to attend to the present moment or whether to get lost in our cognitive processes. Through directly perceiving this moment, we can discover the Infinite. From our viewpoint the choice is quite clear.

Chapter Five

The Dao doesn't take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil.
The Master doesn't take sides; she welcomes both saints and sinners.

The Dao is like a bellows: it is empty yet infinitely capable.
The more you use it, the more it produces;
the more you talk of it, the less you understand.

Hold on to the center.

Copyright Stephen Mitchell

A Light Unto Yourself

I was watching a special on the life of Jiddu Krishnamurti tonight and thought I would share one of my favorite passages of his.

To be aware is to watch your bodily activity, the way you walk, the way you sit, the movements of your hands: it is to hear the words you use, to observe all your thoughts, all your emotions, all your reactions. It includes awareness of the unconscious,with its traditions,its instinctual knowledge,and the immense sorrow it has accumulated—not only personal sorrow,but the sorrow of man. You have to be aware of all that; and you cannot be aware of it if you are merely judging, evaluating, saying, "This is good and that is bad, this I will keep and that I will reject," all of which only makes the mind dull, insensitive.

From awareness comes attention. Attention flows from awareness when in that awareness there is no choice,no personal choosing, no experiencing... but merely observing. And, to observe, you must have in the mind a great deal of space. A mind that is caught in ambition, greed, envy, in the pursuit of pleasure and self-fulfillment, with its inevitable sorrow, pain, despair, anguish—such a mind has no space in which to observe, to attend. It is crowded with its own desires, going round and round in its own backwaters of reaction. You cannot attend if your mind is not highly sensitive, sharp, reasonable, logical, sane, healthy,without the slightest shadow of neuroticism. The mind has to explore every corner of itself, leaving no spot uncovered, because if there is a single dark corner of one's mind which one is afraid to explore, from that springs illusion...

It is only in the state of attention that you can be a light unto yourself, and then every action of your daily life springs from that light— every action—whether you are doing your job, cooking, going for a walk, mending clothes, or what you will. This whole process is meditation...

J. Krishnamurti

Want what is happening now!

Buddha, in his ultimate wisdom said this; "want what you have."

This is an interesting paradox, is it not?

A spiritual teacher, asking us to "want what we have!"

Can we actually want what we already have?

Do you want what you already have?

Please take this words to heart, and find their meaning.

The Seven Koan Categories

Zen Master Sungsan taught that there are many ways to answer Koan's and some Koan's are structured in such a way that the appropriate way to answer them is dependent on knowing these categories of koans.

1. Without Like This.
maintain complete silence, true emptiness, only don’t know.

2. Become One Like This.
demonstrate primary point, hit floor or shout Katz!

3. Special Energy.
magic style, 270º question/answer.

4. Only Like This.
the cup is cup, or stick is brown.

5. Subject Just Like This.
when you are hungry, what? Eat!

6. Object Just Like This.
if someone is hungry, what? Give them food!

7. Dharma Exchange.
how can you express yourself outside of thought? You must not hesitate!

If you are working on a particular koan, or holding a hau'tou and you don't understand it, then not understanding is where you are right now. If you maintain a not understanding mind eventually your not knowing mind will become stronger and stronger. Once this not knowing and you become one, you will then be able to maintain the great question and have great doubt. When you can finally allow this not knowing to permeate all of your senses, then you will attain complete enlightenment. If you keep a small question, then small enlightenment is possible. There are many kinds of enlightenment; first enlightenment, second enlightenment, third enlightenment, and then finally, no enlightenment. No enlightenment is perfect enlightenment.