BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 82

[Michael Joseph]

Hello all,

From what I understand about koans, they seem to be a challenge to the student to discover his/her own expression of zen or "it," even if it is only "80%"--or less. My response to this koan is the following:

Sound and forms and the mind that we "perceives" them re identical in at least one dynamic function: they are like Legos. When I was a kid, my friends and I started collecting Legos, which back in the 70s were much more basic. One of us would build a set following the directions--a Swiss villa, a firehouse, a helicopter--and then put it on his shelf. He was done and the Legos were done: they had found their permanent form, the thought of deconstructing the set filled my friend with anxiety. On the other hand, I would build a set, play with it for a bit, and then break it down and use the pieces to build whatever cam to mind, usually spaceships. (I was on a steady dose of Star Trek and Lost in Space at that tie.) My friend could never realize the possibilities of his own mind the Legos' potential for new forms because the only way he understood those bricks was as the form on the cover of the box they came in.

I admit this is no Genjokoan, but its a metaphor that's helpful for me, and it's how I see sound and form--and the seeing of sound and form--at the moment.

Gassho

Hobun/Michael

STLAH

[Jundo]

For Mahayana Buddhists, a single note by a single instrument of a symphony is not merely a "part" of the symphony, but is the whole symphony. The entire symphony fills the note, as do all the other parts and bars and instruments, as if the entire symphony and entire orchestra were embodied fully within each single note (and perhaps an endless string of notes containing whole orchestras playing symphonies containing notes containing whole orchestras ... )

A drop of ocean is not merely a "part" of the ocean, but embodies the entire ocean within, and every other possible configuration of the ocean, and every shoreline or possible shoreline, and each grain of sand on those possible shorelines ... each drop or grain of which also does the same and on and on ...

Today, on another thread, we discovered that ...

it is believed that between 120 to 300 sextillion (that’s 1.2 x 10²³ to 3.0 x 10²³) stars exist within our observable universe. But looking closer, at the atomic scale, the numbers get even more inconceivable.

At this level, it is estimated that the there are between 10 [to the power of] 78 to 10[to the power of] 82 atoms in the known, observable universe. In layman’s terms, that works out to between ten quadrillion vigintillion and one-hundred thousand quadrillion vigintillion atoms.
...
This is to say that the number of legal configurations on a 13 by 13 goban is nearly equal to our current estimate of the number of elementary particles in the observable Universe. The number of legal configurations on a 19 by 19 board is vastly more than the square of that.
https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...l=1#post241623

That is to say that each single piece or each one configuration of the go board holds the entire board as well as every other possible configuration ... every particle of the universe does likewise for the whole universe.

That said ...

I was reading a Tibetan teacher's book today where he described "Emptiness" as not our usual concept of something "empty," meaning the absence of things. Rather, it is more like the fertile soil of all possibilities that holds both everything that is possible -- as well as -- the absence of all possibilities, and transcends all possibilities.

In this way, Big "S" Silence, is not the absence of sound alone, but is every possible sound that can be made or heard, as well as small "s" silence, and is beyond and right through both ordinary "sound vs. silence." Each drop of this Silent Sound sings each and all possible silences and sounds as a chorus. In sitting Zazen, one "hears" (not in the normal way with just the ears) this Silent Sound. One "sees" (not in the normal way with just the eyes) everything in each thing and more.

Something like that.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Tairin]

PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY
When sounds and colors are not let go,
This state is known as “being conditioned by the environment.”
If you are seeking by sound and seeing by shape,
You will never experience the Buddha of this very moment.
Aren't you pursuing a way to return home?

I was reflecting on the Preface to this koan today and I was reminded of this.

At first, I saw mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers. Then, I saw mountains were not mountains and rivers were not rivers. Finally, I see mountains again as mountains, and rivers again as rivers.

Shapes and sounds make up our existence. Delusion seems to arise when I put extra significance on those shapes and sounds.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Michael Joseph]

I was reading a Tibetan teacher's book today where he described "Emptiness" as not our usual concept of something "empty," meaning the absence of things. Rather, it is more like the fertile soil of all possibilities that holds both everything that is possible -- as well as -- the absence of all possibilities, and transcends all possibilities.

In this way, Big "S" Silence, is not the absence of sound alone, but is every possible sound that can be made or heard, as well as small "s" silence, and is beyond and right through both ordinary "sound vs. silence." Each drop of this Silent Sound sings each and all possible silences and sounds as a chorus. In sitting Zazen, one "hears" (not in the normal way with just the ears) this Silent Sound. One "sees" (not in the normal way with just the eyes) everything in each thing and more.


STLah

Jundo,

Am I right, then, in thinking that to look at a flower is to see the flower, to see what the flower was, to see what the flower will be, to see what the flower could have been, to see what the flower might be, to see what the flower might become--in other words, to see the flower as a vorex of possibilities--while also accepting and seeing the absence of our concept of possibility? And then we smile and let go of all possibilities so that the can flower be whatever it is and is not?

Gassho,

Hobun/Michael

STLAH

[Jundo]

Jundo,

Am I right, then, in thinking that to look at a flower is to see the flower, to see what the flower was, to see what the flower will be, to see what the flower could have been, to see what the flower might be, to see what the flower might become--in other words, to see the flower as a vorex of possibilities--while also accepting and seeing the absence of our concept of possibility? And then we smile and let go of all possibilities so that the can flower be whatever it is and is not?

Gassho,

Hobun/Michael

STLAH

l don't know Hobun. l see the whole universe.

When Buddha was on Vulture Peak he twirled a flower before the assembly. Everyone was silent. Only Mahakashapa smiled. Buddha said: `I have the eye treasury of the true teaching, the heart of Nirvana, the true form of non-form, and the ineffable gate of Dharma. It is a special transmission outside the teaching. I now entrust it to Mahakashapa.'

Gassho, J

STLah

[Michael Joseph]

Sit. Watch. Listen.

Gassho,

Hobun

STLAH

[Getchi]

All of a sudden I was reminded of the Flower Turning on Vulture Peak. Its these words and forms today that are appropriate, yesterdays answer is not correct today and no matter how hard we try, basic reality is humanities common feature, our distinctions are our individual self.

So that chasing forms will lead to missing right now.

I have no idea why this came to me like this, but its feels like a full answer. Which is a relief, because this case was really busting my mind, I had something just there but couldnt quit put it into words - thats where this came from.


Gassho,
Geoff.

SatToday
LaH.