BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

[Omoi Otoshi]

BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I just mowed the back yard lawn. Two and a half hours on the garden tractor. Pure meditation. My two-year-old was sitting in my lap with earmuffs and a cap on. Normally, he can't be still for two minutes, but now he was sitting completely still for two hours, with only short stops to empty the collector. The motor was humming in the background, but birdsong could still be heard through the noise and the earmuffs. There was the smell of cut grass and spring. Sheer greenery everywhere. I hadn't noticed that the cherry tree was in full bloom. Close to the blossoms, bees and bumblebees were buzzing around. Below the tree were tiny little pink flowers that I don't remember seeing before. Above, an airplane was making loops and rolls in the sky, not a common sight in these parts. When we emptied the grass for the last time, I was going to ask the kid if he enjoyed it. In that moment, he turned around and smiled, grinned. With his whole face, his whole body. I didn't say anything. Maybe because we still had the earmuffs on, maybe because no words were necessary. I just bent down and kissed him on the forehead. A beautiful day.

Gassho,
Pontus

[RichardH]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Boy, a lot of words for a Koan about not speaking! 8)



Gassho, J

uh oh ... sorry.

here......











.. Gassho

... ahh it's too late.. already blew it.

[Omoi Otoshi]

BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Yes, no gold star for you my friend!

/Pontus

[Rich]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

When we emptied the grass for the last time, I was going to ask the kid if he enjoyed it. In that moment, he turned around and smiled, grinned. With his whole face, his whole body. I didn't say anything. Maybe because we still had the earmuffs on, maybe because no words were necessary. I just bent down and kissed him on the forehead. A beautiful day.

Gassho,
Pontus

Wonderful story. Like you Budddha was a wonderful father.

Am looking forward to commenting on this first case but the responses have been so interesting and thoughtful that I get carried away by them.

[Koshin]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Wonderful story. Like you Budddha was a wonderful father.

Am looking forward to commenting on this first case but the responses have been so interesting and thoughtful that I get carried away by them.

Ditto

[Jinyo]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I just mowed the back yard lawn. Two and a half hours on the garden tractor. Pure meditation. My two-year-old was sitting in my lap with earmuffs and a cap on. Normally, he can't be still for two minutes, but now he was sitting completely still for two hours, with only short stops to empty the collector. The motor was humming in the background, but birdsong could still be heard through the noise and the earmuffs. There was the smell of cut grass and spring. Sheer greenery everywhere. I hadn't noticed that the cherry tree was in full bloom. Close to the blossoms, bees and bumblebees were buzzing around. Below the tree were tiny little pink flowers that I don't remember seeing before. Above, an airplane was making loops and rolls in the sky, not a common sight in these parts. When we emptied the grass for the last time, I was going to ask the kid if he enjoyed it. In that moment, he turned around and smiled, grinned. With his whole face, his whole body. I didn't say anything. Maybe because we still had the earmuffs on, maybe because no words were necessary. I just bent down and kissed him on the forehead. A beautiful day.

Gassho,
Pontus

That's a lovely story (you have a big lawn Pontus :shock: ) - when we say back yard in the Uk it's usually the size of a postage stamp

Willow

[Omoi Otoshi]

BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Yes, it's in the country side. The grass was long and a little wet, so I couldn't go very fast. The lawn in front of the house takes an hour and a half and the back another two hours... But I don't consider it to be work. It's pure relaxation!

Gassho,
Pontus

[Shugen]

BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I saw a great blue heron on a rooftop and a mallard duck in my neighbor's pool. Things I've never seen here. We had a group cuddle in bed, dogs and all!

Happy Mother's day.


Shugen

[Ryumon]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I am currently in a difficult situation with one of my clients. Following a change in direction, the company is totally changing its marketing approaches. My work creating content for this company is a large part of their marketing. In addition, this company is my largest client.

I've been working for this company for more than 15 years, and my work has been instrumental in the way the company has built its reputation. but I cannot agree with the approach that they are taking, and have gotten to the point where I do not feel that I can work for them anymore.

At first, I was fighting these changes, trying to explain what was wrong in their decisions. Some of the changes are certainly good, but the overall changes go against the way I want to work. In the past couple of weeks, I finally realized that fighting these changes is not beneficial for me. I've also realized that if I cannot continue to work with this company, well, then I just have to stop working with them. So I am at a point now where I am accepting both a major change — as my largest client, this represents more than half of my income — and the possibilities that this will open for the future. Instead of just seeing this as fully negative, I am seeing how this will both allow me and force me to find new clients to replace this one, and possibly moving in a different direction.

So, in some ways I have reached the point where it seems much better to "just allow and not fight," as Jundo said above.

[RichardH]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Yes, no gold star for you my friend!

/Pontus

...oh boy.... maybe I really want a gold star..... :mrgreen:

[Shokai]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I didn't get the feeling that Manjushri was 'outflowing' (after all he was quite wise), I felt he was preparing the gathered listeners for what Buddha was going to say about the Dharma King's Dharma and, he did this by descending the platform. Has this ever happened to me? Yes! A few times when what I prepared was said by speakers before me but, I would stupidly go on and try to patch it up. This happened a few times until I realized it is best to say what is on you mind 'in the moment.' If that happens to be nothing, say nothing; they'll never know what you are thinking

[Risho]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Right now, my wife is visiting her mother in the hospital. I'm at home with the dogs. I miss my wife; I want to be with her and her family. I want to do something to fix this! I have to keep coming back to now, and let go, and now and let go. There is nothing I can do at this moment, but just relax and let it be. I can sit zazen, offer metta and pray. That is a form of letting things be. I can use this as an opportunity to practice.

Also from a professional perspective, I'm a software developer. Lots of times I encounter problems that just blindside me. "Things should not be behaving like that!" That type of thinking is destructive. I have a problem or problems like that now. It scares me. I'm supposed to be the expert and know everything about the system, but that's not true at all. Still I have a responsibility to do my utmost to fix it. The best way I can do that is to not allow destructive emotions based on my desire about a situation to cloud my judgement. It's called computer science because we have to step back and observe and take correct action based on what the facts are showing us. When I get in the way of that, then I will never solve the problem. Hell I may not solve the problem anyway, but it is much more peaceful and balanced to act on what the reality of things are then how we want them to be. In that way, I can be blinded to what actually is; if I don't know what is, I can't fix it.

Boy, a lot of words for a Koan about not speaking! 8)

What was spoken loud and clear by the Buddha, coming up ... going down the stairs?

What was taught that might not be heard in a lecture of 10,000,000 words?

Gassho, J

This teaching seems to be similar to what the daily practice of zazen teaches me.

Words, thoughts, judgements are necessary to act in this world, but they are a filter or lens through which we see the world. If we hold to tightly onto words, we forget the reality. At the same time, I am a man of reason, and I think thinking is a wondrous thing (hahaha I didn't intend think thinking pun. lol). So we need both. The point of this is that nothing more can be said... reality doesn't need a description. This is it now; we need to see it. We need to keep on coming back and seeing it. We need to notice when we are grasping and clinging, then just watch that go and then see it again. That's what Shikantaza has taught me.

There are always going to be thoughts; that is natural and human! However, when we cling or hold on, the 3 poisons of greed, anger and ignorance take place. This is my life! I make my own decisions! I don't care what you think! I will drink as much as I want to. I will smoke, I will hurt myself because it has no bearing on your life. Oh "they" aren't as smart as "us". "They" don't get "us". We must protect "our" stuff, and not let "them" take it.

I guess I'm being melodramatic, but reality is not like that. We all impact each other. But in order to see reality, we need to stop adding to it. Not that we are really adding anything at all to what is. But I mean in our mind.

Sorry for so many words. This not speaking seems to be at the heart of the teaching.

Gassho,

Risho

P.S I also found it interesting that Shishin Roshi asked the question why do you practice zazen? Before I even knew zazen involved a mediation practice, I was an armchair Buddhist. I read the koans and other stories about 10 or so years ago because they comforted me in some odd way; I also liked the idea of gaining enlightenment.. another notch on my ego's resume. Perhaps this ascending and descending is a shattering of that wish to gain something. You already are this. You are here now! Trying to add or take away is like living life with training wheels on. You don't experience the ride. True zen to me.... why I practice, is to see directly without that lens or at least to note when I do. It's to stop feeling like I'm not good enough now if I have to lose weight or can't solve everything; but that's bs. This life is a damned gift! Practice is to try and see what is now and really act upon that naturally. But why is that important? Because I think true action without the lens of self-interest is true compassion. Acting without that lens is like the 4 Bodhisattva vows. It may be impossible, but it's a damned good thing to practice and aim for. I don't know.. .just some thoughts that came while I was washing the dishes.

[Jundo]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Boy, a lot of words for a Koan about not speaking! 8)

What was spoken loud and clear by the Buddha, coming up ... going down the stairs?

What was taught that might not be heard in a lecture of 10,000,000 words?

Gassho, J

I love how this is going!

Time to play some Dogen word games:

A "lot of words" is the Koan of "not speaking."

The stairs, preaching loud and clear, go straight up Buddha and right down Manjushri.

In a lecture of 10,000,000 words, the "not be heard" is taught "as it is".

Printer jams, a partner leaves, soccer foul and parents too,

mother sick, work don't work, hearts and legs broken ...

A nail from old stairs pierces Buddha's foot ... OUCH!... Manjushri tumbles down ...

Cutting grass, This Moment on 10,000 blades.

A "PREFACE TO THE ASSEMBLY" and "APPRECIATORY VERSE" ... though I ain't much the poet.


Gassho, J

[Risho]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Gassho, I love that poem

ok I hate cliche's and I hate parroting other zen stuff... But it seems sometimes like Zen is the art of falling and getting back up... It's always about getting back up. It's hard to state this without sounding too absolutist... but it's almost like who cares about the result? Follow your heart with good intent. Of course if the results are missing the mark, pick yourself back up, adjust course and keep on trying. But not try in a half-hearted way like Yoda told Luke, but just straight doing with all of your being following your heart. For example, saving all sentient is an impossible feat. Who cares? We are all in this together, let's do it! Let's shut up and clarify ourselves by trying to not add anything/ not take anything away and do this non-thing!

I remember hearing a talk about a master of archery, and the master would follow a methodical process of setting the arrow, breathing calmly and releasing. No matter where it lands, he would say "bullseye"! No matter how we try and describe the Way, we will naturally miss the mark, but we must keep on doing it to save all sentient beings as words and ideas (although the finger) can point. case in point, we are all here sharing in this marvelous practice, brought here by word of mouth :mrgreen:

Gassho,

Risho

[Rimon]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

From time to time I got angry at people
Because they are not doing the right thing, what they are supposed to do
Then, a few times, I let silence sink in
And I realize that "right" and "wrong" are just words
And I laugh
Rimon's Dharma is just as it is

Thank you Taigu, Jundo, Treeleaf for showing it to me

Gassho


Rimon