BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

[Jundo]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

This past Sunday was Mother's Day in the US. My mother decided she would like a simple day at a local park with close family. So my wife and I, our two daughters, my sister, her boyfriend, and his wonderful old dog spent the day there with my mother and father. We had a nice picnic lunch in the shade, played with the girls on the playground equipment, went for a leisurely hike around the lake. It was one of the most enjoyable outings I can remember, and after reading this koan, I think that's largely due to me "turning off" my brain. I tend to add so much mental commentary to every experience I have, but not this time... not sure why.

So it was just

eating, eating, eating
playing, playing, playing,
hiking, hiking, hiking
laughing, laughing, laughing,
loving, loving, loving

kids throwing rocks into the lake, watching the water ripple
everyone laughing at the old dog's delight at jumping into the shallow water, "hunting" the geese
reminiscing about our time as little kids at the same park with our parents

nothing complicated, nothing orchestrated

ascending, descending

_/_

Thank you, Kaishin. Lovely.

When we can be this way, 'tis truly something ... all welcome, even the sometime ants and passing rain storms of life's picnic.

Gassho, J

[Madrone]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Just checking in to say that I read the first case. Difficult day with my birth family. I tried to accept that things are as they are. I need more practice.

[Shogen]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Walking, standing, and sitting all daily examples of wisdom without words. There is a time for speaking and a time for silence. Knowing when to apply them is wisdom. When i am silent now is without dogma or definition but when i speak there is only a goal and now is only a wake. Great learning has always come from silent observation but I can't remember learning anything when speaking. What difference is there between silence and ATTENTION? gassho shogen

[Ekai]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

This past Sunday was Mother's Day in the US. My mother decided she would like a simple day at a local park with close family. So my wife and I, our two daughters, my sister, her boyfriend, and his wonderful old dog spent the day there with my mother and father. We had a nice picnic lunch in the shade, played with the girls on the playground equipment, went for a leisurely hike around the lake. It was one of the most enjoyable outings I can remember, and after reading this koan, I think that's largely due to me "turning off" my brain. I tend to add so much mental commentary to every experience I have, but not this time... not sure why.

So it was just

eating, eating, eating
playing, playing, playing,
hiking, hiking, hiking
laughing, laughing, laughing,
loving, loving, loving

kids throwing rocks into the lake, watching the water ripple
everyone laughing at the old dog's delight at jumping into the shallow water, "hunting" the geese
reminiscing about our time as little kids at the same park with our parents

nothing complicated, nothing orchestrated

ascending, descending

_/_

I did a similar thing with my son on Mother's Day. It was a beautiful, bright sunny day and we played outside in the backyard blowing bubbles. Then I put him in the stroller and we walked to the park. Hunter and I went down the slides together and just enjoyed being together. I thought about this koan too and brought myself back to the moment whenever my mind intellectualized the experience. It was wonderful to just be with my son with nothing else added.

Gassho,
Ekai

[Nenka]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Can you describe a problem or incident in your life, now or in the past ... a situation that is/was very hard ... that your head was filled with thoughts and emotions about, and that you resisted or hated very much ... but would have/did/might experience very differently by just being "without words", just allowing and not fighting?

Yes. All the time. And sometimes you have to know when to get off your platform, and when to stay there and say something useful.

When you realize the Dharma-King's dharma, the Dharma-King's dharma is just as it is.

When you realize.

When.

Until then, you probably won't see it.

Gassho

Jen

[RichardH]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I've been rolling around this koan..

There is something I want to see in it... a suggestion or promise that with the right “letting go”,
what is not-ok will be ok while being not-ok. Somehow the very not-ok-ness will, on a deeper level, be ok. But that is not what this koan is about. It is not about letting go... at all.

This line from Jundo's poem...

"This Moment on 10,000 blades".

.. it flashes-out to ok is ok, and not-ok is not-ok... It is not about letting go, or surrender, or just being, or allowing, any effort, or non-effort, at all... it is not about any of that. It just flashes out..

[Rich]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

"This Moment on 10,000 blades".

.. it flashes-out to ok is ok, and not-ok is not-ok... It is not about letting go, or surrender, or just being, or allowing, any effort, or non-effort, at all... it is not about any of that. It just flashes out..

There's a fine line between experience - as is ness - flashing out - being in the zone - suchness - and thinking about or havng opinions about or judgements about experience. Doesn't moving about freely between them involve some action which some might call letting go?

[Taigu]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Not a word is
Not getting in the way
Of the Way

Way-self
beyond construct beliefs blablabla
Ascends

As you-me-others
Return to the source
The origin is eloquently silent

Drive or sleep
Shop or clean up
It ll find you there

The eloquent silent
Which is you all over
All along
And no big deal

Gassho

T.

[RichardH]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

"This Moment on 10,000 blades".

.. it flashes-out to ok is ok, and not-ok is not-ok... It is not about letting go, or surrender, or just being, or allowing, any effort, or non-effort, at all... it is not about any of that. It just flashes out..

There's a fine line between experience - as is ness - flashing out - being in the zone - suchness - and thinking about or havng opinions about or judgements about experience. Doesn't moving about freely between them involve some action which some might call letting go?

ha.. I just wrote a looong piece about practice history and suffering etc.. then pushed the wrong key. pooof.


Basically in my experience letting-go is non-suffering.. but there is also holding-on and suffering. There is both. I used to think practice was about uprooting greed, hatred, and delusion.. so there would only be non-suffering...Nirvana, but have learned that Zen practice is about realizing Nirvana and Samsara , non-suffering and suffering, as two sides of one "coin". Maybe this is what Sunface Buddha/Moonface Buddha means? This koan is about that "coin".. and it can't be entered by either holding or letting go. So it is a flash.


But just talking about this now... it falls like a lump of coal at my feet.

Gassho, kojip

[Kyonin]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I've been sitting. I've been thinking about this koan.

Sitting. And then I look back at my life, at my beloved ones lives.

I sit. I work, then I stop and think again.

I go about my day and realize the silence. The reasons.

Answers. Dharma in the silence.

Tears.

Awake.

Accept the universe as it is. Accept the words, the thoughts, the diversity, the preferences.

Awake.

[Myoku]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

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

Words are just words! _()_

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

Words are just words! _()_

_()_
Myoku

[Jinyo]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Not a word is
Not getting in the way
Of the Way

Way-self
beyond construct beliefs blablabla
Ascends

As you-me-others
Return to the source
The origin is eloquently silent

Drive or sleep
Shop or clean up
It ll find you there

The eloquent silent
Which is you all over
All along
And no big deal

Gassho

T.

Beautiful - peace expressed through words

Gassho

Willow

[Jinyo]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

I've been sitting. I've been thinking about this koan.

Sitting. And then I look back at my life, at my beloved ones lives.

I sit. I work, then I stop and think again.

I go about my day and realize the silence. The reasons.

Answers. Dharma in the silence.

Tears.

Awake.

Accept the universe as it is. Accept the words, the thoughts, the diversity, the preferences.

Awake.

... and this too. Calm, acceptance and inner peace.

Fully awake.

Thank you Kyonin

Willow

[Rich]

Re: BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

But just talking about this now... it falls like a lump of coal at my feet.

Gassho, kojip

Yes, I feel the same. The dharma king was right. (and taigu is pretty cool too

[Omoi Otoshi]

BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 1

Yes, but sometimes expressing oneself in words is necessary to realize the emptiness of words, at least for me. Sometimes, it's only when I express something in words that things fall into place. And sometimes when I say something out loud, I understand how flawed my understanding was.

Silence sometimes speak volumes.
Words sometimes speak silence.

Gassho,
Pontus