Book of equanimity case 5

[Kyonin]

The meaning of Buddhadharma is life. Just that.

The hard part comes when we let the mind attach ideas, hopes and fantasies to facts.

"When I graduate I'll get a nicely paid job. I'll get rich in no time!"

"Only he can save me"

"I'll be happy only if I get the new product"

And we often miss life as it is.

Just rice, really.

[Shugen]

I find myself appreciating little things more. How to do that without getting too attached? How to enjoy without making a conscience effort?

I also find myself playing with "Buddha's Spit" during Zazen. "It's okay if I follow this thought stream for a little while, it's about Buddhist stuff".

So funny how the mind works.

Ron


Shugen

[Myoshin]

yes kyonin, when I was at the university ,I was thinking how the world would me mine with this succes, I felt so clever, after my success I realised that there is nothing special, my illusions vanished, and I felt lost because of my illusions about how life would be.


Gassho

Yang Hsin

[Heisoku]

Hi Yang Hsiin..my son is expecting to start university soon and has all these expectations as we all had, but ..... Only he will/ can learn this lesson, as we have all had to...by him/ourself. His world is not my world no matter how much I show him. Only he can find out how much rice costs in Roryo!

[Myoshin]

Thank you for your post Heisoku, great success to your son. It's good to ear that, I thought I was the only one lost in life at this time feeling unnecessary to the world, not knowing the new place life was showing me.

Gassho

Yang Hsin

[Gary]

I also find myself playing with "Buddha's Spit" during Zazen. "It's okay if I follow this thought stream for a little while, it's about Buddhist stuff".

So funny how the mind works.

Ron


Shugen

Thank you Ron, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who does this.

Gassho
Gary

[Shohei]

I read this and I found myself trying extremely hard to craft a proper, enlightened zen response. Caught! (this is not my clever response i'm just being honest haha) Now I stop.

Thank you for the teaching

thank you Daido! exactly

How not to fall into this smell, this stench of Zen?

Humbleness, honesty and proceeding with out care - no not reckless carelessness but with out agenda?

on being carried away that happens, I just have to practice coming back, noticing the slope I was slipping on and Not expecting this practice to be fixed, and a cure, but on going medicine... sweet sometimes, Buckleys mixture another. (nasty cold medicine that simply states "it tastes awful, but it works")

Gassho
Shohei

[Dosho]

The answer that is sought changes, fluctuates, and differs according to time and place...just like the cost of rice. An answer would not only be impossible, but unfortunate...for it would fix one's focus on a goal, a time, and a place to reach...when there is nowhere to go but here.

Enjoy the rice...no matter what it costs, you gotta eat.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Shokai]

Ah how my monkey mind can hope for more!

Thanks thane
AND thank you Taigu for such an uncomplicated explanation of uncomplicatedness

[Nenka]

Jen

[Risho]

'What is the ultimate meaning of the Buddhadharma?'
Seigan replied : 'what does the rice cost in Roryo?'

Most of the time we have an over idealized perception of the path with flying boddhisatvas and great awakening feasts. We are waiting for the Disney-Buddha land show, the cosmic parade, the Barnum Dharma freak show.
Rice, guys. Just food. plain food. Its price. Just that. Nothing less, nothing more.

'Go and wash your bowl.'
'The tree in the garden'.
'A shit stick.'

Answers pointing atthe ordinary mind. Ordinary life, ordinary activity.
The nothing special you should not make special ( that s why mindfulness is nt necessary, no need for a watcher, just do and don t make a spiritual fuss about it)

How not to fall into this smell, this stench of Zen?

How do you get carried away by expectations and dreams?how and to what could you pay more attention?
How can shopping be the unfolding of the Buddhadharma? What do we add or take away to these simple things we do in our life? How not to?

How to live the uncomplicated?


Gassho


Taigu

Before reading anyone else's posts, I want to answer these. So if what I say has been already said, I apologize.

I read about zen for years and years before I actually started doing the practice. I didn't even know that practice was central to it. I know it's odd, but I was introduced to Zen by way of what I read when I was practicing martial arts. So it was superficial zen with an end of being more proficient in martial arts; eventually it became a path to become more proficient at my job. In any event, a couple of years back I was reading The Power of Now. There were zen quotes in it, and for some reason it piqued my interest and I read a book by Daido Roshi. I eventually read book about sitting practice (although counting the breaths was the focus), and when I came here Zazen was all about Shikantaza, and it really felt right.

I'm sorry for the life story. lol The point is that I read about zen a lot. It was exciting, like a new toy or piece of candy. I think it's natural; if we aren't drawn to it, then we won't start the search, the practice. But as practice becomes more ingrained it isn't like that. I'm passionate about it, but it's in a deeper sense. Saying the meal gatha or practice isn't done because it's esoteric or cool; it's done as a true expression of gratitude for my life.

When I started practice I wondered what would a zen buddhist do? Now I don't think like that. We are human beings, not Buddhists. In some sense we are Buddhists, but I don't like holding so tightly to it. Identifying with Buddhism is another way of trying to exert our ego's idea of a separate, independent self. Sewing the Rakusu, the Kesa is not sewing for ourselves. It is sewing for all beings. We practice for to save all beings. I say that vow every time after zazen to remind "myself" that this practice isn't about "myself". Every aspect of practice is like this I'm finding. I'm thankful for Treeleaf, the sangha and the teachers for sharing these valuable lessons.

So for me in the beginning (not that I'm advanced by any means) when I was in the beginning, beginning I couldn't get enough of "zen". The stench, not the real deal. I was grasping for Zen wisdom to fix what was wrong with me. I was reaching out, grasping the ten thousand things.... not letting the ten thousand things express me.

How to not fall,is to come back again and again. I see the grasping, instead of grasping to stop grasping, just watch it. Expectations leads to grasping, controlling an outcome, which is impossible. We give ourselves to what do wholeheartedly, as we do our sitting, and thats all we can do. Let what comes, come... And practice when whatever comes comes so that we aren't so devastated when things don't "work out".

I like the question about shopping; because I like shopping I love electronics, video games, books. It can become a collector's addiction. So shopping is a great practice ground. I sense the arising desire and the disappointment. But practicing and watching that grasping mind really really is freeing.

Living the uncomplicated... I'm just practicing and trying to figure it out

Gassho,

Risho

[Thane]

case 5

Before reading anyone else's posts, I want to answer these. So if what I say has been already said, I apologize.

I read about zen for years and years before I actually started doing the practice. I didn't even know that practice was central to it. I know it's odd, but I was introduced to Zen by way of what I read when I was practicing martial arts. So it was superficial zen with an end of being more proficient in martial arts; eventually it became a path to become more proficient at my job. In any event, a couple of years back I was reading The Power of Now. There were zen quotes in it, and for some reason it piqued my interest and I read a book by Daido Roshi. I eventually read book about sitting practice (although counting the breaths was the focus), and when I came here Zazen was all about Shikantaza, and it really felt right.

I'm sorry for the life story. lol The point is that I read about zen a lot. It was exciting, like a new toy or piece of candy. I think it's natural; if we aren't drawn to it, then we won't start the search, the practice. But as practice becomes more ingrained it isn't like that. I'm passionate about it, but it's in a deeper sense. Saying the meal gatha or practice isn't done because it's esoteric or cool; it's done as a true expression of gratitude for my life.

When I started practice I wondered what would a zen buddhist do? Now I don't think like that. We are human beings, not Buddhists. In some sense we are Buddhists, but I don't like holding so tightly to it. Identifying with Buddhism is another way of trying to exert our ego's idea of a separate, independent self. Sewing the Rakusu, the Kesa is not sewing for ourselves. It is sewing for all beings. We practice for to save all beings. I say that vow every time after zazen to remind "myself" that this practice isn't about "myself". Every aspect of practice is like this I'm finding. I'm thankful for Treeleaf, the sangha and the teachers for sharing these valuable lessons.

So for me in the beginning (not that I'm advanced by any means) when I was in the beginning, beginning I couldn't get enough of "zen". The stench, not the real deal. I was grasping for Zen wisdom to fix what was wrong with me. I was reaching out, grasping the ten thousand things.... not letting the ten thousand things express me.

How to not fall,is to come back again and again. I see the grasping, instead of grasping to stop grasping, just watch it. Expectations leads to grasping, controlling an outcome, which is impossible. We give ourselves to what do wholeheartedly, as we do our sitting, and thats all we can do. Let what comes, come... And practice when whatever comes comes so that we aren't so devastated when things don't "work out".

I like the question about shopping; because I like shopping I love electronics, video games, books. It can become a collector's addiction. So shopping is a great practice ground. I sense the arising desire and the disappointment. But practicing and watching that grasping mind really really is freeing.

Living the uncomplicated... I'm just practicing and trying to figure it out

Gassho,

Risho

Hi Risho

Thanks for your honest post. I enjoyed reading it and i could identify with a lot of what you said.

Gassho

Thane

[Thane]

Thanks thane
AND thank you Taigu for such an uncomplicated explanation of uncomplicatedness

Thanks Shokai _/l\_

[Risho]

Thanks Thane

P.S. the new emoticons are neat! I could see using them in a passive-aggressive way; for instance, insulting someone then popping a "" emoticon in. hahahhahah

[Kaishin]

Too often I get mired in the study of Zen books or sutras. Too much attention to scholarly tail chasing. In other words, fussing about the finger instead of beholding the moon to which I points.

I need to remember that zazen is the center of practice--everything else is just scaffolding. Not the other way around.

_/\_
Gassho, Kaishin