BOOK OF EQUANIMITY - Case 6

[Shujin]

"Why do we make it so complicated?" writes Shishin. In one moment, a heart is drowning in attachments. In the next, it can float atop a sea of delusion.

Gassho,
Shujin

[Hoyu]

Usually the "four mountains" refer to birth, aging, sickness, and death. In the Agon Sutra they are listed as the four mountains of aging, sickness, death and decrease.

Jundo wrote:
When the four mountains close in, how can you pass free from them?

Mountains? What mountains?! Knowing there is nothing to even pass free from in the first place...is exactly that which allows you to pass freely.


Let me further expound on this by using excerpts from the heart sutra.


Mountain #1(Birth):
"Not born, not destroyed...."


Mountain #2(Aging) & #4(Death):
"No old age and death...."


Mountain #3(Sickness):
"No suffering, nor cause or end to suffering...."


Thus we can see that it is impossible to be anything but free.....because in reality there was never anything to truly bind us in the first place!


Something like that.
Gassho,
Hoyu

[Risho]

Ha, I love this one too. Give me the answers oh master please. Nope you have to learn how to think for yourself. It's like by a teacher not giving, is giving the ultimate gift.

1. How is Zen Practice like learning to breathe, learning to walk. We have to do it ourselves, feel it out, fall and stumble and make mistakes so we can intimately become acquainted with what is legitimate practice and what is bullshit fluff. I've read stories about masters who seem infallible, but that has got to be bs. We are all human, and we all have flaws; I think flaws make us special in a way, make us perfectly human. Practice requires this learning how to balance, how to fall down 8 times, get up 9 times (I stole that quote, but I don't remember who said it). We have to learn the subtleties of our practice, our minds just like we did when we learned how to walk, by feeling how to balance as we shift our weight from one foot to the other.

Practice is easy on "good days", how is it on "bad days"? Gotta sit, gotta practice.. just gotta stay consistent. Sometimes, I don't want to practice, but that's when my practice is most important. That's where having a teacher and sangha are truly inspirational. Sometimes I ask why am I reciting these vows, they are so esoteric? Why am I staring at a wall? It's all mind games. I want to make that clear really. I want to be honest. Sometimes I get discouraged with practice, while I'm sitting. I really do. But I think it's normal because I do that in other areas of my life as well. I think that's why Sangha is critical. I also think that's why the precepts and Bodhisattva vows are so fundamental; I made a vow, and I'm sticking to it; that's really what it is... not just to myself but all of you in this Sangha as well.

I have something to admit. I'm not big on groups. I'm very individualistic, and I don't like rushing into things. Even here, I sometimes hold back because I don't want to lose myself to a group... not lose myself in a zen way, but lose myself in an "I want to make sure I don't give away my authority (who I am)"... not that I really could, but that is something that is important to me. I think it's really important to think for one's self... to really do for one's self... At the same time, we can only act as individuals by the support of a group, which is where this sangha is important. Instead of being a crutch, which it could become, if we truly practice, then instead of just taking we are supporting as well.... we are mutually giving and receiving.. Kojip posted on this recently, about supporting the Sangha.

We all have the same questions. They don't have answers.. well I haven't found any. I mean come on, describe ultimate reality to me. hahah Anyway, if we come into practice just looking to get something, then we are of no use... no help to anyone else, but if we come here as equals, that we just don't know but we are going to practice anyway, I think the Sangha becomes a pretty damned cool place, which is how my experience is here.

2. Are teachers still necessary? Yes, absolutely. They are like boxing instructors who teach the fundamentals of striking, body movement and footwork. They can point out what you need help on. But in order for a teacher to be a teacher there has to be a student to put those teachings into practice. You see this a lot in every field. Someone who is held in high regard says something or does something, and the followers come out like whatever the teacher did just was so perfect and special. That happens because I think they want to have what they perceive the teacher has. I think it's natural when we are on a path to something. But that's just bullshit. True teaching, to me (and I'm by far no authority), occurs when the teacher teaches, but the student digs in and applies those teachings.. takes the time to apply those teachings to their life to see how it fits with their practice.

Gassho,

Risho

[Tb]

- Even though walking and breathing are the most natural of activities ... does medical research on walking and breathing (Buddhist philosophy) and medicine/physicians (Zen teachers) have some important place?

Hi.

In my humble opinion i would say yes, as there is different paths for different people (although we're non-different) and even different ways on traveling on them. Some might need the research bit to reach the end, some might just benefit from it, some don't need it at all...

Mtfbwy
Fugen

Ps the wisdom of an cheshirecat regarding ways to walk...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK8zaVYrsPI

[adrianbkelly]

I find that this case resonates most for my life in relation to social anxiety disorder. At it's worst, I would be unable to go into the office next door or even send an email, because my head was full of thoughts of what people would be thinking of me & how I was bound to do or say something stupid. When I realised that these were just thoughts, which had no basis in reality, it was so freeing to just do what I was scared to do. Instead of rehearsing what I wanted to do over & over, the solution was simple: just do it!

_/\_

Ade

[Al]

- How is Zen Practice like "learning to breathe, learning to walk" in your life?

This case reminds me of my favorite, Amban's Addition. Emphasis mine.

Amban, a layman Zen student, said: "Mu-mon has just published forty-eight koans and called the book Gateless Gate. He criticizes the old patriarchs’ words and actions. I think he is very mischievous. He is like an old doughnut seller trying to catch a passerby to force his doughnuts down his mouth. The customer can neither swallow nor spit out the doughnuts, and this causes suffering. Mu-mon has annoyed everyone enough, so I think I shall add one more as a bargain. I wonder if he himself can eat this bargain. If he can, and digest it well, it will be fine, but if not, we will have to put it back into the frying pan with his forty-eight also and cook them again. Mu-mon, you eat first, before someone else does:

"Buddha, according to a sutra, once said: 'Stop, stop. Do not speak. The ultimate truth is not even to think.'"

Amban's comment: Where did that so-called teaching come from? How is it that one could not even think it? Suppose someone spoke about it then what became of it? Buddha himself was a great chatterbox and in this sutra spoke contrarily. Because of this, persons like Mu-mon appear afterwards in China and make useless doughnuts, annoying people. What shall we do after all? I will show you.

Then Amban put his palms together, folded his hands, and said: "Stop, stop. Do not speak. The ultimate truth is not even to think. And now I will make a little circle on the sutra with my finger and add that five thousand other sutras and Vimalakirti's gateless gate all are here!"

If anyone tells you fire is light,
Pay no attention.
When two thieves meet they need no introduction:
They recognize each other without question.

And...

- Even though walking and breathing are the most natural of activities ... does medical research on walking and breathing (Buddhist philosophy) and medicine/physicians (Zen teachers) have some important place?

Buddhist philosophy is glorious. But what happens when you choke on some makyo? Someone must be there, someone you trust.

[Ekai]

Trust. And believing. The teachings that live in the mind need to be released to allow them to integrate into our life and being. Throw yourself into the deep waters to learn, grow and develop through experience with trust and believing in yourself. Sometimes it's ugly, other times it feels beautiful but either way we embark this journey in our unique way as we support each other through this never-ending, goalless process. Believing in ourselves is cultivated from within and the truth is felt in our hearts. Our teachers, fellow sangha members and the Buddha's teachings serve as guideposts but ultimately we must take it upon ourselves to travel the winding road with the courage to be our true selves.

Gassho,
Ekai

[alan.r]

These are all wonderful responses. I didn't think I had anything to add and then this, when I was running in the 100 degree South Carolina heat: I used to be a runner, or, I still am one, but not so serious. In any case, when I was more serious, I trained, worked on form, did lots of reps, mile repeats, each mile lowering the time, long hard runs interspersed with sprints, running hills at the end of all workouts to increase stamina, even learned about striding correctly, ways to pump with the arms when really tired at the end of race, how to breathe properly and most effectively (in through nose out through mouth, each a two count), the proper shoes for my feet and stride, eating the right way, visualizing the race, how I planned on running it, the proper mindset before going into a race, calm but hungry, and all this the coach guiding me through, and me guiding myself some. But then, when the race comes, you forgot all this crap, you just drop it. Because, you know, maybe you visualized a hard kick at the end, letting your opponents wear themselves out, but then you find they're doing the same thing, so you have to be open, ready for anything, and all of sudden you're just doing the thing, it comes naturally, and you're both passive and acting, not forcing. And I mean, this is on the best day, because there are those days when you want to do your plan, your plan, your strategy, and you're tired and pushing and thinking "knees higher, knees higher, breathe more regularly, two in two out, you're getting passed" and thinking the entire time, trying to figure it out, instead of just running the thing.

In any case, I thought of this and then thought of zazen and then thought of how we live. It seemed like it fit somehow. I don't know now.

[Shokai]

- How is Zen Practice like "learning to breathe, learning to walk" in your life?

Two days ago my wife and I became Great Grand Parents, While waiting to hear the news we sat in the birthing Waiting Room and watch a very young girl learning/practicing how to walk. At the time we commented on her drive to succeed. It wasn't until this morning when I reread case 6 that I felt the connection.

- Even though walking and breathing are the most natural of activities ... does medical research on walking and breathing (Buddhist philosophy) and medicine/physicians (Zen teachers) have some important place?

Of course they do. If one wants to live in this path, he/she should have a compass. When you are in the woods you can get very much turned around without one.

Thank you Jundo for this teaching

[Dosho]

Congrats Triple-G (Great-Great-Grandpa)!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Risho]

Thats awesome news! Congratulations

[Ekai]

Yes! Congrats Shokai. Babies are so precious.

Gassho,
Ekai

[Seisou]

That's such wonderful news. Congratulations Shokai!
Gassho
Jeff

[AlanLa]

Stop thinking so hard! Just do it! Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to trust yourself. I see it in my counseling students all the time. I do tell them, "Stop thinking," just trust that because you are good people you will do good work. But they (we) have been trained to think much more than to trust ourselves, and they (we) struggle so hard against ourselves as a consequence of that conditioning.

I find it funny that the monk is only satisfied once he gets the zennie response. But in his defense, I would not have recognized the other responses as answers either.

[Jundo]

Mazeltov Shokai!

Not only are you a Great Great Grandpa ... but you are a pretty great one!

Let's sit this week for all new babies and their grandparents!

Gassho, Jundo