BOOK OF EQUANIMITY. Case 13

[Tb]

Hi.

Jundo asked me to present this Koan, so although i'm just an humble man not of big words, here is the next case.

Main case:

Attention!
When Rinzai was about to pass away, he charges Sansho: ”After i depart, do not let my True Dharma Eye be extinguished.”
Sansho said, ”How could i let your True Dharma Eye be extinguished?”
Rinzai Countered, ”If someone suddenly asks you about it, how will you reply?”
Sansho gave an shout, and Rinzai remarked, ” Who would have thought my True Dharma Eye would be extinguished upon reaching this blind monkey?”



This koan has many facets and points, but let's focus on a few.
The first line in the preface says ”Devoted entirely to others, oneself is unknown”.
This is one of the main reasons i like to go to the Treeelaf teaparty every sunday, it gives me an opportunity to give myself, to just be be there completely for others, listening to other's stories, forgetting myself and devoting me to them.
Rinzai's question is an dobleedged sword, as it is sometimes not answerable, sometimes just a trick and sometimes...

Questions:
Treeleaf Angoperiod is coming up, in what ways can you devote yourself entirely to others, making yourself unknown?
Do you have any examples of people devoting themselves entirely to others, and if so what are they and what have you learned from them?

No need to tell if you do, just keep it to yourself, but do you have an answer to Rinzai's question and how does that feel?

Mtfbwy
Fugen

https://youtu.be/DsarvYDasK4

[Jundo]

Who would have thought my True Dharma Eye would be extinguished upon reaching this Swedish blind monkey?

[Omoi Otoshi]

I think he said blind donkey, but it doesn't really matter!

Mother Teresa comes to mind.

/Pontus

[RichardH]

”Devoted entirely to others, oneself is unknown”.

Not so often. There is usually a subtle checking in . So long as there is intention in devotion to others, it is done with a subtle hook. it is still a good thing, and better than selfish intention, but it is not truly ”Devoted entirely to others, oneself is unknown”. That has only happened spontaneously in my experience. It is situational. it happens, but can't be predicted. It just happens, no intention, no hook. It is evoked by a situation... meets the situation.. perfectly. Is of the situation. It is kind of an uncomfortable topic to be honest.. it scatters when talked about.

Gassho, kojip

[Omoi Otoshi]

Indeed! I completely agree Kojip!

I once said this about compassion:
Compassion can be an act of kindness, the effort to do good and no harm. Nothing wrong with that but it's often ego driven.
True compassion is something else. In my view, true compassion is the natural result of being aware of true nature. When we see clearly, there's no longer any self to put above anything else, no delusion, no need to do harm. Saving all sentient beings becomes completely natural, because there's no separation between you and all sentient beings. So to me, true compassion is the effortless expression of enlightenment. No trying, no effort, no direction, no expectation, no evaluation, no discrimination, no premeditation, just the natural functioning of Bodhi mind.

And I think Dogen's words from Genjokoan fit too (this is the Cross/Nishijima translation):
To learn the Buddha’s truth is to learn ourselves. To learn ourselves is to forget ourselves. To forget ourselves is to be experienced by the myriad dharmas. To be experienced by the myriad dharmas is to let our own body and mind, and the body and mind of the external world, fall away. There is a state in which the traces of realization are forgotten; and it manifests the traces of forgotten realization for a long, long time.

Gassho,
Pontus

[Shugen]

I sometimes overlook the value of small acts. I want to be the one to "solve" the problem. The smile at a stranger, the pat on the back are what is needed. Just being there. All I can do is try and do/be a little better day by day. Forget the finish line.


Shugen

[Omoi Otoshi]

In what ways can you devote yourself entirely to others, making yourself unknown?

I hope I will find in my heart the desire to practice whole-heartedly, without thought of personal gain (but I don't expect that I will). Indirectly, this would be devoting myself entirely to others, making myself unknown.

I can do my best to be a decent husband, father, colleage, sangha member, doctor, neighbour and so on. To make the right choices when I'm forced to make choices. And vow to save all sentient beings.

What I can not do, is to devote myself entirely to others by choice, thus making myself unknown. Maybe Mother Teresa could, or maybe it only seemed like she did. If I were to say: "From now on, I devote myself entirely to others", that would be an unrealistic, idealistic dream. I would be deluding myself. I would be creating a division between my view of myself and reality, thereby creating a problem, a conflict, a cause for suffering. I'm a mostly egotistic person and I accept that completely. I can work from there. No goal, just work. Not just work either, since a lot of it is effortless, but you know what I mean!

I'm sure that my actions from time to time have been entirely pure, unselfish, enlightened. The problem is, I don't know much about those moments, because "I" wasn't there when they happened. As soon as we're self-conscious about doing something good for others, although doing good is better than doing bad, the ego is involved and the action is tainted. Two moons, not one. Sometimes someone else may tell you that what you did was wonderful, and you go "Huh? Did I do anything special?" There's the magic of bodhi mind, action free of ego, greed, hate and delusion. Trust that when you don't actively make a choice, you will do good.

Gassho,
Pontus

[galen]

It seems, a true essence ultimately cannot be denied, much like a flowing stream.

[galen]

Devoted entirely to others, oneself is unknown.

This seemingly is not a choice to be made, an intention to plan, no where to go.

It may be, that devoted entirely to self, all others are known. No separation, no others out-there, no where to be.

Nothing to ad, no toys needed, in true essence of what Is.

[AlanLa]

When teaching there are times when I completely disappear. There is just teaching, the dharma of my subject matter just flows out of me for the benefit of the students receiving it. I am completely spontaneous in those moments; there is no gap between students/subject/me. But at the very same time, I have to wonder if the complete opposite isn't also true. Maybe what's going on is the complete and total expression of ego. In some ways my teaching is the ultimate expression of self-ness. After all, all eyes are on me (at least theoretically, because some are on their phones, lol) and they are completely dependent on me, and I feed off of that.

When self and no-self are completely balanced - that's cool, and rare, because so often we are just trying to either keep our balance or catch it when we find ourselves falling.

Do my students extinguish my subject's dharma eye? Hmm, that cannot be captured on any simple test. Only their practice will tell.

[Myoku]

Treeleaf Angoperiod is coming up, in what ways can you devote yourself entirely to others, making yourself unknown?
Do you have any examples of people devoting themselves entirely to others, and if so what are they and what have you learned from them?

No need to tell if you do, just keep it to yourself, but do you have an answer to Rinzai's question and how does that feel?

Thank you Fugen,
thank you everyone for their replies. I let that sink in, and somehow it seems that perfectly know when and how often I take care of myself, but rarely about my devotion; it seems that the being there for others, with other is somehow just happening without being noticed while being there for myself leaves more traces. Anyway ... Rinzai's question ? The True Dharma Eye, understood as the reality a is, cannot be extinguished, but forgotten. Or overlooked. So in a sense I feel I need to keep the light, even with my small possibilities. If we not carry it, it needs to be found again. The privilege of the master is to call the student a donkey, the privilege of student is to call himself a donkey.
_()_
Myoku (the deaf donkey, and thats no praise)

[Rich]

Oh, I thought rinzai was disappointed in sansho's response.

Things are rarely what you think they are.

Sansho's shout cuts thru all that.

[Myoshin]

I'm not sure what I will say answers correctly to the question but I've noticed that many folks in my life, almost 95percent go away (even close friends) after a few time and I was helping them in a sense or other.
To forget myself is to notice they come in my life like in a temple, and I let them go without running after; telling me as soon as new folks come that they will go away soon.

Gassho

Yang Hsin

[Heisoku]

Questions:
Treeleaf Angoperiod is coming up, in what ways can you devote yourself entirely to others, making yourself unknown?
Good question! However as my wife is now in 4th year dentistry I tend to do the housework.....and invisibly so she doesn't feel guilty about it too much. So that's me this year 'Dobby'.

Do you have any examples of people devoting themselves entirely to others, and if so what are they and what have you learned from them?
Most teachers I admire are able to almost absorb themselves into the child they are trying to help. This is a step more than empathy, as they are trying to figure out the muddle that can happen in children's thinking. When I have trouble diagnosing a learning barrier it's usually because I haven't given the 'me'/ 'teacher' bit up enough! When it does happen the 'I' and the child have the same mind and you have to use this moment to open the child to their misconception. There very best teachers do this so easily! These moments are also very temporary as you have to give the 'I got it' moment back to the child so they realise that learning creates a sense of joy and self esteem.

Do you have an answer to Rinzai's question and how does that feel?
????

[RichardH]

Treeleaf Angoperiod is coming up, in what ways can you devote yourself entirely to others, making yourself unknown?

Revisiting this question.... Day to day, devoting yourself to others is a necessity for a brother, son, father, and husband. The "making yourself unknown" part.. is what makes the difference between being effective or not. Tripping over yourself is good for no one. I still say you cannot make yourself unknown, there is a trace of self (or self-ing) in the making, usually more. But in the day to day.... in the effort, the are times when, like grace, there is truly "self unknown". Perhaps practice is not picking "yourself known" over "yourself unknown".. what comes comes by effort and grace.. the whole thing.

Gassho, kojip.