LIVING by VOW: Author's Preface & Introduction - PP IX to 11

[Meitou]

Hi Frankie,

I can't speak for anyone else's reading but here are my thoughts on those points you mentioned. Our vows maybe unique to us because we are unique and so are our circumstances. For example, if I have a tendency towards cowardice (or actions rooted in fear) then I might be as Hoko mentioned a bit of a door mat (this is true of me incidentally.) So for me to walk the path I may have to be firmer with people in an attempt to care for myself and others. But if someone else was a little brash or bullish they may have to try and hold back a bit when dealing with others lest they hurt others needlessly as well as cause themselves grief and regret. In both case we are trying to look after the well being of ourselves and others but it takes different forms because of our different dispositions and attitudes (things that have been honed in us over time) which we might call Karmic seeds.

The vows maybe the same but actual practice will differ. We are the many hands of Avalokitêśvara responding to the different needs of those around us.


At least that's what came to mind when I read your post.


Gassho
Sattoday
Hoseki

Hi Hoseki, thanks so much for your comment. I think I may have misunderstood this then, because when I read it I thought it meant that as well as the general vow, the student also takes individual vows, which I assumed would have been agreed with his or her teacher/preceptor. As I'm new to Soto Zen, I had no idea whether this could be the case or not, but again, during the Susan Moon interview, she explains how she gets her students to write the Precepts in their own words so that they have more resonance to them personally - I thought it could be something like that.
I should also apologise because I've jumped the gun with this, the quote appears in Chapter 1. Sorry

Gassho
Sat with you all this morning

[AlanLa]

Do you believe that the attitude of the Bodhisattva is vital to Zen Practice, and must be focused on helping others before (or together with) ourself? Do you feel like a Bodhisattva yourself according to the definitions given?

The Bodhisattva vow is certainly central to my practice. While my professional life (which very much blends into my personal life) is certainly dedicated to helping others, thus being consistent with the vow, but that doesn't mean I feel like I am a bodhisattva. My personal life, on the other hand, is mostly dedicated to taking care of myself so that I can live up to the non-task of helping others. I very much live by my Buddhist vows at the same time I am very much pulled by karma, so for me the Bodhisattva vow is aspirational. I just don't see being a Bodhisattva as an outcome; rather, it's a process.

What do you think about his comment, "Such a reflection and realization of one's own incompleteness is repentance" ?

When I first read that line I thought the word was incompetence, and I was, like, yeah, that's me! I screw up on things all the time. If it weren't for the sangha I work with that support this very fallible self, I don't know where I would be,,, besides maybe unemployed. And that doesn't even begin to cover my efforts at living up to the precepts. But all along, what sustains me on the Bodhisattva Path is reflection and realization as a form of repentance. The good news is all that reflection and repentance is helping me to get better. When I look back to how I was and lived my life when I joined TreeLeaf to now, I see clear and meaningful progress on the Path. Thankfully (and I am finding myself thankful a lot these days), I still have far to go.

Toward the end of the Introduction, there is a long passage from Master Dogen's Shobogenzo-Gyoji about "continuous practice" (which is also known as "Practice-Enlightenment"). Is his meaning clear to you, and any impressions?

Life is practice, but that doesn't mean it's overt practice. When I am in the midst and moment of difficult or challenging situations, as has happened happened recently, I never say anything like, "What would Buddha do here?" or other such silliness. But my practice has made me less reactive, so I handle those situations in a much calmer and effective manner because practice has shown me that those situations are empty. I still screw up and make mistakes (see above), but my mistakes are now fewer and smaller than before. Then, once out of the situation, I resort back to reflection and repentance on my incompleteness, such as was done today by sitting.

BTW, if I'm posting, I've been sitting...

[Risho]

Alan,

hahaha I like what you said about incompetence; you are not alone. lol

Seriously, I want to talk about the Bodhisattva, and how I integrate it into my life. I really do feel like it is central to my practice and my life, which are not two; I also think vow is very, very important. I like reciting the Bodhisattva vows and verse of atonement both as a practice of setting my mindset to remind me where my focus for the day should be. Zazen is similar; it sets the tone of the day.

One of the key things I try to do with practice is integrate it into my life. Things can seem esoteric at first, but when they are practiced routinely they just become the norm. In addition, I find it useful to making it "my" practice, if that makes sense.

This takes me back to what I wanted to talk about, i.e. the Bodhisattva path. First off, I'm a software engineer, and I work for a large corporation. In zen and Buddhist books, I don't find a lot of Bodhisattva examples for people in my profession, i.e. Capitalist pigs.

When I read about Right Livelihood it can seem that what I do is not the recommended livelihood for a stereotypical Buddhist, but by making my practice my own and integrating the Bodhisattva ideal into my life, I've shattered that stereotype for myself, and this has really helped to fuel my practice. I mean I'm not saying I do anything unethical; I'm just stating that sometimes I feel that certain professions have Right Livelihood locked down, so it may not seem that a lay practitioner in a corporation can actually live up to this. In the end, this was just my ego, which is part of the path!

The corporate world, like I guess any job, can have its ups and downs. Sometimes it can be very alienating, but the Bodhisattva path has sort of helped transform my view of my job. Competition is fierce and knowledge is power, but how I practice at work sort of "works" in spite of those qualities. Instead of letting my ego drive my decisions, or fear of competition cause me to hold onto knowledge to have an edge, which is really stressful, I do the opposite.

I try to take care of my people, which are essentially everyone I work with. I try to treat people kindly (not patronizing), I share knowledge and listen and pay attention. I try to teach something knew when I can. I try to share what I've learned over the years to make my team better. I try to give my job my all. I know these sound like common sense things, but I really feel that a lot of this came out of my practice.

Over the past couple of years I've started taking more of a leadership role on my team; I was a little nervous at first, but what helped allay my concerns was when I stopped worrying about me, and instead I decided to focus on service to my co-workers. How could I help my team become better? What could I do to help reduce stress?

Of course, this takes practice, and bad habits spring up, but this vow keeps me rooted.

And that's just work practice. This extends to other areas of my life, but I apply this to my personal life. Since I work a lot, this is one area where I can really be of service as a Bodhisattva.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

[Joyo]

I have a question in regards to the author's description of living by vow vs living by karma. Don't we all do both? Christians often have dualistic views that they are morally superior and the rest of us are "the world" meaning sinners on our way to hell. How is this any different?

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today/lah

[Jundo]

I have a question in regards to the author's description of living by vow vs living by karma. Don't we all do both? Christians often have dualistic views that they are morally superior and the rest of us are "the world" meaning sinners on our way to hell. How is this any different?

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today/lah

Hi Joyo,

I had to let that sink in also. I suppose the meaning, perhaps, is something like "living driven by past history and circumstances, much of it often leading us in bad directions of excess desire, anger and divisive thinking" vs. "living by the vow to change that as we can, live better, help others." Maybe this Practice helps us be free of many of the mental traps, wallowing, self-victimhood, selfishness, dissatisfactions and all the rest that go with the first way of life.

I think that Buddhism posits that we are all victims of greed, anger and divisive ignorance, and we all need to work on that. Further, I don't think one even needs to be a "Buddhist" to do this, and one can be a good and caring believer in any religion or no religion at all, such as an atheist who is a humanitarian "secular humanist" I don't think that all the good people are "Buddhists", or that there are "Buddhists and everyone else." There are only sentient beings.

Something like that maybe.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Joyo]

Thank you, Jundo. What you said makes sense to me.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Meitou]

Seriously, I want to talk about the Bodhisattva, and how I integrate it into my life. I really do feel like it is central to my practice and my life, which are not two; I also think vow is very, very important. I like reciting the Bodhisattva vows and verse of atonement both as a practice of setting my mindset to remind me where my focus for the day should be. Zazen is similar; it sets the tone of the day.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

I know we are moving forward but I just wanted to come back and say how much I love this Risho, it's what I also aspire to.
Gassho

Sat with you all today and LAH

[Tairin]

I got off to a slow start with this book so I have just finished the Introduction now.

The bodhisattva Way is not linear. It’s not a path that we move along from a starting point to a finish

This quote really struck me. So much of life is achievement oriented it remains hard not to put some achievement or goals on this practise. Goalless goals. This is a way of life not a set of boxes to check. I know it and yet the reminder is so helpful. I won't quote it here but the Dogen writing Gyoji really brought home the continual practise. Not an end but a continuum.

Gassho
Warren
Sat today & LAH