Opening the Hand of Thought - Chapter 6 Part 2

[Jishin]

Imagine a government operating on the principle of interdependence. Imagine how foreign and domestic policy would change. Ah, just a dream.

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14233-Imagine

Gassho, Jishin, ST

[Risho]

...after 2 weeks in office

Sorry about what I said during the election guys; hope you understand. Big <insert lobby group> is paying the bills. hahahah

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

[Joyo]

This chapter has so many clear explanations on how to approach life from a Zen Buddhist perspective. His writings on the egocentric mind really help to put the mind away for awhile and just let life be. However, near the end of the chapter, his explanation of how to sit zazen I found confusing. I found it more works based than how Jundo teachers us here. Or maybe I am just not understanding Kosho Uchiyama. He says that when our mind drifts off to thought, we are no longer sitting zazen so we have to bring our zazen back to the posture. From my understanding (and maybe I am wrong), Jundo has said here that all is zazen, when we get lost in thoughts we gently bring ourselves back to the clear blue sky, but it is all zazen.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Joyo]

I've been sitting zazen regularly for 3 years now, and still trying to figure it out. =) With that being said, I find the less I try to pigeon hole zazen into a structured, step-by-step way of doing it, the easier it is for me to just sit. I just find the sitting style that Kosho Uchiyama described is a bit like trying to provide an instruction manual. Am I missing something, Jundo, or misinterpreting what he is saying?

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Risho]

That's a really good question - I know you asked Jundo, but I have to give it a shot. Because I didn't realized until you asked it that I have that question too.

From one perspective, everything we do is zazen. However, that doesn't mean you don't have to sit zazen. You take the attitude and perspective of Shikantaza and apply it to your life. You see when you are stuck in your head or attached to an outcome, angry or whatever harmful thought/action whatever, you let it go, you don't feed it or push it away. You just be with it instead of trying to get away - by observing it you start noticing these behaviors. You don't try to fix anything. I think it happens naturally; the practice unfolds naturally, but you have to let it. That's why zazen is goalless; this won't happen if you try to get something out of it; that is just the same cycle of grasping that causes this nonsense. I think that is the gist anyway, I get caught by all this crap all the time. And I fail all the time, but that is zazen too.

In the next chapter - this topic comes up; vow and repentance. Vow is a direction of our life, zazen, the bodhisattva vows; we set this direction because we know it's healthy; this is raising the bodhi mind; this is the flame that brought you here to practice. But we can never practice properly, we always fail over and over, so we have to repent. But repentance isn't an apology, it's adjusting our course to actually act and do better next time. We fully intend and aim at that knowing that we can't hit the mark; that is why practice is endless.

Also, there is nothing to figure out; you can't sit zazen properly. In fact, if you try to sit zazen that's all wrong. You have to drop the thoughts of subject object. You have to just sit, zazen sits you (not my saying, I'm stealing this). It's like when Dogen talks about (and I'm paraphrasing) "you can reach out to meet everything, but the way is letting everything meet you". We want to push our self, our definition of things, we want a cozy definition so we can protect ourself and get something, but with zazen we let things happen and be (not in a passive way) to see what's really happening.

Zazen is about giving everything, it's about letting go of all of that.

Our practice needs to include the cushion, but it's also everything we do, if we allow it to seep into our lives, and if you are sitting, you can't help that from happening. Perspectives shift. You may lose your temper but you catch it now. You feel that uneasiness or boredom, and you're like wow, I never realized I seek distraction due to that or you feel how much you try to avoid the thought of death, or whatever it is.

This is real work. I think we read and write a lot here -which is a good thing- but the zazenkais, the ango, the study, the practice, the charity those are all works. This is the message I get here, but I think it's just expressed differently. Sitting on our asses and feeling good has nothing to do with zazen (I know you aren't saying that). I think what it's about is sitting zazen consistently. Sort of like planting a seed and watering it, feeding it and giving it sunshine everyday. That's all we do. We bring ourself to the cushion. But there is an inherent awake quality to our lives, our Buddha nature, that will start to blossom. We may not even notice it until it's too late.. and then one day (like Shunryu Suzuki says) we are soaking wet. It's like we have been walking in a fog, slowly getting wet, not noticing that the water in the air is penetrating us, and by the time we notice we are sopping wet.

This sitting that sits us, this is doing the awakening. It's changing us; we are just coming to the cushion diligently, noticing when we get distracted and coming back, notice when we get sleepy and coming back, adjusting the posture when we slouch, just being here. That's it. It's the whatever we are made of that is beginning to blossom by this practice and study, etc. Then one day we may have a stem popping out of the soil, maybe after 40 years we have a bud, I don't know... but it changes us.

This is real work, and we take this realization and we don't preach and proselytize, we learn how to help - which means when to extend a hand and when not to offer unsolicted help or advice. This is very vague because every situation is different, but we approach the world in a new way; instead of being separate, we are part of everything. And although you are you and I am I, we are the same. We know from studying ourselves (or sitting and noticing) our fears, anxieties, pride, anger ,and we know that you and both have these things.

We know how to treat each other gentler so that if you are pissed off I may be more empathetic and realize that I get pissed off too, and that maybe what you are saying to me is just a habit and nothing personal. And besides, we are much more than any single word definition anyway. But it allows us to act in less harmful ways.

Anyway I'm learning too; continuing to fall, continuing to rise. As long as we are alive, we have another chance to get it right -knowing that we will fail, but never, never giving up.


Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

[Jundo]

This chapter has so many clear explanations on how to approach life from a Zen Buddhist perspective. His writings on the egocentric mind really help to put the mind away for awhile and just let life be. However, near the end of the chapter, his explanation of how to sit zazen I found confusing. I found it more works based than how Jundo teachers us here. Or maybe I am just not understanding Kosho Uchiyama. He says that when our mind drifts off to thought, we are no longer sitting zazen so we have to bring our zazen back to the posture. From my understanding (and maybe I am wrong), Jundo has said here that all is zazen, when we get lost in thoughts we gently bring ourselves back to the clear blue sky, but it is all zazen.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

Same difference, I believe. Although there is "no right or wrong" Zazen ever, Zazen is not to sit lost in thought ... and even though it happens to all of us again and again. (There is no "wrong" Zazen, yet to sit wallowing in thoughts is wrong! ) So, again and again, let the thoughts go and don't grab on. Repeat and repeat.

Uchiyama says "return to the posture", I say "the clear blue sky", others say the breath ... no real difference. I have written about that here, in an earlier Chapter ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?14146-Opening-the-Hand-of-Thought-Chapter-3&p=171328&viewfull=1#post171328

Risho said some nice comments ...

From one perspective, everything we do is zazen. However, that doesn't mean you don't have to sit zazen. You take the attitude and perspective of Shikantaza and apply it to your life. You see when you are stuck in your head or attached to an outcome, angry or whatever harmful thought/action whatever, you let it go, you don't feed it or push it away. You just be with it instead of trying to get away - by observing it you start noticing these behaviors. You don't try to fix anything. I think it happens naturally; the practice unfolds naturally, but you have to let it. That's why zazen is goalless; this won't happen if you try to get something out of it; that is just the same cycle of grasping that causes this nonsense. I think that is the gist anyway, I get caught by all this crap all the time. And I fail all the time, but that is zazen too.

As opposed to trying to do something, or trying not to do something ... Zazen has an aspect of doing without doing at once, both needing to "get something done" all while knowing that "there is nothing ultimately in need of doing" at once. We have goals and are goalless at once. We have thoughts and our free of the thoughts at once. We fix what is broken, but also know that nothing ever can be broken ... all at once. So we chant our Four Vows, "To save all sentient beings, though beings numberless ... To attain the Enlightened Way, a Way non-attainable" This is the vital heart of Shikantaza.

Risho is correct ...

But we can never practice properly, we always fail over and over, so we have to repent. ... Also, there is nothing to figure out; you can't sit zazen properly.

There is no place to fall, no mistake possible from the start ... yet it is possible to fall, and life is endless mistakes (all true at once). So, we try our best to take care and not fall or make mistakes. Mistakes are bad, and there are good and bad things ... beyond and dropping away "good vs, bad" as well.

There is no perfect Zazen and it can never be sat properly. At the same time, all Zazen is perfect, and we do our best to sit properly.

Don't see things only one way and see what happens.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Tai Shi]

I am joyous at all your comments. Today I started a chair yoga class, and all of us have physical limitations, sever arthritis here, a mending leg there, deformities of the spine here, and all of us older people, even our teacher. We included 20 minutes of meditation and guided imagery, and 40 minutes of yoga. The teacher pushed gently, natural, and kept up the pace. I have been practicing chair yoga now for 10 days and at home I use free videos to follow routines, poses, meditations, and I keep up with Shikantaza, and I am a flower. My beloved Marjorie touched my shoulder a little while ago and said, "That's to reassure you. I am seeing things in you that I have never seen before." This is our flower, our love, our age all speaking at the same time, and yes Jundo and all of you are right. You are my friends.

Elgwyn
Tai Shi
calm poetry
sat today
Gassho

[Risho]

Elgwyn I really enjoy your posts; thank you for sharing.

Gassho

Risho
-sattoday

[Jakuden]

Your post made me smile as well, Elgwyn... yes we are friends and flowers of this Earth (and leaves of the Tree!) The chair yoga sounds like fun and also sounds like it would be a good adjunct to Zazen, like practice for the body.

Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday

[Rich]

Yes Elgwyn, you are a flower. Thanks for fragrance and love.

SAT today

[Tb]

Hi.

Elgwyn, Thank you.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

#Sat2day

[Mp]

Wonderful Elgwyn, thank you. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Myosha]

Hello,

Well said.

Thank you.


Gassho
Myosha sat today.

[Byokan]

Elgwyn,



Thank you for sharing. I love your posts, I love your poetry (yes I have your book and it is wonderful!), and I love Marjorie too.

Gassho
Byōkan
sat today