The Zen Master's Dance - 1 - Introduction

[Bion]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great interplay between horse and rider moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special interplay, for it is the same interconnection between horse and rider that the whole of reality is engaged in, with nothing left out, that the rider and the horse are creating, that is also the interplay between you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of your communication “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this communication began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that that the interaction between horse and rider consists of each step and breath we both take, much as a dance unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its dancers.

You and I and the horse all inter-are, we are all moving/communicating/flowing through space and time, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, flows together just as horse and rider do. And although we may feel as if we are separate beings —finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the manifestation of the communication itself flowing through us. A universe of riders and horses that are as one. Sometimes the horse is the leader, sometimes the rider is the leader in this constant interlay, and whole universe is moving with them and us. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a horse and rider working together , so vigorous, vibrant and in sync that they seem vanish in the swirl of motion: both two and one at the same time. And imagine more riders and horses joining, first in pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual beings can no longer be seen. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that each movement of the horse and each movement of the rider somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all other partners, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire interplay too. Dōgen experienced the time of the of the ride as the overall movement that is fully held and expressed in each individual move itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of the dance.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where the ride has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the ride that is truly realized—made real—right here, in the flow of communication between horse and rider. The ride dance is always in the moment, so just ride, without thought of any other place.

I left in one dancing reference as I often think of the communication between horse and rider as a dance.


Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

Reminds me of your lovely talk during Rohatsu last year! [emoji3526] was it that? Or maybe some other occasion? I have doubts now … [emoji854]

[emoji1374] SatToday

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo, for a book that really brings out the magic in the ordinariness of shikantaza, and for this assignment. And thank you to the people who posted clarifying variations for sharing. Doing this exercise helped me see the practice differently, and may change my approach to writing as well.

***
Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great story moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special story, for it is the story that the whole of reality is telling, with nothing left out, that you and I are writing, that is writing as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the story “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this story began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being told now on each page and paragraph we read, much as a story unfolds and constantly renews with every plot twist or character arc of its writers.

You and I are writers in this story, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is writing this story together. And although we may feel as if we are separate writers—finite individuals on a grand page spanning all of time and space—we are also the story itself writing through us. A universe of characters that are being written up in this story that the whole universe is writing. Picture in your mind a reader experiencing a story so vigorous and vibrant that its countless characters and scenes seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single characters and scenes becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall plot that, from a distance, individual characters and scenes can no longer be separated. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains
the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every page of
each story somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every plot of all the other stories on the page, past, present,
or future, and fully contains the entire story too. Dōgen experienced the time of the story as the overall story arc that is fully held and
expressed in each individual scene itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past,
as the present fully holds the past and future of the story.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in the page. Where this story has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the story that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next scene and plot point. The story is always right on the page, so just
write, without thought of any other story.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Shinshi]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great interplay between horse and rider moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special interplay, for it is the same interconnection between horse and rider that the whole of reality is engaged in, with nothing left out, that the rider and the horse are creating, that is also the interplay between you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of your communication “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this communication began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that that the interaction between horse and rider consists of each step and breath we both take, much as a dance unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its dancers.

You and I and the horse all inter-are, we are all moving/communicating/flowing through space and time, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, flows together just as horse and rider do. And although we may feel as if we are separate beings —finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the manifestation of the communication itself flowing through us. A universe of riders and horses that are as one. Sometimes the horse is the leader, sometimes the rider is the leader in this constant interlay, and whole universe is moving with them and us. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a horse and rider working together , so vigorous, vibrant and in sync that they seem vanish in the swirl of motion: both two and one at the same time. And imagine more riders and horses joining, first in pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual beings can no longer be seen. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that each movement of the horse and each movement of the rider somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all other partners, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire interplay too. Dōgen experienced the time of the of the ride as the overall movement that is fully held and expressed in each individual move itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of the dance.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where the ride has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the ride that is truly realized—made real—right here, in the flow of communication between horse and rider. The ride dance is always in the moment, so just ride, without thought of any other place.

I left in one dancing reference as I often think of the communication between horse and rider as a dance.


Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Risho]

Even the introduction to this book is medicine!


So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that the work of each veterinarian somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses all the other veterinarians in all the other cultures, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire field of veterinary medicine too. Dōgen experienced time as fully held and expressed in each individual healing action itself, with the past not only flowing into the present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of their healing actions.

We human beings are always chasing goals, feeling our lack, judging good and bad, and feeling friction between our wants and reality. But when we sit in shikantaza — in “just sitting that hits the mark” — we stop chasing goals for a time. Sitting is its own goal and completion. When we sit this way, the division between us and the world drops away and we feel the profound wholeness of our work, and the boundaries between sickness and health, work and life drop away. That is the first lesson.


Gassho,
Jakuden
SatToday/Danced

I always mean to reach out to you about being a veterinarian; sending metta your way; thank God for veterinarians. I know or have heard this is a very difficult profession; animals and pets are such a blessing, I can't even imagine the difficulty in caring for them; I also wish human physicians were more like veterinarians on so many levels. Many sincere bows to you.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

[Kendrick]

I got around to this a bit later than I had planned.
---
Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great hike in the woods moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special hike, for it is the hike that the whole of reality is traversing, with nothing left out, that you and I are hiking, that is hiking as you and me. It is a vibrant, filled with ever changing scenery, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and challenge of the hike “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this great woodland hike began, or whether it even has a beginning or ending destination. But we can come to see that it is being walked now in each step and breath we take, much as a view on a hike unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or leap of its hikers.

You and I are hikers on this hike, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is walking this hike together. And although we may feel as if we are separate hikers —finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the hike itself hiking through us. A universe of hikers that are being hiked up in this hike that the whole universe is hiking. Picture in your mind someone witnessing a group of hikers so vigorous and vibrant that its countless participants seem to vanish in the swirl of motion: single hikers becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall group that, from a distance, individual hikers can no longer be seen. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every step of
each hiker somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every step by all the other hikers on the path, past, present, or future, and fully contains the entire hike too. Dōgen experienced the time of the hike as the overall movement that is fully held and
expressed in each individual step itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past, as the present fully holds the past and future of the hike.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this hike started from, where it is going, is not as important as the hike that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next step on the path, and the next leap over a creek. The hike is always right underfoot, so just hike, without thought of any other place.
---



Gassho,
Kendrick
Sat/Lah

[Tairin]

But when we tune our guitar - in "just tuning each string and all strings" - we stop chasing goals and just listen. Tuning each string is its own goal and completion. When we tune this way, each string resonates across the whole universe, all things vibrating as one, as the division drops away. We feel the profound wholeness of being in tune with all things, in tune with all Dharma. That is the first lesson. Find the middle way, do not tighten the strings too much or leave them too slack. Always dance in the middle of the path.

My two picks worth.

Sat n plucked.

Nicely done Seishin. Your paragraph reminded me of the book Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo which you might find interesting.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Kaishin]

You and I are diners at this buffet, as is every hungry creature great or small, the vast rice paddies and immense water reservoirs, every grain of wheat or massive granary,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is eating this buffet together. And although we may feel as if we are separate diners—finite eaters at a grand restaurant spanning all of time and space—we are also the dining itself dining through us. A universe of diners that are being dined up in this buffet that the whole universe is eating. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing a buffet so vigorous and vibrant that its countless diners seem to vanish in the swirl of eating: single diners becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, individual diners can no longer be seen. ...

(yes I like food...it's a problem :P )

[Seishin]

But when we sit in shikantaza — in “just sitting that hits the mark” — we stop chasing goals for a time. Sitting is its own goal and completion. When we sit this way, the division between us and the world drops away and we feel the profound wholeness of the dance. That is the first lesson.

But when we tune our guitar - in "just tuning each string and all strings" - we stop chasing goals and just listen. Tuning each string is its own goal and completion. When we tune this way, each string resonates across the whole universe, all things vibrating as one, as the division drops away. We feel the profound wholeness of being in tune with all things, in tune with all Dharma. That is the first lesson. Find the middle way, do not tighten the strings too much or leave them too slack. Always dance in the middle of the path.

My two picks worth.

Sat n plucked.

[KathyW]

I think that this exercise really helped me to understand Jundo's introduction - I had to really think about the meaning of each word. I also found it to be fun!


Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great act of continuous painting with ever vanishing brush strokes on a canvas moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special act of painting, for it is the canvas that the whole of reality is painting, with nothing left out, that you and I are painting, that is painting as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the act of painting “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where the painting of this canvas began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being painted now in each brush stroke and breath we take, much as a painting unfolds and constantly renews with the application of each of its brush strokes.

You and I are painters of this canvas, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is painting this canvas together. And although we may feel as if we are separate painters—finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the canvas itself painting through us. A universe of painters that are being painted up in this canvas that the whole universe is painting. Picture in your mind a spectator witnessing acts of painting so vigorous and vibrant that its countless brush strokes seem to come and go in the swirl of motion: single painters whose brush strokes merge with those of other painters becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall movement that, from a distance, the brush strokes of individual painters can no longer be seen. ...

... So united did Dōgen see that whole that, in his mind, each point holds all other points, near or far, each point miraculously fully contains
the whole, and each moment of time ticks with all other moments of time, before or after. It is much like saying that every brush stroke of
each painter somehow embodies, depends upon, and also fully expresses every brush stroke of all the other painters of the canvas, past, present,
or future, and fully contains the entire canvas too. Dōgen experienced the time of the painting as the overall act of painting that is fully held and
expressed in each individual brush stroke itself, with past not only flowing into present and future, but future flowing into the present and past,
as the present fully holds the past and future of the canvas.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this canvas has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the painting that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next brush stroke. The painting is always right now, so just
paint, without thought of any finished canvas.

Gassho,
Kathy

Sat today

[Kantai]

I drive my car a lot and it has taken me to both wonderful and dreadful places. So, here's to the road, car, driver and passenger.

... Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this road has come from, where it is going, is not as important
as the road that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next turn and gas stop. The road is always right underwheel, so just
drive, without thought of any other place.

Gassho
Kantai

SatLah

[Steven]

Was that last sentence alluding to Bit Bucket? Also, software development brings a whole new meaning to the "Platform" sutra.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

For the most part! I suppose any hosted git service could be alluded to here, but we do use bitbucket at work.

[Risho]

Zen and the Art of Software Development?

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great codebase moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special codebase, for it is the code that the whole of reality is writing, with nothing left out, that you and I are coding, that is coding as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the bits and bytes of the app “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this codebase began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being written now in each click and clack of the keyboard as we type, much as a codebase unfolds and constantly renews with every null check and bitshift of its programmers.

You and I are programmers in this codebase, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is coding this app together. And although we may feel as if we are separate programmers—finite individuals on a grand codebase spanning all of time and space—we are also the codebase itself programming through us. A universe of coders that are being coded up in this code that the whole universe is coding. Picture in your mind a project manager witnessing a sprint so vigorous that its countless coders seem to vanish in the commit log of a new feature build: single programmers becoming pairs, then mobs, pull requests being revised, branched off, and squashed, yet so merged that, from a distance, individual coders can no longer be seen.

Some of these words may not make a whole lot of sense in the context without being familiar with software development (especially the last sentence). Apologies!

Gassho,
Steven
stlah

Was that last sentence alluding to Bit Bucket? Also, software development brings a whole new meaning to the "Platform" sutra.

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

[Tairin]

Zen Master’s Jam Session

I love creating and playing music both on my own and with others. Generally my most rewarding experiences involve getting together with other like minded musicians and just improvising in a jam session. Not knowing what each player is going to do but needing to listen to add or not add to the emerging sound.

What a great exercise and way to personalize the Introduction. I did struggle a bit with the “dancer” metaphor but know I will see this in a new light. Thank you a Jundo.

Respectfully submitted

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great jam session playing music through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special jam session, for it is the jam session that the whole of reality is playing, with nothing left out, that you and I are playing, that is playing as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the sound and silence of the music “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this jam session began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being played now in each step and breath we take, much as a jam session unfolds and constantly renews with every sound or note of its players.

You and I are musicians in this jam session, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy, the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is playing this music together. And although we may feel as if we are separate musicians —finite individuals on a grand stage spanning all of time and space—we are also the music itself playing through us. A universe of musicians that are being played up in this jam session that the whole universe is playing music. Picture in your mind a listener listening to music so vigorous and vibrant that its countless musicians seem to vanish in the swirl of sounds: single musicians becoming pairs, then groups, coming together and separating moment by moment, yet so merged as the overall music that, from a distance, individual musicians can no longer be heard. ...




Tairin
Sat today and lah

[DanM]

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese surfer of long ago ... experienced reality as a great swell moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all surfers. It is a most special swell, for it is the swell that the whole of reality is surfing, with nothing left out, that you and I are surfing, that is surfing as you and me. It is a pulsing, peaking, breaking, barreling and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the motion and sweep of the ocean “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as surfers, can’t be sure when or where this swell began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being surfed now in each paddle and breath we take, much as a wave unfolds and constantly renews with every turn or tube-ride of its surfers.

Master Dōgen spoke of practice, putting it all in motion. Where this swell has come from, where it is going, is not as important as the wave that is truly realized—made real—right here, in your next cut-back and re-entry. The surfboard is always right underfoot, so just surf, without thought of any other place.

[Steven]

Zen and the Art of Software Development?

Eihei Dōgen, a Japanese Zen Master of long ago ... experienced reality as a great codebase moving through time, coming to life in the thoughts and acts of all beings. It is a most special codebase, for it is the code that the whole of reality is writing, with nothing left out, that you and I are coding, that is coding as you and me. It is a vibrant, swirling, flowing, merging and emerging unity that Buddhists sometimes call “emptiness,” as the bits and bytes of the app “empties” us of the sense of only being separate beings, and fills and reaffirms us as the whole. We, as human beings, can’t be sure when or where this codebase began, or whether it even has a beginning or end. But we can come to see that it is being written now in each click and clack of the keyboard as we type, much as a codebase unfolds and constantly renews with every null check and bitshift of its programmers.

You and I are programmers in this codebase, as is every creature great or small, the mountains and seas, every grain of sand or massive galaxy,
the atoms that make up the universe and the whole universe itself. Everything in reality, no matter how old or vast, no matter how unnoticed or small, is coding this app together. And although we may feel as if we are separate programmers—finite individuals on a grand codebase spanning all of time and space—we are also the codebase itself programming through us. A universe of coders that are being coded up in this code that the whole universe is coding. Picture in your mind a project manager witnessing a sprint so vigorous that its countless coders seem to vanish in the commit log of a new feature build: single programmers becoming pairs, then mobs, pull requests being revised, branched off, and squashed, yet so merged that, from a distance, individual coders can no longer be seen.

Some of these words may not make a whole lot of sense in the context without being familiar with software development (especially the last sentence). Apologies!

Gassho,
Steven
stlah