The Zen Master's Dance - 5 - Fukan Zazengi (p. 23 to p. 29)

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  • Jundo
    Treeleaf Founder and Priest
    • Apr 2006
    • 40481

    The Zen Master's Dance - 5 - Fukan Zazengi (p. 23 to p. 29)

    There is no other place to be, nothing more to do ... and I am so glad that you are here, doing this reading!

    This time, we will read from page 23 "The Basics and the Missing Ingredient," stopping before page 29 "And So, 'The Way of Zazen Recommended for Everyone.'"

    Today's reading contains this description of the "missing ingredient" of many Zazen instructions:

    [W]e must sit shikantaza with the profound trusting that sitting itself is a complete and sacred act, the one and only action that need be done in that moment of sitting. As we shall see in the “Fukan Zazengi” and in Dōgen’s other writings on zazen, this was Dōgen’s unique point, and he emphasized it time and time again in his teachings. Zazen is all the Buddhas and Ancestors sitting in our own moment of sitting, as if our sitting turns us into those Buddhas and Ancestors on the spot. We must have faith in that fact. We must taste vibrantly that the mere act of sitting zazen is whole and complete, the total fruition of life’s goals, with nothing lacking and nothing added to the bare fact of sitting here and now. No matter how busy our lives or how strongly we may feel tempted to be elsewhere, for the time of sitting we put aside all other concerns. To do this, we must have a sense that the single act of crossing the legs as Dōgen instructed (or sitting in some other balanced posture, as many modern students do) is the realization of all we’ve ever sought. That is why there is simply no other place to go in the world, nothing else to do besides sit in this posture.

    Even if we do not yet fully believe in the completeness of zazen, we can nonetheless have trust and faith in it, and that trust and faith will
    soon turn into an actual experience. ...

    ... When we truly taste to the marrow the real meaning of “nothing to achieve,” we finally reach a great spiritual achievement. As counterintuitive as it sounds, resting in stillness without needing to run is, in fact, truly getting somewhere.
    Let's take this attitude of Zazen off the cushion, into daily life:

    Imagine and describe some scene in your life that is tedious, annoying, difficult, frustrating, painful, sad or the like. Describe how you feel.

    Now, also describe how it feel when, even as a matter of faith and conviction, one brings a "nothing more to do, no other place to be" feeling to the situation, like the language of this section.

    Once again, how is it to experience the event both ways at once, as one?

    Gassho, Jundo

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE
  • Nengyoku
    Member
    • Jun 2021
    • 536

    #2
    Last night I bumped my dog's ear as I walked past him. He helped in pain that was very disproportionate to how hard I had hit him. Upon inspection I realized he had a pretty bad ear infection, and it looked like he had scratched it to the point he had drawn blood.

    The feelings I felt were some mixture of panic and fear. I felt like I had let him down for not noticing his situation, and I felt like I needed to fix it right now before it got worse.

    And then I remembered to look at it from outside of my own point of view. I told myself, "Things are just as they are. There is no scenario where you noticed this, because this is the scenario you have." I stopped beating myself up for not catching it sooner and instead focused on finding the best resolution to the scenario I was in.

    I still felt some panic, but reminded myself that the vet wasn't even open this late and that panic wouldn't help the situation.

    Instead, I knew there was nothing to do, nowhere to be, just me and this hurt and scared dog. (Who really is just a big puppy sometimes) and that I was not separate from the hurt and scared dog. He was scared because I was panicking.

    So I just got down, and held him until he calmed down.
    And then I made an appointment for him, once they opened.

    It was like through one eye I saw the wider scale of the situation, that nothing could be done right now and so I just needed to help me feel safe.
    And through the other I saw the small scale, that something was wrong and as soon as something could be done it should be done.

    Gassho,
    William
    SatLah
    Thank you for being the warmth in my world.

    Comment

    • Amelia
      Member
      • Jan 2010
      • 4985

      #3
      I really like that story, William. I have experienced many of those moments with my dog as he ages.

      Gassho
      Sat, lah
      求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
      I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.

      Comment

      • Jundo
        Treeleaf Founder and Priest
        • Apr 2006
        • 40481

        #4
        I hope he is feeling better today, William.

        Gassho, J

        STLah
        ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

        Comment

        • Nengyoku
          Member
          • Jun 2021
          • 536

          #5
          Much metta for your furry friend also, Geika.

          Thank you Jundo. He has been very playful, and he came and curled up beside me during Zazen tonight, so I hope that means he is calm.

          Gassho,
          William
          SatLah
          Thank you for being the warmth in my world.

          Comment

          • Kiri
            Member
            • Apr 2019
            • 353

            #6
            Yesterday I was thinking what might be the difference of shikantaza and mindfulness meditation. The only answer I could give is that a shikantaza practitioner has a completely different attitude during the practice, and a completely different attitude towards the practice itself. First, we don't chase after some goal, like peace of mind, becoming better people, achieving enlightenment etc. Then we practice, with mind and body, having the faith that during shinaktaza there is nothing else we should do. Finally, we believe that the practice is Perfect whatever we may be facing - worries, fears, anxieties, boredom, happiness, excitement or just peace.
            What do you think?

            Gassho, Nikolas
            Sat/Lah
            希 rare
            理 principle
            (Nikolas)

            Comment

            • Jundo
              Treeleaf Founder and Priest
              • Apr 2006
              • 40481

              #7
              Originally posted by Nikos
              Yesterday I was thinking what might be the difference of shikantaza and mindfulness meditation. The only answer I could give is that a shikantaza practitioner has a completely different attitude during the practice, and a completely different attitude towards the practice itself. First, we don't chase after some goal, like peace of mind, becoming better people, achieving enlightenment etc. Then we practice, with mind and body, having the faith that during shinaktaza there is nothing else we should do. Finally, we believe that the practice is Perfect whatever we may be facing - worries, fears, anxieties, boredom, happiness, excitement or just peace.
              What do you think?
              I think (think-non-think) that's pretty good!

              We still do all the other usual stuff too, like sitting in a balanced and stable posture, letting thoughts go, not grabbing on to emotions, breathing nice and deep but naturally, etc., attention on the breath or "open spacious awareness" etc.



              Funny thing is, might actually bring some peace of mind, make us nicer people and ... dare I say ... illumination/enlightenment ...

              Gassho, J

              STLah
              ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

              Comment

              • Tairin
                Member
                • Feb 2016
                • 2829

                #8
                Autumn brings with it the task of raking the leaves. I live in a neighbourhood with many large trees. My own property has 11 trees which means a lot of raking. Generally November days are windy which means that even once you’ve managed to clear a spot the wind comes along and blows in more leaves. It is not my favourite homeowner task. And yet it brings me outside away from my desk and computer. I get some fresh air and some peace. It is a wonderful opportunity to practice Raking Zazen.


                Tairin
                Sat today and lah
                泰林 - Tai Rin - Peaceful Woods

                Comment

                • Stewart
                  Member
                  • May 2017
                  • 152

                  #9
                  In Japan, cleanliness isn't next to godliness, it is godliness. This means that a lot of the cleaning expected of me as a newly appointed house husband seems a pointless waste of time. However, there is a set cleaning schedule and as the appointed time comes round, it is interesting to observe my resentment and childish sulkiness about what I know I have to do. Anyway, I set to the job and notice my mood changing to one of satisfaction at doing the job as required. This feeling grows and the mental burden of the cleaning decreases. I have watched this every week, twice a week for 6 months now - I know the routine and keep to it.

                  Stewart
                  Sat

                  Comment

                  • Onkai
                    Treeleaf Priest
                    • Aug 2015
                    • 3044

                    #10
                    There are things I want to do on any given day, but I tend to just fret about them and procrastinate. While I'm procrastinating, the things to do loom large and I fret some more that I can't do anything. However, when I don't buy into the worrying thoughts and feelings, I just do one thing, whether it is reading, writing, sewing, or housework, and that one thing is simple, and leads to the next thing, and soon I've done what I had wanted to do and it wasn't difficult or a big thing at all.

                    Gassho,
                    Onkai
                    Sat/lah
                    美道 Bidou Beautiful Way
                    恩海 Onkai Merciful/Kind Ocean

                    I have a lot to learn; take anything I say that sounds like teaching with a grain of salt.

                    Comment

                    • Jundo
                      Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                      • Apr 2006
                      • 40481

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Stewart
                      In Japan, cleanliness isn't next to godliness, it is godliness. This means that a lot of the cleaning expected of me as a newly appointed house husband seems a pointless waste of time. However, there is a set cleaning schedule and as the appointed time comes round, it is interesting to observe my resentment and childish sulkiness about what I know I have to do. Anyway, I set to the job and notice my mood changing to one of satisfaction at doing the job as required. This feeling grows and the mental burden of the cleaning decreases. I have watched this every week, twice a week for 6 months now - I know the routine and keep to it.

                      Stewart
                      Sat
                      Cleaning is a Buddha cleaning Buddha, each grain of schmutz and soot holding the whole universe and shining like a pristine jewel, nothing to clean and nothing ever dirty, nothing to attain, the whole universe already Pure beyond and right through all small human ideas of clean vs. dirty ... no schedule to follow, nothing to do, no job ever undone ... no feeling or burden to grow or decrease ...

                      And yet, and yet ... there is laundry to do and a sink full of dishes, guests coming in the morning and chores to be done, stuff to clean because who wants to live in a mess!

                      Gassho, J

                      STLah
                      ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                      Comment

                      • Jundo
                        Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                        • Apr 2006
                        • 40481

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Onkai
                        There are things I want to do on any given day, but I tend to just fret about them and procrastinate. While I'm procrastinating, the things to do loom large and I fret some more that I can't do anything. However, when I don't buy into the worrying thoughts and feelings, I just do one thing, whether it is reading, writing, sewing, or housework, and that one thing is simple, and leads to the next thing, and soon I've done what I had wanted to do and it wasn't difficult or a big thing at all.

                        Gassho,
                        Onkai
                        Sat/lah
                        Nothing to do, no night which becomes day, no time and nothing in need of doing, so no way to "procrastinate." Your procrastinating is a Buddha's procrastinating. Doing one thing is doing no thing is doing EVERY thing and ALL things, just the universe doing its thing. Writing is just writing with no before or after, no sewing or housework. Sewing is just sewing with no before or after, no housework or writing. Sewing is a Buddha's needle passing through a Buddha.

                        This one thing that is all things and no thing at all ... is as simple as simple can be, beyond big thing or small.

                        And yet, and yet ... there are things to do today, and no time to waste. Let's do the writing, then later the sewing followed by housework.

                        Gassho, J

                        STLah
                        ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                        Comment

                        • Jundo
                          Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                          • Apr 2006
                          • 40481

                          #13
                          Originally posted by Tairin
                          Autumn brings with it the task of raking the leaves. I live in a neighbourhood with many large trees. My own property has 11 trees which means a lot of raking. Generally November days are windy which means that even once you’ve managed to clear a spot the wind comes along and blows in more leaves. It is not my favourite homeowner task. And yet it brings me outside away from my desk and computer. I get some fresh air and some peace. It is a wonderful opportunity to practice Raking Zazen.


                          Tairin
                          Sat today and lah
                          Raking leaves is raking Bodhisattvas scattered on the Buddha ground, no place to fall and no up to rake, no seasons so how can it be "Autumn"? No homeowners and no home to own ... only One's True Home. The wind is only your mind moving!

                          And yet, and yet ... it is Autumn and there is a ton of leaves to rake.

                          Gassho, J

                          STLah
                          ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                          Comment

                          • Amelia
                            Member
                            • Jan 2010
                            • 4985

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Jundo
                            Cleaning is a Buddha cleaning Buddha, each grain of schmutz and soot holding the whole universe and shining like a pristine jewel, nothing to clean and nothing ever dirty, nothing to attain, the whole universe already Pure beyond and right through all small human ideas of clean vs. dirty ... no schedule to follow, nothing to do, no job ever undone ... no feeling or burden to grow or decrease ...

                            And yet, and yet ... there is laundry to do and a sink full of dishes, guests coming in the morning and chores to be done, stuff to clean because who wants to live in a mess!

                            Gassho, J

                            STLah
                            "Schmutz" has become part of my lexicon lately. �� it is a perfect word for what it is.

                            Gassho
                            Sat, lah
                            求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
                            I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.

                            Comment

                            • rj
                              Member
                              • Aug 2021
                              • 53

                              #15
                              Getting a call from a client that needs something right before I am ready to log off from work for the day. I have done everything to be able to close the computer and walk away on time... it is 4:59pm... and alas, the phone rings and it is a client that needs something right away, because they waited until the last minute to take care of an issue. Frustration, annoyance, exasperation... then... breathing and becoming aware that there is nothing to do right now but to take care of their issue, to do all I can, to let the frustration go, and move forward.

                              rj
                              st

                              Comment

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