The Zen Master's Dance - 10 - Fukan Zazengi (bottom of p. 41 to bottom of p. 45)

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  • Jundo
    Treeleaf Founder and Priest
    • Apr 2006
    • 40480

    The Zen Master's Dance - 10 - Fukan Zazengi (bottom of p. 41 to bottom of p. 45)

    Happy New Year, and we "turn over a new leaf" in our reading ...

    We continue from "Think of not thinking" at the very bottom of page 41, stopping right before "no distinction should be made between the sharp and the dull."


    First Assignment -

    Can you give an example of a third sentence exemplifying "thinking-not-thinking," with the first sentence being an example of ordinary thinking, the second being the wholeness beyond analysis, categorization, division and judgements, and the third sentence (which you will provide) being an example of the two coming together as one, showing how 1 transforms into 3 when passing through the clarity of 2? I will help by giving you, so you do not need to, the first and second sentences already filled out (although the 2nd really might be an empty and open space beyond words).

    DO NOT look at what others post before responding.

    The third sentence should not be a meaningless non sequitor or Zenny "MU" of the like, but should make use of the following elements (cat, anger, then, caught, mouse, lunch), but with the meaning and grammar structure changed by having passed through 2:

    Sentence 1 = The cat became angry, then caught a mouse for lunch.

    Sentence 2 = Clear, open, boundless, beyond all divisions, separation, friction and judgements.

    Sentence 3 (1 + 2) =



    Second Assignment -

    Dogen references several old Koan stories in which ancient Teachers expressed the dropping away of divisions, or the coming together of the absolute (beyond divisions) and the relative (this world of divisions). Examples include a fist in which five finger come together as one hand, or a needle tossed into water which thus vanishes from sight, yet is still present. There is also the example of Manjusri announcing in grand words a Talk by the Buddha in which nothing is said.

    Please choose some picture or shout or phrase that does the same in your heart. No need to explain why.

    Gassho, J

    STLah

    Sorry to run long, in a teaching about silence talking.
    Last edited by Jundo; 01-06-2022, 12:22 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE
  • aprapti
    Member
    • Jun 2017
    • 889

    #2
    assignment two:

    let silence take you to the core of life



    aprapti

    sat

    hobo kore dojo / 歩歩是道場 / step, step, there is my place of practice

    Aprāpti (अप्राप्ति) non-attainment

    Comment

    • Nengyoku
      Member
      • Jun 2021
      • 536

      #3
      Assignment one:

      No division between myself and the cat, and so I embody the boundless anger of the cat. That distinction of cat and mouse too drops away, and so myself the cat realizes the mouse is not separate either. With no mouse to chase after, boundless anger dissolves into peace.

      Assignment two:

      What face did you have before your parents were born?

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

      Comment

      • Gregor
        Member
        • Apr 2007
        • 638

        #4
        1st Assignment:

        Mouse becomes the cat who who has caught lunch and gone thoroughly beyond.

        2nd Assignment:

        Photo attached

        Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk
        Jukai '09 Dharma Name: Shinko 慎重(Prudent Calm)

        Comment

        • Showan
          Member
          • Jun 2021
          • 50

          #5
          First assignment: Having attained tolerance of the birthlessness of things, the mouse saw the cat's hunger had made it angry, so the mouse allowed itself to be caught for lunch to benefit the cat and encourage it to conceive the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.

          Second assignment: "Hey, kid! What is the buddhadharma?" *holds up bloody stump where finger was cut off*
          おつかれさまです

          Comment

          • Jundo
            Treeleaf Founder and Priest
            • Apr 2006
            • 40480

            #6
            Originally posted by Max Andrew
            ... so the mouse allowed itself to be caught for lunch to benefit the cat and encourage it to conceive the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.
            Heck of a saintly mouse!

            If it was me, I'd be scratching and scrambling to get back to my mousehole!

            Actually, I believe that in the old Jakata legends, about the previous lives of the Buddha, have a few such tales! However, even the Buddha seems to have fought back ...


            Long ago, the Buddha-to-be happened to be born as a mouse. He was the leader of a
            large group of mice, and he was very large, as big as a small piglet. A cat used to
            roam nearby, and spotted the group of mice. He decided to find a way to make a
            meal of them. He took on the pose of a holy ascetic, standing on one foot, facing the
            sun, breathing in the air. When the chief of the mice saw him, he approached and
            asked, “What is your name?” “I am called the Holy One,” said the cat. “Why do you
            stand on one foot?” “Because the earth cannot support all four of my feet.” “Why do
            you have your mouth open?” asked the mouse. “I do not eat food, but only the
            wind,” he replied. “And why do you face the burning sun?” “I am paying honour to
            the Sun-god,” replied the cat.

            “He must be very holy,” thought the mouse, and so every day he brought his
            company of mice to pay respects to the cat. And every day, the last mouse to leave
            was caught by the cat and eaten, without the other mice noticing.
            After some time, the chief mouse noticed the reduction in size of his company of
            mice. He began to suspect the cat, and so the next time the mice visited the cat, he
            made sure he was the last to leave. The cat sprang forward to catch him, but the
            chief mouse saw him coming and jumped up to bite his neck. “So this is your holy
            practice is it?” he cried out. Then he severed the cat’s neck and killed him, and all
            the mice came and ate him up with a crunch crunch crunch. Or at least I have heard
            that the first ones got meat, but those who were at the back got none, for it was all
            gone.

            The Buddha gave his teaching and explained the connection of the births: “At that time I was
            the leader of the mice, and the cheating monk was the cat.”

            https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=...scetic&f=false
            Wow, I guess that even the Buddha fought back sometimes!

            Gassho, J

            STLah
            ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

            Comment

            • Eamonn
              Member
              • Nov 2021
              • 9

              #7
              First assignment

              My sentence 3 is: Anger caught the cat, then lunch caught the mouse.

              Second assignment

              Since I was a kid, my Mum will occasionally, with no warning, and for no apparent reason, poke me in the arm and then stare at me questioningly. It invariably makes me drop my thinking and come back to the present moment.

              @Jundo: I very much enjoyed the turning over a new leaf pun.

              I sat today

              Comment

              • Jundo
                Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                • Apr 2006
                • 40480

                #8
                Originally posted by Eamonn
                First assignment

                My sentence 3 is: Anger caught the cat, then lunch caught the mouse.
                Meow!
                ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                Comment

                • Tairin
                  Member
                  • Feb 2016
                  • 2829

                  #9
                  Assignment 1: No cat, no mouse, no anger, no lunch, yum!

                  Assignment 2:

                  41CACBA4-5FE4-4EBC-9E8C-A34E50A7F783.jpeg


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

                  Comment

                  • Jundo
                    Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                    • Apr 2006
                    • 40480

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Tairin
                    Assignment 1: No cat, no mouse, no anger, no lunch, yum!

                    Assignment 2:

                    [ATTACH=CONFIG]7365[/ATTACH]


                    Tairin
                    Sat today and lah
                    Yum
                    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                    Comment

                    • Tobiishi
                      Member
                      • Jan 2009
                      • 461

                      #11
                      Lunch is still a mouse until caught- then anger makes lunch just a mouse again. Poor cat stirring circles in itself, never fed.

                      NJXOE9916 (2).JPG


                      Kodo Tobiishi stlah
                      It occurs to me that my attachment to this body is entirely arbitrary. All the evidence is subjective.

                      Comment

                      • Jundo
                        Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                        • Apr 2006
                        • 40480

                        #12
                        Originally posted by Tobiishi
                        Lunch is still a mouse until caught- then anger makes lunch just a mouse again. Poor cat stirring circles in itself, never fed.

                        [ATTACH=CONFIG]7368[/ATTACH]


                        Kodo Tobiishi stlah
                        ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                        Comment

                        • Onkai
                          Treeleaf Priest
                          • Aug 2015
                          • 3044

                          #13
                          First assignment: The cat chomps down the mouse.

                          Second assignment: Rising after a deep sleep.

                          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
                            • 40480

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Onkai
                            First assignment: The cat chomps down the mouse.

                            Second assignment: Rising after a deep sleep.

                            Gassho,
                            Onkai
                            Sat/lah
                            ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                            Comment

                            • Shokai
                              Dharma Transmitted Priest
                              • Mar 2009
                              • 6394

                              #15
                              Is that like early morning Shikantaza??

                              合掌
                              stlah
                              合掌,生開
                              gassho, Shokai

                              仁道 生開 / Jindo Shokai

                              "Open to life in a benevolent way"

                              https://sarushinzendo.wordpress.com/

                              Comment

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