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

[Onkai]

Is that like early morning Shikantaza??

合掌
stlah

On occasion. My shikantaza had been counting breaths until the discussions on the forum about that being wrong if without reason; then I concentrated on the breath. Lately I've finally been able to just sit, lightly aware of the breath in the hara, and it's much less exhausting.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Tomás ESP]

First assignment: The cat became angry, then caught a mouse for lunch.

Second Assignment: JUST THIS.

Gassho, Tomás
Sat&LaH

[Chikyou]

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) = The cat caught the mouse while mousing as the mouse as the mouse ran from the cat while catting as the cat and both cat and mouse are not two, both faces of the other dancing the dance of life.

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.

The moon disappears in the night sky, obscured by clouds or the Earth's shadow, sometimes visible only in a sliver. The moon disappears in the daytime sky, outshone by the brilliant sun.

And yet, we know that the moon is always there, orbiting the earth, to become visible once again.

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly