The Zen Master's Dance - 14 - Genjo Koan (Middle of p. 58 to Middle of p. 59)

[Jundo]

Dear All Buddhas When One Acts Like A Buddha,

This week's reading is quite short in length, but very rich in meaning, from p. 58 (starting with the sentence, "Buddha doesn't need to note she is Buddha"), ending on p. 59 (just before the passage about the boat).

Master Dogen proposed what he called "Practice-Enlightenment," and the profound realization of Buddhahood when we act like Buddha, thus making Buddha real in the world through our actions. Although, in one sense, we are all always already Buddha (the unbroken wholeness of all reality) before we even realize (come to understand) such fact, that does not mean a thing until we act like it.

Question 1 - Can you tell a little story about someone you know in your life, or in the world, who would not think of themselves as "Buddha" in any way, and may not even be "Buddhist" in any way, but who did some act in life so "Buddha-like" that they truly brought Buddha to life in their doing?

The other sense of our Buddhahood is the unbroken wholeness realized when we drop our little "self" and its divided thinking and selfishness, thus to realize one's Self as all phenomena, This is a wholeness so whole that there is not even some separate thing to stick the name "enlightenment" on, no separate viewer to do the naming.

Question 2 - Have you ever become so wrapped up and poured into something that "you" experienced such dropping of separate self, such wholeness? Can you describe the experience (as best you can, as words fail)?

Gassho, J

STLah

[Koriki]

Question 1 - Can you tell a little story about someone you know in your life, or in the world, who would not think of themselves as "Buddha" in any way, and may not even be "Buddhist" in any way, but who did some act in life so "Buddha-like" that they truly brought Buddha to life in their doing?

When my son was about 11 he sat at a table in school next to a notorious bully. Said bully called him names quietly so that only my son could hear. Somehow my son (who was close to his black belt in martial arts at the time) just let the words pass, wasn't particularly bothered and didn't react. He said that he knew that what the bully said wasn't true and also knew that there was something wrong with the bully, so it just didn't get under his skin.

Question 2 - Have you ever become so wrapped up and poured into something that "you" experienced such dropping of separate self, such wholeness? Can you describe the experience (as best you can, as words fail)?

I once did a run on Pismo Beach that was something like that. Pismo Beach is wide and flat and the surface isn't so soft that you feel like you're running in place like on some beaches. It was dusk, which I have found to be a great time to lose yourself in a run, and as I ran it just seemed like I wasn't even running. I was just moving across the sand and observing. It was effortless. I finally decided to turn around after 4 miles just because I knew that my wife and baby son were waiting for me, however I felt like I could have gone on forever.

Gassho,
Koriki
s@lah

[Hokuu]

Question 1 - Can you tell a little story about someone you know in your life, or in the world, who would not think of themselves as "Buddha" in any way, and may not even be "Buddhist" in any way, but who did some act in life so "Buddha-like" that they truly brought Buddha to life in their doing?

In 2013-2014, during the Maidan events in Ukraine, in general, and in Kharkiv in particular, I knew a few guys who spent their weekends as Red Cross volunteers. They gathered in the morning, changed into red uniforms, took their gear, and followed protesters from different camps until late evening, regardless of the cold, hunger, commitments, and tiredness. Nobody paid them; sometimes somebody bought them some coffee and buns. They were there to administer first aid to people just because they felt it was the right thing to do.

Question 2 - Have you ever become so wrapped up and poured into something that "you" experienced such dropping of separate self, such wholeness? Can you describe the experience (as best you can, as words fail)?

Well, I had a very lively experience of dropping a separate self at rock concerts, but I don't think we're talking about such an experience. It's more of a trance-like and depersonalized state, I suppose.
Sometimes I have these small moments of feeling whole and complete. It can come suddenly when I see something beautiful and elegant, usually in nature, such as a leaf that catches my attention, a tree, a mountain, or a small pond. It comes suddenly and goes away quickly, but at these moments, I feel a sense of completeness.

Gassho
Hokuu
satlah

[Chikyou]

A friend of mine from a long time ago, spent her teen years struggling with drug addiction, in and out of prison. When she got her life on track, she didn’t want to see any more young people end up in the places she had ended up, so she started a non-profit working with at-risk youth and animals, specifically horses. (It eventually failed due to lack of funding unfortunately. Such is the way of the world!)

Gassho,
SatLah,
Chikyō

[Jundo]

[Furyu]

We have a friend who is compelled to help others, even complete strangers. A few years ago, she met a young man while running errands in town and he said he was in town for a few days but didn't know where he could stay (we are in a fairly small town). She immediately invited him to stay a couple of nights at her place - I think she just announced the whole thing to her husband when she got home. He would have been much more cautious, I'm sure. Anyhow, it all went well. But I can't think of a better Bodhisatva-in-action moment.

I'm not sure about feeling a deep sense of wholeness with everything - those are fleeting moments of peacefulness. But there are a couple of places where I can act without a strong sense of self being present. One is when I cook, and that can be a lot like sitting zazen- just chopping, just frying, paying attention, nothing else to do. I am also a teacher and I find that the best way to be a good teacher is precisely to drop the self and act in a spirit of service to others. When I can do that, good things can happen.

Gasshō
sat-lah

Fūryū