10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

[Jiken]

An Eye Opening

A Buddhist monk visited Zen Master Pai-Chang and asked , “What is the most splendid thing in the world?” The Zen master answered, “Sitting alone as a great mountain, as I am doing right now.”

Sitting alone as a great mountain – Zazen - What am I doing right now! – Awareness

Question: On the smallest level you can give an example of how your increased awareness has helped someone or something.

Neglect is the Road to Death

In this reading Aoyama urges us to really live our life by paying attention to the smallest parts and investigation purpose. A life dedicated to life. She quotes Zen Master Kodo Sawaki who says, “We should make every moment of life worthwhile. Just eating and sleeping, living without purpose, and dying in that state makes us human manure producing machines.”

Ayoma continues saying, that she wants us to look at a higher level living.

Two questions:
1. Is a life without purpose neglect?
2. What does it mean to you to really live and not just exist?

[Shujin]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

Question: On the smallest level you can give an example of how your increased awareness has helped someone or something.

For various reasons, at work I've found myself avoiding interacting with people as human beings. Sure, I've talked with them, listened to what they said, read their body language. I began to feel as though there were some mission or task to be filled in these encounters, however. The goal was somewhere beyond the conversation. Recently I've made an effort to slow myself down, make eye contact more, and try to have a genuine dialogue. I'm not sure if it's helping anyone else, but it seems to be resulting in more positive encounters. This is a subject that I almost feel stupid writing about, because it seems so simple when I lay it out. In my world, however, it's often a struggle to maintain this focus.

Two questions:
1. Is a life without purpose neglect?
2. What does it mean to you to really live and not just exist?

1. Maybe; I suppose it depends on the purpose.
2. I think my answer goes back to a lot of what I wrote above. To meet another person in a moment and reach a level of true understanding is an uncommonly rewarding experience. This is so important for me at the moment because it seems like there's this idea that we must surround ourselves with people who parrot our own viewpoints. Difference is the enemy. Understanding doesn't have to mean agreement, or even liking someone, and for me it's something that's particularly human.

I enjoyed the questions this week, and look forward to reading everyone's responses. Thank you.

gassho,
Shujin

[Myoku]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

Being aware helps in every moment. It prevents me from shouting at the kids just when i had a bad day or I'm actually angry about something else, it helps me not to drift into completely useless activity, when I actually should work (I'm self employed, its easy to be lazy). It helps me to become aware of what my family really wants and needs (and not what they say in a certain situation). It helps me to sit upright, instead of computer-monkey position (this moment!). The most precious thing about awareness is for me the moment when I become aware than my mind wants to wander around, instead of remaining aware, and this happens often each day.

I think neglect is unskillful, its not helpful and one can see a certain connection to a life-purpose, however, I somewhat feel my life has a purpose, no matter how I think about it or what I actually do. To "really live" is what made me starting my practice (or the search long before), it simply means to see life as best as I can as it really is. Seeing it this way naturally seems to lead to a compassionate life, and I cannot think of any better life.

_()_

[Rimon]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

Couldn't agree with Peter more on his answers.

Being aware helps in every moment. It prevents me from shouting at the kids just when i had a bad day or I'm actually angry about something else, it helps me not to drift into completely useless activity, when I actually should work.

For me, is the same. Awareness is my main filter against acting careless due to my anger, fear, lazyness, hunger and other emotions and drives. It took me some time to realize that the point of zen is not to supress emotions and drives -they are part of our mind too- but not to be controlled by them. Acting instead of just reacting like an automat. So, in a sense, awareness makes me free.

aaahh the meaning of life... That was 42, wasn't it? ;-) quoting Peter again:

I think neglect is unskillful, its not helpful and one can see a certain connection to a life-purpose, however, I somewhat feel my life has a purpose, no matter how I think about it or what I actually do. To "really live" is what made me starting my practice (or the search long before), it simply means to see life as best as I can as it really is. Seeing it this way naturally seems to lead to a compassionate life, and I cannot think of any better life.

I feel the same. Living life through awareness, mind like a mirror, not picking and choosing, is the best way to living. I also believe, or try to believe that it naturally leads to a compassionate life. Sometimes I feel it clearly in my bones, but sometimes I wonder if to be more compassionate I need to dwell in other practices and attitudes. But this is my idea of the purpose of life, the life of a bodhisatva. Still so many light years from it, though.

Gassho

Rimon

_()_[/quote]

[Heisoku]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

As someone who has been excesively self-narrating the power that awareness brings to breaking the internal monologues has really helped me to clarify situations around me.
I don't know if anyone else has this issue but I have noticed that this narrative seems to develop its own ideologies through the subtle feelings it can evoke. You can begin to feel aversion to things (or attractions) for no immediate reason. Improved awareness has broken this up and for me anyway I have noticed how more objective and calmly I seem to manage stressful moments... and I don't have as many idiosyncratic hates as I used to.
Its like life flows more smoothly and the right way seems to appear naturally. I am much happier for this and I hope this happiness spreads to those I meet. If that helps others in some small way then that provides enough purpose for me.
We always seem to be working at being miserable, awareness is amazing...working at being.......happy being! _/_

[Myoku]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

Heisoku,
what you said about much resonates with me and has quite some similarities to my own experiences.
Thank you and Gassho
Peter

[Dosho]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

Hi all,

An Eye Opening

When trying to "live in the moment", I think the biggest hangup I end up having is, "How do I know that what is happening in this moment is ok?" I suppose I worry some that eventually "living in the moment" will become an excuse to be a complete ass! But, as my practice has matured I am beginning to see that the idea of being in the moment, or put another way: "Being with what is rather than what could be or what I want it to be" is a state that generally leads to a light heart and careful being. As a result, I have begun to concern myself less with, "Will I be an ass?" and more with "Bring it on!" or "Whatever will be, will be!" A bit difficult to describe in words...but something to do with allowing what is first and then deciding if anything must be done about it. And, as I am finding in many cases, nothing whatsoever needs to be done!

Question: On the smallest level you can give an example of how your increased awareness has helped someone or something.

My increased awareness of what happens around me and the ways in which I react to it has definitely benefited my kids. My ability to be patient with them "just being kids" has really increased. I think less about how their behavior is affecting me and more about how they are finding their way in the world. So, it's helped them and me all at the same time!

Neglect is the Road to Death

Ilness is good; failure is good; let wind and waves be as they are.

Much like another chapter where Aoyama mentioned that being sick can be a challenge, the idea that illness can be good is a concept I never would have accepted just a year ago. "Being sick is terrible!" That's what I would have said. But living for the idea that sickness is something to avoid...something to focus on at all...that's what I was doing and that was a life wasted. I was neglecting the wonders of life!

Questions: Is a life without purpose neglect? What does it mean to you to really live and not just exist?

Until a person finds their purpose, no it is not neglect. But once we have sensed in ourselves that we have either the drive to find purpose or we have actually found it, to then not follow that purpose is neglect. But I don't think I ever would have put it that way because there are so many reasons we can get sidetracked from following our purpose in life. So, as long as we work to getting back to it, that is not neglect. But not taking that chance at finding our way in this world? Yes, that is neglect. As for how to "really live and not just exist," that's exactly what I think we're all trying to figure out!

Gassho,
Dosho

[Dokan]

Re: 10/7 Zen Seeds: Pages 57,58

An Eye Opening

A Buddhist monk visited Zen Master Pai-Chang and asked , “What is the most splendid thing in the world?” The Zen master answered, “Sitting alone as a great mountain, as I am doing right now.”

Sitting alone as a great mountain – Zazen - What am I doing right now! – Awareness

Question: On the smallest level you can give an example of how your increased awareness has helped someone or something.

I really enjoyed this. I've been in a solitary place for the past couple of weeks. Just sitting alone. It's been very illuminating. As for the increased awareness. I have seen this in the area of a increased sensitivity to other's lack of awareness. Sometimes I want to yell at a person saying "WAKE UP!". Not with anger or judgement, but with compassion...however compassion's partner, wisdom sometimes is hard to manifest. I can't seem to balance the two so keep my trap shut. Taigu talked recently about shutting the ego-koan and opening the genjo-koan...so I press on.

Two questions:
1. Is a life without purpose neglect?
2. What does it mean to you to really live and not just exist?

1. We have a responsibility to the amazing privilege of our life and to the 'life' of the dharma.
2. I don't know. Can we really just exist? When I setup 'targets' for success in my practice/life I create dualities. As such I have a compass direction but try not to be too attached to it if the path turns to the left or the right.

My shakuhachi sensei explain a piece of music to me this week that sprung back to memory when reading this chapter. It is called Banshiki. It is, aptly played during some funeral ceremonies. It uses a methodology which is common in honkyoku style shakuhachi music which is called johaky?. This can be analysed as birth (jo) peak (ha) rushing to the end (kyu). His teacher's sensei (Kurahashi Yodo), used the analogy of a small stream or tributary starting a flow of water, then pouring into a large stream, finally, rushing over a waterfall to settle into the pool of still water below. Somehow this analogy speaks to me of life and this passage.

Gassho,

s