a question for Jundo or anyone else

[will]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

My understanding is within the no-self 'seal' of Buddhism...
Thanks...

G.

What this no self "Seal" means, I don't know. Is that some kind of metaphor?

What I was referring to is this ego that looks for answers and seeks enlightenment. This thing we call "us, me, or I" is very fragile and held together with thin glue. It is only different pieces of a larger whole. The question that it was asking and the answer it was seeking no longer matter and it just become part of the mix.

You probably heard it said a lot of times that there is no Gautami. Gautami vanishes when the hair on the face, and on the arms is felt along with the thousand or million other myriad experiences. The thing is, there is no enlightenment that can be separated from anything else. As soon as it's separated, it is lost. As soon as it is conceptualized or made a personal matter, it is lost.

Your true self does not need to seek enlightenment. In not seeking it, it presents itself.

It is a matter of the person who wants to become enlightened, and then they find out enlightenment was always here and who and what they thought they were, seeking whatever they thought they wanted, doesn't exist. It is an illusion.

Gassho

Will

[Gautami]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

Hello Jundo... thank you for the metaphore. Yes, it is not only beautiful but also perfectly illustrates the practice. Yes, embracing the paradox of a koan and 'living' it is a perfect path cutting through ideas, beliefs, logic...
Need to think more about your note...
Gassho
G.

Hello will...
According to His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the Four Seals are four axioms that define Buddhists. He said (would have to look for the source of this quote - have it someplace :wink: ),

‘The acceptence of these four marks the difference between a Buddhist and a non-Buddhist.”
There are many teachings in Buddhism, thousands of axioms. Some are interperatable, some are direct, but with so many it is nice to have these four pointed out as the essence. So, luckily, the Buddha’s teachings can be summarized with these:

1. All composite things are impermanent
2. Everything defiled is suffering
3. All phenomena are empty and without inherent entity
4. Nirvana is peace

These Four Seals also establish the Four Noble Truths, the first thing the Buddha taught after his enlightenment through his own efforts. By knowing what is real and rejecting what is not real, we can also become enlightened, we can become the Buddha. By knowing what is real we can establish ‘valid cognition’ and by observing our reality correctly we can stop creating bad karma which is actions based on not understanding our reality. If we act without knowing, we are making a mistake. So by understanding the Four Seals, we can free ourselves, little by little, from the troubles we are having and become happy.

Also thanks for your comment - need to 'digest' it a bit...
Gassho to you too
G.

Scott... thanks for help. You are correct. Why am I the only one who is getting it? I know my english (my second language)is poor, but still ops:
Gassho
G

[Jundo]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

1. All composite things are impermanent
2. Everything defiled is suffering
3. All phenomena are empty and without inherent entity
4. Nirvana is peace

Hi Again,

Uchiyama Roshi (one of the great Soto Zen Masters whose book we are just reading in the book club) phrased the "Four Seals" a bit differently, especially No. 4:

"Nirvana is peace", but also this can be phrased in Mahayana Buddhism as "all things are themselves ultimate reality, or all things are as they are ... everything is truth in itself" Thus, we believe that "all phenomena are empty and without inherent identity" ... yet not, and each is absolutely real and complete unto itself. Guatami is 100% Gautami, with not a darn thing that can be done to make her more or less "Guatami than she is (even as, of course, from another perspective ... there's no "Guatami" !!)

So, one way to "peace" is to see Nirvana, that there is no "self" to bump into other "selfs". Another is that Nirvana is just each "self" as perfectly just what it is, perfectly imperfectly just itself. This is also peace.

And also No. 2., Everything is suffering. People sometimes think that "life is suffering" because it contains such things as sickness, old age and death, but that is not (in our view) what the Buddha meant. He meant that "sickness, old age and death" are suffering when we resist the natural reality of "sickness, old age and death." If you are, for example, at peace with being ill, growing old and eventually dying .... where's the problem? In fact the Buddha eventually got old, sick and died. He never found an escape from that reality!

This ties in with what we said above: sickness is just what it is, and absolutely true ... old age and death the same. That was the subject of my talk today on the Leaf "sit-a-long" ...

http://treeleafzen.blogspot.com/2008/08 ... a-xvi.html

So, live this life ... and though there may be "pain" "tears" as well as "joys" and "pleasures", be at peace with each ... and keep it all in good balance and moderation too! It is all "real" and your life!

That is our take on the "Four Seals".

Gassho, Jundo

[will]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

He meant that "sickness, old age and death" are suffering when we resist the natural reality of "sickness, old age and death."

And what is this "natural reality"?

Gassho

[disastermouse]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

He meant that "sickness, old age and death" are suffering when we resist the natural reality of "sickness, old age and death."

And what is this "natural reality"?

Gassho

You're soaking in it.

Shit. I've succumbed to wise-ass quips.

[will]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

Just ignore my last post.

----------------------------

DM
You're soaking in it.

Yes. and it is quite refreshing. Zest fuuuullllly clean.

G

[Jinho]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

Hi all,

I just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful posts.

Hi Jundo, sorry about the misreading (rowan still sick with cold).

gassho,
rowan
who hopes to have more brain next week......

[Dosho]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

Scott... thanks for help. You are correct. Why am I the only one who is getting it? I know my english (my second language)is poor, but still ops:
Gassho
G

The reason it only shows up on your posts is because those are the only ones you are allowed to edit. All of us see the same exact thing on our posts. And, if it makes you feel better, I wondered the same thing at first.

G, S

[Gautami]

Re: a question for Jundo or anyone else

Thank you Scott... I feel MUCH better
G.