No Goal

[Kevin Benbow]

Establishing a goal for sitting is kind of like a dog establishing a goal of being a dog.

Gassho

Kevin

Sat today

[Jundo]

Establishing a goal for sitting is kind of like a dog establishing a goal of being a dog.

Gassho

Kevin

Sat today

Yes.

Of course, on the other hand, dogs have dog goals ... to catch a rabbit they are chasing, to bury a bone. Dogs strive to be better dogs too I suppose, as they grow and learn skills in puppyhood that dogs need to live. Yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks! Most dogs cannot just sit around all day.

We also, in our Buddhist practice, must be diligent. There is a time to sit, and a time to get up and chase rabbits. We must try to be better people.

So ... both.

When we sit Zazen, we just sit with no goal to attain, nothing lacking. Then we get up from the cushion, and get back to the dog race, pulling our sled.

One wise thing we learn in Zen Practice is that these are two faces of a one faced dog: Goals and no goals, chasing and nothing to chase, rabbits to catch and "nothing ever lacking" at once. There are dog races to win, yet no place ever in need of going, for the destination is always right here (A Koan).

Does a Dog have Buddha Nature? In the traditional Koan, the response "MU!" means both "yes" and "no."

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kevin Benbow]

Thanks Jundo.

But what about just sitting? I was reading Uchiyama's "Opening the Hand of Thought" and after sitting it just kind of occurred to me that Shikantaza is goalless because everything is already in place. The question seems to be whether or not we see the true nature or perhaps how clearly we see it.

But then again, if we think we see it are we deluding ourselves?

But setting a goal to see the true nature will get us into trouble, will it not? I mean, enlightenment seems to be something we all have and may or may not be aware of. All of us here came to Zen for a reason, and that is good. However, it seems that the same reasoning could cause us to seek something we already have.

So, it seems that we initially seek and find that such seeking will ultimately be futile unless we seek by not seeking . . . .

Hmmm . . . .

gassho

Kevin

Sat today.

[Risho]

I think you need to sincerely seek out what you already have; it’s like in the Genjokoan: even though the nature of wind is ever present you have to fan the wind to realize it. You have to practice not to attain or get what you have; you sit because that is what Buddhas do, or how I would interpret what Jundo said in the latest podcast; life and practice is a dance, but it’s not a noun; it is dancing. it’s not practice to gain enlightenment, it’s practice-enlightenment; but these are just words; just sit and taste it



gassho

rish
-stlah

[Seiryu]

Goal or no goal are just thoughts passing through...
To sit with no goal as an idea, a concept, is to sit with the goal of no goal.

Just chasing one's own tail.

To just sit is to let both goal and goal lessness dissolve....or not..


Sat

Seiryu

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

Thanks Jundo.

But what about just sitting? I was reading Uchiyama's "Opening the Hand of Thought" and after sitting it just kind of occurred to me that Shikantaza is goalless because everything is already in place. The question seems to be whether or not we see the true nature or perhaps how clearly we see it.

But then again, if we think we see it are we deluding ourselves?

But setting a goal to see the true nature will get us into trouble, will it not? I mean, enlightenment seems to be something we all have and may or may not be aware of. All of us here came to Zen for a reason, and that is good. However, it seems that the same reasoning could cause us to seek something we already have.

So, it seems that we initially seek and find that such seeking will ultimately be futile unless we seek by not seeking . . . .

Hmmm . . . .

gassho

Kevin

Sat today.

Each morning, I have the goal to get my ass on the cushion.

Then, once on the cushion, I drop all goals, attainments, sense of time.

Then, when the bell rings, I get up from the cushion and return to a world of places to go, and people to see ... now both living goals and no goals, attainments and nothing in need of attaining, passing time and timeless at once!

Yes, it is as Risho says, practice-enlightenment in which every thought word or act during the day is an opportunity to make this manifest: Sometimes a bit more self and sometimes more selfless, sometimes more goal oriented and sometimes more goalless, sometimes more watching the clock and sometimes more sense of timeless ... sometimes more Buddha and sometimes more ignorant sentient me.

And yet ... all through life, self and no self, goal and goalless, time and timeless, Buddha and ignorant beings were never two or apart.

Very simple really.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Kevin Benbow]

True. It's all just thought.

Klb

Sat today

[Kevin Benbow]

Each morning, I have the goal to get my ass on the cushion.

Then, once on the cushion, I drop all goals, attainments, sense of time.

Then, when the bell rings, I get up from the cushion and return to a world of places to go, and people to see ... now both living goals and no goals, attainments and nothing in need of attaining, passing time and timeless at once!

Yes, it is as Risho says, practice-enlightenment in which every thought word or act during the day is an opportunity to make this manifest: Sometimes a bit more self and sometimes more selfless, sometimes more goal oriented and sometimes more goalless, sometimes more watching the clock and sometimes more sense of timeless ... sometimes more Buddha and sometimes more ignorant sentient me.

And yet ... all through life, self and no self, goal and goalless, time and timeless, Buddha and ignorant beings were never two or apart.

Very simple really.

Gassho, J

STLah

Gassho.

Klb

Sat today

[Kevin Benbow]

I think you need to sincerely seek out what you already have; it’s like in the Genjokoan: even though the nature of wind is ever present you have to fan the wind to realize it. You have to practice not to attain or get what you have; you sit because that is what Buddhas do, or how I would interpret what Jundo said in the latest podcast; life and practice is a dance, but it’s not a noun; it is dancing. it’s not practice to gain enlightenment, it’s practice-enlightenment; but these are just words; just sit and taste it



gassho

rish
-stlah

That is a cool passage in the Genjo Koan. . . Even though the wind is everywhere I still need my fan here in Arizona.

In the same way, I need to sit.

Gassho

Kevin

Sat today

[Kevin Benbow]

Goal or no goal are just thoughts passing through...
To sit with no goal as an idea, a concept, is to sit with the goal of no goal.

Just chasing one's own tail.

To just sit is to let both goal and goal lessness dissolve....or not..


Sat

Seiryu

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Ah. So it seems we're back to just sitting. LOL!!

Kevin

Sat today.