The Three Minds of Zen

[Tom A.]

This has been one of my favorite teachings of master Dōgen ever since Kirk McElhearn/Jundo mentioned it on the Instructions For The Cook episode of ‘The Zen Of Everything’ podcast. I don’t know if somebody else shared this article by Jisho Sara Siebert but it is lovely:

http://resources.magappzine.com/feeds/production/comboapp/576/media/121468/4f8ce641-835a-4c07-8959-587b2242dd40.html

Gassho,
Tom
Sat/Lah

[Tairin]

Nice article. Thanks for sharing Tom.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Heiso]

That was lovely, thank you Tom.

Gassho,

Heiso.

StLah

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[Doshin]

Doshin
St

[Nengei]

An enjoyable read. Thank you, Tom.

Gassho,
Nengei
Sat today. LAH.

[Onkai]

Thank you, Tom. It's a lovely article.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Ryumon]

Here's the section from The Mountains and Waters Sutra that I mentioned in that podcast episode:

"According to Uchiyama Roshi, the way zazen functions in our daily lives is described as the three minds. The three minds are magnanimous mind, joyful mind, and parental or nurturing mind. These minds are explained by Dogen in the Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook).

Dögen said magnanimous mind is like a great mountain that doesn't move. It's very stable. The mountain to live and grow; plants and animals, allows different living beings large and small, and other kinds of beings live on that mountain. Yet the mountain doesn't move. Even though in "Sansuikyo" he says mountains are moving, their moving is steady, much steadier than our emotional minds. Magnanimous mind is also the mind of the great ocean. It doesn't reject water from any rivers; instead it makes all waters from different rivers its own. There's
no separation, no discrimination.

Nurturing mind or parental mind is mind of caring for others; it's the bodhisattva spirit. A parent takes care of children and can find joy in that. But children can find joy only in being taken care of. That's the difference between parents and children. We are too often childish; we
are like babies. We cry or complain when we not well taken care of. Childish mind is the opposite of nurturing or parental mind.

The third, joyful mind, is also necessary. We need it especially when our situation is not joyful. When we are in a fortunate condition, we don't need joyful mind because our condition is joyful. But without joyful mind it is difficult to find joy in pain, difficulty, and sorrow. We experience difficult conditions more often than favorable ones, so we need a mind that can find joy even in misfortune. Joyful mind can also help us in difficulties, as we vow to take care of others. Then we find by sharing joy our spirit. These three minds are the way our zazen works in our daily lives."

― Shohaku Okumura, The Mountains and Waters Sutra, p. 46

Gassho,

Ryūmon

sat

[Tom A.]

Here's the section from The Mountains and Waters Sutra that I mentioned in that podcast episode:

"According to Uchiyama Roshi, the way zazen functions in our daily lives is described as the three minds. The three minds are magnanimous mind, joyful mind, and parental or nurturing mind. These minds are explained by Dogen in the Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook).

Dögen said magnanimous mind is like a great mountain that doesn't move. It's very stable. The mountain to live and grow; plants and animals, allows different living beings large and small, and other kinds of beings live on that mountain. Yet the mountain doesn't move. Even though in "Sansuikyo" he says mountains are moving, their moving is steady, much steadier than our emotional minds. Magnanimous mind is also the mind of the great ocean. It doesn't reject water from any rivers; instead it makes all waters from different rivers its own. There's
no separation, no discrimination.

Nurturing mind or parental mind is mind of caring for others; it's the bodhisattva spirit. A parent takes care of children and can find joy in that. But children can find joy only in being taken care of. That's the difference between parents and children. We are too often childish; we
are like babies. We cry or complain when we not well taken care of. Childish mind is the opposite of nurturing or parental mind.

The third, joyful mind, is also necessary. We need it especially when our situation is not joyful. When we are in a fortunate condition, we don't need joyful mind because our condition is joyful. But without joyful mind it is difficult to find joy in pain, difficulty, and sorrow. We experience difficult conditions more often than favorable ones, so we need a mind that can find joy even in misfortune. Joyful mind can also help us in difficulties, as we vow to take care of others. Then we find by sharing joy our spirit. These three minds are the way our zazen works in our daily lives."

― Shohaku Okumura, The Mountains and Waters Sutra, p. 46

Gassho,

Ryūmon

sat

Thank you!

Gasssho,
Tom

SatLah

[Tom A.]

Both Jisho Sara Siebert and Shohaku Okumura’s descriptions of magnanimous mind remind me of the meme that reads:

Me: Always be kind for you know not what people are going through.

Also me: WAY TO USE YOUR TURN SIGNAL [insert colorful language]!!!!

It’s more true than we imagine because we are always changing masks of propriety in almost every door we walk through and that makes magnanimous mind very difficult to pull off.

Gassho,
Tom

SatLah

[Jakuden]

Wow what a wonderful, relevant teaching, thank you!!

Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday


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[Doshin]

Here's the section from The Mountains and Waters Sutra that I mentioned in that podcast episode:

"According to Uchiyama Roshi, the way zazen functions in our daily lives is described as the three minds. The three minds are magnanimous mind, joyful mind, and parental or nurturing mind. These minds are explained by Dogen in the Tenzo Kyokun (Instructions for the Cook).

Dögen said magnanimous mind is like a great mountain that doesn't move. It's very stable. The mountain to live and grow; plants and animals, allows different living beings large and small, and other kinds of beings live on that mountain. Yet the mountain doesn't move. Even though in "Sansuikyo" he says mountains are moving, their moving is steady, much steadier than our emotional minds. Magnanimous mind is also the mind of the great ocean. It doesn't reject water from any rivers; instead it makes all waters from different rivers its own. There's
no separation, no discrimination.

Nurturing mind or parental mind is mind of caring for others; it's the bodhisattva spirit. A parent takes care of children and can find joy in that. But children can find joy only in being taken care of. That's the difference between parents and children. We are too often childish; we
are like babies. We cry or complain when we not well taken care of. Childish mind is the opposite of nurturing or parental mind.

The third, joyful mind, is also necessary. We need it especially when our situation is not joyful. When we are in a fortunate condition, we don't need joyful mind because our condition is joyful. But without joyful mind it is difficult to find joy in pain, difficulty, and sorrow. We experience difficult conditions more often than favorable ones, so we need a mind that can find joy even in misfortune. Joyful mind can also help us in difficulties, as we vow to take care of others. Then we find by sharing joy our spirit. These three minds are the way our zazen works in our daily lives."

― Shohaku Okumura, The Mountains and Waters Sutra, p. 46

Gassho,

Ryūmon

sat

After reading Jisho I went back and read Instructions to the Cook . And now this. All wonderful.

Doshin
St

[Kokuu]

I don’t know if somebody else shared this article by Jisho Sara Siebert but it is lovely:

http://resources.magappzine.com/feed...b2242dd40.html

Yes, lovely! Thank you for sharing, Tom!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-