Healthy reverence

[Tom A.]

I revere Jundo and think that healthy reverence is probably mostly best expressed in silence and a gassho, at times questions and a voicing of differing opinion.

For example: I can think of two cases where healthy reverence might go astray that I've been guilty of:

1. Hero worship. We all have "curative fantasies" where we think that something might be deeply wrong with us and can be cured "only if," the problem might be that we see Jundo as the hero with the secret knowledge that can cure our problems once and for all. When Jundo is the hero we are overly sensitive to what Jundo says even though he is human like us. We put our problems on Jundo's shoulders.

2. Clinging and imitation. We are unsure of ourselves so we repeat almost verbatim the teachings, hoping we got it right. We are needy and need attention.

Gassho
Tom

SatLah

[Inshin]

This post nicely relates to the discussion we're having on Genjokoan.

"People nowadays rarely seek genuine reality. Therefore, though they are deficient in practice with their bodies and deficient in realization with their minds, they seek the praise of others, wanting others to say that their practice and their understanding are equal. This is exactly what is called delusion within delusion. You should immediately abandon such mistaken thinking."

On the other hand where else can we root our practice if not in delusion?
Realising with honesty and compassion our self referentiality, need for attention and approval is a first step in the process of dissolving this " affliction ", I guess. Guilty of it myself.

Gassho
Sat

[Jundo]

I do like Jundo as superhero! On the plane over the pacific, I watched the movie Black Panther. Yes, that is very much how I see myself, and Treeleaf is Wakanda.

There is an old saying about "kill the Buddha, kill the Ancestors." It means that one takes guidance, learns from helpful teachings about how one's practice and insights might be refined, does not turn away or turn down useful guidance ... but ultimately must make these teachings one's own, and not just parrot others. Teachers and fellow practitioners are just fellow humans walking the same path as you, maybe with an idea where the pitfalls and mud holes are to be avoided.

Gassho, Jundo the Zen Panther

STLah

[aprapti]

bows, Zen Panther sama..



aprapti

std