Trying

[Shohei]

So I hope this is suited to this sub forum so if not please excuse me!

So I got off on a tangent by this line from Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness (book club book)

An enlightened person does not ignore things and does not stick to things, not even to the truth.

Seemed straightforward enough until my mind thought... well if its so ease wouldn't we just Try to do the above?

Answering that thought immediately came:

...and if one TRIED not to stick to things, not even the truth... they would not be an enlightened being.

and then jumped to this train (wreck, perhaps )of thought:

Trying in our practice is missing the mark. TRYING to Sit, TRYING to attain, TRYING to any thing is striving to reach some goal.
And the way my muddled brain understands things today the moment I TRY, I reach... reach to grasp and therefore I have missed the mark or even failed.

Also on at the same time and not different, we do our best to correct the things that hold us back or hinder, so we TRY to help ourselves and reach some goals.
And we do this by Non-doing, Just doing/being.

Thanks for listening/reading an thoughts here or corrections of my thoughts are warmly welcomed.

Gassho, Shohei

[Tobiishi]

Re: Trying

Jundo posted a bit of an article on another thread, (whole article: http://www.mtsource.org/articles/Zen_as_Enactment.htm...

Reading it opened my eyes quite a bit, and helped me on the way to understanding one of the core principles of zazen which I've seen repeated over and over: zazen and enlightenment are one- there is no need for trying... like trying to catch the soap bubble that is already gently resting on the back of the hand.

Of course to a zewbie (zen newbie :wink: ) that's all well and good to talk about, but I have not fully grasped it yet, undoubtedly because I'm still trying (and knowing better) to grasp it! However, I trust it is true, and just sit with that.

Gassho
Tobiah

[Eika]

Re: Trying

Trying in our practice is missing the mark. TRYING to Sit, TRYING to attain, TRYING to any thing is striving to reach some goal.

Nice thread, Dirk.
I like the way Aitken Roshi says this same thing (I'm paraphrasing), "one doesn't get lost in the moment by trying to get lost in the moment."
So true.

I trust it is true, and just sit with that.

Me too.

Gassho,
Bill

[will]

Re: Trying

deleted

[will]

Re: Trying

I would like to replace the above post with a text that deals with this certain aspect of practice:





Stop!

In the naaaaaaaame of Love.

Be.fore. you. breeeeak my heart.

Think it oh oh ver.

Stop
Stop
Stop

Think it oh oh ver

Stop
Stop
stop

[Tobiishi]

Re: Trying

Priceless, will... utterly priceless

[Dosho]

Re: Trying

Hey Shohei,

As usual your posts hit close to home and my own practice! Although what you are describing seems to me another level entirely, the biggest "mistake" I was making while sitting was trying to force thoughts from my head. After a week or more of wracking my brain, almost literally, I realized that I need to stop trying and just let them float through. Don't you love insights like these?

Gassho,
Dosho

[Tobiishi]

Re: Trying

From Ryokan:

If you speak delusions, everything becomes a delusion;
If you speak the truth, everything becomes the truth.
Outside the truth there is no delusion,
But outside delusion there is no special truth.
Followers of Buddha's Way!
Why do you so earnestly seek the truth in distant places?
Look for delusion and truth in the bottom of your own hearts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dkan