The two ropes

[Seijin]

The two ropes
I would love your reflections on this...

In this short clip Nishijima Roshi explains about the two ropes that binds us (but we do not have any rope).

https://youtu.be/g38Grhc87xQ?feature=shared

I try to be aware about this and how I can work with my tendences to end up entangeled in or leaning towards extremes. The steps I take away from the middle. My restrictions, my dullness.

I try to meet the restrictions such as strong opinions, struggle and so on with an open hand of letting go.
And the dullnes, with alertnes and warmth- This since for me the tendencee of dullnes is sometimes a result of feeling helples in from of all cruelty in the world.

A friend once spoke of the prayer monument for peace in Nagasaki. I havent seen it but from what I heard its a statu of a girl with one leg under her as in meditation or prayer and the other on the way to step up to act and help.
With that balance in our mind, with our practice of zazen and kinhin as well as the alertness and willingnes to step up-we might be able to serve ourselfs and others to go the middle way.

Seijin
And I sat and I lent a hand and I hope I will accept one when I need to.

[Bion]

I love that he needs few words to get his point across. To me, it is clear that preferences and ideas create a terribly restricting bond, because they lead to strong attachments that we don’t know how to manage. I find myself most often tied up by my clinging to expectations and by my refusal to just accept when things don’t live up to them.

Gassho
Sat and lah

[Jundo]

A friend once spoke of the prayer monument for peace in Nagasaki. I havent seen it but from what I heard its a statu of a girl with one leg under her as in meditation or prayer and the other on the way to step up to act and help.

Not a girl, I think, but likely this ...

By one explanation ...

the 10-meter-tall Peace Statue created by sculptor Seibo Kitamura of Nagasaki Prefecture. The statue's right hand points to the threat of nuclear weapons while the extended left hand symbolizes eternal peace. The mild face symbolizes divine grace and the gently closed eyes offer a prayer for the repose of the bomb victims' souls. The folded right leg and extended left leg signify both meditation and the initiative to stand up and rescue the people of the world.

I do think that we are sometimes bound by our external circumstances, beyond our control, for example when imprisoned, ill, meeting an accident or meeting other outside circumstances we do not welcome. But then we bind ourselves between our two ears in our reaction and judgement of those circumstances. Sometimes we bind ourselves between our ears, by our thoughts alone, even when there are no binding outside circumstances.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Kokuu]

A friend once spoke of the prayer monument for peace in Nagasaki. I havent seen it but from what I heard its a statu of a girl with one leg under her as in meditation or prayer and the other on the way to step up to act and help.
With that balance in our mind, with our practice of zazen and kinhin as well as the alertness and willingnes to step up-we might be able to serve ourselfs and others to go the middle way.

Statues of Tara are the same.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIqQCd_vpBk/Ugtd6K9pzAI/AAAAAAAAAJc/NjNGh1vWLjs/s1600/Green+Tara+Mantra.jpg

In Zen I think it can be referred to as taking the backward step and the forward step. Sometimes it is the time to sit at peace, at other times we move to act in the world.

And, in my understanding, each of those contains, and supports, the other.

Thank you for sharing the teaching. I don't remember seeing that one before.


Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Shinshi]

Please forgive me but every time I watch this I think of the song Already Gone by the Eagles.

So oftentimes it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH