Sympathy for the awakened...

[Jundo]

Re: Sympathy for the awakened...

Someone over at ZFI (where I also posted part of the above) wrote a wondrous response, I believe, to the portion that says ...


"Now, if you think I am saying "just resign yourself to life", you miss my point. If you hear me saying, "just allow life on its own terms, and let life be life", you are closer to my meaning. Dance with life."

He wrote ...

accord, accredit, admit, approve, authorize, be big, be game for, bear, brook, certify, commission, consent, empower, endorse, endure, favor, free up, give a blank check, give carte blanche, give leave, give permission, give the go-ahead, give the green light, go along with, grant permission, hear of, hold with, indulge, let, license, live with, oblige, okay, pass, pass on, put up with, recognize, release, sanction, sit still for, stand, suffer, support, take kindly to, tolerate, warrant

instead of

abandon, abdicate, bail out, bow out, capitulate, cease work, cede, demit, divorce oneself from, drop, drop out, end service, fold, forgo, forsake, give notice, give up the ship, hand in resignation, hand over, hang it up, leave, quit, relinquish, renounce, retire, secede, separate oneself from, sign off, stand aside, stand down, step down, surrender, terminate, throw in the towel, turn over, vacate, waive, walk out, wash hands of

Yep in deedy!

"Allowing" does not mean we must be passive and, as a matter of fact, how we dance that dance with each step and turn makes how it goes.

[Jundo]

Re: Sympathy for the awakened...

And I want to simplify my whole essay above just to this ...

Be completely, thoroughly, unresistingly to-the-marrow at one with the whole hike one is on... all the ups and downs ... including the poison ivy and the mosquitoes and the times one wishes one were anywhere but on that damn trail.

(How? Shikantaza! Getting the self out of the way of one self.)

[JohnsonCM]

Re: Sympathy for the awakened...

Does that make sense in a Zenny way?

It does. I am starting to see. It is tough, though. When the kids go nuts and the wife is frazzled and I am stressed, I find it hard to just be there with it, instead of becomming distracted by the negative aspects of it. I know that they will be there, and stress is part of life, and that the stressfull part of life is perfect the way it is, when it is, and when things are mellow and nice that that is also perfect, when it is, and that when things change that's perfect too, because how else could it be? but I tend to get caught up in the emotion of being stressed. I'll need to sit some more, lately I haven't been because I am sick, and since I have the immune system of a lab rat, when I get sick, I get the plague, so I am a tad misserable (which is perfect the way it is, as it is, when it is). I know that all of life, in each moment is the most complete when-where-why-how it can be, no matter what that is. And I know that experiencing that completeness is sacred (even when it sucks) and perfect too, but I will need to practice the non practice of getting over my self which doesn't exist. I don't expect that I will reach some plane of existance where I am blissful all the time, but the idea of being in harmony with the now that I am experiencing, whether happy or sad, pleasent or rainy-Wednesday-in-November-with-no-jacket unpleasent, is sometimes very difficult.

[Jundo]

Re: Sympathy for the awakened...

Does that make sense in a Zenny way?

It does. I am starting to see. It is tough, though. When the kids go nuts and the wife is frazzled and I am stressed, I find it hard to just be there with it, instead of becomming distracted by the negative aspects of it.

This is why what we follow is called "Practice" ... Kids going nuts are Buddha, frazzled wife is a Great Teacher.

We live/sit with things "just as they are" ... and that is Freedom.

I know that they will be there, and stress is part of life, and that the stressfull part of life is perfect the way it is, when it is, and when things are mellow and nice that that is also perfect, when it is, and that when things change that's perfect too, because how else could it be? but I tend to get caught up in the emotion of being stressed.

You might just find that being so "allowing" of life that you can even "just be" with stressful situations truly helps your stress! Being so at ease that one does not even worry about being stressed some of the day or about some things is the ultimate Peace! :shock:

As I often say, Zazen will not fix your flat tire, cure your cancer or even your acne or broken marriage (although it may help you deal with each better). What our way will surely do is help you embrace each, go with the flow, allow and be ok with those parts of life (even though still sometimes scary, sometimes stressful, sometimes hard). We "Go With The Flow".

In fact, we can lose our small self to such a degree ... there remains just the Flowing ...

I'll need to sit some more, lately I haven't been because I am sick,

When sick, just be sick. Cough cough.

And I know that experiencing that completeness is sacred (even when it sucks) and perfect too, but I will need to practice the non practice of getting over my self which doesn't exist.

Just Sit ... (or when sick, recline) ... dropping all demands, likes and dislikes, resistance, judgments (all the demands of the "self" on the world). Just Sit ... putting the "self" out of a job for a time.

That is our Practice.

I don't expect that I will reach some plane of existance where I am blissful all the time, but the idea of being in harmony with the now that I am experiencing, whether happy or sad, pleasent or rainy-Wednesday-in-November-with-no-jacket unpleasent, is sometimes very difficult.

Yes. If it were easy, there would be no reason for places like this Sangha. 8)

But, ya know, it is surprisingly not so hard when it sinks in. Kind of like riding a bike ... looks hard before you can.

Look ... there are many kinds of meditation and religions that promise Everlasting Bliss, Health, Psychic Powers, Love, Money In Your Bank Account, a life never disturbed ... no acne, cancer, flat tires. If you want bliss, I know a pusher on the corner who will get you there quick.

Go there is you want that.

Here, all that is offered is is Oneness, Wholeness with life As It Is. That's a Peace Sublime, Total Flowing.

(but, hey, realistically ... I ask you not to even need that 24/7) 8) Sometimes we flow with circumstances ... sometimes we kinda get knocked our of our boat. :roll:

(ever read my alligator story? True story.)

http://blog.beliefnet.com/treeleafzen/2 ... r-zen.html

Gassho, J

[JohnsonCM]

Re: Sympathy for the awakened...

I used to live in N.C. where we had plenty of the little beasties. Awesome story, great parable. I will remember it. Thank you.

Gassho,

Christopher