Zen and the brain

[Myosha]

. . . something basic is sensed which is beyond and right thru all dualities, including "training" and "untraining" or "not training". Such is simultaneously beyond all that, yet also simultaneously precisely each. It is training when training, untraining when untraining, not training when not training.

Each and all of the above are true at once.


Better is to find the "unconditioned mind" that is simultaneously the "conditioned mind" (thus seeing thru and no longer being a hostage of the "conditioned mind" even as we human beings need our "conditioned mind" to function and live). Thus, there is that which is beyond thinking right at the heart of, and as, thinking. We become wiser and better painters of life's painting now that we realize that it is a creation greatly in our hands, we become better film directors and actors now that we are not so suckered in by the comedy and drama of the story.

Gassho, J

SatToday

Hello,

Some good common, not-common, neither common nor not-common sense.

Thank you.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Getchi]

Thankyou Jundo!

"Some people manage to be kind, even without human morality" is a quote ive had bouncing around for a while now, is it kind of like the painters in your post?

Gassho,
Geoff.
SatToday.

[chankin]

Jundo wrote:
Now, any Zen Teacher who says that the point of this Zen enterprise is merely to attain a purely unconditioned mind, attain Kensho, or reach some state "before thinking" is a fool who misleads students. Why? It is merely reaching the blank canvas and having the paints, but never painting the picture. The 'unconditioned mind' is like seeing the white light emanating from a film projector, but never seeing the film. The 'unconditioned mind' alone is not a source of much guidance in how to function in life, despite extreme claims about it to the contrary. .

Hello Jundo,
Never a truer word! The great treasure of Zen is the elimination of that undercurrent of random and habitual thinking that plagues the untrained mind. (By "untrained" mind I mean the person who has never heard of Zen and still labours under the tyranny of thought. I gather it has a different meaning here. Apologies.) In time, with practice and proper guidance, Zazen replaces that debilitating undercurrent with one of contentment - peace of mind. It drastically improves the quality of our lives. Kensho is achievable but, as you say, it has no value. It is merely mental gymnastics - but Dogen's teacher accepted it as a kind of finishing line you had to cross to qualify as a Master. I would hope that a better yard stick would be this advice at the end of the Surangama Sutra:“The yogin must be philosophically trained with all his experiences and intuitions to have a clear, logical, penetrating understanding of the Essence. When this is properly directed, he will have no more confused ideas introduced by misguided philosophers.”
Colin