Three minds, one way

[Taigu]

As Okumura roshi reminds us:

Magnanimous Mind is like an ocean or a mountain: calm and steady, yet accepting and nourishing countless beings and situations without differentiation. The ocean is serene because it accepts the many rivers without resisting.

Nurturing Mind, literally "old mind", is akin to the attitude of a kindly grandmother or parent who delights in caring for others. It is the spirit of the bodhisattva, the fully mature person.

Joyful Mind is the joy that comes from deep in our hearts even in the midst of difficulty. It arises from the insight of zazen, that we live together with all beings and are not separate.

Let me comment a bit. Let me leave a few dirty traces here and there.

Magnamious Mind is very spacious, vast and all pervading, ease is its nature, equanimity its body, it knows no bounds, in every situation or person met, the boundless is met; vast stillness and nothing sacred.

Nurturing mind is compassionnate. Not because we have to be, not because we enjoy it, not out of duty. Just like a tiger leaping, it is manifested without any thoughts of helping, loving without any sweet intoxication to love. There isn't any idea of I and you in this.

Joyful mind is the dance. It is the dynamic aspect of our original nature.


These three minds are said to be at the core of our practice according to Dogen. If by any chance you have already noticed that ...well... it was missing to yours :cry: : this is a very good sign :lol: ( everytime we open our eyes on what is imperfect in our practice, our bad weeds, it is a good sign). Just cultivate the will and intention to display the thre minds, and forget about them plunging into shikantaza.

Hope this helps.


gassho



Taigu

[edward]

Re: Three minds, one way

Thank you Taigu!

I really like your description of Nurturing mind. I think Nurturing mind should not be a duty, but arise naturally out of our practice.

Gassho, Edward

[AlanLa]

Re: Three minds, one way

We already ARE the three minds, so nothing is missing, and yet that is the very reason we need to actively cultivate them into our practice.

Gassho.....

[Rich]

Re: Three minds, one way

What is this right now?
What can I do to help?

Just a couple of questions to bring me back to reality.

"accepting and nourishing countless beings and situations without differentiation"
"the joy that comes from deep in our hearts even in the midst of difficulty"

After being knocked around a little by adversity and difficulty , this joy remains in our hearts. That's truly amazing.

[Jinyu]

Re: Three minds, one way

Just cultivate the will and intention to display the three minds, and forget about them plunging into shikantaza.

Thank you for this Taigu-sama!

Just a couple of questions to bring me back to reality.

Always good to get back to what is just now! Easier said than done!
Thank you Rich!

gassho,
Jinyu

[Taigu]

Re: Three minds, one way

Excellent questions,Rich, truly excellent.

thank you so much


Taigu

[Taylor]

Re: Three minds, one way

Gassho,

It's one of, if not, my favorite teaching. Each mind is each of the others and each of the others is just yours.

Noticing issues in our conduct can be hard, though, in my experience. It's very hard to laugh at yourself sometimes when you realize you haven't really been "on the ball", so to speak. Very much that western sense of guilt. Just moment, by moment, I suppose. We can't let ourselves forget that these minds must apply to ourselves. We must accept, nurture, and feel joy for ourselves just as much as others. Enough of the "I'm just not good enough, why can't I be more accepting, nurturing, joyful?" But that's just my struggle from time to time

Thank you

Gassho,
Myoken

[Onshin]

Re: Three minds, one way

Thank you Taigu, it does

[Rimon]

Re: Three minds, one way

Three minds naturally understanding impermanence, looking for the happiness of all sentient beigns, and going beyond language distinctions.
Three minds that keep the precepts instinctively, without having to be reminded to do so.
Here they are in zazen, but when I look for them,plop, they are gone!

Thank you Taigu

Rimon

[Stephanie]

Re: Three minds, one way

That's a lot of minds to keep track of! I have enough trouble minding just one mind :wink:

[Risho]

Re: Three minds, one way

I found this really inspirational. Thank you Taigu Sensei.

Gassho,

Risho

[JohnsonCM]

Re: Three minds, one way

These three minds are a wonderful teaching. But like Taigu says, the tiger leaps when it is time to leap, no thought of "should I leap?", "who is leaping?", "why am I leaping?" The tiger simply leaps. Why do we sit? Because the meditation bell has rung. Why does the tiger leap? Because the leaping bell has rung.

When the three minds stop being less than one, stop being more than one, stop being one altogether, the Precepts need not be followed - they are simply the way one lives. One need not be mindful - mindfulness is as automatic as breathing.

Thank you Taigu.
Many bows.

[Taylor]

Re: Three minds, one way

These three minds are a wonderful teaching. But like Taigu says, the tiger leaps when it is time to leap, no thought of "should I leap?", "who is leaping?", "why am I leaping?" The tiger simply leaps. Why do we sit? Because the meditation bell has rung. Why does the tiger leap? Because the leaping bell has rung.

When the three minds stop being less than one, stop being more than one, stop being one altogether, the Precepts need not be followed - they are simply the way one lives. One need not be mindful - mindfulness is as automatic as breathing.

Thank you Taigu.
Many bows.

And thank you.

This was lovely.

[Taigu]

Re: Three minds, one way

Excellent words, JohnsonCM.

gassho

Taigu

[Kaishin]

Re: Three minds, one way

What is the origin of this "sanshin" in Dogen's writings?