Re: Mirrors reflecting mirrors
Hi Willow and Marcos,
When we sit Shikantaza, we may sit in a room that happens to have a table in our line of vision. Our eyes are open, and we see the table as light waves reflected from it enter our eyes. However, in Shikantaza ... we don't start thinking about the table ... thinking "beautiful table, I like it" or "ugly table, I hate it" or "ugly old wooden table" or "ugly old wooden table with a missing leg" or "I must trash this ugly broken table and go shopping for a new table next week." Basically, in Shikantaza ... we see it without particularly trying to notice the table, focus on the table, label the table, think about the table, analyze the table or philosophize about the table ("Is a table with a missing leg still a table? When does a table become a chair?"). It is just there, perhaps not even particularly registering in our conscious awareness ... seen but not noticed.
In fact, our mind becomes much like a glass mirror which may be reflecting an image of a table ... but the mirror does so without thinking about the table, judging the table, labeling the table as a "broken table" or "good table" or even a "table." The table is just there, perfectly just what it is even if without a leg ... suchness.
In Shikantaza, we sit in such way with ... not just the table ... but all of the room, our questions, problems, the world, life and all reality. All is just what it are.
And in doing so, a wonderful miracle may happen ... that you, me, lightwaves, tables, the room, questions, problems, the world, life and all reality may manifest as a Magnificent Whole ... Indra's Net ... Mirrors reflecting Mirrors, all a Great Mirror. Buddha.
So, stop thinking about chairs, problems and philosophical questions like "what is an 'individual'?" and "why do questions about questions arise?" "if a square is round is it a circle?" and "when is a table a table?" ... put such question down in a moment of Shikantaza ... and ...
... just sit the Great Mirror, Great Buddha-Mirror with nothing outside it or apart ... containing mirrors reflecting countless mirrors reflecting countless mirrors. So many question will evaporate or become clear. So many problems may prove to be "non-problems" ... and the broken pieces of life are somehow Wholly Holy Whole. "I" and "individuals" are seen/pierced/lived in new ways. As Dogen said, thus there is "investigated one thousand points ....' and 'to study the self is to forget the self'
By the way ... I often say "just sit with that". But the "with" in "sit with that" is a bit misleading, as it implies a separation of 'the sitter' and 'the sat'. In fact, in what I am describing, there is just the Sitting-Sits-Sitting.
Gassho, J
Originally posted by willow
....something that confuses me - I experience a contradiction between 'letting be' and 'investigating?'
Also, if I sit 'with' - how is this 'not thinking' - or concentrating in some way which inevitably involves thought? :?
Sorry - this is surely one of those perennial questions which Jundo and Taigu have to keep answering over and over again.
ops:
Gassho
Willow
Also, if I sit 'with' - how is this 'not thinking' - or concentrating in some way which inevitably involves thought? :?
Sorry - this is surely one of those perennial questions which Jundo and Taigu have to keep answering over and over again.
ops:Gassho
Willow
Originally posted by mpdalles
When we sit Shikantaza, we may sit in a room that happens to have a table in our line of vision. Our eyes are open, and we see the table as light waves reflected from it enter our eyes. However, in Shikantaza ... we don't start thinking about the table ... thinking "beautiful table, I like it" or "ugly table, I hate it" or "ugly old wooden table" or "ugly old wooden table with a missing leg" or "I must trash this ugly broken table and go shopping for a new table next week." Basically, in Shikantaza ... we see it without particularly trying to notice the table, focus on the table, label the table, think about the table, analyze the table or philosophize about the table ("Is a table with a missing leg still a table? When does a table become a chair?"). It is just there, perhaps not even particularly registering in our conscious awareness ... seen but not noticed.
In fact, our mind becomes much like a glass mirror which may be reflecting an image of a table ... but the mirror does so without thinking about the table, judging the table, labeling the table as a "broken table" or "good table" or even a "table." The table is just there, perfectly just what it is even if without a leg ... suchness.
In Shikantaza, we sit in such way with ... not just the table ... but all of the room, our questions, problems, the world, life and all reality. All is just what it are.
And in doing so, a wonderful miracle may happen ... that you, me, lightwaves, tables, the room, questions, problems, the world, life and all reality may manifest as a Magnificent Whole ... Indra's Net ... Mirrors reflecting Mirrors, all a Great Mirror. Buddha.
So, stop thinking about chairs, problems and philosophical questions like "what is an 'individual'?" and "why do questions about questions arise?" "if a square is round is it a circle?" and "when is a table a table?" ... put such question down in a moment of Shikantaza ... and ...
... just sit the Great Mirror, Great Buddha-Mirror with nothing outside it or apart ... containing mirrors reflecting countless mirrors reflecting countless mirrors. So many question will evaporate or become clear. So many problems may prove to be "non-problems" ... and the broken pieces of life are somehow Wholly Holy Whole. "I" and "individuals" are seen/pierced/lived in new ways. As Dogen said, thus there is "investigated one thousand points ....' and 'to study the self is to forget the self'
By the way ... I often say "just sit with that". But the "with" in "sit with that" is a bit misleading, as it implies a separation of 'the sitter' and 'the sat'. In fact, in what I am describing, there is just the Sitting-Sits-Sitting.
Gassho, J
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