Progression and Levelling Up in Zen Practice

[Antonio]

When I was younger I always pursued to be "the best" , "the strongest", "the number one". I used to train Kyokushin Karate, a very though martial art and during that time my only goal was to prove to others how good I was, I even made a tattoo written, "born to be the strongest".

Like master Yoda would say: - “Silly, I was” .

The pursue of progress and comparison to others takes you to a hell on this life, once you will never fulfill the expectations (in my case this several times resulted in Knockdown). When I started to feel the weight caused by the age, I realized how wrong I was. In everything that I proposed to do, always appeared someone more skilled, strongest and younger.

Just when I stopped to pushing myself I understood that there is nothing to pursue and everything is creating by our monkey mind. Eventually, even knowing this, I still see some attitudes of my young self, reflexes of pursuing a way that don’t go anywhere. When I had my first conversation with sensei Jundo, once he is a very sensitive person, he saw very well this face of my personality. (He made sure to say to me to stop to pursue things)

Even though, I am not a teacher and I don’t know much, the only advice that I can give is to not pursue anything. The life is not a video game or a rocket science, keep it simple.

Gassho,
Satlah

[Jundo]

When I was younger I always pursued to be "the best" , "the strongest", "the number one". I used to train Kyokushin Karate, a very though martial art and during that time my only goal was to prove to others how good I was, I even made a tattoo written, "born to be the strongest".

Like master Yoda would say: - “Silly, I was” .

The pursue of progress and comparison to others takes you to a hell on this life, once you will never fulfill the expectations (in my case this several times resulted in Knockdown). When I started to feel the weight caused by the age, I realized how wrong I was. In everything that I proposed to do, always appeared someone more skilled, strongest and younger.

Now here is the funny thing ... one of those Zen "merging of the opposites" things ...

One can choose to strive, or not strive, or to do nothing at all ... and there is still nothing in need of doing.

Watching the Olympics this week, I so honor and cherish those athletes who give their all to be at the top, and Zen also has an ancient connection to masters striving for excellence ... as painters and artisans, martial artists and political leaders, poets and scholars, and even as Buddhist monks! Dogen was certainly no "lay down" guy, accepting things to be done half way. The Buddha literally walked barefoot across India to teach. One can do so hand in hand with Zen practice, and our Zen practice can strengthen and facilitate our striving for excellence.

Even so ... there is no place to go, no goal in need of attaining, nothing lacking either at the start of the race or at the end. It is knowing life out of two eyes ... one looking at the golden ring, one filled with the fullness of the Enso ... with both eyes open at once providing clarity. One can rush ahead, run the race, but know that each step of the hard push is itself its own goal line, its own arrival at the place which can never be left.

It is also fine to be in the middle, living simply and in moderation, being a good person, taking care of family and kids, a small garden, living quietly, tending to local needs, being a solid friend, bringing a smile to customers in one's small business or educating youngsters in the corner school ... and there is still nothing in need of doing. Through the centuries, Zen folks have also been small business people and farmers, ordinary folks, the soldiers and not just the generals, parish priests in tiny towns, nobody to be written about in the history books. Each such life is equally a jewel, equally amazing, all the whole world's doing.

And at those times we really lay back, stay on the sofa, stay in bed ... there is still nothing in need of doing. We should all do so sometimes, building a hut in the mountains (Dogen did that sometimes) or just closing the door on the world for a time (even the Buddha did that).

This week, one of the Olympic athletes from Tsukuba (I am actually friends with his family) got "only" the silver medal! In the interview that followed, he said things like, "it was really personally tough for me to lose without getting the gold medal I had been aiming for, and I'm left feeling frustrated and filled with regret in heart,." I imagine that, to be a world-class athlete, you have to think like that. Still, I hope he learns the radical acceptance of striving-non-striving.

Whichever way we live (and maybe, best to live all such ways at different times in our life) there is still .... no place is need of going, nothing in need of doing.

Gassho, J
stlah

sorry to run long

[Antonio]

Thanks for the explanation sensei, this really add a deeply understanding in what I concluded years ago. Probably I was not completely clear on my story. I still pursue the excellence in everything that I propose to do, however without try to be “better than the others or thinking the life like levels of a videogame”. For me, the goal is already the path that we are following and not a place to go.

Gassho!
SatLah

[Jundo]

Thanks for the explanation sensei, this really add a deeply understanding in what I concluded years ago. Probably I was not completely clear on my story. I still pursue the excellence in everything that I propose to do, however without try to be “better than the others or thinking the life like levels of a videogame”. For me, the goal is already the path that we are following and not a place to go.

Gassho!
SatLah

Yes, that is just a healthier and wiser way to live. Good.

Gassho, J
stlah