Being realized by this

[Taigu]

Dosho Port in his book reminds us how Daiun Harada, while on a begging round, saw steam rising from an old woman s urine at the roadside and was realized by the full moon. This is a moment everybody can experience anytime, anything can trigger it, it is not satori or kensho, but a moment beyond words and concepts where things do shine bright an amazing darkness. Little things will reach you beyond skin, bones and flesh. It is a sudden ringing and it strikes you as if the ground had suddenly gone and sky-earth would be just what is left. In this our petty problems and angers are not anymore. A sound may come out: Ahhh! Ohhh! Or even a shout or whisper or a song.

It cannot be found. It can only find you. And when it does, it is already too late.

Gassho


Taigu

[Seizan]

Thank you, Taigu. I think this bears much reflection!

Deep Gassho,
Seizan

[Taigu]

Yes if you mean light and no if you imply thinking and it does not belong to Zen, when Zen is realized, Zen disappears and self vanishes.

Gassho


Taigu

[tedmac]

"A moment beyond words and concepts"; what is in the moment before words and concepts?

[Taigu]

No ZEn, no thing, no self.
And yet everything.
In that moment, unspeakable. Ineffable. After that moment, when self and all the rest comes back,it is just like traces left by a bird in the snow, or even better, whatis left on water when waterbirds do fly away.

Gassho

Taigu

[tedmac]

Gassho

Untei

[Jinyo]

No ZEn, no thing, no self.
And yet everything.
In that moment, unspeakable. Ineffable. After that moment, when self and all the rest comes back,it is just like traces left by a bird in the snow, or even better, whatis left on water when waterbirds do fly away.

Gassho

Taigu

As humans we seem to get lost in trying to describe the moment - steam rising from an old woman's urine is perhaps just an extreneous detail - the moment of realisation can't be defined by words.

But I guess it's Ok to sometimes use words/think pictures to remind ourselves that such moments are possible?

Gassho

Willow

[Kyonin]

It's only life.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Hans]

Hello Taigu,

I always remember scissor cut images, when being reminded that we are realised by THIS. Usually we think that we are the oh so important scissor black cut profile and the white background is just somehowthere too....whilst if you reversed black and white on a scissor cut image, you would see how all of IT realizes that which arises.

This might not make sense, but hey, I thought why not share it

Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

[Myozan Kodo]

Hello,

What is left on water when water birds fly away!

... Cold mountain, writing poems on water ...

Gassho
Myozan

[Memo]

"It cannot be found. It can only find you. And when it does, it is already too late."

I suppose one shouldn't desire such moment for it is just makyo or is it some great opening after long sincere and wholehearted practice?

Gassho

Memo

[Hans]

Hello Memo,

the tragic truth might be that no-one can tell you, because nothing that anybody else puts into words will reflect the deep nature of your own experience. Striving is a big problem in itself however, maybe even the biggest.

There is nothing whatsoever you can do to become what you already are.

Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

[Memo]

No striving!
Let it be, if it happens, just like brain or heart stroke, ha, ha

thanks Hans

Gassho

Memo

[Risho]

Hello Memo,

the tragic truth might be that no-one can tell you, because nothing that anybody else puts into words will reflect the deep nature of your own experience. Striving is a big problem in itself however, maybe even the biggest.

There is nothing whatsoever you can do to become what you already are.

Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

Gassho Taigu and Hans! It must be hard as hell to be a zen teacher...

What book is that from Taigu?


Gassho,

Risho

[Taigu]

Keep my in your heart for a while by Dosho Port.

Gassho

Taigu