To become Soto Zen is to not become Soto Zen.

[DaveSumner]

I attended Fukudenkai today and I asked Bion question about color “preference” on the Rakusu. He replied that I should be careful seeing it as a “preference”. His response immediately brought me back to no-self. It made me realize just how subtly deceptive the ego I is. It made me realize that once again David has been projecting first I want to extend a thank you to Bion. This is definitely something that I should be sitting with during this time before I take Jukai. The ego I Wants to identify itself as Zen Buddhist, outwardly with the Juzu and Rakusu. David want’s to identify with being and belonging to a Soto Zen lineage. But no self, David wants to continue to see it just as it is in the way of skillful means. A work in progress.

Gassho, David

[Bion]

Thanks for joining us and having a little chat! It was great to be able to meet you.
We all are driven by some kind of goal. As humans, it is inevitable, the same way we form an identity. As Jundo says, our practice is to be able to know both the I and the lack of I. Even the Buddha encouraged wholesome pursuits, by the way. Master Dogen says to practice, practice, not squander our lives, like our head was on fire. There's drive there too, but we can be gentle about it all.

Gassho
sat lah

[Jundo]

Hi David,

I believe that neither Jukai nor a Dharma Name and Rakusu will "make you a Buddhist." How you live each day, right now, seeking to be guided by the Precepts walking in a good direction, learning and putting into practice the teachings of Wisdom and Compassion ... all that makes one Buddhist if doing so right now. The Ceremony and all the rest merely celebrate your doing so.

As Bion said, we do walk a way of "preferences-without-preferences," for we do need many preferences for daily life (e.g., to eat healthy food, not deadly poison), or to choose a color for our Rakusu (with some colors good, some not). However, even those preferences we need should be held lightly, not clutched. As well, we should know the further realm where there is nothing lacking, thus nothing in need of choosing, no thing to choose apart from you to choose it, not even life and death. Our way is to know life all these ways at once, like two sides of a no sided coin. Preferences free of preference as one.

Master Dogen says to practice, practice, not squander our lives, like our head was on fire. There's drive there too, but we can be gentle about it all.

Yes, Master Dogen used this famous Zen injunction, to practice as if "putting out a fire on our head," but almost always united with a references to goallessness and non-striving. We should practice sincerely and with dedication this path of "nothing to attain" and "good for nothing."

For example, in the Eihei Koroku (7-497), he combines it with the famous image that we do not sit to "make a Buddha," just as we do not polish a tile to make a mirror but, instead (in Dogen's view) the very act of sitting/polishing --is-- already the shining mirror Buddha. We are already Buddha, the tile is already a mirror, but unless we bring it to life in the act of continuous polishing, here and now, it is hidden.

Already having attained such a thing, do not spend time vainly, but immediately you should energetically extinguish the flames on your head, and courageously make undaunted effort. At just such a time, how do you practice? Do you want to clearly understand this?

After a pause Dogen said:
Who would laugh at polishing a tile to make a mirror?
Green bamboo and yellow flowers enter into a painting.
Not engaging in extensive deliberation,
When sowing the fields you must work diligently.

The reference to bamboo, flowers in a painting and sowing fields seem to refer to just natural things, doing what they do, doing the work that needs to be done with diligence and care, even in this dream of a world.

Sometimes to his young monks, "Coach Dogen" would use the phrase in a pep-talk way, e.g., "practice diligently in the endeavor of the way, casting off myriad conditions, without sparing a moment. Practice with heart, practice with beyond heart, practice even with half a heart. In this way, brush off the fire on your head ... " But the key is continuous practice, for great enlightenment is our ordinary daily activity, what we do today, not some distant goal of enlightenment. The jewel of transcendent enlightenment is already yours (already "tied into your hair" from a famous story), right now in this place, yet you search here and there for it ...

In the continuous practice of the way of buddha ancestors, do not be concerned about whether you are a great or a modest hermit, whether you are brilliant or dull. Just forsake name and gain forever and don’t be bound by myriad conditions. Do not waste the passing time. Brush off the fire on top of your head. Do not wait for great enlightenment, as great enlightenment is the tea and rice of daily activity. Do not wish for beyond enlightenment, as beyond enlightenment is a jewel concealed in your hair.

We practice diligently beyond preferences of good or bad, beyond making conscious endeavor, not trying to become a Buddha, not introspecting on thoughts or a Koan, but sitting diligently just to sit.

Set aside all involvements and let the myriad things rest. Zazen is not thinking of good, not thinking of bad. It is not conscious endeavor. It is not introspection. Do not desire to become a buddha. ... Mindful of the passing of time, engage yourself in zazen as though saving your head from fire.

There is no fire in our hearts, and never was, except as a notion between our ears. How does one put out such a fire of one's own creation?

So, please sew the same way ... clutching preferences lightly and beyond preferences all at once, not thinking good or bad (even as you try to sew carefully and do good), forgetting the goal even as you are diligent and move forward to complete the sewing stitch by stich.

Gassho, J
stlah

[Jundo]

PS - I post this from time to time. It says all there is to say regarding Jukai at Treeleaf ... Boodist ...
.

[DaveSumner]

I believe that neither Jukai nor a Dharma Name and Rakusu will "make you a Buddhist." How you live each day, right now.

So, please sew the same way ... clutching preferences lightly and beyond preferences all at once, not thinking good or bad (even as you try to sew carefully and do good), forgetting the goal even as you are diligent and move forward to complete the sewing stitch by stich.

Thank you so much for your reply Jundo. I will sit with this also during this time.

Gassho, David

[DaveSumner]

PS - I post this from time to time. It says all there is to say regarding Jukai at Treeleaf ... Boodist ...
.

I’ve been studying and contemplating how I will try to explain to others what it means to be Zen Buddhist. But I have saved this video on my playlist so now instead of explaining myself I can just refer to the video

thank you again Jundo

Gassho, David

[Onsho]

PS - I post this from time to time. It says all there is to say regarding Jukai at Treeleaf ... Boodist ...
.

This is SO DANG FUNNY! i'v sent it to 5 people already. Enjoyment body realized.
Thanks for sharing.

Gassho
Onsho
Satlah