Have you been ripped off too?

[Jishin]

I ran into some interesting literature the other day. What I got out of it was that if I sat down and focused on nothing, it promised to make me a super cool dude. No worries ahead if I stayed present focused on now, with an anchor on my breathing to avoid spending time in the past or the future.

And so I read more interesting literature on the subject. And the more I read, the cooler I became. All the promises in those books just kept me hooked like an addict on a reading frenzy.

I knew that if I read and sat enough I would win the prize. Something BIG.

I spent lots of money on books, zafus, seiza benches, Buddha statues, all because I was going to win THE PRIZE OF THE CENTURY.

Well. I am sad to say that I was defrauded. There were warning signs in the books or a knowing smile at the Treeleaf Sangha. There were even signs during sitting.

There is no prize. Zero. Zilch. I was had. And the worse part is that I can’t get my money or effort back. There is NOTHING to get. I am stuck. There is nowhere to go.

Don’t be fooled like me because you will get NOTHING!

And that’s not such a bad thing.

Gassho, John

[lordbd]

I love this. It's like you are reading my mind sometimes! Shared experiences on the zafu.

[Heishu]

Great teaching!


btw, made me think of the old song, "Nothing From Nothing Leaves Nothing", I think Billy Preston sang it !

Thanks

Gassho
Heishu

[KellyRok]

Nothing...but this

Thank you for the reminder John. I was fooled too...or just plain a fool. But I still love 'nothing'.

_/\_
Kelly/Jinmei

[Yugen]

Sometimes I think Zen is antisocial - it has built in safeties against proselytizing and discourages extended dialogue:

Q: what will Zen do for me?
A: Nothing.

Q: what do you guys do at the zendo?
A: stare at the walls and do nothing.

Q: What will I feel after practice if I'm doing it right?
A: Nothing.

Q: I'm having a really hard time - what should I do?
A: Sit down and shut up.

This isn't what they sold me at the incense store!!

Thanks for this post John!

Deep bows
Yugen

[Jiken]

Love it. When I describe it much the same way to other I am amazed that people decide to engage...yet here we are

Gassho,

Daido

[Mp]

Don't be fooled or you get nothing ... well, I must have a whole lot of nothing. Thanks John.

Gassho
Shingen

[Joyo]

Ha, so true. I was at the New Age store the other day, checking out overpriced Buddha statues. This man walks in and asks the owner if rubbing a Buddha statue's belly will give you good luck, and she agreed that yes it can. I swallowed down hard, not wanting to burst out laughing. The Buddha statue has given me nothing, but then, i"m not trying to make a profit at a store

gassho,
Treena

[Daitetsu]

Thanks a lot for sharing this, John!

You don't need to get anything, because you are everything.

Gassho,

Timo

[Hans]

Hello,

since in its very own way Zen is no different from life, one can never get more life than the life that is right before you. We're not getting anything out of this, just losing, undressing constantly.
A sangha is like your local Weight Watchers club, just that we are doing our best to shed delusion, not pounds

Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

[Jishin]

I won something BIG. THE PRIZE OF THE CENTURY.

NOTHING!

Gassho, John

[Myoku]

...I think the funniest is, I'm ripping off myself, selling the dreams to myself, again and again.
Gassho
Myoku

[Juki]

If you reached the conclusion that you would "get nothing," were you really ripped off?

Gassho,
William

[Kyonin]

We look, we search and we want.

And some suffer because of that. We get stressed for that.

When you drop it all, things become still and calm. Nothing to gain.

Just this.

Thank you, John.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Cumminjd]

I swear i already commented on this post... but I must not have. Thank you for this post. It made me laugh and has a good message.

Gassho,

James