Thanks for this Andy.
One interpretation that stayed with me is Red Pine's likening the paramitas as a boat that takes us across the sea of suffering. My understanding is that in essence we are not really 'travelling' in the way of trying to get someplace but without prajna (wisdom) we are in a sense treading water. Without practice (sitting) we endlessly tread water in a delusional state.
Referring back to the other thread (I've also been thinking on this) my feeling was that some of the confusion was more around ethics than personal enlightenment. I do have a lot of sympathy for this confusion as I think it causes problems and misunderstandings for a lot of beginners. It certainly did for me and I still get snagged up on it from time to time ( but then I see myself as a total beginner/novice).
As has been said, it's difficult and illogical for a caring human being to hold these two notions of nothing to fix/everything to fix all at the same time. If this were easy to hold there would be no need for teachers, no need for intellectual study, no need for consistent practice.
I feel without the practice of Zazen it is impossible to enter experientially into the truth of the teaching. So many Zen texts point to this truth - Dongshan Lianjie in 'Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi' writes A hairsbreadth deviation, and you are out of tune.
The hairbreadth deviation seems to be the norm but once we've recognised/realised/actualized that being in tune is also the norm something in the mind/body resistances seems to shift. There is a recognition - in fact a re-cognition of what was there all along - of what is always there. So as Andy expressed - no need for a raft - or any distant shore to get to.
Sorry if this is waffly. Would be sad for anyone to give up because they feel confused and as though there's something they're not quite getting.
Gassho
Willow
One interpretation that stayed with me is Red Pine's likening the paramitas as a boat that takes us across the sea of suffering. My understanding is that in essence we are not really 'travelling' in the way of trying to get someplace but without prajna (wisdom) we are in a sense treading water. Without practice (sitting) we endlessly tread water in a delusional state.
Referring back to the other thread (I've also been thinking on this) my feeling was that some of the confusion was more around ethics than personal enlightenment. I do have a lot of sympathy for this confusion as I think it causes problems and misunderstandings for a lot of beginners. It certainly did for me and I still get snagged up on it from time to time ( but then I see myself as a total beginner/novice).
As has been said, it's difficult and illogical for a caring human being to hold these two notions of nothing to fix/everything to fix all at the same time. If this were easy to hold there would be no need for teachers, no need for intellectual study, no need for consistent practice.
I feel without the practice of Zazen it is impossible to enter experientially into the truth of the teaching. So many Zen texts point to this truth - Dongshan Lianjie in 'Song of the Precious Mirror Samadhi' writes A hairsbreadth deviation, and you are out of tune.
The hairbreadth deviation seems to be the norm but once we've recognised/realised/actualized that being in tune is also the norm something in the mind/body resistances seems to shift. There is a recognition - in fact a re-cognition of what was there all along - of what is always there. So as Andy expressed - no need for a raft - or any distant shore to get to.
Sorry if this is waffly. Would be sad for anyone to give up because they feel confused and as though there's something they're not quite getting.
Gassho
Willow
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