The shift...

[Jundo]

Great thread everyone. I've really been enjoying it. I have no wisdom to offer, but thought I'd share a little personal anecdote.

I find that a round of sitting is filled with hundreds (probably thousands) of moments of letting go. I have my personal favorite obsessions (anxiety about sickness, family, and money), but we all have our own different favorites I suspect. What a relief to see them (hopefully before following them for too long) and let go. Away they go, at least for a few seconds, and then they (or their relations) are back and around and around it goes.

Sometimes that open awareness remains for a little longer, and then this fella I call "The Storyteller" or "The Minstrel" will often appear and begin spinning a story about "what a great experience" I am having on the cushion and even starts helping me compose a post for Treeleaf all about it (I wish I were joking). But then I catch him and return to open awareness, but milliseconds later he re-appears, spinning a new tale about how I was having a great experience until The Storyteller appeared and started spinning a story about it... And on and on.

What a beautiful mess we are with our fancy central nervous systems, and what a precious jewel this practice is.

Every moment of open awareness is a treasure. Every stray thought released is practice. Every appearance of The Storyteller is both our delusion and how we move in the world as human beings.

Gassho,
Sekishi

This is lovely, yes, "a round of sitting is filled with hundreds (probably thousands) of moments of letting go."

Yes, "Sometimes that open awareness remains for a little longer, and then this fella I call "The Storyteller" or "The Minstrel" will often appear ... But then I catch him and return to open awareness".

May I note one more Joy ... that we also come to realize that the Clear Wisdom of Open Awareness is the Clear Wisdom of Open Awareness, but also that "The Storyteller" and Clear Wisdom were never two. However, then the stories we tell ourselves about this life, world and ourselves change very much, as if the Light of Clear Wisdom were shining right through the Heart of this "Storyteller", casting him in a very different light.

This is the old Teaching of Master Ching-yuan:

First mountains are mountains.
Then mountains are not mountains.
Then mountains are mountains again.

First, one is lost in the "Storyteller", telling stories of desire, greed, aversions and dissatisfactions, birth and death and all the rest ... the whole mess of life.

Then, ... the Light of Wholeness, Flowing, free of lack and friction and beginnings and endings ... Pure and Clean ...

Then ... The Story is seen in and as this ShiningLight, not two. There is human dissatisfactions here and there (we are human, after all, and will be all our lives), but somehow shining through the Big "S" Satisfaction. There is birth and death, yet what begins or ends? The whole mess becomes the WHOLE WONDROUS CATASTROPHE.

This we Sit Shikantaza, thus we Live Shikantaza.

Gassho, J

[Taigu]

Great way to put it , Bro.

Gassho

Taigu

[Mp]

This is the old Teaching of Master Ching-yuan:

First mountains are mountains.
Then mountains are not mountains.
Then mountains are mountains again.

Ohhh, I like this Jundo, thank you. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Taigu]

If I may, liking is not enough, dear Shingen, it is not even catching the shadow of the Ox tail. You have to cross physically these mountains and rivers, dive and loose yourself in their old paths and bends, to swallow them all and spit them at once. To let them become you and allow your self to vanish in them.

The good old pointing of the teaching of the five ranks.

Get out of here! Get out! Not through the door, not through the window, not through the screen, GET OUT!!!
Only when you fully, unconditionally get out, get this body-mind out, and get out of the getting out itself, only then...

Gassho

Taigu

[Mp]

Yes please Taigu ...

I will admit that at times the beauty of the words is captured through my eyes or my ears and not truly embraced in it's wholeness. I feel/agree the journey comes from walking the path up the mountain; getting lost on the path up the mountain; getting found on the path up the mountain ... and not solely experiencing it from the pages of a book.

Thank you for your guidance and patience Taigu.

Gassho
Shingen

If I may, liking is not enough, dear Shingen, it is not even catching the shadow of the Ox tail. You have to cross physically these mountains and rivers, dive and loose yourself in their old paths and bends, to swallow them all and spit them at once. To let them become you and allow your self to vanish in them.

The good old pointing of the teaching of the five ranks.

Get out of here! Get out! Not through the door, not through the window, not through the screen, GET OUT!!!
Only when you fully, unconditionally get out, get this body-mind out, and get out of the getting out itself, only then...

Gassho

Taigu

[Taigu]

Here and now, dear Shingen, and yes beauty can or cannot be a trap. When you utter the words observe where they arise from.

Gassho,

Taigu

[Mp]

Here and now, dear Shingen, and yes beauty can or cannot be a trap. When you utter the words observe where they arise from.

Gassho,

Taigu

Thank you again Taigu for your warm guidance. =)

Gassho
Shingen

[Sekishi]

May I note one more Joy ... that we also come to realize that the Clear Wisdom of Open Awareness is the Clear Wisdom of Open Awareness, but also that "The Storyteller" and Clear Wisdom were never two. However, then the stories we tell ourselves about this life, world and ourselves change very much, as if the Light of Clear Wisdom were shining right through the Heart of this "Storyteller", casting him in a very different light.

All I can say today is that I love the old scoundrel, chameleon skills and all.

Then ... The Story is seen in and as this ShiningLight, not two. There is human dissatisfactions here and there (we are human, after all, and will be all our lives), but somehow shining through the Big "S" Satisfaction. There is birth and death, yet what begins or ends? The whole mess becomes the WHOLE WONDROUS CATASTROPHE.

This we Sit Shikantaza, thus we Live Shikantaza.

Thank you for this Jundo. Sometimes this truth is shining and obvious, sometimes not.

When wrapped in a human body, the nature of a human being:
visions, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings, and thought.
When wrapped in an oak tree, the nature of an oak:
Earth, sun, water, and wind.
In this moment, aware of awareness.
In this moment, all forms everywhere.
How could they be separated?

Thank you all for this discussion and teaching.

Deep bows,
Sekishi

[Jinyo]

Thank you all,



Willow