The Multifaceted Jewel

Hi Everyone,

I would like to share a conversation I had with Taigu over an amazing dinner in Osaka. We had been enjoying some delicious food and conversation when we arrived at the topic of teachers and their styles. I mentioned how much my wife has been enjoying Jundo's props and detailed explanations. Also, how I have had a connection with Taigu's poetic and direct style of teaching. And, for many years, how I've also enjoyed Daido Loori's confrontational and sometimes enigmatic style. Taigu then explained how all these teachers, and infinitely more; my children, my boss, my friends, my enemies, are all facets of the same jewel. My mind immediately attempted to process this thought and place it in a nice box with a pretty bow on top. Believing the reference of the jewel to be the Dharma, I quickly closed up the box.

But then Taigu continued to elaborate. This jewel, is in fact me. These teachers are reflections of my self. My mind, my perspective, my conditioning. This Dokan reflecting Dokan was mind-shattering. You could say it blew the top off the box. I find it hard to put into words the liberation experienced at this revelation. My likes and dislikes about any of the myriad of teachers in my life being reflections of my self, my ego. Dropping this and accepting their teachings without labels is assuredly a life-long effort, but having the awareness of it I found truly liberating and worth sharing.

Gassho,

Dokan

Thank you for sharing Dokan! It sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

I agree different teachers do resonate with us in their own unique way based on our perceptions and where we are at in our own lives.

Gassho,
Ekai

Thanks for sharing. Indeed, what we receive from life's teachers is unique to our own receptivity. Conditions upon conditions.

Welcome back Dokan. It's good to have you home

Daido

Dokan,
The moment that transforms EVERYTHING. The unrepeatable moment. The moment when nothing will ever be the same again. The moment that has gone. The ever present moment.

Thank you for YOUR teaching.

Gassho
Myozan

One of the hardest parts of practice is to learn from life. Not only we have our teachers, but all life is Teacher.

Thing is, it is a life long commitment to try to understand this.

Hope I'm there sometime.

Thank you for this teaching, Dokan. :buddha:

Care to elaborate on the delicious food :encouragement:

Thanks a lot Dokan for sharing this Taigu Sensei´s teaching…
It really sounds like some expressions that I like to hear and hear in the tetsuten´s youtube channel of Taigu Sensei.

That teaching also remembers me to Joko Beck Sensei: Sharp pebbles of the way that harm our feet, are actually diamonds.
(Sorry, this is the idea but I am not sure if they are the exact words she used, because I have read the Spanish translation of the book)

Gassho
Senryu

Thank you Dokan for sharing this teaching.

Thank you Dokan!

Gassho,

Mark

Thank you,

gassho2

Shohei

Gassho....

Thank you for sharing this experience

Mind blowing! Thanks for sharing Dokan.

gassho2

Thank you Dokan ...

Gassho,
Michael

Thank you Dokan...and Taigu gassho1

Wonderful! Isn't all like/dislike just a reflection of ourselves. When we are dissatisfied with something, it is not the disatisfaction of the condition, it is the dissatisfaction with ourselves. That changes a lot!