Who Are You? (An Exorcise on Identity)

I found this posted on Facebook the other day in a Zen group I'm a member of and just thought I'd share:

Who are you?
My name is Peter.
If you went to Nicaragua, you'd be called Pedro. Are Pedro and Peter one person or two?
One, because I am only who I am.
Are you a name?
No, of course not.
Then who are you?
I am a man.
You mean you are not a woman?
No. I mean that I am a man.
But you are only a man because you are not a woman.

Who are you?
I am an Englishman.
If you went to Japan, would you be a Japanese man?
No.
Why?
Because I was born in England and I speak English.
If you had been born in England but raised in China, would you be Chinese or English?
I would be English.
Oh, then, you are not a person, rather you are a country.

Who are you?
I am the grandson of a famous Arctic explorer. He returned from the North Pole with a frozen polar bear in the hull of his ship.
And which do you think you are defined more by, your grandfather or the polar bear?
How could I be defined by my family? I'm just me.
Then you are more like a polar bear?

No. I am an intelligent, accomplished man. That's what everyone says.
Now, let me see: you are Peter who is intelligent and accomplished and special because your grandfather was a famous Arctic explorer. What else sets you apart?
My youngest daughter is a world-class gymnast and my mother died when I was a child.
Ah, you are Peter the tragic, Peter the successful. Which would you say is the real you: a motherless son or the father of a successful daughter?
Both are within me.
Where?
What do you mean?
When you say they are within you, are they closer to your head or your toes?
Closer to my heart.
It's a feeling?
Yes.
How big is it?
I'm not sure.
What color is it?
It doesn't have a color.
A form?
No.
But it's inside you?
Yes.
If we cut open your heart, could we see it?
I don't suppose so.
Then where is it?
I don't know.
Are you sure it is inside you?
Where else could it be?

Come here. Look in the mirror. Do you see intelligence? grandfather? accomplishment? gymnast?
No.
Do you see English?
No. Exorcise
Do you see Peter?
I don't know.
Good. Now we can begin.

Who are you?

From http://web.archive.org/web/200502151...=articles&id=5

Gassho, John

Interesting choice of words, and I am left to wonder whether it is intentional. Generally, something of this nature would be called an "exercise." However, in Zen, we do seem to try to "exorcise" our egos. I have obviously failed miserably in this regard. The little "I" still fights the big "I."

Gassho

I am a bug. :)

Gassho
Shingen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by William Anderson

Interesting choice of words, and I am left to wonder whether it is intentional. Generally, something of this nature would be called an "exercise." However, in Zen, we do seem to try to "exorcise" our egos. I have obviously failed miserably in this regard. The little "I" still fights the big "I."

Gassho

---

I would like to take credit for the title, but it appears my subconscious is the witty one in this situation. i still fights I for me too, though I'm confident that an experience will come along that has it quiet down a bit. The ego-monkey just really likes its bananas. Shingen, I'm also a bug! What're the odds? :)

Gassho, John

There is an exercise similar but more practical. It's not shikantaza and not a substitute of anything. Just an interesting exercise in perception of the self:

When you look at all the objects around you, like your computer right now point at it, see it and think or say "that is a computer". Then look at something else like your coffee mug net to the computer. Point at it, see it and think or say "that is a coffee mug". Do this a few times with various objects.
Then turn the pointing finger around and point directly back. And say "that is......." What is the finger pointing at exactly?
And what do you see when pointing?
You? The memory of your mirror image does not count as you. That is a memory.
The finger is not you.
So? What is the finger pointing at?
Don't say nothing because you know that is not true, or is it?
Well?

Gassho

Enkyo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by William Anderson

Interesting choice of words, and I am left to wonder whether it is intentional. Generally, something of this nature would be called an "exercise." However, in Zen, we do seem to try to "exorcise" our egos. I have obviously failed miserably in this regard. The little "I" still fights the big "I."

Gassho

---

The little "I" exists in relationship to the big "I" - one is not exclusive of the other..... recognition of this fact is indeed our practice itself. I don't know that we try to "exorcise" our egos as much as we try to be aware of them and their landscape .... From my perspective you have not "failed miserably" at all, but are precisely where you should be - on the path. It's good to see you.

Deep bows
Yugen

Note; by "pointing back" I mean point to the face.

E.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yugen

The little "I" exists in relationship to the big "I" - one is not exclusive of the other..... recognition of this fact is indeed our practice itself. I don't know that we try to "exorcise" our egos as much as we try to be aware of them and their landscape .... From my perspective you have not "failed miserably" at all, but are precisely where you should be - on the path. It's good to see you.

Deep bows
Yugen

---

Yes, Yugen, I understand. To paraphrase from Taigen Dan Leighton, we need to Genjokoan (using the word as a verb) both the big I and the little I.

gassho,
william

Very nice Enkyo! Without depending on memory one can only draw a blank. We can either react in confusion or in my case laugh :) And that's true Yugen, both are connected and are truly one. Just as the formless and the form are both one. As far as ego goes, by being aware of the ego, we can learn to not let it control us.

Gassho, John