Nothing wrong with thoughts

Let' s dispell a very common stereotype in the Buddhist world: thoughts are bad. Poisonous.

Well, nothing wrong with thoughts. the problem comes from belief and identification. We all have thoughts and it is Ok... as long as thoughts don't have us.

Trungpa used to say : first thought, best thought" and if some people might think he was celebrating the power of intuition over discrimination, the charm of mental happening, I am convinced he was after something very different here: first thought arising from the field of being is Ok as long as it is not feeding another thought and yet another which we all happily do getting lost in the process ( is it familiar ? :P ). Thoughts arise and collapse into the mind-seal-sea. This is the way.

Being an ex scholar, my background was lecturing about literature and philosophy in University, I am not against words and thoughts. Just very cautious not to get to a point where fiction is mistaken for reality. As I grew, I moved from expanded forms like novels, plays, essays to shorter and shorter forms in writing, haiku and tanka, fragments. I now write not to leave a legacy or a body of works, not to get known, but just to remain present, here and now, in this.

I revere old fools like Santoka, Ryokan or Sawaki , ordinary blokes dressed in rags and not interested the slightest in power trips and institutions. Not seduced by thoughts of fame or truth, not distracted by so called insights: always at it cutting, cutting what is extra.

Reading sutra, poems, Dogen, ancestors and the likes, all this is part and parcel of our practice.
Coming back to the simplicity of being is the very essence of our practice.
Gob shut is our origin and end.

I like to shut up.

gassho


a far too chatty Taigu

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Originally Posted by Taigu

Gob shut is our origin and end.

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That's a jewel...ty.

Gassho,

Dokan

Thanks, Taigu

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Eika

This is what one of my teacher told me previously. You may have a thought like "We are out of milk, gotta get some.", but lose the running on like "why am I the one who has to get milk, why didn' t someone else get milk? I'm always getting milk" etc. I think part of our practice is knowing which thoughts are progressive, good, helpful, and mindful, and which are not.

ie. "They suck" is not very helpful. I have to do the laundry, maybe better. If we never thought, then we wouldn't be able to do anything. How could Dogen build all those temples if he didn't think about it? How could we organize ourselves at all? It's being convinced by the thoughts, yeah. I think Zazen helps a bit with that, and just general study and experience. May you be happy.

Gassho

W

Very true Taigu!

Hmm, I'll have to think about this :wink:

To attempt to say or demonstrate anything right now would be to miss the mark.

A deep bow of gratitude for a teaching which I really needed today.

Thank you.

Yugen

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Originally Posted by Taigu

Coming back to the simplicity of being is the very essence of our practice.

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Thank you, Taigu. Gassho. Gassho. Gassho.

It all comes back to the saying, "Everyday mind is Buddha Mind."

How to deal with a stormy mind? Go beyond it.

gassho
Greg

_/|_
Rafael

Thanks Taigu

Thank you,
Pontus

My brother collected and played record albums all his life. I inherited his collection which actually included some of my old 'abandoned' albums. Some of them are worn and repeat over and over but with a little nudge continue on their way. I'm grateful to have them and all my thoughts and feelings, even the neurotic types which repeat over and over but with a little nudge continue on their way.

Gassho,

Risho

Good one.

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Originally Posted by Rich

My brother collected and played record albums all his life. I inherited his collection which actually included some of my old 'abandoned' albums. Some of them are worn and repeat over and over but with a little nudge continue on their way. I'm grateful to have them and all my thoughts and feelings, even the neurotic types which repeat over and over but with a little nudge continue on their way.

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Good one too.

Gassho

Jen

I read something about naturalness-- that it came down to "do or not do." You have a thought and you choose whether it is wiser to act on it or not. If you act on it, do so. If not, drop it. It is akin to Krishnamurti's philosophy of being aware of actions, events, and thoughts as they happen, and dealing with them in that moment-- not carrying them around.

This is something that I am afraid to do. I depend on lists and planning so much that I fear my brain is going numb from always having a reference.

I guess the first step is admitting I have a problem, no? :oops: :D

As usually, briefly and accurately. Thank you Taigu.

_/_

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Originally Posted by Amelia

This is something that I am afraid to do. I depend on lists and planning so much that I fear my brain is going numb from always having a reference.

I guess the first step is admitting I have a problem, no? :oops: :D

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:lol:

No mind, no problem.

gassho
Greg

_/_

Sent from my SGH-i917 using Board Express

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Originally Posted by will

I think part of our practice is knowing which thoughts are progressive, good, helpful, and mindful, and which are not.

ie. "They suck" is not very helpful. I have to do the laundry, maybe better. If we never thought, then we wouldn't be able to do anything.

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:)

gassho
Greg

Very well put, very illuminating. Little by little I'm trying to avoid thick books and move towards short gems.

Gassho

RImon