The Dharma is utterly useless

[Taigu]

[Shokai]

Taigu, thank you for this teaching

[Myozan Kodo]

Teacher,
So lucky to have you still with us. Thank you for your teachings.
Gassho
Myozan

"Often people ask me how many years they have to practice zazen before it shows results. Zazen has no results. You won’t get anything at all out of zazen."

[Hans]

Hello Taigu,

thank you for this teaching. If people want something useful, they should get themselves a Leatherman multi-tool

Zen is a boring way to spend one's life, if one still wants to achieve something in particular. Better to go dancing until one's shoes bleed.


Gassho,

Hans Chudo Mongen

[Shingen]

Yes, very thankful for your teachings Taigu.

Gassho
Shingen

[MattW]

Thank you for this teaching Taigu.

Gassho
Matt

[Seimyo]

Thank you Taigu. So good to see you back.

Gassho.
Seimyo

[alan.r]

“Letting the space open the space.” More and more (or, what a lie, more like: sometimes) when I sit, this is it, an opening. I like to call it in my self-important way a blossoming. And it is equally me opening and the world opening, blossoming, both blossoming at once, no separation. Sitting is sitting; sitting is opening into sitting. Opening is opening, blossoming is just being openly open, always open, but often forgotten. Blossoming into just sitting. Just sitting.

But the above is just my bullshit (as long as we’re cursing). Most of the time I’m a useless dog chasing his tail.

Thank you for the talk.

Gassho

[Kiki]

Good to see you Taigu

Gassho
Kia

[Kent]

Taigu, thank you for the invitation.


Gassho

Kent

[Daisho]

Thank the lord I had no expectations when I got into this!!!!!!!!!! And whether or not zazen prepared you for the tumble down 40 stairs, Taigu, I'm glad you turned yourself into rubber for the ride.

[Enkyo]

The rubber realy met the road the hard way! There must be a poem in there somewhere. I wonder what Ryokan would have sayd about that heh?( forgive me, can't help myself now I know you are allright). You sayd when you wen't down your mind was very composed. Can you, if you don't mind, elaborate on that?

Gassho

Enkyo

[Taigu]

Not much to say... Much to my surprise as I lost balance I felt suspended in the air, time froze, and I remember thinking with all these stairs ahead : " how not to die here? " no panic , just a quiet question to which my mind answered: " turn your body into rubber, relax" I also thought in English before hitting the first stair: " just enjoy the ride!". Ad I went down, totally relaxed, my mind was focused on my body bouncing down in complete acceptance.

Nothing extraordinary in there, similar experiences can be made by everybody in those circomstances. What felt unsual was the level of acceptation and gratitude I felt in the hospital when the surgeon was busy stitching up my open wound. Almost no pain. A joyous moment. Jocking away with the bloke snd the lovely nurses but not out of being nervous at all. Just feeling great and...alive!

Gassho

Taigu

[Enkyo]

I See. Dharma is useless, you just stopped and gave it up and everything ended well. I think thats wondrous!

Pondering on the teaching this came to mind:

Dharma is easy.
Experiance going down the stairs
One, two, three...



Enough fooling arrond about this on my part. I am very gratefull you are OK. I feel knowing you well from watching all those teachings you post online and I can make a joke or two about this poentialy serious event. Hope you don't mind?

Thanks for the lesson

Gassho

Enkyo

[Memo]

... Much to my surprise as I lost balance I felt suspended in the air, time froze, and I remember thinking with all these stairs ahead : " how not to die here? " no panic , just a quiet question to which my mind answered: " turn your body into rubber, relax" I also thought in English before hitting the first stair: " just enjoy the ride!". Ad I went down, totally relaxed, my mind was focused on my body bouncing down in complete acceptance.

Taigu, your description of your falling reminds me of my aikido practice where we're being taught to relax and try to be soft when falling and accept falling naturally as it comes so the landing won´t hurt much or at all...just another resemblance between aikido and shikantaza and maybe of some everyday practical use since Dharma is utterly useless

Gassho, Memo

[Gen01]

Thank you Taigu!!


Gassho.

Gene

[Ed]

Sharing that is intimate. Thank you.
In gassho.

[Heisoku]

I have tried to reply to this invitation on several threads but have cancelled each attempt. All I want to say ends up as a silent shout of YES!! Not a lions roar but a chicken's squawk and no egg!
Gassho.

[Kyonin]

I'm happy to see you again and well, Taigu.

Thank you for this teaching.

Gassho,

Kyonin

[Amelia]

I was thinking about this video on my way to work this morning. Thank you.

Gassho

[Myoku]

Good to see you Taigu and thank you very much,
_()_
Myoku

[Jakudo]

Wonderfully useless, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

[Risho]

Thank you Taigu. I'm glad you are getting better.

Gassho,

Risho

[dmorga01]

In gratitude

Gassho

David

[LimoLama]

Thanks a lot for this video, Taigu!

When I say to someone that this practice is useless, I often get the common follow-up question "Then why do you practice?"
I used to answer that I practice in order to practice, but today I explain that for me sitting is the most honest thing you can do:
If people watch TV they do so to be entertained.
If people gamble they want to have excitement.
If you sit (Zazen), however, you just sit. You just are. There is just pure being. No addition at all. And nothing needs to be added - because it's the most honest thing you can('t) do.

Gassho,

Timo

[willow]

Thank you Taigu - glad to see you back on form



Willow

[Myoku]

...If people watch TV they do so to be entertained.
If people gamble they want to have excitement.
If you sit (Zazen), however, you just sit. You just are. There is just pure being. No addition at all. And nothing needs to be added - because it's the most honest thing you can('t) do.

I like this Timo,
I also think that while practice is useless, it is not without effect, which is quite a difference. I understand it so that its useless in respect of - exactly as you say - all worldly entertainment, distractions, personal targets including spiritual aims ("I want enlightment") etc.
_()_
Myoku

[Dokan]

Thank you Taigu for this teaching.

Gassho,

Dokan

PS - Up on podcast. Or on iTunes.

[Seizan]

Thank you, Taigu.

Gassho

[catfish]

Nice teaching Taigu, although I'm a little bummed that the Dharma won't keep me from getting sick!

[Ray]

This was a useless talk and the teaching i was needing right now!

Thanks so v much taigu and pleased to c u r better

Gassho

[Karasu]

Thank you, Taigu. A very good reminder.

Gassho
Andy

[Marla567]

Thank you for this teaching, Taigu.
The Dharma is precious, because it is useless... like everything else we do.
Life is utterly useless!

Gassho
Shinka

[dmorga01]

I was listening to a podcast by Okamura Roshi today & it struck a chord with me with Taigu's talk. Okamura talks about when he was a child he wanted to be a 'good boy' but as a teenager he turned out to be a 'bad boy' a bit of a rebel, not doing what his parents wanted of him. It was only he found his teacher Uchiyama, who said zen is 'good for nothing' that he found his place.
This experience kind of mirrors my own. I was known as a 'clever kid' passing scholarship and such. But in my teens I rebelled 'dropping out and tuning in' as the saying goes. This is also when my parents attitude changed towards me, referring to me as 'useless' & 'good for nothing. I didn't stay a rebel, at least not to external judgement. Eventually got an education and a career and a 'good job'. But I've never quite bought into these things - although my parents were placated - feeling more comfortable doing the 'useless, and the 'good for nothing'. And then I found zen, zazen and finally my teacher, and, like Okamura, I feel I've come home in not doing (tho' I wonder, if my parents were still alive, what they would make of it.

Gassho

David