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Thread: Enter from there

  1. #1

    Enter from there

    "Where? Where can I enter the way?
    How? How can I study?"

    Kyosei asked a question in turn: “ What is the noise outside?”

    “That’s the voice of the raindrops, that’s the rain” the student said.

    “Enter from there” Kyosei replied.


    A gate. But that gate, unlike any other, doesn’t lead anywhere. Gateless gate.Kyosei doesn’t actually point at the objective thing called “rain” ( how could rain be perceived as something happening" over there", anyway?) I believe that this good old fox is pointing at the activity of the self. Listen to the word "enter".The activity cannot meet its end, you cannot enter through the gate of rain. The curtain made of rain drops won't let you through. You are too big anyway. Therefore, you simply, utterly endlessly “enter”. Pure direction without destination or goal.

    Of course, the world is full of gates. Our existence is not gatefree. Each moment in its illusionary nature appears to be a gate although you cannot see anybody passing through. Winter does not become Spring. A child does not grow into a teenager. You cannot see those things because they have no substance.

    But it is also true that every moment as fleeting and unreal as it is, is also a precious opportunity to practice and enter: raindrops, traffic noise, kids shouting, loud this and musical that, a simple apple or a delicacy, a stroll or a rest, everything can be a gate. Everything can be a gate providing there isn't anybody to enter the gate.

    In this particular koan, a great question could be: who cannot enter? another one could be: can the gate enter itself?


    Do I move towards mountains or do mountains move towards me?

    Forgetting the self, as Dogen puts it. To forget the self is the key.


    In other words, letting this "entering" doing itself in sitting, we allow our sitting-zen to be nothing but nothing but nothing. A living gate opening on itself, again and again. A dynamic space free of the rigidity and fixation of hope and fear, free of the worry of achieving, grasping, fixing, loosing. A space free of any view. I know: it sounds a bit philosophical, heavy almost pompous. When kyosei whispers "enter from there" he manifests the direction of great simplicity, he urges you-me-everybody to practice the impossible and be met by the ineffable.

    What is it? Keep entering and if you can help it, never get anywhere.

  2. #2

    Re: Enter from there

    Hi.

    _/_

    To quote a master:

    "Don't separate between hot and cold."

    And to put another important point, others may be able to open the door for you, but you must enter yourself.

    And ask yourself, is there a difference between you, yourself, the gate and entering?

    Mtfbwy
    Fugen

  3. #3

    Re: Enter from there

    What i think is the gate is made by our mind, we think the gate are there is there, not in there is not there, if you think the gate is a block, that block your way, that should be there, but if you mind think that is not a block, no gate, nothing, then you will feel nothing, yes . you should be enter by yourself thru the gate,if you think that is one, but for sure, there is no gate, no block if you decide to enter anytime, anywhere..

    nothing can stop you!

    gassho, tony,

    thanks taigu,sensei

  4. #4

    Re: Enter from there

    Quote Originally Posted by Taigu

    In other words, letting this "entering" doing itself in sitting, we allow our sitting-zen to be nothing but nothing but nothing. A living gate opening on itself, again and again. A dynamic space free of the rigidity and fixation of hope and fear, free of the worry of achieving, grasping, fixing, loosing. A space free of any view. I know: it sounds a bit philosophical, heavy almost pompous. When kyosei whispers "enter from there" he manifests the direction of great simplicity, he urges you-me-everybody to practice the impossible and be met by the ineffable.

    What is it? Keep entering and if you can help it, never get anywhere.
    I am going to take a break right now and enter the gate of sitting. I need to be free of worry. Thank you.

  5. #5
    disastermouse
    Guest

    Re: Enter from there

    Everyone thinks there's someplace to go - but you can't get there because you think you're not there. Where else could the gate ever be? Like those famous ducks (geese?), where have they gone?

    You are already drenched with enlightenent, trying impossibly to get wetter. Realization is not much more than the realization of your own stupidity.

    Chet

  6. #6

    Re: Enter from there

    Chet,

    You are already drenched with enlightenent, trying impossibly to get wetter. Realization is not much more than the realization of your own stupidity.
    There is no better way to put it. Thank you.

    In Genjokoan, Dogen reminds us that:

    Those who have great realization of delusion ar Buddhas, those who are greatly deluded about realization are sentient beings
    And talking about geese, ducks, fishes and the likes...From time to time I also remind people and myself that we are never going anywhere, for we cannot escape this, leave this. So, in a way ( which would not be totally complete without its opposite), Jundo does not travel West, Taigu does not go to France, foreign lands travel to us...

    Thanks Fugen, Tony and Rich. No coming, no going.

    Gassho


    Taigu

  7. #7

    Re: Enter from there

    Hi,

    Quote Originally Posted by Taigu
    And talking about geese, ducks, fishes and the likes...From time to time I also remind people and myself that we are never going anywhere, for we cannot escape this, leave this. So, in a way ( which would not be totally complete without its opposite), Jundo does not travel West, Taigu does not go to France, foreign lands travel to us...
    The particular form in which we encounter one another in this Sangha makes this wonderfully concrete and real. Here is there, there is here, and although oceans may seem to separate us, that tiny focal point on a jewel in Indra's net known as Treeleaf contains us all. Japan, Europe, the Americas, etc., all are just here - immediate and without separation.

    Gassho
    Bansho

  8. #8

    Re: Enter from there

    Quote Originally Posted by Taigu
    "Where? Where can I enter the way?
    How? How can I study?"


    In this particular koan, a great question could be: who cannot enter?
    Dear Taigu,

    Lovely piece overall.

    When I wrote to Taizan Maezumi that my life was too filled with problems for me to be a good zen student, he sent me Dogen's words:

    "the Way is all prevading and complete"

    The Way has such great compassion, nothing is left out, there is a place for everyone.

    gassho,
    rowan/jinho

  9. #9

    Re: Enter from there

    Quote Originally Posted by Jinho
    Quote Originally Posted by Taigu
    "Where? Where can I enter the way?
    How? How can I study?"


    In this particular koan, a great question could be: who cannot enter?
    Dear Taigu,

    Lovely piece overall.

    When I wrote to Taizan Maezumi that my life was too filled with problems for me to be a good zen student, he sent me Dogen's words:

    "the Way is all prevading and complete"

    The Way has such great compassion, nothing is left out, there is a place for everyone.

    gassho,
    rowan/jinho
    Every stone, every breath, every bowel movement, and every molecule in the air we breathe is a gate. Our problems are gates, too. They are, I think, the best teachers we have even though we have a strained relationship with them. Sounds good on paper, living that way is the challenge for me.

    Peace,
    Eika

  10. #10
    disastermouse
    Guest

    Re: Enter from there

    What would the ego do without problems? Solving problems is what ego does - it's what makes ego so darned valuable. Any true realization must also make friends with our egos without having us be slaves to ego.

    When we have problems, we can solve them through ego.. But realization helps us not be such slaves to our 'war chiefs'. There is a time and a place for a minister of war - but when the minister of war runs the country - oh boy, look out!

    Chet

  11. #11

    Re: Enter from there

    Quote Originally Posted by Bansho
    The particular form in which we encounter one another in this Sangha makes this wonderfully concrete and real. Here is there, there is here, and although oceans may seem to separate us, that tiny focal point on a jewel in Indra's net known as Treeleaf contains us all. Japan, Europe, the Americas, etc., all are just here - immediate and without separation.
    I like that. You, me, we're all right here on my desktop.

  12. #12

    Re: Enter from there

    gassho...

    my eyes are the gate I carry with me,
    before me, like a crested standard
    that only I can see-
    like a gift to all that I
    will not release-
    a recorded blessing I muffle
    with both hands, squeezing,
    my face contorted in anticipation:

    what will the world think of me?

    so I keep me behind the gate,
    inside the eyes,
    standing in the shadow of my cave-
    a torii of bone, meat, and
    electrical confusion...

    someday I will explode,
    and I hope it is silent,
    and I hope I am still standing
    when the sun comes out.

    gassho
    tobiishi

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