11/19 TRANSMISSION of the LIGHT: to Vasubandhu

[Jundo]

Our readings begins with some words, perhaps shocking ...

One time the twentieth patriarch said, "I do not seek the Way, yet I am not confused. I do not venerate the Buddhas, yet I am not conceited. I do not meditate for long periods of time, yet I am not lazy I do not restrict myself to just one meal a day, yet I am not attached to food. I do not know what is enough, yet I am not covetous. When the mind seeks nothing, this is called the Way." When the master heard this, he aroused the undefiled wisdom.

... The lute strings, to make beautiful music, must not be strung too tight ... not too loose ...

Cook from 121
Hixon (does he have Keizan's message right this week? hmmm ... ) from 111

[Myoku]

This opening paragraph lets my heart sing, I much look forward to this weeks reading!
_()_
Peter

[Tb]

Hi,

In my humble opinion, this is like when Keith Richard, Rolling Stones Guitarist and founding member, took away the 6th string on the guitar and made music with the low G.
Magic!

Mtfbwy
Fugen

[Shohei]

Hiyas!
a very good lesson shared in the 21st Transmission of the Light! Vasubandhu followed the rules to a tee- and was impassioned with doings that were the "right way" to make it to some end in the Way. He was hung up on it. He fell in to looking for some gain for his dedication, some benefit for the merit of practice. On the path he be came entangled in his very practice. Snags like these are the simplest to fix yet often hard to see with out a compassionate friend lending you a hand! Jayata pointed out Vasubandhu's hang ups by sharing what he witnessed and his experience and some sound advice.

Master Keizans points out a great surrender only found when the way is fully practiced and experienced, and cautions us all, not mistake this with laxity in practice, the way practicing us. Always a balancing point, a middle way.
These voices sound very clear tonight!.

Gassho
Shohei

[monkton]

Good morning folks,
I think this is the most encouragingtransmission so far. I wasn't left scratching my head in Cook for a change, and I thought Hixon, instead of trying to untangle or re-present, understood that Keizan's message is clear enough and chose to use his time to emphasize the simultaneous importance of the 'maintained' tradition, much more than Keizan appears to. Possibly he knows that a modern audience is more likely to hear Keizan's, "all these practices are meaningless", rather than his, "you should practice carefully". What a good reading to start a busy day with.
gassho, Monkton.

[Myoku]

While I not get warm with Hixon I much enjoyed Keizan's teaching, that to me has a wonderfull balance between using words and telling the un-tell-able.
_()_
Peter

[Shogen]

Hiyas!
a very good lesson shared in the 21st Transmission of the Light! Vasubandhu followed the rules to a tee- and was impassioned with doings that were the "right way" to make it to some end in the Way. He was hung up on it. He fell in to looking for some gain for his dedication, some benefit for the merit of practice. On the path he be came entangled in his very practice. Snags like these are the simplest to fix yet often hard to see with out a compassionate friend lending you a hand! Jayata pointed out Vasubandhu's hang ups by sharing what he witnessed and his experience and some sound advice.

Master Keizans points out a great surrender only found when the way is fully practiced and experienced, and cautions us all, not mistake this with laxity in practice, the way practicing us. Always a balancing point, a middle way.
These voices sound very clear tonight!.

Gassho
Shohei

Your voice also sounding very clear tonight! gassho zak

[BrianW]

In my humble opinion, this is like when Keith Richard, Rolling Stones Guitarist and founding member, took away the 6th string on the guitar and made music with the low G.
Magic!

A Stones fan, but never heard this before....nice analogy.

I thought Hixon, instead of trying to untangle or re-present, understood that Keizan's message is clear enough and chose to use his time to emphasize the simultaneous importance of the 'maintained' tradition, much more than Keizan appears to. Possibly he knows that a modern audience is more likely to hear Keizan's, "all these practices are meaningless", rather than his, "you should practice carefully". What a good reading to start a busy day with.

This might be a good way to look at Hixon as he does appear to veer off a bit from Keizan's original intention. Always a delicate balance between the two.

Gassho,
Jisen/BrianW

[Rich]

"What closer friend can there be than essential nature? Sit alert, gaze straight ahead, and meet this friend right now as the living Buddha. Right here! Right in front of us! 'Do not become distracted by beautiful patterns of frost on the gate,' cries our Roshi Keizan, Come through the gate! Now, not later! Awaken as your own one body treasure!"

Worth repeating and not much else to say.

/Rich

[Shogen]

The gem of this chapter was presented to us by Jiashan when he wrote,
" There is no thing called awakening;
Instead awakening deludes people.
I stretch out both legs and take a long nap;
And here there is neither true or false.
Truly, such is the essence of the Way."

gassho zak

[AlanLa]

Interesting chapter to read after taking a month off from reading these chapters. One the one hand, all this practice stuff is not the same as awakening, but on the other hand all this practice stuff sure helps with awakening. Don't be a slave to it, but don't be free from it either. Not one, not two. Balance!

It's really just another version of how it's important not to get caught up in forms. But still, it was very timely reading for me.

[TrevorMcmanis]

Gassho>

[AlanLa]

After posting yesterday I wanted to edit it a bit, so instead I will just add here that balance is a means of transcendence here. So it's not just being in between, but going beyond not one, not two; beyond form and emptiness, beyond being a slave to practice and freedom from practice.

I need to get reminded periodically that the Middle Way is not the same as moderation or simple balance, though that can be part of it. Rather, the Middle Way is about transcending such dualistic divisions (see Manorhita).