There is Nothing There

[will]

A man is pent up with anger, and rage. He is full to the brim. He thinks: “They know nothing. Who are they to talk. Those people are cretans. Why don’t they like me? Why don’t they pay attention to me. I’ll show them. They’ll pay attention now. ”

He runs from door to door, town to town. Killing everyone in his path. He has some idea that there is a right and wrong. He thinks that everyone is better then him. He believes that the world is like “this”.

He is wrong. And…he is not wrong. He is definitley not in between.

People talk about politics. They talk about this institution and that. Find some information on Brad Warner’s blog. Read it and see. “There is no problem”. There is nothing to consider. Zen centers and communities “don’t exist”. They are a figment of your imagination.

Now, we may call the man in the start “psychotic”, sociopath, whatever. But how is he so different from us. Each day we say stuff that might be the same. Thinking we are so special. Believing that “this” is “true”. Then trying to force that on others. It may be in the form of a post, or a deed, a book, or a request. Whatever it is, it is not “true”. It is a figment of your dellusion. It’s psychotic.

So here is a variation of the Lotus Sutra:

No politics. No Zen. No dying. No hate. No gardens. No “Zen instituions”. No bad, and no good. No he did this, and I feel that. No writing, and no time. No books, and no “lies”.

You cannot lie. It’s impossible. Becasue lies don’t exist. They don’t exist because “you” don’t exist. Not in the sense that you don’t have arms and legs, but in the sense that your “thoughts” about who did what to you, are only just a dream. Drop them and “poof”.

Why do monks sit Zazen? Why do lay people sit Zazen? Why does Zazen exist at all? It doesn’t exist to please you, or make you feel comfortable. It doesn’t exist to bargain with or make a nice portrait. It exist because “I” exists. And “I” exists because we don’t actualize our true nature. We prefer to talk instead or ponder. We prefer to dream and debate, then sit. Zazen balances body and mind. When body and mind are balanced, there is no right or wrong, good or bad, politics, or books. No worrying, only Zazen. For the benefit of all beings because all biengs are one. All being are you, just like you are them. So, you see, nobody can hurt you, or lie to you, and you cannot hurt or lie, or persuade others. There is no one to “view” you a particular way. You can be niether good, nor bad in thier eyes because they are stuck with same problem as you: “believing there is someone there to judge”. Just thoughts. Just ego. Drop all goals. Drop all concerns. Sit Zazen. Do the wash. Clean the yard. Sit zazen. Understand what the Buddha was talking about. For the benefit of all beings. Not separate.

Balanced body mind. Not hunched and writhing, and scratching, and tensing, but “balanced”. If you “try” to do it, you can’t because how can we try to do something we know nothing about. We don’t even know where to begin. It’s like someone trying to build a jet engine, with no information or education on how to build a jet engine. So, begin with sitting. When you are done with that, begin with bowing. When you are done with that, begin with eating. When you are done with that, begin with washing. Dogen says “study the self”. So, do that. Study it, and then drop it.

Zai Jian _/_

[Jundo]

Hi Will,

We have to avoid a nihilistic interpretation too, or the feeling that ... simply because all "rights" and "wrongs" and "me's" and "you's" vanish in Zazen ... there is no rights and wrongs for me and you.

So, rising from the Zafu, there is still a right and wrong way to do the laundry ... some of which will get the stains out, and some not.

Gassho, J

[will]

This depicts my attitude sometimes, which I'd like to apologize for:

Attached files

[Taigu]

Go beyond both, transcend both and drop both.
Apologies...Not necessary.

Glad to read you again, anyway.

gassho


Taigu