Dear All Good People,
Zazen is a formless Practice, often speaking of realizations beyond "right and wrong," "good vs. bad." So, there is the possibility for such a teaching to be understood as a kind of amorality, and there is even the possibility of misusing the teaching as excuse to go a dark way in which killing or not killing, robbing or not robbing are just the same. After all, in the teaching of "Emptiness," there are no separate beings to kill or be killed, no birth and death, nothing to take and nothing lacking, so in that sense, killing and taking seem not to be killing and taking at all.
However, to believe so would be a grave misunderstanding of Zen and the Buddhist teachings.
Our way is one beyond excess desire, anger and violence, divided thinking in ignorance. The world is known as somehow Good and Whole beyond all the suffering, war, sickness and injustice often seen in the world. The Precepts remind us of this fact, keep us pointed in good directions, living in a beneficial and gentle way for ourself and for others (self and others, not two by the way).
Our discussion this time is about the Precepts, and connects nicely with our ongoing Jukai preparations and Precept reflections here at Treeleaf.
Gassho, J
SatTodayLah
