The Zen Master's Dance - 19 - King of Samadhis (Top of p. 71 to End of p. 74)

[Jundo]

We begin a new chapter, ending at the bottom of p. 74 (right before the Dr. Hee-jin Kim quote).

These pages are something of a review of what we have examined so far, namely Dogen's Mahayana Wisdom that, for example:

- One act, thing or moment is the only act thing or moment in that place and time, yet also fully embodies EVERY act, thing and moment, present past or future, near or far, in all reality ... everything permeates everything ... every tiny drop fully embodies the wholeness of the whole ...

- Any act, thing or moment is itself a shining jewel, perfectly what it is even if perfectly a flawed act, thing or moment ... (even so, despite seeing the flaws as perfectly what they are, as perfectly flawed flaws, don't forget that we also seek to polish the jewel as we can, seeking to better the flaws which we can) ...

- We sit at the pivot point of the hour glass of time, as the past becomes the future. It is up to us to do our best for the future. As well, when experienced as wholeness of the whole hour glass, there is also something timeless about the whole even as time appears to flow within ... and every moment that is a passing grain of sand fully contains all the other grains of sand as well as the whole hour glass!

So, just as a review, take a sentence about any thing, person or moment in life (you can choose, but make it about something you did not use in earlier chapters). Rewrite the sentence as a short paragraph playing "Dogen-like" word games and bending grammar, much as we have done in earlier chapters, to capture the above viewpoints "this one is all things and everything, holds everything and all things, all time and timeless, while being a shining jewel, even with the flaws and even as we seek to polish for the better."

For example, take a simple scene and sentence (such as "The cat sleeps near the fire") and then, taking the imagery of ("cat" "sleeps" "near" "fire") run wild for a few sentences demonstrating the above perspectives.

Don't look at what others have done until you post your own.

Remember that there are no grades, and everyone's paragraph will be a "shining jewel," flaws and all!

Gassho, J

STLah

[Tomás ESP]

My clenched heart shines on the lake, making a home for the lonely fish, drinking the tears of the trees that fall, sitting within a cave with no walls, forgetting what it is, knowing peace among the fire.

This chapter felt like reading a cryptic passage to me. I find it hard to feel like a shinning jewel or to trust in the dance of life. I understand it intellectually, but I do not embody it. Maybe it's a matter of trusting that despite not embodying, it is still there.

Gassho, Tomás
Sat

[Daiman]

We begin a new chapter, ending at the bottom of p. 74 (right before the Dr. Hee-jin Kim quote).



- Any act, thing or moment is itself a shining jewel, perfectly what it is even if perfectly a flawed act, thing or moment ... (even so, despite seeing the flaws as perfectly what they are, as perfectly flawed flaws, don't forget that we also seek to polish the jewel as we can, seeking to better the flaws which we can) ...

- We sit at the pivot point of the hour glass of time, as the past becomes the future. It is up to us to do our best for the future. As well, when experienced as wholeness of the whole hour glass, there is also something timeless about the whole even as time appears to flow within ... and every moment that is a passing grain of sand fully contains all the other grains of sand as well as the whole hour glass!

Since I am new here and was not aware of the ongoing posts on the Zen Master's Dance, it is a coincidence that I just last night I had started reading Samadhi that is the King of the Samadhis. I found this thread this morning with the updated suggested posts to read on the forum.

Not sure if this is addressing the directions correctly, but I could not help but to think of something I had already written when I got to the top of page 74. I had written a song for CD I released a while ago called Being Time. I am including the lyrics here after having read the quote above and having read the top of page 74. Maybe there are no coincidences...

Being Time

Can you feel the heat from all of your emotions?
Crested high upon some inkling of the truth.
Exposing time as just another fixed creation.
Forever branded there from teachings in our youth.

A looking glass reflecting mind
An hour glass, the sands of time

Blended moments pass before our chance to reason.
Unveiling mysteries that lay inside our mind.
Just as winter dies and spring appears in season,
So are we - extended lives that intertwine

A mirror shine reflecting space
A rhythmic dance is keeping pace

Gassho,

Wondo

Sat Today

[Jundo]

[Tairin]

I have no idea if I got the gist of this exercise but here goes….

The Garden

Turning the soil
Pulling the weeds that have grown over the Spring
Spreading freshly composted soil.
Sun on my back
Slight breeze in my face
Misty cool of the morning gives way to the warmth of the afternoon
A squirrel runs through the yard. It too is gardening by planting bulbs and nuts in the lawn.
Is that a robin I hear? It is looking for worms and grubs.
Planting my vegetables in tidy little rows,
Hoping for a decent harvest.
Will the rains come?
Will there be enough sun?
All will be revealed but for now I feel the soil in my hands,
Gently planting the seeds of life.





Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Tomás ESP]

That is beautiful Tairin, thank you for sharing.

Gassho, Tomás
Sat&LaH

[Onkai]

The pot of pollo en fricasé is all things and everything is reflected in the pot of pollo en fricasé. The moment we eat the pollo en fricasé is the present moment, yet contains the past and future. All beings are nourished by the pollo en fricasé as the pollo en fricasé is made by all beings. The pot of pollo en fricasé is perfectly the pot of pollo en fricasé, reflecting the universe.

Gassho,
Onkai

[Jundo]

[Ippo]

The Phone

"I have a phone I use every day that is burnt, cracked and dirty." (literally).

The phone which is and has always been the timeless, mass of energy it is and always will be, has the property of perfect yet imperfect burns, cracks, dirt, and the beauty and flaws of all the Universe, contained within, just here and now, as it is."

Gassho,

Ippo,

SatToday

[Jundo]

[Chikyou]

The fern sits by the TV. No fern, no TV, no sitting, both sitting. The fern is growing as the TV and the TV playing as the fern, both growing and playing in perfect harmony.

I love this chapter by the way. Especially the part about the cracked jewel being perfectly a cracked jewel.

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly