With palms together,
Good Morning All,
One way that Zen differentiates itself from other religions, even from Buddhism itself, is on the issue of belief. Zen Buddhists are nothing if not iconoclastic. (An iconoclast is a breaker of icons). There is a famous saying, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!" While this should not be taken literally, it should be held closely.
Buddhas, images of Buddhas, stories of Buddhas, miracles of Buddhas are all fictions. We create these images and stories, and then use them as yardsticks against which we measure ourselves. This is wrong-headed.
When we break the images, burn the stories, and tear up the scriptures, we are on our own and must confront ourselves. This is the heart of Buddhist practice and it is not for everyone.
We sit facing a wall. Our bodies upright, our eyes open, our attention on everything present. No belief. No doctrine. No dogma. Just this.
So, this morning at the Zendo, I lit a stick of incense, bowed and sat down on my cushion. Facing the wall, I met myself. Facing myself, I let myself fall away. What is left?
Buddha.
Be well.
Rev. Harvey So Daiho Hilbert, Ph.D. May All Beings Be Free From Suffering
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"We sit facing a wall. Our bodies upright, our eyes open, our attention on everything present. No belief. No doctrine. No dogma. Just this."
ReplyDeleteHarvey san, can you explain what you mean by letting yourself fall away? your attention is on everything present. you are present. so your attention would also be on yourself. letting yourself fall away could mean not being completely present.