Upholding the World

With palms together,

Good Afternoon All,

In my very shallow study of kabbalah, I am coming to more deeply appreciate the actuality of Oneness. A 13th century kabbalist pointed out that "Being is in nothingness the mode of nothingness and nothingness is in being in the mode of being". In other words, as Rabbi Matt points out, "Nothing is being and being is nothingness".

Hmmm...sounds an awful lot like "Oh, Shariputra, form is emptiness and emptiness is form" to me.

We are left with the next step. In Zen the next step is always a step into the manifestation of the paramitas. In kabbalistic Judaism (which has become very much integrated into mainstream belief) the next step is always the partnership with the Divine Image to being completion to the Universe and we do this through manifesting the various "seferot". This is more specifically accomplished through doing the mitzvot (commandments regarding our actions).

"One pillar extends from earth to heaven. Its name is Righteous One, named for the righteous. If there are righteous people in the world, the pillar is strengthened, if not, it is weakened. It upholds the entire world, as it is written: 'The righteous one is the foundation of the world' " (the Essential Kabbalah, Daniel Matt, p. 78).

Here we might think of Buddha Nature as the pillar, zazen as the practice of the "righteous" (those committed to a life of practice), and realize the fact that the practice of Zen upholds the universe.

In fact, the practice of a disciplined spiritual practice is the universe.

Be well.

Opening Space

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,

Today is mine to make. It's as simple as that. While we cannot always predict the sort of things that will happen, we are responsible for how we perceive them and how we respond to them. In short, we are responsible for what meaning we make of our day and the quality of the interactions throughout.

The challenge is to be aware and responsive to this truth from moment to moment. We must be willing to practice this and not assume it will happen. It is a part of our disciplined spiritual practice. This takes both sensitivity and willingness.

As the day unfolds and events happen we don't expect or like, we might say to ourselves, "This moment is mine to make, may I make it generous and thoughtful". Relaxing into the moment, we can deliberately be present.

So, being awake in the moment requires us to be aware of ourselves as being intimately connected to all who are present with us. Know when you are feeling annoyed, feeling tired, or feeling greedy (self-absorbed). Make an effort to relax in these feelings and let their hold on you go. As we relax, so to will others. As we take a moment to bring ourselves back to our breath, so will others. Opening the space in any moment allows room for mindful attention. Remember, one of our most wonderful characteristics as spiritual beings is to be generous with ourselves.

Be well.

The Good

With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,

What is good? Is good relative? If there is an absolute good, how do we know it and what is its source? Last night we had a rather animated discussion regarding ethics. It was interesting in that it seemed to me many people want an absolute upon which to rely. Yet, I maintain all things, including values, are relative and cannot be otherwise.

Some years ago a fellow named Fletcher wrote a book that lit a firestorm. Its title was "Situation Ethics". In it he argued that ethics were relative and dependant upon a given situation. People, especially religious people as I recall, had a field day tearing apart the notion of a situationally based ethics, yet, again as I recall, had little problem when pressed saying "that depends" in sticky wicket ethical dilemmas. This is internally inconsistent, and in my opinion, retracts from absolute ethics. Absolute is absolute to be internally consistent.

Still, we yearn for black and white solutions and eschew gray. Yet, in gray resides great wonder and diversity. How can ethics not be situational? Should we not consider the parties involved, their culture, their religious values, etc., in determining what is good, right or correct? Can there be a standard which overarchs all people in all circumstances at all times?

Perhaps, but I suspect it is principle rather than rule. We seek the good, a principle, but use the relative values of our hearts and minds and cultural resources to assist us in determining that "good".

For me this leads to a dialectical tension between the Relative and the Absolute. Both co-exist, are rooted in the same source, and are mutually dependent upon each other. Indeed, they are the same, in essence, it is just the POV that changes.

We must look evil in the eye, one person argued. I agree. I add, however, that when we do, and we look deeply, that we will see we are looking into a mirror. That mirror is our actual humanity. Good and bad are constructs arising from our situation. We think them into existence. Nature, itself, has no good or bad. So, when we look for the source of good, we must look to ourselves, so to, evil.

I believe when we fully appreciate the actuality of our humanity it is possible to truly forgive and reconcile with those who have threatened us, harmed us, or otherwise done us wrong. When we seek for the benefit of the Infinite and not for ourselves and know that all are One, then who, other than ourselves, can be our enemy?

Be well.

Mirror, Mirror

With palms together,

Good Morning All,

Yesterday I wrote about One. The thing is, we live in a multiplicity. Or so it seems to us as our brain processes automatically our perceptions into classes of this and that, subjects, objects, processes, etc. It is difficult to see what comes before the perception.

Kabbalists argue we must use our imagination. Perhaps. We enter the map of the Infinite through this tool. We call this map the Tree of Life or sometimes the Ten Seferot. Yesterday I referenced the six paramitas. The sefirot are much the same. These are the natural emanations or (perhaps) attributes of the Infinite made perceptible through ourselves.

We have Will, Wisdom, Understanding, Love, Power, Beauty, Eternity, Splendor, Foundation, and Presence. These go by various names which essentially deepen their meaning and application, but they are understood to be a sort of divine reflection. if you will.

We should not understand these as separate from each other, just as we do not understand the paramitas as separate. Each contains the entire universe. Each is One.

How do we approach these? How do we realize these? By dropping away the ego and stepping into the Universal. Because we cannot really "know" our essential nature and the essential nature of the Infinite, these sefirot are manifest. We know the Infinite through them. If you want to know "Buddha Nature" the "Infinite" or "God" get in touch with these perfections.

Be well.

One

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,

The Great Way is Infinite Oneness. The Great Way is not a path, it is the thing itself: no-thing, everything. The Great Way and Buddha Nature are the same, not different, yet we live as if they were different. One a path, the other the end of the path, but this is two. There is only One.

Live One.

Here is the thing. As we live One, all things manifest as One. As we live One: generosity is One, patience is One, morality is One, vigor is One, meditation is One, and Wisdom is Itself. The six paramitas are not six, but One. As we live One, there is no two. Keep One.

To keep One only think of the Universe. Begin and end with the Universe. As we practice, Self and Universe are realized as the same, not different, yet we perceive as if they were different. They are the same. You and Other are One, the same, yet appearing different.

A prism shows one and many are the same. One light, many colors. Let your practice be your prism. Both sides of the prism are the same, yet different, both are One.

And when we get to One, take the next step. One and Not-One are the same, not different.

Live Not-One.

Be well.

Saab Zen

With palms together, Good Morning Everyone, It is Sunday morning and I am awake. This is a good thing. Yesterday, after Talmud, I spent the day with son Jason. He fixed my '95 Saab 900s. I watched and helped as I could. We had to take the oil pan out and clean a filter that rests inside it. It was an interesting process. Jack up the car; off with the air filter, off with a wheel, off with a wheel well guard, jack up the engine a little, out with the oil pan. Clean everything, reverse the process, put in a new oil filter and fresh oil, and what do you know? No oil light, no "check engine" light. Jason is so comfortable around engines. I admire him. His confidence and knowledge about the intricacies of the various systems of an engine was comforting to me, but more, inspiring. This is his Zen. We concluded the day with a short havdallah ceremony. While Livvie thoroughly enjoyed the spice box, she put her hands to her ears as the braided candle was dippid into the wine. A good week. Be well.

The Great Way, Jesus, Buddha, and the Infinite

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,

On our Zen Living list we are discussing comparative religion. Comparative religion can be very interesting and informative. We approach with: are they the same or different? From a Zen point of view, it is this question that is, itself a koan.

Neither, both, whatever, each gets us into trouble because we are looking with categorical, discriminating eyes.

There is only life. From closed eyes, discrimination occurs.

There is only Buddha Nature, the Ein Sof, the Infinite Emptiness, before it is these names.

From this, through discrimination, arise Jesus, Buddha, the Prophets, you, me, plants and animals, up and down. The same or different?

We look at a picture and see in accordance with our neural pathways. We release our eyes, our history of perception, and other images emerge. The same or different?

I feel ice on my tongue, feel rain on my head, feel water in my mouth, steam in my shower: are they the same or different?

We begin with the Infinite, we can see the Infinite in the particular and know the same and the particular are both, one. Same and different.

We begin with the particular and, on the path, see the Universal.

When we don't step onto the path in the first place, we only see what we see from one point of view. Our sight is filtered by history, desire, and a need to protect ourselves from change.

In the end, as in the beginning, concepts and categories have very limited usefulness. At some point along the way, they become clear hindrances to awakening.

Be well.

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