With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone.
"Show me a piece of paper with only one side!" Matsuoka-roshi would sometimes ask my Teacher, Hogaku-roshi. He in turn, put it to me. Forget a mobius strip...you can see both sides of the strip. Forget "sides" Sides will just get in the way. This is similar to the one-hand clapping koan.
Koan work, though not a primary teaching method in Soto Zen, is still actually used by Soto Masters. Master Dogen has an entire collection he used in a lessor known work called "Mana Shobogenzo" and the Shobogenzo itself, is a collection of koan seeds.
What is a koan?
It is NOT a riddle. It is not a puzzle. A koan is a nut, or better yet, a fruit, to peel and bite into. The only way to "solve" a koan is to actually eat it.
We cannot realize a koan through the intellect. It is non-conceptual. We can answer koans only through intuitive slight of hand.
In Soto Zen we sit with no purpose whatever. Yet we deliberately take our seat. A koan arises. Deliberation requires an intent. Shikantaza (to just sit) denies intent.
We vow not to kill, but kill to live. Life itself is a koan.
Answer, please.
Be well.
Organ Mountain Zen
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Without Words, Without Silence
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Case 24 of the Gateless Gate is always instructive for us. In Senzaki's concise version, a monk asks Fuketsu:
"Without speaking, without silence,
how can you express the truth?"
Fuketsu observed,
"I always remember springtime in southern China.
The birds sing among innumerable kinds of fragrant flowers."
Like many koans, this approaches a key issue in Zen. How do we express the truth? Words? Silence? Neither are acceptable as both are prone to spin and distortion, neither is the truth, just a representation of perception.
Fuketsu answers weakly, though he is pointing us in a direction. His answer is weak because it is a copy of something he has heard, an old Chinese poem. A better answer, if he were in the outhouse, would have been a fart.
The truth is what we are just now. The truth is not our words, not our silence, but our manifestation of ourselves.
If Fuketsu were amid those birds, and they were chirping, his answer would be exactly on point. Today, we are so often off point, as we speak from history, conceptualization, prognostication: from everywhere but here.
What is Buddha? My coffee is cold.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Case 24 of the Gateless Gate is always instructive for us. In Senzaki's concise version, a monk asks Fuketsu:
"Without speaking, without silence,
how can you express the truth?"
Fuketsu observed,
"I always remember springtime in southern China.
The birds sing among innumerable kinds of fragrant flowers."
Like many koans, this approaches a key issue in Zen. How do we express the truth? Words? Silence? Neither are acceptable as both are prone to spin and distortion, neither is the truth, just a representation of perception.
Fuketsu answers weakly, though he is pointing us in a direction. His answer is weak because it is a copy of something he has heard, an old Chinese poem. A better answer, if he were in the outhouse, would have been a fart.
The truth is what we are just now. The truth is not our words, not our silence, but our manifestation of ourselves.
If Fuketsu were amid those birds, and they were chirping, his answer would be exactly on point. Today, we are so often off point, as we speak from history, conceptualization, prognostication: from everywhere but here.
What is Buddha? My coffee is cold.
Be well.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
streetZen
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I will sit streetZen at the downtown mall. I do this as prayer work, a witnessing on behalf of sanity and serenity. Our world seems so filled with hate and violence. Hateful people killing other people, greedy people raping the Earth and her resources, deluded people believing they are somehow independent of everyone and everything else and justifying tyranny in that way.
I know it is not so.
Our world is filled with peaceful, loving people, people with deeply compassionate hearts.
When I practice Zazen on the street, people seem warmed by this example. These are the people I witness on behalf of. These are the people who need support. We cannot sustain love in a world filled with messages of hate, greed, and delusion. Countermeasures are necessary. In Zen we understand these to be love, generosity, and wisdom.
If we want a world, public or private, to be serene and compassionate, then we must be serene and compassionate.
Zazen is the practice of serene reflection, a practice rooted in silent illumination on a cushion, then rising into the world. Please consider joining me in this practice.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I will sit streetZen at the downtown mall. I do this as prayer work, a witnessing on behalf of sanity and serenity. Our world seems so filled with hate and violence. Hateful people killing other people, greedy people raping the Earth and her resources, deluded people believing they are somehow independent of everyone and everything else and justifying tyranny in that way.
I know it is not so.
Our world is filled with peaceful, loving people, people with deeply compassionate hearts.
When I practice Zazen on the street, people seem warmed by this example. These are the people I witness on behalf of. These are the people who need support. We cannot sustain love in a world filled with messages of hate, greed, and delusion. Countermeasures are necessary. In Zen we understand these to be love, generosity, and wisdom.
If we want a world, public or private, to be serene and compassionate, then we must be serene and compassionate.
Zazen is the practice of serene reflection, a practice rooted in silent illumination on a cushion, then rising into the world. Please consider joining me in this practice.
Be well.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Harvey
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
I am writing in the blog portion of my new Yahoo Profile. This is the old Yahoo 360, now reincarnated as Yahoo Profiles. If you were a connection of mine on Yahoo 360 on either Buddhist99 or harveyhilbert IDs, please connect to me on the Yahoo profile, harveyhilbert.
In any event, it is morning and we finally were able to finish watching "Last Chance, Harvey" last night. I am a little disturbed that the name "Harvey" is so often portrayed as a weak, timid person, a stumble-bum, or a fool. Yet, there it is. The good news is that these characters, including the Harvey of this film, often rise to the occasion. Dustin Hoffman is himself, a bit self-effacing, but clearly authentic. The film is worth watching if for no other reason than it is a portrayal of small triumphs with large implications for our behavior toward one another. One added benefit, the film is a love story without a single sex scene, naked chest, or bare butt.
Reminder: streetZen at the downtown mall at 9:00 AM tomorrow.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
I am writing in the blog portion of my new Yahoo Profile. This is the old Yahoo 360, now reincarnated as Yahoo Profiles. If you were a connection of mine on Yahoo 360 on either Buddhist99 or harveyhilbert IDs, please connect to me on the Yahoo profile, harveyhilbert.
In any event, it is morning and we finally were able to finish watching "Last Chance, Harvey" last night. I am a little disturbed that the name "Harvey" is so often portrayed as a weak, timid person, a stumble-bum, or a fool. Yet, there it is. The good news is that these characters, including the Harvey of this film, often rise to the occasion. Dustin Hoffman is himself, a bit self-effacing, but clearly authentic. The film is worth watching if for no other reason than it is a portrayal of small triumphs with large implications for our behavior toward one another. One added benefit, the film is a love story without a single sex scene, naked chest, or bare butt.
Reminder: streetZen at the downtown mall at 9:00 AM tomorrow.
Be well.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Embraceable You
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Enjoy your happiness! Everywhere I see people smiling. Store clerks smile. People at social gatherings smile. Commercials have smiling, laughing faces; content, loving faces, excited, joyful faces. People are happy, happy, happy! Or sad, sad, sad.
I have noticed people often don't quite know how to experience happiness or contentment or serenity. And they run away from uncomfortable feelings, mask them with chemicals, or just plain deny them.
I hear so often, "how am I supposed to feel?" This phrase is particularly telling. Is there some cosmic measure? Some litmus test of feeling against which we pass or fail?
Under the phrase is a sense of hostility toward the feeling itself. As if a feeling of humiliation or anger or even happiness is somehow not me even if it is me who is actually experiencing it. Perhaps we don't know how to experience ourselves?
To experience oneself means to experience directly that which is under the mirror's image. Feeling images are ubiquitous, but they are like buddha images. In order to experience your own authenticity you must break the images as they arise. Embrace yourself as you are. Learn to experience yourself and reside within yourself. How?
Practice Zazen.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Enjoy your happiness! Everywhere I see people smiling. Store clerks smile. People at social gatherings smile. Commercials have smiling, laughing faces; content, loving faces, excited, joyful faces. People are happy, happy, happy! Or sad, sad, sad.
I have noticed people often don't quite know how to experience happiness or contentment or serenity. And they run away from uncomfortable feelings, mask them with chemicals, or just plain deny them.
I hear so often, "how am I supposed to feel?" This phrase is particularly telling. Is there some cosmic measure? Some litmus test of feeling against which we pass or fail?
Under the phrase is a sense of hostility toward the feeling itself. As if a feeling of humiliation or anger or even happiness is somehow not me even if it is me who is actually experiencing it. Perhaps we don't know how to experience ourselves?
To experience oneself means to experience directly that which is under the mirror's image. Feeling images are ubiquitous, but they are like buddha images. In order to experience your own authenticity you must break the images as they arise. Embrace yourself as you are. Learn to experience yourself and reside within yourself. How?
Practice Zazen.
Be well.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Noiselessness
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
There is a koan Nyogen Senzaki addresses in his book, The Iron Flute. Senzaki is, with Uchiyama, one of my favorite Masters. He lived a quiet life as a clerk or dishwasher in the United States. He had no temple, save what he referred to as his "floating Zendo." And yet, he was a powerful Zen Master.
The koan is the case where Hui-Chung expells his disciple. In this case, Hua-Chung is sleeping, A visitor to the Temple asks if Hui-Chung is in, Hua Chung's disciple says "Yes, but he doesn't want to see anyone." The visitor inquires further, by saying, "You are expressing the situation profoundly." Where upon the disciple says, "Don't mention it. Even if the Buddha comes, my teacher does not want to see him." To which the visitor replies, "You are certainly a good disciple. Your teacher ought to be proud of you." When Hui-Chung woke, the disciple repeated the dialogue to him where upon, Hui-Chung promptly drove his disciple out of the Temple.
Senzaki says: "The attending monk was displaying his newly attained Zen on the first occasion that presented itself, instead of keeping it colorless. The visitor took in the situation immediately, and his words should have shamed the monk into silence. Instead, the monk proudly repeated the dialogue to his teacher, who drove him from the temple."
Later, Senzaki says, "When one thinks he has Zen, he loses it instantly. Why does he not practice the teaching colorlessly and noiselessly?"
Pride and arrogance are not qualities we associate with Zen. If we realize awakening, we are to be quiet about it. We are never to refer to ourselves as 'enlightened' as that in itself, is evidence otherwise.
We are practice. We are always works in progress and in every moment complete as we are. To be without being, become without becoming, and to do so without announcement is the aim. No bulls in chinashops allowed. No blairing horns. No fancy clothes.
The true enlightened one is invisable, yet like water, changes everything.
We will practice streetZen at the Veteran's Park rotunda at 4:00 PM today.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
There is a koan Nyogen Senzaki addresses in his book, The Iron Flute. Senzaki is, with Uchiyama, one of my favorite Masters. He lived a quiet life as a clerk or dishwasher in the United States. He had no temple, save what he referred to as his "floating Zendo." And yet, he was a powerful Zen Master.
The koan is the case where Hui-Chung expells his disciple. In this case, Hua-Chung is sleeping, A visitor to the Temple asks if Hui-Chung is in, Hua Chung's disciple says "Yes, but he doesn't want to see anyone." The visitor inquires further, by saying, "You are expressing the situation profoundly." Where upon the disciple says, "Don't mention it. Even if the Buddha comes, my teacher does not want to see him." To which the visitor replies, "You are certainly a good disciple. Your teacher ought to be proud of you." When Hui-Chung woke, the disciple repeated the dialogue to him where upon, Hui-Chung promptly drove his disciple out of the Temple.
Senzaki says: "The attending monk was displaying his newly attained Zen on the first occasion that presented itself, instead of keeping it colorless. The visitor took in the situation immediately, and his words should have shamed the monk into silence. Instead, the monk proudly repeated the dialogue to his teacher, who drove him from the temple."
Later, Senzaki says, "When one thinks he has Zen, he loses it instantly. Why does he not practice the teaching colorlessly and noiselessly?"
Pride and arrogance are not qualities we associate with Zen. If we realize awakening, we are to be quiet about it. We are never to refer to ourselves as 'enlightened' as that in itself, is evidence otherwise.
We are practice. We are always works in progress and in every moment complete as we are. To be without being, become without becoming, and to do so without announcement is the aim. No bulls in chinashops allowed. No blairing horns. No fancy clothes.
The true enlightened one is invisable, yet like water, changes everything.
We will practice streetZen at the Veteran's Park rotunda at 4:00 PM today.
Be well.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Dropping A Coffee Cup on the Floor
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Dropping the coffee cup on the floor, we see the relevance of Zen is its discordance. Zen is so often thought of as this flaky sort of "oneness" with monks floating along not disturbing the sand under their feet. Compassion has come to the marketplace with huge price tags. Everyone is smiling. Oy.
Not always so.
Zen is not like that. Zen is Jizo's staff with the noisy rings. Its a kyosaku slap and the floor. Its a rattle your brain koan. We are not supposed to walk around in perfect bliss, you know. Zen is about paying attention to something larger than our creature comforts: to the Koreas and Japan and Iran and Iraq and India and the United States and Israel and Saudi Arabia, to Africa, to Antarctica, to Greenland, to Central and South America, and to our neighbors, Mexico and Canada.
Zen is the moment the bell is invited to ring, the moment two cars near each other on a collision course, the moment a weapon is drawn, the moment an addict comes close to his drug of choice, or a homeless person to sundown in the winter.
This is everyday Zen, the Zen of those awake to see, smacking those who are asleep upside the head. Oneness means we are in this together.
Shouting Wake Up! in a Zen Monastery is about as useful as asking dogs to chase rabbits. On the other hand, inviting everyday sleepwalkers to stub their toes or reminding them there is an ecological finitude to planet Earth or suggesting intelligent, non-violent practice may be a viable alternative to deadly weapons, that may be useful.
Concordance is wonderful: it feels good. Discordance is jarring; it doesn't feel good. Spiritual practice is not a narcotic..
May you be a blessing in the universe.
Good Morning Everyone,
Dropping the coffee cup on the floor, we see the relevance of Zen is its discordance. Zen is so often thought of as this flaky sort of "oneness" with monks floating along not disturbing the sand under their feet. Compassion has come to the marketplace with huge price tags. Everyone is smiling. Oy.
Not always so.
Zen is not like that. Zen is Jizo's staff with the noisy rings. Its a kyosaku slap and the floor. Its a rattle your brain koan. We are not supposed to walk around in perfect bliss, you know. Zen is about paying attention to something larger than our creature comforts: to the Koreas and Japan and Iran and Iraq and India and the United States and Israel and Saudi Arabia, to Africa, to Antarctica, to Greenland, to Central and South America, and to our neighbors, Mexico and Canada.
Zen is the moment the bell is invited to ring, the moment two cars near each other on a collision course, the moment a weapon is drawn, the moment an addict comes close to his drug of choice, or a homeless person to sundown in the winter.
This is everyday Zen, the Zen of those awake to see, smacking those who are asleep upside the head. Oneness means we are in this together.
Shouting Wake Up! in a Zen Monastery is about as useful as asking dogs to chase rabbits. On the other hand, inviting everyday sleepwalkers to stub their toes or reminding them there is an ecological finitude to planet Earth or suggesting intelligent, non-violent practice may be a viable alternative to deadly weapons, that may be useful.
Concordance is wonderful: it feels good. Discordance is jarring; it doesn't feel good. Spiritual practice is not a narcotic..
May you be a blessing in the universe.
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