The heart of the matter -Does It Work?

The question we are often asking ourselves, but one that is rarely spoken aloud, is addressed simply and directly here by Sensei Janet Jiryu Abel in this excerpt from a talk. In the Soto school of Zen, which is the predominant sect in Japan, the practice consists almost entirely of Shikintaza or “just sitting”. Shikintaza is literally to take the posture of Zazen and just sit there with no goals, no aspirations, no good, no bad, just sit. There are no cookies or trophies. You don’t necessarily get up from sitting feeling great that you did it. You may rise from your noble posture only to ask yourself why the hell would anybody just sit there like a dumbass.

The Three Marks of Dharma

From Maria Kannon Zen Center – Chants

The Three Marks of Dharma

All compounded things are impermanent:
When one sees this with discernment,
One is freed from dissatisfaction.
This is the path to purity.

All compounded things are stressful:
When one sees this with discernment,
One is freed from dissatisfaction
This is the path to purity.

All phenomena are self-less:
When one sees this with discernment,
One is freed from dissatisfaction.
This is the path to purity.

Few are the human beings who go to the Further Shore,
These others simply scurry around on this shore.
But those who practice the Dhamma
In line with the well-taught Dhamma,
They will cross over Death’s realm, so hard to transcend.
Abandoning dark practices,
The wise person develops the bright,
Having gone from home to no-home
In Seclusion, so hard to relish.
There one aspires for delight,
Discarding sensuality—one who has nothing
Cleanses oneself, the wise one, of mental defilement.
Those whose minds are well-developed
In the factors of Awakening,
Who delight in non-clinging,
Relinquishing grasping, Glorious, free of defilement:
They are unbound in the world.
Impermanent are compounded things. (Anicca vata sankhara)
Their nature is to arise and pass away. (Uppada-vaya-dhammino) They disband as they are arising. (Uppajjitva nirujjhanti)
Their total stilling is bliss. (Tesam vupasamo sukho)

Universal Dedication

All Buddhas throughout space and time
All Honored Ones, Bodhisattvas, Mahasattvas, Wisdom beyond Wisdom.
Maha Prajna Paramita.

When I woke up

Again I see that, in returning to Zen practice, some patterns seem to be repeating. Apologies for the disorganized jumble that follows.

Today when I woke up and before I opened my eyes, there was a short space of nothing before I had the thought (something like) “Oh shit it’s late” followed by the thought “but that’s ok” followed by the thought “because there is no good or bad” followed by the thought “but if I knew that in my heart I wouldn’t have the thought ‘but that’s ok’. Then a bunch of other thoughts started raining down – analyzing, justifying, self-soothing. At that point I was lost in thinking so I dropped it until now when I could post about it.

First of all there was the wordless space of unknown duration during which I had no thoughts, but instead, just raw perception. This is a heavenly thing to me. When I was practicing regularly in the past, it happened every morning. Upon awakening there would be sounds and (if my eyes opened) sights, tactile sensations and perhaps scents but I would not judge these sensations as good or bad – at least for a short (probaby VERY short) time. I can’t really say how long that state lasts. It is a blissful feeling, but doesn’t become so until it disappears.