Essential Emptiness

"Essential Emptiness" number 24 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Contemplate the essential nature of emptiness. I am noticing that there are several new-fangled ways to study Zen. Here I'm thinking of the approaches taken by Adyashanti, Cheri Huber and Gempo Merzel's Big Mind. I have participated in each of these to one degree or another and found lots of movement and connection in my own life. Each claim to be a derivative of Zen and each has a unique approach. Helpful in a modern age in a Western culture.

And yet.

Aitken Roshi points out that the old texts are a vast resources for tuning life. Specifically he lists a collection of sutras worth study. The collection is called Prajñā Pāramitā "Prefection of Wisdom". In this collection is the Heart Sutra and the Vimalakirti Sutra. This collection points to the essential emptiness of everything or Shunyatā. Aitken Roshi admonishes us that if you don't yet embody shunyatā, "you are not yet squared away." Nice!

Don't mind me, I have some squaring up to do!

Be Yourself

"Be Yourself" number 23 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.





I got inspired by a post by Garr Reynolds of Presentation Zen fame, to create the above presentation slide. I did this yesterday without knowing what today's miniature was about.

In today's miniature, Aitken Roshi reminds us that the Buddha gave up aesthetic practices which were very hard on his body and mind, then took up sitted meditation or as we Zennists say Zazen. We too can give up being hard on ourselves and apply our energies to Zazen. This is what Aitken Roshi means by following the example of the Buddha. Advice express also by Shunryu Suzuki.

Garr's slide below. Very fun stuff. I'll have to do more of this as it is great practice for the presentations I make at work. Now that I see the slides side by side, I can see now that I could improve my slide by increasing the font size a far bit. Also by decreasing the size of 'Shunryu Suzuki', Garr has emphasized what was said (the important stuff) and yet still gave attribution.






Faults and Weaknesses

"Faults and Weaknesses" number 22 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Faults, weaknesses are just the stuff of character. Anger, confusion, laziness, greed, craving, these are the just the terms we use to describe the faults of our character. Character like the Earths character. Like the Earths nature to expand and contract, Like the polar ice caps, like natures seasons, like the Earth's crust. Our character is our crust and it too expands and contracts along the fault lines of our character.

The Noble Eightfold Path
is sometimes divided into
three basic divisions (graphic via Wikipedia)

Division Eightfold Path factors
Wisdom
 1. Right view
2. Right intention
Ethical conduct
 3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Concentration
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration



In this miniature, Aitken Roshi suggests a ninth path factor, that of "Right Perspective". Right Perspective of our character, of the Earth's character. Yes indeed.

Yourself as an Instrument

"Yourself as an Instrument" number 21 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

I never tire of the 'Old Man's' encouragement. Here he points out that you are "always establishing your practice." Viewed this way, we can come to hold our practice lightly like a musician holds her instrument. We can see that there is no end to development of practice as practice. We can see how in the beginning we have a beginning practice and after much practice we have a practiced practice which both includes and transcends beginning practice.



I have just returned from Branching Moon Sesshin with the Three Treasures Sangha of Seattle. Each day we chanted the "Five Remembrances", part of which goes, "...my actions are my only true belongings, they are the ground on which I stand...". One of the lessons learned during this retreat is that I am comforted by Zen's admonitions to be responsible, do the work, and guard against greed, hatred and delusion. My practice, lacking or complete, is up to me and nothing else. Don't you think this is both empowering and a bit scary?


I made many projects and plans during sesshin when I could have been mediating. This is my usual way. (Work to be done here and there!) The one I'll share here is my plan to do more woodworking and slant my woodworking practice towards my Zen practice. To that end, I'll start posting photos of available wooden rakusu rings I've made and figure out a way to get them in the hands of jukai students. Here is the one in my rakusu. It is Pacific Yew wood. I have lots of this wood and can make one for you. (Post comment here or click on my blogger profile for email address.) Other woods on request.

Long-Lost Home

"Long-Lost Home" number 20 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

"The live your human nature anticipates." This is what your Zazen can lead to.
We'll see!


This feed will go quiet for a while. In the morning I'm off to sesshin. Intend to pickup where I'm leaving off.
We'll see!



As You Are

"As You Are" number 19 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Boy, do I have a lot to learn and unlearn! Yesterday, Aitken told us that there is nothing 'out there' that we can get that will enlighten us. I immediately jumped to 'well it is not adding something so it must be a sort of subtracting sort of process'. Well, today the Roshi jerks that carpet out from underneath my feet. Thank you Roshi.

Here I think a small quote from today's miniature will nail it.
"Over and over the master assures you, "You are all right to the very bottom." This is not an assurance that beneath all your differences and peculiarities you will finally reach something called "Buddhahood.""

Robert Aitken is so encouraging, this is what I've aways loved about him. Encouraging and smart. His love of the dharma, and the sangha is always right out front. He is such an inspiration.

Enough gushing over the retired Roshi! Onward to the day!


I'd like to point you to Robert Aitken's blog. http://robertaitken.blogspot.com/ Yesterdays post fortifies todays miniature for me in a surprising way. Check it out and see if you are surprised too.

The Perfection of Character

"The Perfection of Character" number 18 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

I was in a meeting yesterday and for a couple of moments I had this odd experience. Everyone seemed to be like orbiting planets. Each with his (they were all men) own climate and trajectory. Each had their own agenda and were more or less listing to each other. As I listened to each speak, I noticed that the person speaking took on a quality of wonder, or maybe a better way of saying it was wonder happened. It is not that they became beautiful, no we are a homely looking group. Each person's human qualities shined just a bit. I had not noticed this before. After the meeting I realized I had been much less pessimistic and contrarian than usual.

Robert Aitken points towards the "perfection of character" as being a subtractive process as apposed to an additive process. There is nothing we can get from the outside that will perfect our character. As we let go of our attachments, like my attachment to my pessimism and contrarian nature, more of our already perfect character shines through. This is what is meant by "Gaining is delusion, losing is enlightenment."


As promised yesterday, here is a scan of "To Forget the Self - An Illustrated Guide to Zen Meditation" by John Daishin Buksbazen. If anyone can tell me more about the cover photo, I'd be grateful.