The sixth ancestor
of zen said to someone who
had just been awakened, “What I tell
you is not a secret. The secret is in you.”
Another zen master said to a companion,
“Everything flows from your
own heart.”
Posts Tagged → way
the sage has no set mind
The sage has no set mind.
She adopts the concerns
of others as her own.
She is good to the good.
She is also good to the bad.
This is real goodness.
She trusts the trustworthy.
She also trusts the untrustworthy.
This is real trust.
The sage takes the minds
of the worldly and spins them around.
People drop their ideas and agendas,
and she guides them like
beloved children.
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work on what has been spoiled
A challenge to improvement:
that which has been spoiled through neglect
can be rejuvenated through effort.
Receiving this hexagram is a sign that there is a defect in the attitude of oneself, another, or one’s society that should be corrected. Your task now is to bring conscientious thought and action to an area where stagnation has set in. Perhaps you engage in continual doubt about the wisdom of behaving according to proper principles. Perhaps you indulge in greed, or vengeful thinking, or a harsh manner. In any case, the time has come to root out the decay.
The I Ching counsels us to work energetically at this task, but only after proper deliberation. We are advised to spend three full days in understanding the defect; another day in resolving sincerely to remove it; and then three more days watching carefully to insure that it does not return. This steady application of attention to the matter is the wind that carries away stagnation and brings new life in its place.
It is likely that the problem is an old one, and equally likely that no solution will be immediately evident. We are cautioned not to abandon the cause; only perseverance will reveal the great reward that is concealed within the problem.
Whether the fault lies in yourself, another, or your community, the requirement is the same. Watch closely while remaining quiet, innocent, and sincere. After you have clearly identified the problem, act unswervingly to eliminate it without abandoning gentleness and inner balance in the process. When this course is completed, good fortune will be met.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 18, Ku / Decay (Work On What Has Been Spoiled)
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the point where buddha is actualized
We just sit in the midst
of this contradiction where, although
we aim, we can never perceive hitting the mark.
We just sit in the midst of this contradiction that is
absolutely ridiculous when we think about it with our small mind.
In our zazen, it is precisely at the point where our small, foolish self
remains unsatisfied, or completely bewildered, that immeasurable
natural life beyond the thoughts of that self functions.
It is precisely at the point where we become
completely lost that life operates and
the power of Buddha is
actualized.
the world owes me nothing
Yes, I am
truly a dunce. Living
among the trees and plants,
don’t question me about illusion and
enlightenment. This old fellow just likes to smile to
himself. I wade across streams with bony legs,
and I carry a bag about in fine spring
weather. That’s my life, and
the world owes me
nothing.