Those obstructed by nothingness, clinging one-sidedly to this
principle, sit blankly to clear away sense objects and think that
the
Way is herein. None of them seeks the secret of nurturing the
three
treasures. Though they speak of reaching nothingness, this is
really
not the Way. The ultimate Way is not in reification, nor simple
nothingness. The mystic essential is to balance openness and
realism.
"Wise indeed are they who rely upon
the doctrine of voidness,
And unwise are they who forever grasp
at extremes of is and is-not;
But both, said Buddha, are mere products
of their own karma.
To he whose vision is unclouded
I bow my head in homage.
The infinite things that exist
constantly are free,
Coming from nowhere
and going nowhere,
Unreal like a magician's creation
and like a mirage:
Homage to him who dwelled
within this wholesome knowledge.
The born and un-born: both
are without true birth;
The produced and the destroyed:
neither is to be seen.
Homage to the conqueror
of abiding and non-abiding,
Who did abide in the very abode
where abides the deepest Dharma
This very nature of thusness
he thus perfectly taught
As he dwelled unwaveringly in
knowledge of thusness itself.
Homage to him who equals
an unmoving mountain,
Whose body is a mountain,
a vajra, a victory banner."
-- Acharya Triratnadasa
From the book: "The Sublime Path of the Victorious
Ones,"
Compiled by the office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama,
published by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
posted to DailyDharma
From 'Zen Essence - The Science
of Freedom' by Thomas Cleary
Zen Hobbyists
There are intellectual professionals who
think they know everything but Zen, so
they call over a few incompetent old monks,
give them a meal, and have them say whatever
comes into their minds. The intellectuals
then write this babble down and use it to
judge everyone else. They trade sayings and
call this Zen encounter, imagining they have
gotten the advantage if they get in the last
word.
They don't even know it if they happen to run
into real perceptives. Even if they do notice
the real ones, these intellectuals are not
really sure, and will not sincerely seek under-
standing from the teachers. They just seek
approval as before. Then when the teachers
demonstrate the real developmental impact of
Zen in the midst of all sorts of situations,
the intellectuals are afraid to approach.
Looking for the Shortcut
When you have even a single thought of looking
for a shortcut in Zen, you have already stuck
your head in a bowl of glue.
Attunement
Many people today study Zen acquisitively-this
is truly a false idea about what has no false
ideas.
Just make your mind free. But don't be too tense,
and don't be too loose-working this way will
save you unlimited mental energy.
