Saturday, April 22, 2006
About Buddhism--Authority vs. Intuition
One of the aspects of Buddhism which has always puzzled me is that, although Buddha himself admonished his followers to "be a light unto yourselves," Buddhist teachers and writings are often quite prescriptive, insisting on fixed beliefs and practices. One must "take refuge" in the Buddha, the dharma (teachings), and the sangha (the Buddhist community). There seems to be little room for "following one's own light" (sometimes called "the direct path"), the personal intuition which can lead the mystic into unmediated insight or bliss.
Likewise, Zen insists on rigid protocols in the Zendo. In earlier times (and sometimes even today), the student was struck with a rod for inattention. The group follows a highly disciplined routine, with rules and regulations to control all aspects of observance, even how to enter, how to sit, proper demeanor, and such things.
Yet, today when I opened a lovely book of Zen sayings, I found many examples with just the opposite perspective. Here are few of these fascinating gems:
Easy is right. Begin right
And you are easy
Continue easy and you are right.
The right way to go easy
Is to forget the right way
And forget that the going is easy.
Chuang-Tzu
The Way is not
difficult; only there
must be no wanting
or not wanting.
Chao-Chou
How shall I grasp
it? Do not grasp it.
That which remains
when there is no
more grasping is
the Self.
Panchadasi
At night, deep in the mountain,
I sit in meditation.
The affairs of men never reach here:
Everything is quiet and empty,
All the incense has been swallowed up
by the endless night.
My robe has become a garment of dew.
Unable to sleep I walk out into the
woods--
Suddenly, above the highest peak,
the full moon appears.
Ryokan
A special transmission outside the scriptures;
No dependence upon words and letters;
Direct pointing to the soul of man.
Seeing into one's nature and attaining
Buddhahood.
Bodhidharma
So, I think, it is, when we expect nothing, seek nothing, insist on nothing--then True Being appears. It is not what we expected, nor what we can tell. But its presence in incontrovertible, and we know it bears our name, even though we and it are now nameless. (Dorothy)
Likewise, Zen insists on rigid protocols in the Zendo. In earlier times (and sometimes even today), the student was struck with a rod for inattention. The group follows a highly disciplined routine, with rules and regulations to control all aspects of observance, even how to enter, how to sit, proper demeanor, and such things.
Yet, today when I opened a lovely book of Zen sayings, I found many examples with just the opposite perspective. Here are few of these fascinating gems:
Easy is right. Begin right
And you are easy
Continue easy and you are right.
The right way to go easy
Is to forget the right way
And forget that the going is easy.
Chuang-Tzu
The Way is not
difficult; only there
must be no wanting
or not wanting.
Chao-Chou
How shall I grasp
it? Do not grasp it.
That which remains
when there is no
more grasping is
the Self.
Panchadasi
At night, deep in the mountain,
I sit in meditation.
The affairs of men never reach here:
Everything is quiet and empty,
All the incense has been swallowed up
by the endless night.
My robe has become a garment of dew.
Unable to sleep I walk out into the
woods--
Suddenly, above the highest peak,
the full moon appears.
Ryokan
A special transmission outside the scriptures;
No dependence upon words and letters;
Direct pointing to the soul of man.
Seeing into one's nature and attaining
Buddhahood.
Bodhidharma
So, I think, it is, when we expect nothing, seek nothing, insist on nothing--then True Being appears. It is not what we expected, nor what we can tell. But its presence in incontrovertible, and we know it bears our name, even though we and it are now nameless. (Dorothy)
