Women in Zen

"Women in Zen" number 57 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Today's miniature points to the status of women in Zen. In the old days things were quite different. Today there are lots of women teachers and practitioners at all levels. My local and extended sangha is about 50/50 men and women. Here, on the internets, it seems male dominated but that is skewed by the audience.

Aitken Roshi points to this story in the Vimalakirti Sutra and is tickled that in their interaction, the goddess generally shows up Sariputra. 

VIMALAKIRTI SUTRA
Translated by Robert A. F. Thurman
(This is a small section from the sutra.)

Sariputra: Goddess, what prevents you from transforming yourself out of your female state?

Goddess: Although I have sought my "female state" for these twelve years, I have not yet found it. Reverend Sariputra, if a magician were to incarnate a woman by magic, would you ask her, "What prevents you from transforming yourself out of your female state?"

Sariputra: No! Such a woman would not really exist, so what would there be to transform?

Goddess: Just so, reverend Sariputra, all things do not really exist. Now, would you think, "What prevents one whose nature is that of a magical incarnation from transforming herself out of her female state?"

Thereupon, the goddess employed her magical power to cause the elder Sariputra to appear in her form and to cause herself to appear in his form. Then the goddess, transformed into Sariputra, said to Sariputra, transformed into a goddess, "Reverend Sariputra, what prevents you from transforming yourself out of your female state?"

And Sariputra, transformed into the goddess, replied, "I no longer appear in the form of a male! My body has changed into the body of a woman! I do not know what to transform!"

The goddess continued, "If the elder could again change out of the female state, then all women could also change out of their female states. All women appear in the form of women in just the same way

as the elder appears in the form of a woman. While they are not women in reality, they appear in the form of women. With this in mind, the Buddha said, 'In all things, there is neither male nor female.'"

Then, the goddess released her magical power and each returned to his ordinary form. She then said to him, "Reverend Sariputra, what have you done with your female form?"

Sariputra: I neither made it nor did I change it.

Goddess: Just so, all things are neither made nor changed, and that they are not made and not changed, that is the teaching of the Buddha.



I continue to look at why I feel comfortable referring to Robert Aitken as Aitken Roshi. My own teacher I refer to as Jack. I've never referred to any other living Zen practitioner as Roshi so why Robert? Why bother even considering this question? When I refer to Gerry Simpson as mom, there is no wondering. She never asked to be called mom. I just feels natural and comfortable.

Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance. Any merit
generated by this activity is solely the result of Aitken Roshi's clear
teaching and is dedicated to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout
space and time.

The Old Teacher

"The Old Teacher" number 56 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Aitken Roshi prefers the title Robert Aitken. I prefer Aitken Roshi. It reminds me that while we both practice, I can trust his advice about my practice.

This reminds me of something I heard recently. In reference to the Buddha, don't seek what the Buddhas have, seek what they sought. Aitken Roshi's practice and realization is his practice and realization, mine is mine. I don't want his, I am responsible for being my own light.


Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance. Any merit
generated by this activity is solely the result of Aitken Roshi's clear
teaching and is dedicated to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout
space and time.


Maezumi Roshi

"Maezumi Roshi" number 55 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Today's
miniature is at first glance just plain autobiographical. Yet if taken
as a classical Zen story, the daily activities of a Zen master, it
begins to open up in surprising ways. Many of the old Zen stories take
the form of 'student' has question and runs to 'teacher', 'teacher'
says or does something seemingly insignificant and 'student' has
awakening. This is the form of this miniature.

As I sit with this miniature and take it in, a couple of themes came up for me.

First, realization and practice includes does not preclude confusion.

Second,
this old stories where student questions master and comes to
realization were more likely a much longer process in practice. With
practice and realization the student slowly develops a question or
aconfusion arises.  Effort to meet with a teacher is actualized within
the student's actual constellation of practice. If a kind teacher is
found, the teacher helps mature the student, again within their own
constellation of practice. Then if the stars all align, and the student
matures, the only thing left to do is practice and realization, the
activities that started this process, were the process itself and are
the path onward.

Such a kind message "...and I am eternally grateful." Yes indeed.


This came to me in my indox this morning and seemed relevant. It is from Tricycle's Daily Dharma delivered via email each morning. Recommended.
...Becoming
obsessive about quickly seeing big results from our efforts is a sign
that deluded desire rather than compassion is driving our efforts. Real
progress derives from honest introspection, and we cannot analyze our
minds carefully when we’re hurried. Transforming our hearts is a
gradual, organic process, and successfully cultivating compassion for
ourselves necessitates a mature and steady approach.
                           –Lorne Ladner, from The Lost Art of Compassion


Yesterday
I commented on the value of Right Speech. As practice would have it, I
promptly went to work and got on a conference call and proceeded to go
unconscious and use my speech in a powerfully negative way. I'll spare
you the details.. Even before I hung up, I woke up to my predicament
and there I was a bit embarrassed and a bit surprised like a deer
caught in headlights. "What had I just done?" In a way I am happy that
the lesson of Right Speech came to me in such a powerful way. This
points to my work. The important work of practice and realization.

Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance. Any merit
generated by this activity is solely the result of Aitken Roshi's clear
teaching and is dedicated to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout
space and time.

Hush Hush

"Hush Hush" number 54 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

In so many ways our cultural conditioning causes us to miss important chances for intimacy. Zen practice helps us see the our conditioning. What we think is real and important turns out to be very different from the experience of this very moment, the only moment in which we have any chance of intimacy.

Five trainings and practices of Zen that soften our cultural condition.
  1. Death approaches rapidly. Being actively aware of this throughout the day clarifies what is important and what is trivial. This is part of the Five Remembrances.
  2. Right Speech is harder and more important than we can know. Our words have the power to break or save people, make enemies or friends, start conflict or create harmony. This is part of the Eightfold Path. Right Speech can be expressed both negatively and positively.
    • Don't speak deceitfully becomes be honest in speech
    • Don't speak maliciously against others becomes be caring in speech
    • Don't use harsh words that hurt others becomes be gentle in speech
    • Abstain from idle chatter becomes speak only when necessary
  3. The precept of not lying which is part of the Zen Buddhist Precepts. Just seeing how our culture fosters and makes okay little lies and how those little lies can be used to justify bigger and bigger lies and deceits. Main stream advertising is the obvious example. Sure there are positive examples and uses of advertising but these are currently the exception. (There are hopeful signs here and there.)
  4. Zazen, a daily sitting practice. Sitting facing the wall with breath, question or just this present moment bucks everything our culture tells us we should be doing. Cultural conditioning tells us "you" should be doing "X", "you" should have "X", "you" should want "X", "you" should look like "X", and on and on. When you hear the voice in your head say either "you" or "should" we can be sure that what is speaking is cultural conditioning.
  5. Sesshin, quoting Robert Aitken from yesterdays miniature "to touch the mind, to receive the mind, and to convey the mind". The less explanation the better. This must be experienced to be appreciated.

Now as a lay practitioner, my challenges are great. Be in the culture but don't take it in. Try not to act from my conditioning when most around me are operating from their conditioning. This can brake the cycle of conditioning. It is my moment to moment practice. Brake the cycle of conditioning and give intimacy a chance.

Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master
is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance. Any merit
generated by this activity is solely the result of Aitken Roshi's clear
teaching and is dedicated to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout
space and time.


The Rich Ambiguity

"The Rich Ambiguity" number 53 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Oh, the richness of ambiguity! To this the highest praise. Unless you job is to provided certainty in a chaotic world.

Today, my work life is providing points to practice with. A small patch is being applied to a critical IT system at the hospital where I work. Several people from several vendors are involved. I'm assured by almost everyone that this is a 'uptime' patch.

Yet one peripheral person, after weeks on the schedule just yesterday, said "I've heard of this causing downtime in some cases." That's all it took for ego to start doubting and worrying. One bit of ambiguity and ego has a field day.

'Sesshin' is a term that is mistakenly sometimes substituted with the pedestrian term 'retreat'. Some Sino-Japanese terms are still used in Zen practice today because they have 'rich ambiguity'. Removing the ambiguity, removes the richness.

Words are not the thing, and words used are important. How is that for 'rich dichotomy' to go along with your 'rich ambiguity'?

Any error or confusion created by my commentary on Miniatures of a Zen Master is solely a reflection of my own delusion and ignorance. Any merit generated by this activity is solely the result of Aitken Roshi's clear teaching and is dedicated to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas throughout space and time.



Beginner's Mind

"Beginner's Mind" number 52 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Suzuki Shunryu Roshi embodied and spread what he called Beginner's Mind in his teachings. In Suzuki Shunryu’s book, Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind there is a famous quote that reads “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the experts mind there are few”.

This is classical stuff. The stuff of beginners. I'm a beginner. Sometimes I forget that. My practice is a beginner's practice. I sit with other beginner's and if asked, my teacher would say he's a beginner. We are all beginners sometimes pretending we are not.

If I was into tattooing, Zen Mind Beginners Mind would make a good one.



Shoshin
The first character means first, initial,
primary, junior, beginning, or basic.
The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence.



Mushin
In Japanese, this word means innocent,
or one with no knowledge of good and evil.
It literally means "without mind".


Let’s take a look at six aspects of Beginner’s Mind.

  1. Immerse your attention in your activities. Do this without regard for the outcome. The activity and the awareness of doing the activity are not separate. This is sometimes called 'flow' but a beginner is not conserned with what expericences are call by the so called experts. They look for themselves.

  2. Life as a beginner is all about asking questions rather than finding answers. Zen practice is a questioning practice. My teacher is fond of encouraging me to softly ask my question while sitting and wait. Just ask and wait. The most important thing is to remember to ask my question. A beginner remembers to ask questions.

  3. A beginner is encouraged by the newness of awareness. Starting a new activity shakes things up for the expert and it is what a defines a beginner. I recently took up spoon carving. I'm a beginner again. (Yet I already notice my tendancy to get comfortable with a method and design. My spoons are all starting to look alike.)

  4. The opposite of beginner is expert. We are all expert at something. Yet mostly this expertise is developed because of our habitual natures. Look at your habits and there will be the stuff to loosen up about, to question.

  5. Keep a don't know mind. Zen Master Seung Sahn was fond of giving this teaching. Once things are solidified in our mind we become ridged, fixed and closed. This feeling of uncertainty, of expectant questioning provides space to move in. Don't know mind is the only space into which we can full experince life. If mind is already full of ideas, there is no room for the moment to moment living of life.

  6. Have fun! This is the beginners motto. Lighten up and see the wonder in your life. Face it, we all have days which we have problems and issues to deal with. Yet a beginner approaches each situation with a question, even if that situation is unfamiliar or potentially sticky.


There is something counter intuitive about going to a teacher to learn about beginner's mind. This points to our ego's neurotic nature.

Quit taking directions from the ego and embrace this Beginner's Mind.

Improvised Practice

"Improvised Practice" number 51 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

The mechanics of our practice is not always aligned with traditional Zen practice. Zen practice is very conservative. It hasn't changed much in centuries. As Zen has migrated Eastward and been assimilated into Western culture, the forms of the practices have been modified and some improvisation has occurred. Bodhidharma started this cycle.


Our book group is reading Joko Beck's Everyday Zen. At the last gathering of the readers, we discussed "be a light unto yourself". This is a translation of a translation, written down and copied over and over again after being orally transfered from one person to another all the way back in time and space to the Siddhartha Gautama's death.

What is this 'be a light into yourself'? While that may allow for some improvisation, how do we keep from having our practice be makeshift?