Put God on the Shelf

June 16, 2009 Will Simpson

"Put God on the Shelf" number 77 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

What can we do about this question of God? The question of God in Zen is like the question of a supernova in proctology. Put ideas of God aside. Without saying God or no God, doubt is resolved by being intimate, dancing with life, practicing the never ending practice.

Yesterday, we looked at a small part of Dogen's Genjokoan. "To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things." In a recent podcast, Jay Rinsen Weik gave some practical instructions on how to study the self and work with what comes up.

"Well, the interesting thing is, that where that difficulty is, when you're honest, is the edge of our practice. That's where the edge is for you."
- Rinsen

Looking at the specifics of the edge of what we can accept is the way deeper into the practice. We don't want to hear that. We want everything to comfortable and familiar. We know that coasting is antithesis of practice. And yet, we don't hear enough encouragement to do this edge practice. For me and probably others, there is a strong pulling towards the results of a deeper more energetic practice and a deep confusion about the practical mechanics of the transitions needed to move towards a deeper practice.

Well folks, here is the skinny. When I get frustrated by the clutter at home and blame my life partner, when her TV watching habit annoys me, when all the undone chores of home-ownership weight me down, these define the current edge of the comfortable and small me. This is my work, my way into a deeper practice. Going off to some long retreat is not the way into a deeper practice. Doing retreats from time to time can help me be prepared to plunge deeper, but it is only when I get to that edge and step into what has been named difficult, only then will I actually penetrate deeper.

Thank you Rinsen. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe.

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.

Zazen for the Mentally Unstable

June 15, 2009 Will Simpson

"Zazen for the Mentally Unstable" number 76 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Zenkei Shibayama Roshi said, "Zazen is for the person whose mental health is especially vigorous." In other words zazen is not for wimps. Anyone who has done a traditional sesshin can confirm this.

Yesterday I went to a talk by Reverend Zensho Roberson, a priest in the Soto Zen Order of Buddhist Contemplatives from St. Maries, Idaho. Beautiful. The short zazen period was impressive in its stillness. The room was crowded and there was a wide level of sitting experience. Kinhin was a bit awkward but it worked. Next time I'll record the talk and maybe suggest we chant "On Opening the Dharma" and do "Great Vows" at the end. We were a bit informal but it worked. Thank you to the cosmos!

Zensho Roberson talked eloquently and concretely about Dogen's instruction from the Genjokoan.

To study the buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.

There is a ton to work with just in these few sentences.

I found a surprisingly geeky resource for studying the Genjokoan. Eight English translation of the Genjokoan all together in a single document. What is especially geeky about this setup is that for each stanza in each translation there is on the right direct links to the same stanza in all of the other translations. So any stanza can be easily and quickly be compared and contrasted with any other translation. Super cool.

The Attitude toward Dr. Suzuki

June 14, 2009 Will Simpson

"The Attitude toward Dr. Suzuki" number 75 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Dr. Suzuki (1870-1966) was a scholar and lay-student of Shaku Soen. He was a prolific writer and translator. He influenced many of the important characters of the 50's and 60's. Here I'll do some name dropping. Carl Jung, John Cage, Erich Fromm, Huston Smith, Gary Snyder, Frederick Franck, Thomas Merton, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Alan Watts and our friend Robert Aitken.

Dr. Suzuki was not without his detractors. Some felt his empasis on satori and kensho as being the end all of Zen was wrong. Together they just mark the beginning, "if that."

In today's miniature, Maezumi Roshi is quoted as often saying, "I never passed my first koan."

I love this juxtaposition of the emphasis on satori and Maezumi's "I never passed my first koan." I would rather be a mature practitioner than pass all the koans, achieve satori and have kensho experiences. None of these are required.

And yet satori happens. My practice is mine and will be what ever it is.

What Happens after Death

June 13, 2009 Will Simpson

"What Happens after Death" number 74 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

What happens after death? We don't really know, but we'll find out soon enough. Does this answer satisfy? Maybe.

There is the phenomenal side of our death. The circumstance of our death will be whatever it is. Most of the time we don't wonder about how we will die, what the process will be. We only wonder about after...

What about before? Why is that we don't wonder and worry about before our birth? Won't after life be just like before life? While we might be, to varying degrees, anxious about our death, we are not at all anxious about our birth? In fact, I've never before this considered that my birthing might have been an anxiety producing event. Imagine, being before conception and consider 'what happens in life?' Where does this get you?

Confused and uncertain? Good!

Today I added a link that opened up a small collection of audio talks by my teacher, Jack Duffy. These were recorded at various sesshins. Have a listen and if there are questions or problems, let me know.

My Damned Mother

June 12, 2009 Will Simpson

"My Damned Mother" number 73 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

In this miniature, Aitken Roshi points out how our self-righteousness prevents us from experiencing the support our circumstances present for zazen. There are two things going on here.

First, biggest problem is self-righteousness or the desire to be the right self or the thought that it is right and true that I am or have a self. This is the first mistake, the root cause of suffering and delusion. All other hindrances follow.

Second, we take for granted the vast circumstances that have come to gather in order for us to be. To have the opportunity to practice is the greatest blessing.

This is a video response to a hecklers assertion that Atheists find life meaningless and have nothing to celebrate. At the end of this short video Neil deGrasse Tyson gives a wonderful and impassioned answer to what everyone can celebrate. Even me.

Simone Weil

June 11, 2009 Will Simpson

"Simone Weil" number 72 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

I had never heard of Simone Weil before Aitken Roshi mentioned her. Ms. Weil was quite a social and political activist, ultimately dying in an expression of her convictions. She was a writer/activist who "knew about the value of folk stories as purveyors of truth." Reading this miniature, I sense Aitken Roshi's affinity toward her and I can see how his practice parallels her's.

In each of our lives there are many unknown characters. These characters and their activities manifest Indra's Net. While we are interconnected in this way, it is still of value for a Zen student to explore, on a more relative level, some of these characters. We are often not aware of those who's activities shape us. Sometimes we underestimate or overestimate how much we reflect those who have influenced us.

Any teacher of my teacher's teacher is a teacher of mine. No?

Peppler, Gradizar, Hooper, Johnson - these men and their activities shape who I've become and contiune to work on me. These men will never know how their activities have panned out. Just as I will not know how my activities will pan out.

No Almighty God

June 10, 2009 Will Simpson

"No Almighty God" number 71 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

The shift of Buddhism from the rich Indian views of a spiritual dimension to the down-to-earth Chinese attitude is fundamental, and modern students of Zen in the Western hemisphere must thus unlearn the notion that realization relates solely to something unworldly.

-Robert Aitken

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.