The Myth of Sisyphus

"The Myth of Sisyphus" number 98 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a condemned to pushing a heavy rock up a hill only to have it roll back down before he could reach the top. Endlessly he was forced to begin again and again.

Unlike many, the author Albert Camus, in his 1942 essay The Myth of Sisyphus, saw through this absurdity and postulated that "one must imagine Sisyphus happy" as "The struggle itself
towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart."

Here is a link to the crux in chapter four of Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus.

Indeed, the idea of a "Sisyphean task" being a punishment is something concocted by the ego. The ego see no reward in repetitive simple tasks. When the whole being exerts itself on no grand accomplishment or the as we say in Zen the accomplishment of nothing, then happiness ensues.

Metaphysically, if something exists, nothing else can exist in its place. In order for happiness to come into existence, first nothing must exist. There must be a space for the arising of happiness. Seeing this space of nothing is to be the master of our days. Set about our absurdly human and utterly simple tasks, over and over, always beginning, never ending.

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.



Thomas Thaherne

"Thomas Thaherne" number 97 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.
"You never know the world aright till the Sea floweth in your Veins, till you are Clothed with the Heavens, and Crowned with the Stars; And perceive yourself to be the Sole Heir of the Whole World; And more then so, because Men are in it who are every on Sole Heirs, as well as you. Till you are intimately Acquainted with that Shady nothing out of which this World is made; Till your spirit filleth the whole World and the Stars are your Jewels; Till you love Men so as to Desire their Happiness with a thirst equal to the zeal of your own."

Centuries of Meditation
Thomas Thaherne (1636-1674)

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 Jewels

"The Jewels" number 96 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

In today's miniature, Robert Aitken refers to the jewels of practice. It is surprising where these jewels appear and when they do their appearance transforms the ordinary into the ordinary.

Sometimes the jewels take the form of liturgy, sometimes they'll manifest in teisho or in dokusan. Sometimes we see them, sometimes hear them, sometimes read them.

In the pre-dawn stillness, the neighborhood birds call one another. We sit together, our Samādhi mudrā holding the universe in our laps.


I am a wood worker. Turning wood is a skill I've developed and now apply in my practice. I continue to look for ways to integrate woodworking into my Zen practice in the same way pottery, archery, flower arranging, poetry or calligraphy is traditionally married to Zen. Here are the fruits of a small part of my practice with Zen and woodworking.




Here is a link to Gary Snyder reading a couple of poems. For Poet Gary Snyder, Every Day is Earth Day He reads an excerpt from Han-Shan's "Cold Mountain." and his poem "Off the Trail."

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.

Circumambulation

"Circumambulation" number 95 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Circumambulation means to go around and around. In Zen we go around and around with mind. It is helpful to have a routine so that everyone on the zendo goes in the same direction and at roughly the same speed. For some, setting these ground rules in advance is a way to take away creativity and freedom. On the contrary, give up to the rules, showing up and watching what happens is the ultimate in creativity and freedom. We don't have to be bothered with mind wanting to go in a different direction or listen to it's complaining about the speed of kinhin. We have the freedom of the unbothered.

There are lots of little rules of the zendo. Each sitting group forms their own rules following rough guidelines handed down by the unbroken lineage of Zen Masters since the Buddha. (Crap alert!) Frankly, I don't care where the rules came from or what they are. Let's just be familiar with them and practice together in harmony. They are not magic and have no special meaning. That is their special meaning. The magic of non-magic.

These little rules or customs have the same affect on us as the schedule of a sesshin does. They give us the freedom to relax into our practice and to let our usual busy mind settle a bit. We can give up just a bit of our grasping mind, our wanting things to be our way, our need to control. We can allow ourselves just a little more slack and then a little more slack, endlessly. First we see how to do this in the safe supportive environment of the zendo, then we carry this with is to work, in relationships and into the broader world.

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.

Awareness of Time

"Awareness of Time" number 94 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.


How often do we lose awareness of time? More and more but still undependable. Time is such a tenacious thing. Wait, time a thing? What the hell is time anyway? Is it real or just something made up in mind?  That is a dumb question! Everything is mind! But this thing called time is so sticky, it has such a hold on us, keeping us stuck in our delusion.

Practice is made up of time and non-time and the coming to grips with both. Aitken tells us that marking time while practicing will prevent the chance to let body and mind drop away. This matter of forgetting the clock is important.

Recently, I've had taken up the duties of timekeeper during Palouse Zen Community's Thursday night sittings. Now it is especially tough as I want to keep the practice period flowing smoothly. This is a new practice opportunity for me, to let the timer support me.


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.

Enlightenment

"Enlightenment" number 93 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.

Aitken tells of a time when a Japanese monk ask in an informal meeting, "How many people here are enlightened? Raise your hands." Apparently they all sat there stunned as I would have had I been there.

Why would this be stunning? Juxtaposed with yesterday's miniature, I in quite a quandary. Hakuin says "This very body is the Buddha." How can I say that I'm not enlightened? Yet, I surely feel at times unconnected with life, confused, hurt, frustrated, even angry at times. Could it be that these somehow are an expression of enlightenment.

What is it that we mean when we say "I'm enlightened."? We don't hear mature practitioners making that statement. Something tells me that it is a trap. Some conundrum. 

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.

This Very Body

"This Very Body" number 92 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.


'Song of Zazen' by Hakuin Ekaku (1685-1768)

All beings by nature are Buddha
As ice by nature is water.
Apart from water there is no ice;
Apart from beings, no Buddha.

How sad that people ignore the near
And search for truth afar:
Like someone in the midst of water
Crying out in thirst;
Like a child of a wealthy home
Wandering among the poor.

Lost on dark paths of ignorance,
We wander through the six worlds;
From dark path to dark path-
When shall we be freed from birth and death?

For this the zazen of the Mahayana
Deserves the highest praise:
Generosity, patience, self-discipline,
The many paramitas
All rise within zazen

Even those with proud attainments
Wipe out their old deluded ways.
Where are all the dark paths then?
The pure land itself is near.

Much more, if you dedicate yourself to practice
And confirm your own true nature,
True nature that is no nature.
You are far beyond mere dogma.

Here effect and cause are the same,
The way is neither two nor three,
With form that is no form
Going and coming -never astray
With thought that is no thought
Singing and dancing are the voice of the law.

Boundless and free is the sky of samadhi
Bright the full moon of wisdom,
Truly, is anything missing now
Nirvana is right here before our eyes;
This very place is the lotus land,
This very body, the Buddha.



Wonderful - and yet what to make of the ending? "This very body, the Buddha." Hakuin can't be referring to me? 'How can I say the this very poop-head is enlightened?'

Aitken says that 'there is nothing more radical and presumptuous' in Zen than "This very place is the lotus land, this very body the Buddha." Agreed!

This poem is chanted everyday during sesshin and each time something new appears in the vastness of mind. The koan, how can my messed up existence, this messed up world, be Nirvana?

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.