"Who would have expected?"
"Who would have expected?"
Upon seeing his True Nature, the sixth patriarch said "Who would have expected that Inherent Nature is intrinsically pure?" and then he went on and on with a list of the wonderful attributes of True Nature.
It is astonishing. Who would have expected?
To say it in my own words:
Who would have expected that Inherent Nature is complete in itself and needs nothing?
Who would have expected that Inherent Nature is the highest ideals of humanity: beauty, wisdom, and unconditional love?
Who would have expected that Inherent Nature is outpouring?
Wisdom - love - outpouring.
Divine grace outpouring.
That is what we are, the glorious outpouring, functioning of unconditional love. And if you want to know what you truly are, just be this functioning of unconditional love…
…And with sideways glances, you will catch yourself, you will come to see that you are THAT, that glorious functioning…
…And one day you will come face-to-face with yourself, and you will know for sure.
The True Self flows:
To be anything less than that, to be something other than that, is to forsake what we truly are.
If we forsake what we truly are, we will know this. Somewhere, deep down, we will know this. When we aren’t flowing freely, we will know this. When the flowing water ices up, becomes rigid, we will know this.
From Bassui:
Buddhas bear the same relation to sentient beings as water does to ice. Ice, like stone or brick cannot flow. But when it melts it flows freely in conformity with its surroundings. So long as one remains in a state of delusion he is like ice. Upon realization he becomes as exquisitely free as water.
And another quote from Bassui:
There is no ice or snow apart from water. The Buddhahood of ordinary people can be likened to snow and ice melting and becoming water. From the beginning, nothing has ever been lost.
Being this flowing, like water, is the joy of life. Not being this flowing: that is suffering. Zen practice, then, is learning to be like water in all circumstances.
Life is like a Roshi that comes to you in disguise, and says "Now, show me Mu!"
…Comes to you as your boss that completely misunderstands what you are doing and accuses you and yells at you based on his misunderstanding. "Now, show me Mu!" How can you not harden up? How can you not be defensive?
…Comes to you as that stupid, totally embarassing, thing that just came out of your mouth. "Now, show me Mu!" How can you be yourself?
…Comes to you, again, as that chronic pain that the miracle of modern medicine can’t cure. "Now, show me Mu!"
Suffering… That feeling of pulling away, shutting down, contracting (spaciousness lost), aversion, resistance… Rigidity… Can’t function…
…The ice, and the suffering that matches it perfectly.
How to practice with the ice? How to practice with what is really this opportunity, this gift? It is:
Knowing that the ice is your ice to deal with. Not lashing out, but looking in.
Knowing that you are inherently a loving outpouring, and can be that in any circumstance, because you need nothing (this is where realization helps hugely, but you can also know this intellectually or by trust).
Knowing where to look for the trouble. Usually, it is an identity, a definition of self, an ice sculpture of who you are. An identity in the way. Can you let this go?
Knowing that the substance of the blockage is the substance of yourself, just frozen up. It must transform, not be rejected. Who knows what the outcome will be when the ice melts?
So the practice is to turn inward, gently question what is going on, look at what it is that is threatened, and just be with it as it melts away in your embrace.
Remembering …I don’t know the answer! …I can’t fix myself!
Remembering …to forget right and wrong …the ice is the water …the wisdom of the water is locked in the ice …this is Radical Wisdom …embraced, the ice will melt …my own water will melt the ice …it will flow
Where will it flow? This is a mystery!
The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and to the right. The ten thousand things depend upon it; it holds nothing back. It fulfills its purpose silently and makes no claim.
It nourishes the ten thousand things. And yet is not their lord. It has no aim; it is very small.
The ten thousand things return to it. Yet it is not their lord. It is very great.
It does not show greatness, And is therefore truly great.
The way is like a river wide and deep. In its breadth, it takes on the whole world. In its depth it can get very subtle:
A sensitivity in the body and mind for any rigidity, suffering, just as it arises.
An immediate questioning: "What am I holding on to?", "What identity?"
This is not to understand anything! Trying to understand is just an attempt to solidify, to control life. The universe can’t be understood by the little mind. The Self can’t be understood by the little mind. Let it go! Live in the mystery.
Just dive in to the unknowing.
Can the mind understand the Peace that Surpasseth All Understanding? Obviously not!!
Sam Gabriel, San Diego, CA
http://home.roadrunner.com/~clothespin
sam_gabriel@yahoo.com