The Middle Way
On the right hand side of the Middle Way is over-excited, too hasty reaction; over-exertion; a rigidly upright sitting posture in Zazen. The antidote to this is nirodha-satya, the truth of stopping.
On the left hand side of the Middle Way is aimless wandering, drift. The antidote to this is marga-satya, the truth of right direction.
The right direction in Zazen is, mainly, up. There are other directions too: torso not only lengthening upwards but simultaenously expanding outwards, head and limbs releasing out of the torso, fingers lengthening, wrists and elbows opening--indeed, all joints 0pening up, altogether, as one.
What is difficult for us to understand is that these directions cannot be done unconsciously. They can only be allowed. And allowing is a conscious act.
This is why Master Dogen wrote in Fukan-zazengi Shinpitsu-bon, "When something arises in the mind, just wake up."
To wake up. To become conscious. Not to do unconsciously, but to be conscious.
This is the thing that we have difficulty understanding and difficulty believing. We don't trust the power of conscious allowing. We don't believe that it might be possible for us to effect real change, unless we make the kind of effort with which we are familiar, which is unconscious doing.
On the left hand side of the Middle Way is aimless wandering, drift. The antidote to this is marga-satya, the truth of right direction.
The right direction in Zazen is, mainly, up. There are other directions too: torso not only lengthening upwards but simultaenously expanding outwards, head and limbs releasing out of the torso, fingers lengthening, wrists and elbows opening--indeed, all joints 0pening up, altogether, as one.
What is difficult for us to understand is that these directions cannot be done unconsciously. They can only be allowed. And allowing is a conscious act.
This is why Master Dogen wrote in Fukan-zazengi Shinpitsu-bon, "When something arises in the mind, just wake up."
To wake up. To become conscious. Not to do unconsciously, but to be conscious.
This is the thing that we have difficulty understanding and difficulty believing. We don't trust the power of conscious allowing. We don't believe that it might be possible for us to effect real change, unless we make the kind of effort with which we are familiar, which is unconscious doing.
posted by Mike Cross at 10:59 AM
1 Comments:
just wake up can mean 1000 things to 1000 people. just wake up.
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