Going Beyond the Middle Way
Really the whole point of this blog, since its inception in November 2005 in response to Gudo’s starting up of Dogen Sangha blog, has been to clarify for self and others the principle of spontaneous flow in what Gautama called “the middle way” of sitting in the full lotus posture, easily, joyfully, fearlessly.
Gudo’s principle is non-thinking. Alexander’s principle is non-doing. I have been enormously fortunate to be taught these two principles by teachers who have devoted their whole lives to the clarification of these two principles.
The two are diametrically opposed to each other, and so, although I have struggled to reconcile the two viewpoints that both seemed to me to be the truth itself, no reconciliation has been possible at all.
In the process of my struggle, the mirror principle has become increasingly evident to me. I have come to see more clearly how, when human beings are afraid, we tend to act not in accordance with reason. We tend to project our own inner demons onto others. This is just how we human beings are. Both Gudo and Marjory have expressed to me their fear that the principle they have striven to clarify and to adhere to, might be lost.
In the end, however, when we learn sitting in the full lotus posture as truly a backward step, then body and mind spontaneously drop off, and it is originally neither non-thinking nor non-doing.
There is inherent in this world something so valuable that even we human beings, in our fear and stupidity, cannot lose it.
Marjory no longer adheres to the principle of non-doing. She gave it up on December 6th, 2006. In the not-too-distant future Gudo will relinquish the principle of non-thinking.
I think that, for the moment, I’ve said just about everything I wanted to say.
Gudo’s principle is non-thinking. Alexander’s principle is non-doing. I have been enormously fortunate to be taught these two principles by teachers who have devoted their whole lives to the clarification of these two principles.
The two are diametrically opposed to each other, and so, although I have struggled to reconcile the two viewpoints that both seemed to me to be the truth itself, no reconciliation has been possible at all.
In the process of my struggle, the mirror principle has become increasingly evident to me. I have come to see more clearly how, when human beings are afraid, we tend to act not in accordance with reason. We tend to project our own inner demons onto others. This is just how we human beings are. Both Gudo and Marjory have expressed to me their fear that the principle they have striven to clarify and to adhere to, might be lost.
In the end, however, when we learn sitting in the full lotus posture as truly a backward step, then body and mind spontaneously drop off, and it is originally neither non-thinking nor non-doing.
There is inherent in this world something so valuable that even we human beings, in our fear and stupidity, cannot lose it.
Marjory no longer adheres to the principle of non-doing. She gave it up on December 6th, 2006. In the not-too-distant future Gudo will relinquish the principle of non-thinking.
I think that, for the moment, I’ve said just about everything I wanted to say.
posted by Mike Cross at 11:23 AM
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