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Ekyo's Blog Sharing form the heart
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Your treasure |
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March 23, 2008 I have been thinking for long time about writing this page. To share and convey something without revealing everything I was looking for a very particular picture to include. But nothing was appropriate. Before March On Sesshin while walking toward the meeting room in long corridor of Dai Bosatsu Zendo I noticed this incredible view, and OH! This is exactly what I need. How uncanny! Dharma arranged something again… I run back to get my small camera to get this picture before the scenery disappears.
This is a view from meeting room window. You can see road leading to Monastery building and it is snowing outside. Well, “outside” in ordinary way of thinking…. Many years ago, when I was still connected to Rochester Zen Center a friend who has been living in Japan send me a tape of teisho given by his teacher. What transpired was completely different vista in looking at reality and depth of practice. It hit me strong, since in my guts I knew that was the truth, but practicing here I could not even express it to my own teacher… There is a saying “nothing which come trough the gate is the family treasure”. I guess this expression came from a sutra. I remember that the same saying was used by Sogen Yamakawa Roshi, in one of his teishos delivered at Dai Bosatsu Zendo, but in slightly different context. What is a true practice? There is a known story about Seppo and Ganto travelling together by foot. After long tiring day they stopped in small Ryokan for the night. When they got settled in their room, Ganto immediately sat in zazen, but Seppo lay down to sleep, being exhausted. And he snored, perhaps pretending… After while he woke up, and said to Ganto: “What are doing? Are you pretending that you are so serious? When tired you should sleep“. But Ganto quite honestly said, “How can I rest? My mind is not in peace yet”. Than he told Seppo about some of his spiritual experiences, perhaps few kensho he had. Hearing this Seppo laughed, “O!!! If this is what you got that no surprise that you have no peace of mind.” Ganto was a true seeker. He did not get easily offended but humbly asked Seppo how he should practice. Seppo felt Ganto’s pain and opened his heart trying to help Ganto. Ganto finally gets it… Seppo seems to imply that kensho, the experience everyone wants to get is not what is going to liberate you. Nothing which comes trough the gates will do. Collecting experiences or koan answers will not do it…. Than what will? What are our gates? How should we practice?
White page does not have any decorations….
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