Yoshizen's Blog

Test of Selflessness

While looking for a hint to see what was the mind-set of

Lord Buddha, here and there such as in

the Agama Sutra, I stumbled that

Lord Buddha had intentionally not revealing

his intention preventing the followers become

“head big brah brah person”.

[]

An episode in the Argama, which was — In a rainy night

Lord Buddha told a disciple, Ananda that he is going for

a walk. (without telling where or what for.)

To follow him, Ananda came out carrying umbrella and

torch-fire.  Everybody in the sangha followed as well,

each carrying umbrella and a torch, as they have been

accustomed to follow their teacher. —– After a while

walking up a hill, and saw all of his followers were there,

Lord Buddha smiled.   Then Ananda asked him,

“Great Teacher never smiled without a reason. So,why

this time ?” but he received no answer why.

[]

Lord Buddha has, in fact, tested

the followers reaction and their progress.

Even under a condition, not nice for a walk, still all

the followers actually followed him.  Which was an

indication of that, everybody had sublimated his

teachings and able to do it in practice.

—– What was the crux of teaching ?

= Without asking why or what for, despite in a rainy

night, just follow unconditionally, was a proof of that

everybody has reached to the Selfless state of the mind,

hence able to respond the situation as it’s happened.  

(As he saw the sign, that the teachings has

worked perfect, so, smiled.)

[]

Lord Buddha had such a good insight of human mind.

That was why he never explained the intention why,

or the logic behind of it. —– Once he explained and gave

a verbal key, the followers remember it as a buzz-word

and become head-big, then the thinking start to

control their behaviour which is nothing but a

sham or superficial pretence.

Buddhism is not a religion of Dogma of which followers

have to read and remember and recite the words, but the

Buddhism changes one’s psyche down to the subconscious

level through the practice. (= not behave what was told by

the Dogma or Rules, but naturally do it unconsciously)

If followers knew that it is a test to check whether the one

can respond at once without questioning and to follow

in the state of Selflessness. —– it can be mimicked and

easily pretended while competing with others.

(Look at me, I can do this. I’m better than you —–

this arrogance is the most remote from the Buddhist’s mind.)

[]

This episode clearly showed the essence of the Buddhism,

hence it become clear, how unfortunate the followers

of especially Zen Buddhism today.  = Knowing that

the Zen is to get Mushin etc. brah brah, it is 

completely opposite to get Mushin, let alone Zen.

If the one has a conscious of “I’m in Mushin”, it is not

Mushin at all.   It is the same to tell “I’m doing the sitting

in silence” (—– If so, shut up.   Just sit ! :-D)

[]

To master the Zen, you may need to be thrown into a

situation, where you were forced to do something utterly

boring repeating work (as a volunteer ?)

—– after you became able to do the work almost like an

automatic machine (while knowing, it’s useless to complain)

—– then need to realize “Aha, this the Selfless state

of Mushin” ! = So, it is even better if it looks most unlikely

set-up to do Zen, which would prevent to hold any pretence.

(In my case, it has happened while I was working in a

mountain shelter, cutting log, and in Disco dancing. 😀

= I was lucky, similar to Huineng who was placed to work

in the kitchen of the Monastery.)

[]

—– In fact, sitting in a temple to learn Zen is the worst

setting to learn, since such conscious of

“I‘m doing Zen” prevent the person to get rid of

such notion and the thinking.

It’s exactly the same irony = try to get cured in a hospital

where all sorts of infectious germs, viruses has been

brought in and more concentrated than anywhere else.  😀

[]

—– And in the same context, what I’m writing here

could be quite harmful to a novice, as I’m revealing the

trade secret,  while analysing mechanism of

the psyche in the Zen, utterly contrary to

Lord Buddha’s silent smile, aforesaid —– still, this

may be help the people who is studying psychology.

= So, it may need to put a health warning.

“Experienced Adult only” 😀 )

But this is what this Blog is, using my own mind as

a guinea-pig to figure-out what the Zen is. !

(Try to see Zen, objectively is not in Ichijo in Zen,

therefore the most remote from own Enlightenment.)

[]

(And that was why master Kogetsu damned me, that I

can get no Enlightenment ! — but, What’s wrong ? 😀

Get an enlightenment may help mere one person,

but to those millions of the people, who has been

mislead by a mixed-up-Buddhism, to open their eyes

could be a crucial matter.

and that must be the will of

Lord Buddha and the Dharma.)

___/\___

[]

PS :  Friend asked me at once “So, is it useless and

hopeless to attempt to learn ZEN at all now ?”  

“Not at all. Don’t try ZEN but just clean your

room or kitchen.  🙂

Make it perfectly clean and do it everyday”

And read this post.(link)

[]

21 Responses

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  1. Lemony (Gr)Egghead said, on June 18, 2013 at 18:12

    Excellent, thought-provoking post, Yoshi-sensei.

    • yoshizen said, on June 18, 2013 at 19:52

      Thank you lemony. Since there was no explanation, not so many people
      gave an insight to this story and took it just an episode.

      Because I’m analysing the crux of teachings as the training to
      get selflessness, my insight got through different angle.

  2. Buddha’s Silence | Yoshizen's Blog said, on June 21, 2013 at 00:02

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    […] on top of those, “Going out on rainy night” (Test of Selflessness) story. […]

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  14. Maha Kashyapa | Yoshizen's Blog said, on February 26, 2017 at 15:15

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  19. […] そもそもバラモン教、べーダ思想の根幹である霊魂の不滅に対して発想された無我の思想が釈尊の悟りの根底、つまり出発点において確立されていなかったとは考え難い。(見ている当人、主体が無いならそれが見た対象が存在する筈が無いと、空観に発展する)しかし、自我の問題ばかりは説明しようの無い難問であるのです。自我あるいは、霊魂は無いと言えるのは、その概念が在ると言う事を前堤に成り立っているので、そもそもそれが初めから存在しなかったら発想もし得ない。色盲の人に色については説明しようが無いのと同じです。ーーーで、真に自我が無いならそれについて説明できる筈が無いし、そのふりをしながら言葉で説明するのは詐欺でしかない。しかし、この壁をのり越えるのに別に梵天の登場を待つ必要は無かった、と言うよりそもそも言葉で説明する必要は無かったのです。要するに何かをやらせて見れば良い。人が何かをやる時、別に自我は必要ではない。歩く目的やその損得を考えるのはわざわざ考えた時であって、歩いている最中には何も考えていない。つまりそれをやっている本人がそれに気がつけば良いのです。あるいは何かのたとえ話しで解らせる事もできる。ここから仏教独特の行とか方便と呼ばれる教法が出てきた訳ですが、それらは皆、 […]


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