Zen thinking — [Void] in the real life

After years or months I don’t remember still, I suddenly realized a significance

of the words in an episode in the Agama Sutra.

(= I described it in the post [Three times Buddha] )

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“Thinking without thinking” sound  Zen like approach you may think though,

it is nothing fancy at all = 90% of our thinking was actually done in this way.

With utter annoyance of the philosophers, this fact was revealed to the mankind

when a Brain Scanner was first introduced = after all, we, the most intelligent

creature on the planet is not necessary consciously carrying-out our

thinking process.  —– (We only conscious of it’s process after it was converted to

the lexical code on the last moment.)

The reality is, when we say “I think”, in fact, the most of the thinking has been

already done a moment ago without us noticing it.

 And in the almost all the case, so-called  “My Decision” was actually made

out of our conscious. 

So, “thinking without thinking” is in reality “thinking without noticing that

I was thinking” = we are in deed always keep thinking or our brain is always active

yet simply we are not aware of it.    So that, not only an obvious “work-out to solve

an arithmetic problem kind” of conscious thinking, even so-called meditation is

nothing but a practice of “latent thinking process”and often, our brain find a

connection, even an answer from completely unrelated matter. (Very creative !)

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There was not a significant issue I was facing, or even an important question =

therefore it was not “posted” in my mind = just there as one of the memory, yet,

a passage in the scripture was suddenly highlighted and gained the significance.

= A ha ! I found it’s here.

(Answer was always given when we are not intentionally seeking = When 

our mind was free — or in the state of Mushin or in the Void, suddenly

the connection was made.  —– some time in the bathroom.  😀 )

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Lord Buddha told the horse trainer “Stop speaking is the same to kill the person”

(Please read the post.) —– this is not just an action on the mouth, but the hole

mind-set = In the mind-set, the person became a landscape hence no longer

recognized as a person.    So, its existence is “Exists as not Exists” = this is

nothing but a state of “Void”. = In deed, this is the very core of what

Lord Buddha’s teaching was, and what all about the Zen Buddhism is.

To detach and free the Mind and see the Void and by freeing the mind,

it enables us to see the dynamism of Karma and the Dharma, hence enables

to live with Dharma moment to moment.

—– This is THE paradox, “By detaching the view and emotionally free from the

subject, thence the mind can see subject even more in it’s details”.

= Because, the mind is not stack in a small part of the subject or fixed view, but

it is seeing the subject in any point and from any angle.

= this is the very Clear Eyes to see the Truth.

And the way to gain the Enlightenment.

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Three times BUDDHA

There is an interesting story in the Agama Sutra

(of Buddhism ! = there are many.) —– one day,

Lord Buddha met a horse trainer (other versin said Village Chief).  

Then asked to the horse-trainer  “How to teach a horse ?”

Horse-trainer replied that there are three ways to teach horse.

Gentle way, Hard way and Gentle / Hard mixed.

Lord Buddha asked him further “If all three ways failed,

what do you do with that horse ?”  

The trainer answered “Kill the horse” and he asked back

“How you teach your follower ?”.

Lord Buddha answered him, “There are three ways to teach,

Gentle way, Hard way and Gentle / Hard mixed, but if all

those teachings failed, kill him”.

Hose-trainer was horrified and shouted “You been telling us Don’t kill,

how dear you kill the follower ?”

Lord Buddha smiled back “Well, I just stop talk to him.

Completely stop talk, is the same to deny his existence,

same as to kill him, isn’t it ?”

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This episode sound like just a casual funny story though,

this was the episode which gave the most important clue to the

so-called “Unanswered Questions”  You must be realized that

Lord Buddha’s No-answer was not just a rack of word but it

was the massage as strong as to kill the person !

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There is an often used phrase in Japanese “Even Buddha tolerates till

three times” (Hotoke no kao mo sando made. 仏の顏も三度まで)

—– I didn’t know, this phrase was in deed, originated from the Scripture.

—– And this story showed rather realistic attitude of

Lord Buddha, contrary to the popular belief, he was not a

bottomlessly gentle and kind teacher.   As once a hard-core

austere, he was not an optimistic person, as he defined what

the life is, such as in the Four Noble Truth.

From here, in a process to idealize and idolize him, even worse,

to fabricate many so-called Buddha in Mahayana Buddhism,

( in fact, it was the mix-up with Tantrism and Hinduism )

crux of the original teachings was lost.

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What Lord Buddha himself taught was, to have the Detached Eyes.

Detached Eyes mean, detached from the Mind / Emotion, hence there

was neither attachment to the subject or person.   In other words,  

there was no attachment even to his followers.   Hence, as long as

Lord Buddha committed to give guidance to the person, he was in deed

committed it to 100% (and try to teach in three different ways) though

if it was failed, he literally ex-communicated the person.

Once excommunicated, the person became invisible.

Even visually saw the person, it wouldn’t connected to any

emotional memories, hence there were no anger or feeling of

disappointment etc. —– Because of there are nothing to cling

past Mind / Emotion, only the matter is what on front of eyes,

on its very Moment. (This IS the very Zen mind-set)

(After you practised long enough, and gained this condition / Mind-set 

then you know what Detached Eyes and Detached Mind can help you.)

(And how to practice to gain Detachment, please read the post under a

category of [Lemon Zen] in the right column.

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You may feel, it’s sound very cruel and not-Buddhist like,

it’s because So-called monk or teacher is not really understood, or only

making diplomatic smile and pretending to be friendly, in order to

sell to the mass.

Because of this confusion, one of the greatest novelist, Soseki Natsume

described it in his book, [Mon (門) / Gate], when a priest of Zen temple

has told to him, “Mind of Zen is Hijo (非情) / No Emotion” he felt even

alienated. —– (To describe Mushin (無心) / Mind of No-Mind, this

priest used more realistic word Hijo in stead, because he knew the

Zen Buddhism deeper, and didn’t mind to sell it to the mass.)

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Load Buddha didn’t give his teachings to give false optimism,

or fancy dream but the Truth.

In this aspect, he was quite harsh.   Telling the followers to get rid of

their possessions even their family (little consideration to an agony of

the family left behind, not mention to his own Royal lineage).

(This was the reason why

Lord Buddha bared the women to join his follower’s sanga.  

Since, to a woman, to abandon the child is out of question in the

first place = woman may have conflict to follow his teachings.)

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—– Still, with detached eyes and the mind, there wouldn’t be

any matter left to worry about, because the psychological

source of worry = emotion itself had been already detached.

The mechanism to feel any suffering has no longer exists.

= Peace of mind !   😀 

—– though, I’m not an enlightened man, hence mixed with

failed person and teasing them or teased by them are fun.

This is what the Life is.      Ha ha ha   😀

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