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The following article was written by Sozui-sensei stition and frequently encouraged his students to have faith in themselves, to just be ordinary and Rinzai —The Supernatural Power of Walking not to seek elsewhere but gain true insight. He is upon the Earth famous for his use of the shout in encounters with his students, as is Master Tokusan for the use of “You say, ‘A buddha has six supernatu- his stick—both the stick and the shout, being used ral powers. ...the six supernatural powers to cut through intellectualization, probe the depth of of a buddha, which are entering the understanding, point to the immediate experience world of color yet not being deluded of the present moment and awaken students. by color; entering the world of sound yet not being deluded by sound; en- tering the world of odor yet not being deluded by odor; entering the world of taste yet not being deluded by taste; entering the world of touch yet not being deluded by touch; entering the world of yet not being de- luded by dharmas. Therefore, when it is realized that these six—color, sound, odor, taste, touch, and dharmas are all empty forms, they cannot bind the man of the Way, dependent upon nothing. Constituted though he is of the seepage of the five , he [or she] has the supernatural power of walking upon the The Linji Lu, in Japanese Rinzai Roku, is the re- earth. cord of Rinzai’s words and deeds. It consists of the —pp 19-20 Discourses, Critical Examinations and the Record The Record of Linji (Rinzai), translation and of Pilgrimages and ends with the Preface to the commentary by Ruth Fuller Sasaki, Recorded Sayings of Chan Master Linji Huizhao edited by Thomas Yuho Kirchner, of Zhenzhou( Master Rinzai), which we chant University of Hawaii Press 2009, p19-20 during choka (morning service).

The Linji or of Zen begins with the Nishida Kitaro, the great Japanese philosopher figure of priest (J. Rinzai Gigen; d. and lifelong friend of the late Suzuki Daisetz, was 866); it emerged toward the end of the T’ang Dy- known to hold the Linji Lu in special regard. In his nasty (618-907). Rinzai’s lifetime coincided with the foreword to the Rinzai Roku translation mentioned declining years of the powerful T’ang empire, when below, Yamada Mumon Roshi writes: Chinese society was in a state of great turmoil. Rinzai shook himself free from the standardized ... I believe that Zen, particularly Rinzai views of humanity and religion prevalent during Zen, has a significant role in the present his time, and proclaimed a based on world. Modern people are adrift amid the personal experience of reality in a free and the great confusion and uncertainty of independent way. He rejected blind belief, super- contemporary life. The Linji Lu can give

Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 page 1 us a foundation on which to construct do, do they? Somewhere deep down we sense a new and powerful view of human that none of this provides lasting happiness, but we existence... rarely stop and ask the deeper questions. It often —Ibid takes a life event that shakes us, a divorce, a sud- den illness or death, worsening stress, depression Let’s continue, quoting from the Rinzai Roku and anxiety, to wake us up. Discourses: Once we start questioning, we can easily feel like Followers of the Way,,, Unwilling to we are swimming against a momentous stream. believe in what you have in your own It takes much effort. One of the few symbols that house, you do nothing but seek outside, one finds in Zen practice is the carp that swims go clambering after the worthless say- upstream. It is swimming upstream of our own incli- ings of the men of old, rely upon yin and nations and upstream of the propaganda of society depend upon yang ... that feeds, uses and profits from those inclinations. ....On meeting [outer] circumstances, Swimming upstream the carp gains strength. So you establish relationship with them; much so that it is able to jump up a huge waterfall on meeting [sense-]dusts you cling to where it turns into a dragon. them; wherever you are doubts arise, and you yourselves have no standard of At times practice it is hard work and it can really judgment. feel like we are swimming against the common current. Here is where sitting in a group and doing Followers of the Way, don’t accept it with friends on the Path is so valuable. what I state. Why? Statements have It gives us strength, encouragement, joy, guidance no proof. They are pictures temporarily and helps us through difficult times. drawn in the empty sky, as in the meta- phor of the painted figures. It also helps to remember that especially at times --op.cit., p 31 when we find it hard to bring ourselves to the cushion, when our ego-conditioning is being chal- He is saying, Don’t take the finger pointing at the lenged, when we don’t want to feel what is coming moon for the moon itself. That’s one of the things up, when we sit anyway, the benefits can be great, that attracted me to Zen. We are being encouraged though we may not, or at least not fully, realize it at to find out for ourselves, to question, to investigate the time. thoroughly, rather than blindly believe. Having realized that Throughout our whole life we have been subjected seeking external gain to the views and opinions of others. When Rinzai does not bring us says deluded views he means that we are biased peace or happiness, by this unconscious conditioning. For example, we we tend to turn in- live in a society where everyone is trying to “get side and often end up ahead”. There is a lot of competition and compar- seeking spiritual gain ing. We are encouraged to strive to be the first and instead. When we turn the best, the most beautiful, earn the most money... to the Path we natural- Nowadays it starts in kindergarten or even before ly tend to approach it that and it goes like that throughout the whole of with all the same striv- our school career. In the business world it often ing and expectation: gets even worse. Over time, we absorb this view We assume that the and end up joining the competition, joining the herd, problem is us, that we trying to be top of the class and get ahead. We need a tool to remedy find ourselves striving desperately to find meaning in our lives, to experience a little peace, pleasure, some basic flaw in our comfort, and security. We chase after fleeting ex- mind, and we then go periences with the hope that somehow, someday, to work, using meditation to try and fix an unceas- they’ll lead us to lasting happiness. But they never ingly imperfect present moment.

Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 page 2 such [practices] as these are artificial Usually we are quite unaware that that’s what we striving.’ are doing. And as long as we are trying to push the practice in a certain direction and it cannot go in This very you, the man who right now is that direction, we then feel that we are not getting thus listening to my discourse, how is he anywhere in our practice. It helps to remember that to be cultivated, to be enlightened, to anything that we seek, both externally and internal- be adorned? He is not one to ly, is going to bind us. That’s why Rinzai famously be cultivated, he is not one to be says, If you meet the to Buddha kill the Buddha. adorned. But if you let him do the adorning, then everything would be Followers of the Way, if you want in- adorned. Don’t be mistaken! sight into dharma as it is, just don’t be —op.cit. p17 taken in by the deluded views of others. Whatever you encounter, eitherwithin Rinzai is of course not saying to not make efforts at or without, slay it at once. On meeting a all, both on and off the cushion. But he reminds us buddha slay the buddha, on meeting a what Right Effort requires: letting go of everything patriarch slay the patriarch, on meeting and everyone we put on a pedestal. Letting go of an slay the arhat, on meeting your anything we add to our present experience. Letting parents slay your parents, on meeting go of all of our favourite ideas, assumptions, judg- your kinsman slay your kinsman, and you ment. Basically, letting go of everything that holds attain emancipation. By not cleaving to the misperception that there is an “I” that is pain- things, you freely pass through... fully separate from everything and everyone else, op.cit., p22 together. Be careful not to take his words as an invitation to suppress anything. Rinzai instructs us Outside mind there’s no dharma, nor not to cleave and cling, not to get stuck and stag- is there anything to be gained within nant, but to see through our own fixed views and it. What are you seeking? Everywhere stuck places and let go so we can live freely and you say, ‘There’s something to practice, fully. something to obtain.’ Make no mistake! Even if there were something to be The true student of the Way has nothing gained by practice, it would be nothing to do with buddhas and nothing to do but birth-and-death karma... Seeking with or . Nor has he buddha and seeking dharma are only anything to do with the good things of making hell-karma. Seeking bodhisat- the triple world. Having transcended tvahood is also making karma; reading these, solitary and free, he is not bound the and studying the teachings by things. Heaven and earth could turn are also making karma. Buddhas and upside down and he wouldn’t have a patriarchs are people with nothing to doubt; the buddhas of the ten direc- do. Therefore, [for them] activity and tions could appear before him and he the defiling passions and also nonactivi- wouldn’t feel an instant of joy; the three ty and passionlessness are ‘pure’ karma. hells could suddenly yawn at his feet and he wouldn’t feel an instant of fear. There are a bunch of blind shavepates Why is this so? Because, as I see it, all who, having stuffed themselves with dharmas are empty formswhen­ trans- food, sit down to meditate and prac- formation takes place they are existent, tice contemplation. Arresting the flow when transformation does not take of thought they don’t let it rise; they place they are nonexistent. The three hate noise and seek stillness. This is the realms are mind-only, the ten thou- method of the heretics. A patriarch said, sand dharmas are consciousness-only. ‘If you stop the mind to look at stillness, Hence, Illusory dreams, flowers in the sky, arouse the mind to illumine outside, Why trouble to grasp at them! control the mind to clarify inside, con- centrate the mind to enter —all Did you hear that? “...the buddhas of the ten direc- page 3 Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 tions could appear before him, and he wouldn’t feel never ceases to shine. See it this way, an instant of joy...” and you’ll be a man who has nothing to do his whole life long. He continues: Virtuous monks, the three realms lack Only you, the follower of the Way right tranquility. Just like a burning house, now before my eyes listening to my this is not a place we remain for long. discourse, [only you] enter fire and are The death-dealing demon of imper- not burned, enter water and are not manence comes in an instant, without drowned, enter the three hells as though discriminating between noble and base, strolling in a pleasure garden, enter the old and young. realms of the hungry ghosts and the beasts without suffering their fate. How If you wish to differ in no way from can this be? There are no dharmas to the patriarch buddha, just don’t seek be disliked. outside.” —op.cit., p 9/10 If you love the sacred and hate the secular you’ll float and sink in the birth- By now we have realized that seeking externally and-death sea. The passions exist does not work, nor does seeking internally. And dependent on mind; have no-mind, trying to convince ourselves that we are ok as we and how can they bind you? Without are does not work either. This is why, when you are troubling to discriminate or cling to forms practicing, the question is, How can we stop avoid- you’ll attain the Way naturally in a mo- ing our present experience and become one with ment of time. whatever is there and whatever needs to be done? ­—op.cit., p.20 Remember the quote we began with:

Rinzai reminds us of what happens if we love the ...the six supernatural powers of a bud- sacred and hate the secular. If we try to get away dha, which are entering the world of from something or towards something, avoiding color yet not being deluded by color; the present moment, we suffer. “Like one who in entering the world of sound yet not the midst of water cries out desperately in thirst,” to being deluded by sound; entering the quote Master Hakuin: world of odor yet not being deluded by odor; entering the world of taste yet not Remember the beginning of Hakuin Zenji’s Song of being deluded by taste; entering the ? world of touch yet not being deluded by touch; entering the world of dharmas All sentient beings are essentially yet not being deluded by dharmas.” Buddhas. —op.cit., p19/20 As with water and ice, there is no ice without water; Entering, becoming completely and totally what is Apart from sentient beings, there are no you: Buddhas. Not knowing how close the truth is, we ...enter the three hells as though strolling seek it far away—what a pity! in a pleasure garden... We are like one who in the midst of —op.cit., p.20 water cries out desperately in thirst... Experiencing from the inside what we were des- Rinzai says: perately avoiding, our experience is transformed. It was never what we thought it to be. Now we can Followers of the Way, as I see it we are let go of our habitual need to be minimizing or de- no different from Sakya [the Buddha]. nying large parts of ourselves or be engaged in a What do we lack for our manifold ac- constant struggle to free ourselves from the “mun- tivities today? The six-rayed divine light dane” aspects of ourselves and our lives.

Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 page 4 Whatever is in front of you is already there. What- thoughts about anything we see or ever you perceive or feel is already there. There hear externally. This does not mean it is! Just don’t add anything, don’t make it into we should shut down our senses and a something! Why look for ? It is here, before close our eyes to seeing and our ears words, before thought. It is the same with Who. to hearing; rather, we sit wide open, You are looking for Who am I? What am I? What is even though our bodies may hurt and my ? “Like one in water crying out in even if we are tired and face constant thirst”!? challenges. We can’t sit in a deep, dark cave and avoid life’s difficulties; rather, Rinzai points out: we encounter everything that comes our way. At the same time, we give Followers of the Way, as to buddhad- no attention to anything that comes harma, no effort is necessary. You have up from within. Not becoming lost in only to be ordinary, with nothing to do our thoughts and feelings is the -zen of - defecating, urinating, wearing clothes, zazen.” eating food, and lying down when tired. —­from Not One Single Thing: A Commentary on the Platform , Fools laugh at me, by Shodo Harada Roshi, p.12] But the wise understand. A man of old said, In clearly attaining nothing we finally realize the Those who make work for themselves full richness of what we already are. And from outside there: doing nothing, nothing is left undone. When Are just a bunch of blockheads. the resisting “I” is seen for the painful illusion it is Just make yourself master of every situa- and is let go of, then doing nothing, the dishes get tion, and wherever you stand is washed. Doing nothing, emails get written. Doing the true [place]. No matter what nothing, bills get paid. Our problem is not that we circumstances come they cannot are too close to these mundane features of our life dislodge but that we are too far away from them. Being fully you [from there]. and thoroughly liberated into complete acceptance —op.cit, p.12 and openness, we see for ourselves that everything we go through is an engagement with the heart It can be very helpful to remember that we are of reality itself. From there we can meet the most going in the direction of finding a way to see that painful and problematic situations, emotions, and fundamentally, at bottom, everything is O.K. just as people in our life and to find within those difficult it is. What a relief! We only have to be ordinary. We aspects of our life the next step on our path or spir- can stop to manipulate, judge, love, hate and fear itual journey. our present experience. Finally, simplest and ordinary aspects of our human But in order to realize clearly that there is nothing experience, become sources of insight, freedom that needs to be done, we do have to practice dil- and joy, and revelations of the deepest mysteries of igently, creatively and inventively. The Right Effort the universe. Self-doubt and all forms of seeking— that’s required is totally different from the effort of material, mental, and spiritual—are quelled at last. ambition. It’s an effort to open totally and become The sage becomes ordinary again, and disappears one with what is. To open completely, letting go of into the mass of humanity, compassionately and trying to manipulate and control our circumstances playfully at times, serving all beings and enjoying: and our experience. Being this open and vulnerable The supernatural power of walking upon the earth.” takes courage. Completely open to what is, wheth- ☸ ☸ ☸ er we like it or not, before a thought about it. Zazen is a way of direct seeing, no Remember the famous definition of Za-zen by the intermediary, no filters. Or, as I’m finding Sixth Patriarch: out, the gradual letting go of filters, 3-D glasses, until perception itself is direct. The Za- of zazen is to not give rise to —Peter Gach page 5 Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 On Death, Dying to sneak some morphine into his drip to ease the & the Importance of Curiosity pain that must have been present, he was fully cognizant and fully aware and present right to the Only a few weeks ago, Junjou, a long-time student end. As a physician himself he had no doubt seen who had been in ill health for years, emailed. Her manydeaths; perhaps that took the fear of it away kidneys had stopped working years before, and and allowed that curiosity to function fully. despite suffering intransigent infections as well as other injuries to her body, she had outlived all So what IS dying? What IS death? That same the other patients in her dialysis group. She was grandson used to ask those questions as a toddler in great physical pain and was finally offered the when I babysat him up and read him the story of opportunity to enter hospice. When offered that the Buddha. Years later I reminded him of that; his option she was initially taken aback and afraid. response: “I’m still asking those questions.” Was there no longer any hope for cure? Was there no hope for freedom from that relentless pain? Was What brought me to Zen practice was the fear of her life really about to end? Fear... dying and the auspicious loan to me of a book now long out of print: The Wheel of Death, by Roshi She sat with it for a few days and decided to Philip Kapleau, with four short chapters: Death, embrace it. Within a very few days she let go and Dying, Karma, and . Socrates was quoted moved on in the great progression that is Life. in the chapter on Death:

More recently, another student has been offered To fear death, gentlemen, is nothing other hospice. Once more someone has been told that than to think oneself wise when one is not; there is nothing more to be done, that the body is for it is to think one knows what one does too badly damaged to recover. not know. No man knows whether death may not even turn out to be the greatest And only yesterday, a Facebook posting by my of blessings for a human being; and yet older grandson, noting the passing of a still beau- people fear it as if they know for certain that tiful young woman he’d gone to high school it is the greatest of evils. with—she was in her early thirties at the most. He had been condemned to die by poison, and Tibetan Buddhist preliminary practices include the was surrounded by his weeping students as he assignment to consider how precious this human gradually succumbed to the drink. life is, that it is finite, and that the moment of our passing is not certain—that only death is certain. And Epictetus, quoted in the same small volume:

But what IS death? And what is the end of the illness? Nothing worse than death. Will you realize once for Years ago after our father died, my brother asked, all that it is not death that is the source of ‘What does Buddhism say about what happens to all man’s evils, and of a mean and cowardly you after you die?” “If you ask yourself that ques- spirit, but rather the fear of death? Against tion long enough you’ll find out,” was my answer. this fear then I would have you discipline Five years ago he found his answer, not so much yourself; to this let all your reasonings, your by asking the question as by remaining as acutely lectures and your trainings be directed; aware and present as possible as he himself died. and then you will know that only so do men And what followed was beyond words. achieve their freedom.

That he was willing to really explore what the mo- In that same book we can read of the dying of ment to moment failure of his body, wracked with various Zen masters. It has been common for an agressive, metastasized cancer, felt like, was centuries among Zen masters (and others) to write deeply meaningful to me, and no doubt contrib- a death poem, either in anticipation or a few mo- uted exponentially to how amazingly it unfolded. ments before actually dying. Here are some of He had chosen specifically to remain present at them, as gathered in the chapter on Dying in The his death, and though his wife, a nurse; managed Wheel of Death:

Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 page 6 was this: Riding this wooden upside-down horse, I’m about to gallop through the void. As for liberating all sentient beings, Would you seek to trace me? Just this left to do: Ha! Try catching the tempest in a net. Letting go everything —Death verse of Master Kukoku In the whole universe...

I shan’t die, I shan’t go anywhere, What did all these people know? Zen practice, of I’ll be here; course, is an ongoing exploration into the nature of But don’t ask me anything, reality, and if we go deeply enough, the true nature I shan’t answer. of life—and therefore as well of death—is revealed. —Death verse of Master Ikkyu Human beings by and large fear the unknown. Zen They say that I am dying, but I am not going students gain a great deal of practice in explor- away. Where could I go? I am here.... ing the unknown, and the farther and deeper we —Sri Ramana Maharshi explore, the less we fear not knowing. The great- est challenges in Zen practice—and often, in life Shortly before he died, Etsugen called as well—are fear of facing what is assumed to be his monks together. It was December 1. frightening or painful or embarrassing. But when “I’ve decided to die on the eighth of this a deep enough awakening is experienced and in- month,” he told them. “That’s the day of tegrated into our daily life, fear of death dissolves, the Buddha’s enlightenment. If you have and whatever life remains to that one becomes rich any questions left about the Teaching you’d and fulfilling, regardless of how long it is and what better ask them before then.” it may bring.

Because the master continued with his So be daring and curious! Being born, we will regular duties during the next few days, die; even to live to a very ripe old age, still we will some of the monks thought he was having die. The oldest living human being just died at age a little fun at their expense. Most, however, 114. If you really give yourself to this (wordless!) were struck with grief. questioning, there’s every possibility that whatever time you do have left will be filled with wonder and By the evening of the seventh, nothing richness! unusual had happened. Nonetheless that night Etsugen had them all assemble and What IS your face (right now!) before your parents taught them for the last time about the were even born?! Buddha’s enlightenment. He then arranged his affairs and went into his room. ☸ ☸ ☸ At dawn he took a bath, put on his ceremonial robes, and sitting erect in the We should focus on the mind in our lotus posture composed thie death poem: meditation, rather than getting involved with the myriad manifestations that arise Shakyamuni descended the mountain. within it. Look at the ocean and the sky, I went up. and don’t be distracted by the waves In my teaching, I guess I’ve always been and clouds. Let phenomena such as something of a maverick. feeling good or bad manifest from mind And now I’m off to hell—yo-ho! and let them dissolve back into mind. The inquisitiveness of men is pure folly. Simply sustain awareness of the innate mind. Then, shutting his eyes, and still sitting, he —from a commentary died. by Kenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Yamada Mumon Roshi quit speaking four months on Milarepa’s Song of Eight before he died. His last poem, written at that time, page 7 Oak Tree in the Garden January/February 2020 January 8-15 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; May 22-27 5-day sesshin led by Sozui-sensei; deadline for applications is January 3. deadline for applications is May 10.

January 18 Zazenkai at Albuquerque Zen Please note: The 2020 schedule of Mountain Center; for info, email: Daishin at prvigil@ Gate’s outreach program, RegainingBalance® hotmail.com Retreats for Women Veterans with PTSD, will be announced in the next issue of The Oak January 24-31 7-day sesshin led by Mitra-roshi; Tree in the Garden. These are not Zen sesshin, deadline for applications is January 18. Roshi they are special, free retreats open only to expects to be at HVZC January 22-February 1. women veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic This is the only sesshin with Mitra-roshi this year. Stress. If you know of women veterans who might be interested, you will be able to February 21-23 Weekend Sesshin led by Sozui- download an information brochure as well as sensei; Please have your applications in (if obtain other information here: https://www. this is your first sesshin at HVZC) or sign up by RegainingBalance.org February 15. June 23-30 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; February 21-28 7-day Sesshin at Mountain deadline for applications is June 12. Gate; deadline for applications is February 10. October 10-17 7-day Sesshin at Mountain March 20-22 Weekend Sesshin led by Sozui- Gate; deadline for applications is October 1. sensei; Please have your applications in (if this is your first sesshin at HVZC) or sign up by Mar 15 August 19-26 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; deadline for applications is August 8. March 15 Benefit concert by Peter Gach, internationally known pianist; details to follow. August 29 Zazenkai at Albuquerque Zen Center; for info, email: Daishin at prvigil@ March 20-27 7-day Sesshin at Turtleback hotmail.com Zendo in Lawrenceville NJ; deadline for applications: March 13. For information please contact Shotai at [email protected]. Deep Zen practice affords us the opportunity to see clearly who we really are, and with that seeing, April 4 Zazenkai at Albuquerque Zen Center; and compassion naturally arise. When we for info, email: Daishin at [email protected] see a need, we naturally move to meet it. The prac- tice of dana—generosity—is a way to express that April 3, 4, & 5 Celebrations; more info to compassion by support to our places of be announced closer to the time. practice and to our teachers, who guide us through the pitfalls of practice and help us to reach depths April 17-24 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; we never knew existed. Without dana, neither our deadline for applications is April 8. Zen centers nor our teachers would be available April 17-19 Weekend Sesshin led by Sozui- to us or to future generations. Offering support to sensei; Apply & reserve by April 10. our places of spiritual practice and to our teachers is a vital component of our practice as Zen stu- May 22-29 7-day Sesshin at Mountain Gate; dents, because it affords us not only an opportunity deadline for applications is May 10. to express compassion and gratitude, but it also ensures the continuity of Zen itself. Where would June 6 Zazenkai at Albuquerque Zen Center; we be without a place to practice and a teacher to for info, email: Daishin at [email protected] guide us?

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