What Is It? She Said This All Matter-Of-Factly Without Any Hesitation Or Even a Glimmer of Embarrassment

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

What Is It? She Said This All Matter-Of-Factly Without Any Hesitation Or Even a Glimmer of Embarrassment What Is It? She said this all matter-of-factly without any hesitation or even a glimmer of embarrassment. “We each have an innate, bright, After she left, Cathy apologized to me and shinyness of mind. We have no word for said, “I couldn’t believe how rude Jane was to it so we call it ‘Buddha nature’.” you!” You see, I have been the one making the —Harada Shodo-roshi desserts. “Once you stop clinging and let things I just laughed and said, “I really don’t care if be, you’ll be free, even of birth and people prefer her desserts or not. Everyone death. You’ll transform everything. likes to be good at something and she obviously You’ll possess spiritual powers that can’t takes a lot of satisfaction in being a good cook be obstructed. And you’ll be at peace and baker.” wherever you are.” —Bodhidharma, in his Bloodstream Sermon, We both agreed that after Jane’s mother dies found in The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma, (she’s in hospice), if she wants to take back the tr. Red Pine kitchen, we have no objection. I even said that I would work for her. Dear Roshi, This is just such a huge change in my normal Had a really interesting experience last evening. reaction. My ego normally would have been Interesting because it was so unlike my habitual right there front and center, saying, “How reaction. I work in the kitchen here at the dare she say that to me! How rude!---etc., etc, apartment building on Saturdays. The woman etc,....” Nothing. Of course, my ego is pretty (will call her Jane) who used to be in charge of tickled about the whole thing now! Actually, the kitchen said she couldn’t get anyone to help the whole incident both amuses me and makes her and then her mom developed cancer and is me sad for Jane at the same time. I can’t help on hospice. She is the primary caregiver during wondering if similar remarks might have made this time. others quit working for her in the kitchen. I am often clueless about the impact of my words The woman (will call her Cathy) who took over until I get a reaction from someone, but even I the position and I get along fairly well together. know that you don’t say this!!! Our meals are not going over as well as we had hoped. Last night, Jane came down as we were Anyway, what fun to see my ego NOT come to finishing up the dinner. She showed us a picture the plate. of the beautiful triple strawberry cupcakes that she had made. Cathy said, “They won’t go for The person who wrote this has been practic- them here. They like chocolate or vanilla”. Jane ing for quite awhile—and it shows. The more said, “No, they ate everything I made. They just we dive into our practice, the freer we become. like my desserts better.” As part of that process, however, it’s important to recognize that, as someone very perceptive- The Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2014 page 1 ly reported after having a kensho experience: published as the contents of this volume—with “First it shows you where you’re caught—and a few parts left out and others separately pub- then it sets you free!” lished. It was certainly a monumental effort on the part of Norman Waddell, and of Professor So when those moments of clarity arise in Yoshizawa, whose translation from Hakuin’s which you have a sudden insight into some- era Japanese into modern Japanese was an thing you’ve said or done, something you’re not essential prerequisite, to gather all the back- very proud of, it’s not that zazen is making you ground information and choose which of the a worse person; it’s that it’s beginning to set annotated copies to translate. What results you free. There’s something about the clarity is an excellent resource on the teachings of a with which we begin to see our own behavior great Japanese Zen master who singlehanded- with the help of zazen, and the remorse that ly resurrected Rinzai Zen, and a wonderful ex- that recognition brings up, that is a good part pression of the dynamic personality that Hakuin of the work toward letting whatever dysfunc- Ekaku appears to have been. What follows in tional behavior pattern that was, weaken and the next article is a teisho given on one of the eventually—if we are careful and aware—drop writings in the book. away. Some things can take a long time: Yasu- tani roshi reported that it took a good ten years v v v POST-kensho before he was able to drop his habit pattern of reacting in anger. Hakuin’s Reply to Priest Rempō As we do our practice and begin to see where of Keirin-ji we need to work, and commit to doing that vital This is a letter written in answer to one from work—the Long Maturation—our life begins to Rempō, a student of Hakuin’s. One of the change. While it’s tough work, the results are reasons this book of translations is so excel- worth it! And this is but one gift of practice... lent is due to the extensive and detailed work of the translator, Norman Waddell, in introduc- v v v ing the material he has translated, as well as his inclusion of notes handwritten in the text Poison Blossoms by Hakuin’s own students. He also, according From a Thicket of Thorn to other translators, seems to truly capture the essence of Hakuin’s personality, which is clear Norman Waddell is the premier translator of the and right up front in this translation. Here is writings of Hakuin, having spent a career be- Waddell’s introduction to this letter: coming intimate with the old sage. His transla- tions, to go by the comments of people who Rempō Chishō (d.1770) a Dharma heir have read Hakuin’s works in Japanese, truly of Ranshitsu Tōiku (d.1743), was the catch the flavor of that vibrant personality. head priest of Keirin-ji in Kai province, a temple Hakuin visited frequently to Here comes the latest in a series of translations conduct practice meetings. An an- by Professor Waddell: Hakuin’s seminal collec- notation tells us that Rempō “studied tion of his own teachings, Poison Blossoms with the master for many years, even From a Thicket of Thorn. In the days of Chan after becoming head priest at Keirin-ji.” teachings in China a tradition was established He was thus one of a number of Zen of recording the sayings and doings of em- teachers in Suruga and the surrounding minent masters, for the benefit of generations provinces of Kai, Tōtōmi, and Izu who to come. This was still the case in Japan in continued their post-satori training Hakuin’s day, but being the iconclast he was, under Hakuin while training students in he had one of his students edit his collections their own temples. According to Tōrei, of teachings and then proceeded to have them Rempō applied himself to koan study page 2 The Oak Tree in the Garden November/December 2014 under Hakuin “with the greatest deter- those priests as well, and is an excellent model mination” (Draft Biography). for Zen practice as it unfolds in the West. This is one of the hallmarks of the Rinzai Since it is known that Rempō succeed- Sect—and of dedicated Zen students regard- ed Ranshitsu at Keirin-ji on the latter’s less of Zen sect: the ongoing post-satori train- death, this letter can date no earlier than ing. The Jataka Tales are the stories of the pur- Hakuin’s late fifties, and given Hakuin’s ported previous lives of the Buddha, remem- reference to “enjoying the years left to bered during the seven nights and eight days him” possibly even a decade or so later. of the deep meditation that culminated in his great enlightenment. (It is not uncommon for The Letter: Zen folk who do many sesshin to have insights into not only our behavior but also our past; Your letter of the twelfth of the fourth while this is neither sought after nor celebrated, month reached my desk on the twelfth it is a natural result of the level of attention and of the fifth month. Reading it over awareness that can be developed with com- several times, I felt as though you were mitted, concentrated, ongoing zazen.) During actually here conversing with me. Won- each of these lives the Buddha recalled, he derful. Wonderful. appeared to have been working toward living an increasingly awakened life. This ongoing I was concerned that you may have effort is what Tōrei Enji, Hakuin’s first Dharma wondered why I had not replied to your successor, termed “The Long Maturation.” By letter. It was not due to conscious all accounts, Tōrei himself exemplified this neglect on my part. The letter you sent ethic—that vital aspect of practice in which we took an entire month to reach me. work to integrate into our thought, speech and action what we have realized in our kensho I fear that I didn’t treat you with proper experiences and insights born of the ongoing hospitality when you visited Shōin-ji at zazen we do. the end of the third month. Now when- ever I sit in my room and think about This work is true bodhisattva work.
Recommended publications
  • Just This Is It: Dongshan and the Practice of Suchness / Taigen Dan Leighton
    “What a delight to have this thorough, wise, and deep work on the teaching of Zen Master Dongshan from the pen of Taigen Dan Leighton! As always, he relates his discussion of traditional Zen materials to contemporary social, ecological, and political issues, bringing up, among many others, Jack London, Lewis Carroll, echinoderms, and, of course, his beloved Bob Dylan. This is a must-have book for all serious students of Zen. It is an education in itself.” —Norman Fischer, author of Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong “A masterful exposition of the life and teachings of Chinese Chan master Dongshan, the ninth century founder of the Caodong school, later transmitted by Dōgen to Japan as the Sōtō sect. Leighton carefully examines in ways that are true to the traditional sources yet have a distinctively contemporary flavor a variety of material attributed to Dongshan. Leighton is masterful in weaving together specific approaches evoked through stories about and sayings by Dongshan to create a powerful and inspiring religious vision that is useful for students and researchers as well as practitioners of Zen. Through his thoughtful reflections, Leighton brings to light the panoramic approach to kōans characteristic of this lineage, including the works of Dōgen. This book also serves as a significant contribution to Dōgen studies, brilliantly explicating his views throughout.” —Steven Heine, author of Did Dōgen Go to China? What He Wrote and When He Wrote It “In his wonderful new book, Just This Is It, Buddhist scholar and teacher Taigen Dan Leighton launches a fresh inquiry into the Zen teachings of Dongshan, drawing new relevance from these ancient tales.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Bibio
    Recommended Books Revised March 30, 2013 The books listed below represent a small selection of some of the key texts in each category. The name(s) provided below each title designate either the primary author, editor, or translator. Introductions Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction Damien Keown Taking the Path of Zen !!!!!!!! Robert Aitken Everyday Zen !!!!!!!!! Charlotte Joko Beck Start Where You Are !!!!!!!! Pema Chodron The Eight Gates of Zen !!!!!!!! John Daido Loori Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind !!!!!!! Shunryu Suzuki Buddhism Without Beliefs: A Contemporary Guide to Awakening ! Stephen Batchelor The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation!!!!!!!!! Thich Nhat Hanh Buddhism For Beginners !!!!!!! Thubten Chodron The Buddha and His Teachings !!!!!! Sherab Chödzin Kohn and Samuel Bercholz The Spirit of the Buddha !!!!!!! Martine Batchelor 1 Meditation and Zen Practice Mindfulness in Plain English ! ! ! ! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English !!! Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Change Your Mind: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Meditation ! Paramananda Making Space: Creating a Home Meditation Practice !!!! Thich Nhat Hanh The Heart of Buddhist Meditation !!!!!! Thera Nyanaponika Meditation for Beginners !!!!!!! Jack Kornfield Being Nobody, Going Nowhere: Meditations on the Buddhist Path !! Ayya Khema The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation Thich Nhat Hanh Zen Meditation in Plain English !!!!!!! John Daishin Buksbazen and Peter
    [Show full text]
  • Lankavatara-Sutra.Pdf
    Table of Contents Other works by Red Pine Title Page Preface CHAPTER ONE: - KING RAVANA’S REQUEST CHAPTER TWO: - MAHAMATI’S QUESTIONS I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII XXXIII XXXIV XXXV XXXVI XXXVII XXXVIII XXXIX XL XLI XLII XLIII XLIV XLV XLVI XLVII XLVIII XLIX L LI LII LIII LIV LV LVI CHAPTER THREE: - MORE QUESTIONS LVII LVII LIX LX LXI LXII LXII LXIV LXV LXVI LXVII LXVIII LXIX LXX LXXI LXXII LXXIII LXXIVIV LXXV LXXVI LXXVII LXXVIII LXXIX CHAPTER FOUR: - FINAL QUESTIONS LXXX LXXXI LXXXII LXXXIII LXXXIV LXXXV LXXXVI LXXXVII LXXXVIII LXXXIX XC LANKAVATARA MANTRA GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY Copyright Page Other works by Red Pine The Diamond Sutra The Heart Sutra The Platform Sutra In Such Hard Times: The Poetry of Wei Ying-wu Lao-tzu’s Taoteching The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain The Zen Works of Stonehouse: Poems and Talks of a 14th-Century Hermit The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma P’u Ming’s Oxherding Pictures & Verses TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE Zen traces its genesis to one day around 400 B.C. when the Buddha held up a flower and a monk named Kashyapa smiled. From that day on, this simplest yet most profound of teachings was handed down from one generation to the next. At least this is the story that was first recorded a thousand years later, but in China, not in India. Apparently Zen was too simple to be noticed in the land of its origin, where it remained an invisible teaching.
    [Show full text]
  • Gateless Gate Has Become Common in English, Some Have Criticized This Translation As Unfaithful to the Original
    Wú Mén Guān The Barrier That Has No Gate Original Collection in Chinese by Chán Master Wúmén Huìkāi (1183-1260) Questions and Additional Comments by Sŏn Master Sǔngan Compiled and Edited by Paul Dōch’ŏng Lynch, JDPSN Page ii Frontspiece “Wú Mén Guān” Facsimile of the Original Cover Page iii Page iv Wú Mén Guān The Barrier That Has No Gate Chán Master Wúmén Huìkāi (1183-1260) Questions and Additional Comments by Sŏn Master Sǔngan Compiled and Edited by Paul Dōch’ŏng Lynch, JDPSN Sixth Edition Before Thought Publications Huntington Beach, CA 2010 Page v BEFORE THOUGHT PUBLICATIONS HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA 92648 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. COPYRIGHT © 2010 ENGLISH VERSION BY PAUL LYNCH, JDPSN NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, GRAPHIC, ELECTRONIC, OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, TAPING OR BY ANY INFORMATION STORAGE OR RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, WITHOUT THE PERMISSION IN WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHER. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY LULU INCORPORATION, MORRISVILLE, NC, USA COVER PRINTED ON LAMINATED 100# ULTRA GLOSS COVER STOCK, DIGITAL COLOR SILK - C2S, 90 BRIGHT BOOK CONTENT PRINTED ON 24/60# CREAM TEXT, 90 GSM PAPER, USING 12 PT. GARAMOND FONT Page vi Dedication What are we in this cosmos? This ineffable question has haunted us since Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree. I would like to gracefully thank the author, Chán Master Wúmén, for his grace and kindness by leaving us these wonderful teachings. I would also like to thank Chán Master Dàhuì for his ineptness in destroying all copies of this book; thankfully, Master Dàhuì missed a few so that now we can explore the teachings of his teacher.
    [Show full text]
  • HAN SHAN READER Upaya Zen Center Roshi Joan Halifax
    HAN SHAN READER Upaya Zen Center Roshi Joan Halifax Clambering up the Cold Mountain path, The Cold Mountain trail goes on and on: The long gorge choked with scree and boulders, The wide creek, the mist-blurred grass. The moss is slippery, though there's been no rain The pine sings, but there's no wind. Who can leap the world's ties And sit with me among the white clouds? Han Shan (Gary Snyder) (http://www.hermitary.com/articles/han-shan.html) Two distinct biographical traditions exist about the ninth-century Chinese poet and recluse who called himself Han-Shan (Cold Mountain). The first version emphasizes his eccentricity, his visits to a Buddhist temple for stints of odd jobs or to poke fun at the monks' self-importance. This tradition associates him with two other eccentric hermits, Shih-te (Pickup) and Feng-kan (Big Stick). The second tradition is based more solidly on the biographical elements found in his three-hundred-plus poems. These clues to the biography of Han-shan center around his life after the An Lu-shan Rebellion (755-763). For forty years the benign emperor Ming Huang had witnessed unprecedented prosperity under his rule. War, trade, social reform, and the proliferation of the arts had bestowed wealth on nearly every strata of T'ang dynasty China. But in dotage, the emperor's obsession with a concubine grew. He appointed the concubine's unscrupulous brother to full power while disappearing behind a veiled curtain of private pleasures. When the brother's rule inevitably brought about rebellion, the revolt was led by a Tatar official An Lu-shan, and the blood-letting and turmoil continued unabated for eight years.
    [Show full text]
  • Newsletter Sept & October 2021
    Chapel Hill Zen Center News P.O. BOX 16302, CHAPEL HILL, NC 27516 SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER, 2021 Holiday Schedule Keizan’s Zazen by Zoom On Sunday, September 5, the Zen Center will Saturday, September 25, 9:00-4:00 have morning Zoom zazen, as usual at 9:00 and Koun Franz will give talks on Keizan Jokin’s 9:50 AM. On Monday, September 6, there will Zazen Yojinki or Notes on What to be Aware of in be no in-person zazen or study group meeting. Zazen. Master Keizan Jokin (1268-1325) is con- However, Zoom zazen will be held as usual, at sidered co-founder, along with Master Eihei 6:00 and 6:50 am. Dogen, of Soto Zen in Japan. Although Master Half-day Sittings by Zoom Dogen is well-known to many practitioners of Soto Zen in the West, Master Keizan is relatively Sunday mornings, September 5, and October 10 unknown. There will be Zoom Half-day Sittings from 6:00 Please join us for this Workshop where Koun AM until 12:15 PM. The schedule will be similar Sensei will give talks and discuss this text, with to that used for the morning of in-person All-day time for questions. We will begin and end the Sittings and will include a public Dharma Talk at workshop with a period of zazen. 10:30. For information and to sign up, write [email protected]. The Chapel Hill Zen Center is offering this program by donation, with a suggested donation Dharma Talks of $50. To sign up and for questions, please Sunday morning, September 5, and October 10, contact Josho at [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • Mysticism and Mystical Experiences
    1 Mysticism and Mystical Experiences The first issue is simply to identify what mysti cism is. The term derives from the Latin word “mysticus” and ultimately from the Greek “mustikos.”1 The Greek root muo“ ” means “to close or conceal” and hence “hidden.”2 The word came to mean “silent” or “secret,” i.e., doctrines and rituals that should not be revealed to the uninitiated. The adjec tive “mystical” entered the Christian lexicon in the second century when it was adapted by theolo- gians to refer, not to inexpressible experiences of God, but to the mystery of “the divine” in liturgical matters, such as the invisible God being present in sacraments and to the hidden meaning of scriptural passages, i.e., how Christ was actually being referred to in Old Testament passages ostensibly about other things. Thus, theologians spoke of mystical theology and the mystical meaning of the Bible. But at least after the third-century Egyptian theolo- gian Origen, “mystical” could also refer to a contemplative, direct appre- hension of God. The nouns “mystic” and “mysticism” were only invented in the seven teenth century when spirituality was becoming separated from general theology.3 In the modern era, mystical inter pretations of the Bible dropped away in favor of literal readings. At that time, modernity’s focus on the individual also arose. Religion began to become privatized in terms of the primacy of individuals, their beliefs, and their experiences rather than being seen in terms of rituals and institutions. “Religious experiences” also became a distinct category as scholars beginning in Germany tried, in light of science, to find a distinct experi ential element to religion.
    [Show full text]
  • Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women
    University of San Diego Digital USD Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship Department of Theology and Religious Studies 2019 Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women Karma Lekshe Tsomo PhD University of San Diego, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty Part of the Buddhist Studies Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Digital USD Citation Tsomo, Karma Lekshe PhD, "Out of the Shadows: Socially Engaged Buddhist Women" (2019). Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship. 25. https://digital.sandiego.edu/thrs-faculty/25 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theology and Religious Studies: Faculty Scholarship by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Section Titles Placed Here | I Out of the Shadows Socially Engaged Buddhist Women Edited by Karma Lekshe Tsomo SAKYADHITA | HONOLULU First Edition: Sri Satguru Publications 2006 Second Edition: Sakyadhita 2019 Copyright © 2019 Karma Lekshe Tsomo All rights reserved No part of this book may not be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage or retreival system, without the prior written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations. Cover design Copyright © 2006 Allen Wynar Sakyadhita Conference Poster
    [Show full text]
  • Perspectives Beyond the Scientific Research
    Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1981 The Origins of Meditation: Perspectives Beyond the Scientific Research Brad R. Heinz Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Heinz, Brad R., "The Origins of Meditation: Perspectives Beyond the Scientific Research" (1981). Dissertations. 2065. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2065 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1981 Brad R. Heinz THE ORIGINS OF NEDITATION: PERSPECTIVES BEYOND THE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH by Brad R. Heinz A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University of Chicago in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 1981 ACKNOWLEDGENENTS I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. John Shack, Dr. Alan DeWolfe, and Dr. Jerome Wagner for their continued encour­ agement and support through all the phases of this study in spite of its unconventional format. I am also very grateful for Deborah Young's generous assistance and consultation concerning issues in the area of philosophy. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their patience and good humor while awaiting the completion of this work. ii Vita The author, Brad Robert Heinz, is the son of Robert and Delores Heinz.
    [Show full text]
  • Primary Point, Vol 22 Num 2
    GREAT HERO HALL Mu Shim Sunim jDPS For the last two years here at Mu Sang Sah Temple we have been in the midst of an intense project, construction of our new Buddha Hall. Our campus consistes of two large buildings which support our ninety-day biannual retreats and now a new Buddha Hall. The shell of the building was finished last November (2003), then the inner work, including the three altars, altar canopies, and Buddhist paintings, took an additional six months to complete. Finally, everything was ready for the Grand Opening Ceremony held on Saturday, May 15, 2004. Zen Master Seung Sahn's vision was that this hall should be built in a traditional and grand style. Although our other buildings are structural concrete, it was decided early on that a traditional wooden hall was needed as our crowning glory. A traditional wooden structure can last well over a thousand years (the one at Su Dok Sah was built in 1308) and also resonates a feeling which only wood can provide. Building a Buddha Hall of this scale in Korea requires the interest and help of many people. Zen Master Seung Sahn, our sangha brothers and sisters, and many, many dharma friends contributed generously to help with the [7 construction, sometimes under difficult circumstances. During that time at Mu Sang Sah Temple, we continued to hold Kyol Che and also did extra kido chanting to encourage the workers and others to make a great Buddha Hall. Almost all the wood for the new Buddha Hall had to be imported from Canada or Alaska because nowadays Korea does not have any trees of the size that can be readily used for the columns and the big beams that are central to the construction.
    [Show full text]
  • Round About the Cauldron Go
    Round About the Cauldron Go If the history of Buddhism were scaled down to a month, it would only be for the past day or so that English translations of its texts have begun to appear. Precise translations still elude us for even some of the most basic Buddhist concepts. In What the Buddha Taught, the respected Buddhist scholar-monk Walpola Rahula leaves the First Noble Truth in its original Pali as dukkha, explaining that he could find no one English word to embrace the whole meaning. As concepts, “the three poisons” are not as rich and deep in meaning as dukkha, but there are still a good many variations in how they have been translated. We in Zen most often hear them articulated in the repentance ceremony, in which everyone together recites the gatha, or verse, three times running, as follows: All evil actions committed by me since time immemorial, Stemming from greed, anger, and ignorance, Arising from body, speech, and mind, I now repent having committed. The first problem here is in using “ignorance” instead of the other most common translation, “delusion.” Until recently, I had equated these two terms, and wondered why ignorance, the primal cause of suffering, would be categorized as one of the three poisons when it also gives birth to them. In Pali, the original written language of Buddhism, the third poison is moha. The various other translations of moha in Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Theravada sources include “confusion” and “folly,” followed by “stupidity,” “blindness,” “dullness,” and even “deception,” “temptation,” and “infatuation.” One source sums it up as “the inconsistency of a thought or action with reality.” In Buddhism ignorance, however, really means being unenlightened regarding the essential nature of reality.
    [Show full text]
  • Piloting Through Chaos Is on Negotia- Tion, but the Analysis and Wisdom Go Well Beyond That Now Available in the Literature [On Negotiation]
    “The emphasis throughout Piloting Through Chaos is on negotia- tion, but the analysis and wisdom go well beyond that now available in the literature [on negotiation]. This volume is a breakthrough in the use of words, thought processes and managing human behav- ior responsibly.” Oliver Oldman Learned Hand Professor (Emeritus) Harvard Law School “IPOs in China and Japan, inventions in clean energy, decod- ing Japanese negotiation strategies, incubators for creativity and innovation, the role of beauty in discovery and bringing ideas to market—Julian Gresser is a Renaissance man with an amazing array of achievements and gifts. He has written a truly original and helpful book with his own hard-won understandings about how innovation can be incubated. Read it, it will enlarge your mind and you will discover your own capacity to do such things. It will grow with you and interact with your discoveries as you make them, tak- ing them to a higher level.” John Tarrant Zen master, author, Bring Me the Rhinoceros and other works “Mark Twain said, ‘You can’t depend on your eyes if your imag- ination is out of focus.’ In Piloting Through Chaos, Julian Gresser helps us to dream a better future and carefully outlines the steps needed to get there. Brilliantly written and meticulously researched, Gresser warns that we cannot achieve justice and abundance as individuals but only through collaboration, innovation, and fear- less exploration of our own depths. And always, he reminds us, with kindness. Gresser is an international attorney, but also a 21st Century Renaissance Man, with a lifetime of experience in business, music, martial arts, invention, and meditation.
    [Show full text]