To Know Yourself Talks, Stories, and Articles on Zen
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title: author: publisher: isbn10 | asin: print isbn13: ebook isbn13: language: subject publication date: lcc: ddc: subject: Page iii To Know Yourself talks, stories, and articles on Zen by Albert Low Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. Boston · Rutland, Vermont · Tokyo Page iv First published in 1997 by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., with editorial offices at 153 Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. Copyright © 1997 Albert Low All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from Tuttle Publishing. The Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-61461 Distributed by USA Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. RR 1 Box 231-5 North Clarendon, VT 05759 Tel.: (800) 526-2778 Fax.: (800) FAX-TUTL Japan Tuttle Shokai Ltd. 1-21-13, Seki Tama-ku, Kawasaki-shi Kanagawa-ken 214, Japan Tel.: (044) 833-0225 Fax.: (044) 822-0413 Southeast Asia Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd. 5 Little Road #08-01 Singapore 536983 Tel.: (65) 280-3320 Fax.: (65) 280-6290 First edition 05 04 03 02 01 00 99 98 97 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Design by Frances Kay Cover design by Sherry Fatla Printed in the United States of America Page v Dedicated to my brother and sister. Page vii CONTENTS Acknowledgments x Preface xi Part I Articles 1 Chapter One: The Life of Buddha, the Life of 3 Everyone Chapter Two: Gleanings 20 Chapter Three: The Trappist's Dilemma 24 Chapter Four: Shrinking Zen 26 Chapter Five: The Rabbi's Distress 39 Part 2 Buddhism and Christianity 41 Chapter Six: The Christian and Buddhist Dark Night 43 of the Soul Chapter Seven: A Little Boy Goes to Heaven 75 Part 3 Dharma Talks 77 Chapter Eight: Know Yourself! 79 Chapter Nine: The Mountain of Inertia 90 Page viii Chapter Ten: Some Thoughts about Practice 93 Chapter Eleven: Lighting a Fire 105 Chapter Twelve: Wonder of Wonders 107 Chapter Thirteen: A Glass of Water 114 Chapter Fourteen: On Pain 118 Chapter Fifteen: At Sea 128 Chapter Sixteen: Fear of Failure 135 Chapter Seventeen: The Donkey Who Would Not 145 Work Chapter Eighteen: Fascination 146 Chapter Nineteen: Sand Castles 155 Part 4 Sesshin 157 Introduction to Part Four 159 Chapter Twenty: A Sesshin 166 Chapter Twenty-One: The Fourteen Reminders 171 Chapter Twenty-Two: Chosha Goes for a Walk 175 Chapter Twenty-Three: Rinzai Quote 189 Chapter Twenty-Four: Jewel Mirror Samadhi 190 Chapter Twenty-Five: The Stone Bridge of Joshu 193 Chapter Twenty-Six: Quotes from Joshu 202 Chapter Twenty-Seven: On Death 205 Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Diamond Sutra: "The 217 Transgression Is Wiped" Chapter Twenty-Nine: Dogen On Exertion 232 Endnotes 235 Page ix To practice Zen is to know the self. To know the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be one with all that is. To be one with all things is to go beyond body and mind. To go beyond body and mind is to go beyond awakening while manifesting it at every moment. Page x ACKNOWLEDGMENT I should like to thank all the members of the Montreal Zen Center who have helped me bring together this collection, and in particular, I thank Janine Levêsque who has patiently transcribed the talks which have served as a basis for several of the articles. Montreal, 1997 Page xi PREFACE This book contains a collection of articles, talks, and stories that I have written, given, or used over the past seventeen years as teacher and director of the Montreal Zen Center. Some of these first appeared in the Montreal Zen Center magazine Zen Gong. These include: "Some Thoughts About Practice," "Know Yourself!," "The Mountain of Inertia,'' "Wonder of Wonder," "Fear of Failure," "On Pain," and "At Sea." A few of them, including "The Life of Buddha, the Life of Everyone." "Shrinking Zen," and "A Sesshin," were written during my three years' tenure as editor of the Rochester Zen Center magazine Zen Bow, and they are reproduced with the kind permission of the Rochester Zen Center. The three commentaries on the koans were originally given as talks during a retreat held in Montreal, but have been edited and enlarged. The style of presentation was considerably changed in order to make them more accessible to general readers outside the Montreal Zen Center, whose members have become used to the language of these kinds of talks. Page 1 PART I ARTICLES Page 3 Chapter One The Life of Buddha, the Life of Everyone This is the story of a monk, It tells of why he became a monk, of the sufferings he endured, and of his great enlightenment. Although this monk lived twenty-five hundred years ago, this story is not simply history. If it were so, it would have no relevance, to those who are caught up by the most vital of questions. Let us tell the story first and then see how it can be shown to go far beyond the mere tale of a man long dead. Twenty-five hundred years ago a child was born, the son of a king in India. At his birth the wise men foretold that he would grow up to become either a king or a monk. His father, not wanting his son to have to endure the hardship of an ascetic's life and also wanting to ensure the continuance of his line, shielded the child from the troubles of life and gave him all the security and pleasures that money could buy. The child, called Siddhartha Gautama, grew up to be an accomplished man, capable in the arts and sciences of his time. In due course he married and had a child. But he grew restless and felt bound by the pleasures his father lavished upon him and wanted to see more of life than that enclosed by the walls of the villas in which he lived. He summoned his charioteer and rode into the rough-and- tumble world of the common man, and in that world he encountered a sick man, an old man, and a dead man. He was confounded by the encounters and asked his charioteer to explain their meaning. He was told that this was Page 4 the lot of all and that none could escape these three: sickness, old age, and death. His mind foundered in a turmoil, but confused and lost, he had yet one more encounterthis time with a monk. Inspired by the deep serenity and peace of mind pervading this man, Gautama vowed he too would become a monk. One night, bidding farewell to his wife and child while they slept, he stole away into the forest to become a wandering ascetic, cutting off his hair, symbolizing the severance of all worldly ties. He studied with the forest sages but, after learning all they had to offer, still felt dissatisfied and without rest. He traveled on and met some ascetics and, joining them, practiced all the ascetic trials. He starved himself and inflicted many different kinds of torment on his person. In the end and near to death, he remembered a time when he watched his father and the workers plow. At that time he had become one with all the strain and suffering of the world. Remembering this experience and how it had seemed to open the door to a deep awareness of unity, he resolved to give up his ascetic practice, which could only lead to death, and seek to reawaken to this Oneness. At that very moment a girl, Nandabala the cowherd, was passing by and, seeing Gautama weak through lack of food, gave him some goat's milk to drink. Revived, Siddhartha then went on, in search of a suitable place to meditate. He came upon the Bo tree. Sotthiya, a grass cutter passing by, gave him some grass on which to sit. Gautama took the grass and spread it under the tree. Then, taking his seat, he vowed, "Though my flesh wither and drop from my bones, though my bones be crushed, though my blood dry up and turn to dust, never will I stir from this seat until I reach full enlightenment." Then, throughout the long night he was tempted by Mara. At dawn he looked up at the morning star; suddenly he became fully awakened and cried, "Wonder of wonders, all beings are endowed with Buddha-nature." How are we to interpret this story? As a historical or biographical account of a monk's life? Or does it have some other value? Siddhartha Gautama, who became Shakyamuni Buddha, was undoubtedly a most remarkable man. Alone he brought Page 5 about a great spiritual revival that was to transform parts of India, Tibet, China, Southeast Asia, Korea, Japanand now, who knows, perhaps North America also. Even after twenty-five hundred years his teachings are still vital and, many would say, the only valid way for us to find a path through our technological stupor to find wholeness and meaning. The life story of such a great man would be interesting, full of drama, and perhaps even inspiring. It could make a great subject for research and study. But in the end, if that is all it isthe story of a great manwould it not have but very limited value? The great and fundamental teaching of Buddhism is that all is Onethere is no Other. Oneness is the goal, the means, and the consequence. In Oneness we start the journey, in Oneness we continue, and in Oneness we end.