Avec Le Bouddha Sur Le Chemin De L'éveil

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Avec Le Bouddha Sur Le Chemin De L'éveil Avec le Bouddha sur le Chemin de l’Éveil . Retraite de l’Illumination du Bouddha Joshin Sensei et la Sangha de Montagnes et Forêts du Zen Avec le Bouddha sur le Chemin de l’Éveil. Retraite de l’Illumination du Bouddha Sommaire : Présentation de la retraite : paroles de participants, commentaires de Joshin Sensei Textes : - Les quatre rencontres - Sur le Chemin du Bouddha - L’Éveil du Bouddha - Jodo-E Annexes : Relation entre les 4 étapes sur le chemin de l’Éveil et ma propre vie Qui est le Bouddha ? Conclusion : Joshin Sensei 2 Avec le Bouddha sur le Chemin de l’Éveil : Pour cette retraite qui portait sur l’Illumination du Bouddha, j’avais proposé deux thèmes de recherches et de réflexion . 1. Refaire le Chemin avec le Bouddha, depuis les 4 rencontres, jusqu’à la fin de la Nuit de l’Illumination, en trouvant textes et images dans livres, sites, etc. 2. Quels sont les ponts possibles entre ce Chemin du Bouddha et notre propre engagement ? Quels sont les points qui nous rapprochent ? Dans chaque groupe, une personne prenait un des thèmes suivants, en faisait l’exposé, puis à la rencontre suivante, présentait sa réflexion sur son parcours face au parcours du Bouddha, quels points de rencontre, quelles différences… 1. Le départ du Bouddha : les 4 rencontres, le dernier soir, le départ ; 2. Sous l’arbre de l’Éveil, les dons ; 3. la Nuit de l’Éveil ; 4. Après l’Éveil : Mara, Brahma. Certains points ont été traités plus que d’autres; certains n’ont pas été traités, c’est intéressant de regarder ce découpage. Ci-dessous, des extraits des paroles des participants, auxquelles j’ai mêlé certaines de mes propres remarques, en couleur. Joshin Sensei Les quatre rencontres, le départ 1. « Ces rencontres, tout est là. Cela va être un changement radical dans sa vie, une rupture qui va le faire quitter même les attachements les plus profonds (femme, fils). Sa famille le supplie de rester, mais il dit « Je reviendrai » - il revient en effet, mais autre. Il revient avec la solution au problème qui l’a fait quitter les êtres chers. » 3 Il n’abandonne pas sa femme et son enfant, au contraire il souhaite leur apporter le plus grand cadeau, le plus grand bonheur. C’est par amour pour eux qu’il part. On pourrait - un peu- comparer cela à une personne quittant sa famille menacée pour aller la défendre. Nous sommes menacés par maladie, vieillesse et mort. 1. « Il part chercher un maître, il pense qu’il a besoin d’aide pour cette tâche. Entre ce parcours du Bouddha et ma propre vie, je vois tous les attachements. Lorsqu’il décide de partir, il ne regarde pas les ''bonnes raisons'' qu’il a de ne pas le faire ! Ce qui m’a intéressé aussi, c’est le regard sur le corps des danseuses : avant sa décision, on peut penser que c’est un regard de désir, mais cette dernière nuit, c’est un regard de répulsion, comme si il fallait passer par ces deux extrêmes pour arriver à un regard juste. Comme devant les filles de Mara, après son illumination, qui seront celles qui lui demanderont ''pardon''. Il n’est pas attiré, mais il ne les repousse pas, ne les rejette pas. Il éprouve de la compassion. ». 2. « C’est intéressant pour nous laïcs, parce que nous nous avons des choix à faire, c’est difficile ; nous devons trouver des compromis, des arrangements. » 3. « Ce départ, pour moi, c’est prendre la responsabilité de sa vie, aller de l’avant. Pour moi, le départ est toujours zazen. ». Quand le Bouddha voit la vieillesse, la maladie, la mort, il voit la souffrance inhérente à toute vie humaine : lui aussi sera sujet à la maladie, la vieillesse et la mort, et tous ceux qu’il aime, et toutes les personnes qui l’entourent. Nous faisons tous cette découverte, plus ou moins tôt, de façon plus ou moins douloureuse, vieillesse des grands-parents, mort d’un voisin, maladie d’un très proche. Tous les parents se retrouvent un jour ou l’autre confrontés aux questions d’un enfant : « Qu’est-ce qu’il a… ? Il est où… ? » Mais c’est difficile pour nous de garder cela à l’esprit, d’accepter que la souffrance est une donnée de notre vie humaine, et de le prendre en compte dans notre vie. Nous avons peut-être tendance à voir cela comme une donnée personnelle, de notre histoire. Mais le Bouddha devant le problème de la souffrance comprend qu’il touche tous les êtres, et décide : « Je vais trouver le Chemin qui met fin à la souffrance ». Ce sont les 4 NV : souffrance, origine de la souffrance, fin de la souffrance, Chemin qui y mène. 4 4. « Quand le Bouddha quitte les autres méditants et décide de ne plus briser son corps, de ne plus arrêter son souffle, c’est qu’il s’est souvenu de la joie et de la paix de sa toute première méditation lors des semailles de printemps auprès de son père. Il avait vu la souffrance là - c’est avant les 4 rencontres, peut-être la première fois - il était allé s’asseoir sous un arbre, et était tout naturellement entré dans une méditation profonde. Je pense que c’est important pour nous, peut-être surtout dans le Zen ! - où nous avons l’impression qu’il faut forcer, qu’il faut souffrir, pour méditer ! ». C’est l’expérience qu’a fait le Bouddha, et qu’il a abandonnée. Mais n’oublions pas non plus la ferme et totale résolution qu’il a pris en s’asseyant au pied de l’Arbre de la Bodhi… Ni trop tendu, ni trop lâche, la corde de notre corps et de notre esprit… Sous l’Arbre de l’Éveil, les dons 1. « En fait, j’avais toujours cru que lorsque le Bouddha allait s’asseoir sous l’Arbre de la Bodhi, il entrait dans une pratique solitaire. Mais pas du tout ! Il y a Sujata et sa servante qui lui offrent ce qui va le soutenir dans sa méditation, il y a Sotthiya, qui tient à lui offrir quelque chose, ce qu’il peut (cela rappelle l’histoire de l’enfant qui met une poignée de sable dans le bol d’un Bouddha - celui-ci lui dit que pour sa générosité, il deviendra un Bouddha à son tour) et lui offre les gerbes d’herbe qui seront le coussin de médiation - ou un trône suivant les textes. il y a aussi la rivière dans laquelle il se baigne, et l’arbre lui- même. En fait il faut l’univers entier pour que le Bouddha poursuive son chemin - il serait peut-être mort de faim sans Sujata… Et ces dons vont être renouvelés jusqu’à l’Illumination ; certains textes disent que tous les jours Sujata revient avec un bol de lait / de fromage, et Sotthiya coupe de l’herbe fraîche pour le Bouddha. C’est pour cela il me semble qu’à la fin de la nuit, il peut dire : « Moi et tous les êtres, avons atteint l’Illumination ». Interdépendance. Il n’y a pas d’Éveil seul. » Peut-être que c’est cela la différence avec la première partie, lorsqu’il travaille avec les Maîtres, il n’y a pas mention des ''gens ordinaires''. 2. « Et il y a une circulation entre le Bouddha et les personnes, puisque, ensuite, Sujata devient disciple du Bouddha. À son tour elle reçoit, et elle continue à donner. Cela me fait penser à l’inscription « Le Don » qui est au dos de tous nos rakusus. » 5 M° Dogen dit qu’il n’y a pas de différence entre dons matériels et dons spirituels. 2. Qui sont mes « Sujata » ? « Comme je travaillais sur la 2e partie (''Sous l’Arbre de l’Éveil ; les dons »), je me suis plus particulièrement intéressée aux dons. D’abord aux dons que l’on fait, surtout en tant que laïcs : Sujata, en faisant son offrande au Bouddha, lui permet de vivre, de poursuivre sa pratique, d’atteindre l’éveil et, au final, d’enseigner, puis elle devient elle-même une disciple. Cela m’a rappelé les enseignements souvent répétés par Sensei sur le don et sur la pratique du don des laïcs vis-à-vis des enseignants du Dharma et des monastiques, ainsi qu’un texte de Thanissaro Bikkhu qui posait la question : « Comment pouvons-nous rendre ce que nous recevons de nos maîtres ? » et citait la réponse faite par Ajaan Fuang : « en pratiquant ». Et j’ai été très touchée par cette boucle. Ensuite, j’ai pensé aux dons que l’on reçoit, et je me suis demandé qui étaient mes « Sujata ». En y regardant de plus près, je me suis dit qu’en fait toute l’histoire du Bouddha, et toute mon histoire à moi, étaient jalonnées de Sujata. Les parents, d’abord, qui, dans des circonstances normales, nous nourrissent et nous protègent du mieux qu’ils peuvent, même maladroitement, même de façon inadéquate. Puis, toutes les personnes que nous croisons sur notre chemin, même celles qui nous font du mal, parce qu’elles contribuent aussi, comme les situations difficiles de la vie, à nous amener à la pratique – même si on ne le voit pas tout de suite. Les enseignants du Dharma, les personnes qui organisent des ''occasions'' de pratique (journées, retraites, …) ou créent des lieux de pratique, les personnes qui s’asseyent avec nous… Même Mara est présent dans Sujata – parce que le doute et les obstacles sur la Voie, quand on parvient à passer au travers, nous permettent de nous établir dans notre pratique et d’affermir notre résolution.
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