How To Practice ZenDropping Opinions
Seeking the Ox
In the pasture of the world,
I endlessly push aside the tall
grasses in search of the Ox.
Following unnamed rivers,
lost upon the interpenetrating
paths of distant mountains,
my strength failing and my vitality
exhausted, I cannot find the Ox.
I only hear the locusts chirping
through the forest at night.
A fully awakened Buddha would know that hearing awareness hears the locusts chirping through the forest at night.
In the spring of 2009, I saw a pickup truck with "My boss is a Jewish carpenter" on one bumper and "This vehicle will be unoccupied in case of Rapture" on the other.
Centered on the glass behind the passenger compartment was the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (the logo of the Marines), under which appeared the word:
SNIPER
A learned professor once sought out Japanese Zen master Nan-In. He told the master that he was well-read on Zen matters and did not need introductory lessons. He just wanted advanced instruction as to what should be done to attain enlightenment.
The master offered the visitor a cup of tea and began pouring tea into the cup. He continued pouring even after the cup had filled. Tea began to flow onto the floor as the master continued pouring.
The visitor asked why the master had not stopped when the cup was full. The master replied that the over-flowing tea cup was the visitor's mind and no teachings could be received by that mind because it was already full.
"If you want to be my student so that you can receive teachings from me, you will first have to empty your cup," said the master. The visitor, who had sharp karmic roots and understood what the master was saying, attained enlightenment at once.
If you saw Avatar, James Cameron's 3-D movie, you may recall that the tribal people told the ex-Marine that he would first have to empty his cup before they could begin teaching him their ways. He said something like: "Oh, my cup is empty, that's for sure."
The first step to establishing an authentic Zen practice is to empty the cup. If we have not practiced zazen, sitting meditation, we know nothing about Zen, regardless of how many books we've read and websites we've visited. We are like the scientist who studies sugar but never tastes it. Or the scholar who wrote books on Catholicism but was not a Catholic. When asked why he had never become a Catholic even though he was a world-class scholar on the religion, he said: "You can study a disease without catching it." A funny line. Obviously, however, he had no idea what Catholicism is all about because he had never experienced it.
To empty the cup means to drop opinions, to admit that we know nothing. As Socrates said: "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
So the first step in every day Zen, for beginners, intermediates, and advanced students, is to admit that every thought we've ever entertained, every action we've ever performed, was under the influence of profound ignorance, a failure to understand the law of cause and effect. We have been chasing after pleasures and running from pain. Until we come to grips with the fact that we have been behaving foolishly, our cup is not empty and we will continue our foolish ways regardless of how much we read about Zen. The actual practice of Zen requires a threshold admission of past stupidity.
We are just like our friend, the follower of Jesus who is a sniper and proud of it. We, like him, know nothing of Zen.
If we cannot admit that we have been following the path of selfhood, the satanic I-think-therefore-I-am path that leads to greater and greater levels of delusion, deeper and deeper ignorance, then we can't get started on the path of awakening.
A clean break with superstitions and religious beliefs is required. A clean break with philosophical opinions or mind sets is required. We have to put our opinions down, i.e., relinquish them. That means we have to stop liking some things and disliking others.
But "empty the cup" goes even beyond that. We have a firm belief that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. We believe we are a living entity on the third planet from a star. We even believe that gravity holds things down.
We have to empty our cup of mortal thoughts like that. Our senses do not deliver to us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
If we can truly empty the cup, we don't need the remaining steps in this course. If we can't completely empty the cup, at least we can become aware that our old ways of thinking may be bogus, based upon ignorance.
The next time we become aware that we like something, or dislike it, we need to think about Seeking the Ox, and repent of such unenlightened modes of thinking. There is nothing outside of us so there is nothing to sit in judgment upon, i.e., there can be no judge and no adjudged because there is no subject and no object.
The Buddha said the same thing, using different words. He said: "There are no two things."
Everything we think we know about the objective world is just baloney - mind stuff; mortal thoughts. To empty the cup means to wake up to the reality that everything, absolutely everything, is not out there. There is no out there.
The belief that there is an "out there" is just an opinion to be dropped.
If we can empty our cup, we are truly Seeking the Ox. We have gone beyond the mere accumulation of information.
If your job is to shoot people you don't know in the head using a high-powered rifle having a telescopic sight, and if you are so proud of that job that you openly advertise it, this program was published just for you.
If you have a less aggressive role to play on this earth, perhaps you'll understand this course a little easier than someone who is hostile to the very idea of a human family, not to mention a family that includes non-human sentient beings as well.
Regardless of where we stand on the spectrum having on one end a fierce individuality, together with the anger, hatred and fear that comes with it and boundless freedom and kindness on the other end, this course will allow us to repent of our old ways and to realize the Buddha nature buried within us. Some may have a little more digging to do than others but everyone has the Buddha nature within them.
Those who proudly proclaim through their bumper stickers that they live in a dungeon can awaken in the twinkling of an eye if they would just empty their cup, if they would just drop their opinion that they are involved in a noble fight against people who need to be shot.
Intermediate Zen
At the intermediate level, we recite, daily, the first half of the Hsin Hsin Ming. After the six verses of the beginning level we add:
The Way is perfect like vast space, where there's no lack and no excess.
Our choice to choose and to reject prevents our see'ng this simple truth.
Both striving for the outer world as well as for the inner void condemn us to entangled lives.
Just calmly see that all is one and by themselves false views will go.
Attempts to stop activity will fill you with activity.
Remaining in duality you'll never know of unity.
And not to know this unity lets conflict lead you far astray.
When you assert that things are real, you miss their true reality. But to assert that things are void also misses reality.
The more you talk and think on this the further from the truth you'll be.
Cut off all useless thoughts and words and there's nowhere you cannot go.
Returning to the root itself, you'll find the meaning of all things.
If you pursue appearances you overlook the primal source.
Awak'ning is to go beyond both emptiness as well as form.
All changes in this empty world seem real because of ignorance.
Do not go searching for the truth, just let those fond opinions go.
Abide not in duality, refrain from all pursuit of it.
If there's a trace of right and wrong, True-mind is lost, confused, distraught.
From One-mind comes duality, but cling not even to this One.
When this One-mind rests undisturbed, then nothing in the world offends.
And when no thing can give offense, then all obstructions cease to be.
If all thought-objects disappear, the thinking subject drops away.
For things are things because of mind, as mind is mind because of things.
These two are merely relative and both at source are emptiness.
In emptiness these are not two, yet in each are contained all forms.
Once coarse and fine are seen no more, then how can there be taking sides?
The Great Way is without limit, beyond the easy and the hard.
But those who hold to narrow views are fearful and irresolute;
their frantic haste just slows them down.
If you're attached to anything, you surely will go far astray.
Just let go now of clinging mind, and all things are just as they are. In essence nothing goes or stays.
Advanced Zen
At the advanced level, we recite, daily, the entire Hsin Hsin Ming. After the verses of the intermediate level, we add:
See into the true self of things, and you're in step with the Great Way, thus walking freely, undisturbed.
But live in bondage to your thoughts, and you will be confused, unclear.
This heavy burden weighs you down, so why keep judging good or bad?
If you would walk the highest way, do not reject the sense domain.
For as it is, whole and complete, this sense world is enlightenment.
The wise do not strive after goals, but fools put themselves in bonds.
The One Way knows no diff'rences, the foolish cling to this and that.
To seek Great Mind with thinking mind is certainly a grave mistake.
From small mind comes rest and unrest, but mind awakened transcends both.
Delusion spawns dualities - these dreams are merely flowers of air - why work so hard at grasping them?
Both gain and loss and right and wrong - once and for all get rid of them.
When you no longer are asleep, all dreams will vanish by themselves.
If mind does not discriminate, all things are just as they are, as One.
To go to this mysterious Source frees us from all entanglements.
When all is seen with "equal mind," to our Self-nature we return.
This single mind goes right beyond all reasons and comparison.
Seek movement and there's no-movement, seek rest and no-rest comes instead.
When rest and no-rest cease to be, then even oneness disappears.
This ultimate finality's beyond all laws, can't be described.
With single mind one with the Way, all ego-centered strivings cease.
Doubts and confusion disappear and so true faith pervades our life.
There is no thing that clings to us and nothing that is left behind.
All's self-revealing, void and clear, without exerting power of mind.
Thought cannot reach this state of truth, here feelings are of no avail.
In this true world of Emptiness, both self and other are no more.
To enter this true empty world, immediately affirm "not-two."
In this "not-two" all is the same, with nothing separate or outside.
The wise in all times and places awaken to this primal truth.
The Way's beyond all space, all time; one instant is ten thousand years.
Not only here, not only there, truth's right before your very eyes.
Distinctions such as large and small have relevance for you no more.
The largest is the smallest, too - here limitations have no place.
What is is not, what is not is - if this is not yet clear to you, you're still far from the inner truth.
One thing is all, all things are one - know this and all's whole and complete.
When faith and Mind are not separate, and not separate are Mind and faith, this is beyond all words, all thought.
For here there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today.