There is a good reason for this [loss of eyebrows]. Lacking understanding, students become infatuated with them. Such [shavepates] as these are all wild fox-spirits and nature-goblins. Good students snicker and say, ‘Blind old shavepates, deluding and bewitching everyone under heaven!’ “Followers of the Way, he who is a renouncer of home must needs study the Way. Take me, for example—in bygone days I devoted myself to the vinaya and also delved into the sutras and śāstras. Later, when I realized that they were only remedies to help the world and displays of opinion, I threw them all away, and, searching for the Way, I practiced meditation. Still later I met a great teacher. Then, indeed, my dharma-eye became clear and for the first time I was able to understand all the old teachers of the world and to tell the true from the false. It is not that I understood from the moment I was born of my mother, but that, after exhaustive investigation and grinding practice, in one instant I knew for myself.
Mt commentary: Study and practice, I just cannot seem to escape this poison arrow. It is like in my blood. I try and expound a philosophy where no need to do anything is the hallmark yet here I am studying Linji and applying his words to my life. I 'practice' all this mindfulness stuff yet here I am sitting with a stopwatch counting breaths and reading sutras. There might be nothiong to do, but I practice loving kindness when the monkey is screaming ' there az bunch of assholes' why? It feels better. Is it zen? Probably not. Skillful human shit to make more happy than not happy? Yeah that is good enough. Really interested in ya'lls reaction to this excerpt by Linji. It really makes me feel more at peace with doing 'practice' whatever that actually looks like.
Submitted February 18, 2018 at 03:59AM by windDrakeHex http://ift.tt/2HlHtZP
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