Zen: It's not everywhere all at once

People often come into this forum saying they don't have to read books, Zen is everywhere.

The more experienced, who have been pwnd for that bit of ignorance, will try it another way, by saying like, "How dare you ask what Zen is in that?" They forget that Zen requires courage, and by refusing to take a position they prove themselves not only dishonest, but ignorant.

Also, master Xuefeng, on seeing a breeze stirring taro leaves, pointed them out to a student. The student said, “ I am quite frightened.” Xuefeng clucked his tongue and said, “ It’s an event in your own house; why are you afraid?” That student then had an awakening too. Since the whole time is an event in your own house, why don’t you understand? Because you wander off everywhere, you are not at home all the time. But now that you’re facing a teacher, don’t let yourself forget. This is called acting according to rea­son, knowing the ultimate within oneself.

Knowing the ultimate within oneself is how an entrance is everywhere... no knowing, no entrances.

[Xuansha] People these days, not realizing this truth, arbitrarily get involved in things, in material objects, influenced by all that is around them, fixated and bound up everywhere. Even if they understand, they find the material world a profusion o f confusion, with labels and characteristics not corresponding to realities, so they try to freeze their minds and curtail their thoughts, returning things to voidness, shutting their eyes, clearing away thoughts over and over again whenever they arise, suppressing even subtle ideas as soon as they occur.

If you aren't supposed to stop thoughts from occurring, then how reasonable is it to condemn people for daring to ask... what Zen is in that?

Submitted February 16, 2023 at 08:59AM by ewk https://ift.tt/IuLvRYK