I believe that many of us in the community can directly benefit from engaging in the ancient practice known in Zen Buddhism as Dharma dueling, or Dharma combat. To explain, Dharma dueling is where there is a meeting of two minds actively in the forum or real life, with each participant testing and reacting to the others depth and understanding of what Zen and the Dharma is. I have seen that Dharma dueling seems to have a negative connotation here, but contrary to popular belief, I believe that this Dharma combat is not a malicious or unkind act but one of purity, sharing and compassion. It can be a vast resource of knowledge and understanding the Dharma if practiced properly.
I have engaged in Dharma combat with several participants here over time, and I fully believe that it is a beneficial and benevolent action that deepens the awareness and mindfulness of the participants when utilized properly. Bear in mind, participating in this forum over the past few weeks has deepened my own understanding of Zen, of which Dharma dueling played a crucial part among other benefits in bringing about my third and most recent powerful insight. This has great value; Dharma dueling can enhance your practice in that it brings all of your skills to the arena and enhances them each time. There is something to be learned and gained from each duel. Zazen, mindfulness and the study of the Zen texts all play a crucial part and Dharma dueling allows these practices to be utilized directly in one lively engagement. If both participants engage in dharma combat with open minds and are willing to learn, both participants always come away with a greater understanding of Zen and the Dharma itself.
There really are no rules with Dharma dueling if one participates with an open mind, but I have compiled several of my own techniques and understandings of it here. If you have ever witnessed Dharma dueling, you may have noticed that there are "high form statements" and "low form statements". The "low form" expresses matters concerning the real and actual world, like using keys for doors or simply reading a book. The "high form" is in all matters concerning Zen, the Buddha, buddha-nature, oneness and so on. You have to know something about the Dharma and possibly have experienced a deep insight or have read a lot about Zen to pull the "high form" off successfully. You can do anything you wish with the "high form" once you know how, such as ride dragons, smash doors with iron fists and so on.
One crucial advanced technique in Dharma dueling is when a participant mixes and combines the "high form" with the "low form" in order to strike with the "middle form". The "middle form" is where things can get really interesting, because higher Zen terminology is mixed in with lower form concepts to engage the opponent. In the "middle form," a simple key could be viewed as the Mind, while a door can represent a barrier or ignorance. It all depends on what you say and how you form your statements and questions. The "middle form" allows nearly anything to happen in a duel and can change the engagement completely. In conclusion, I fully recommend Dharma dueling to the entire Zen community and hope that this thread encourages you to participate. Just remember the necessary etiquette of gaining permission to engage with a potential opponent and then you are on your way! The benefits of Dharma dueling are numerous; this ancient practice is the ultimate Zen form of chess, where both opponents learn and come away with a deeper understanding of the Dharma with every match.
THE BLADE OF A SWORD, A small excerpt from HAGAKURE, The Book of the Samurai by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. I have added this small excerpt to potentially elucidate some of the fine benefits of Dharma dueling; please take special note of the intended metaphors involved:
A certain person said the following.
There are two kinds of dispositions, inward and outward, and a person who is lacking in one or the other is worthless. It is, for example, like the blade of a sword, which one should sharpen well and then put in its scabbard, periodically taking it out and knitting one's eyebrows as in an attack, wiping off the blade, and then placing it in its scabbard again.
If a person has his sword out all the time, he is habitually swinging a naked blade; people will not approach him and he will have no allies. If a sword is always sheathed, it will become rusty, the blade will dull, and people will think as much of its owner.
Submitted January 26, 2018 at 09:16PM by WanderingRonin77 http://ift.tt/2neUmMc
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