Preface: Cleary suggests that koan study can take in its method lessons from the first two cases in the mumonkoan, Case 1, Joshu's Dog, and Case 2, Hyakujo and The Fox, commonly referred to as "the fox case". I'm posting as a continuation of my post on Mu here
Also a fun glimpse back at a younger me
**This is a repost of this post with thanks to original OP.
Source: Introduction to "No Barrier: Unlocking the Zen Koan", Thomas Cleary, Bantam Books, New York, 1993.
Step One
Read only the original koans, statements, and verses through, in order. Do not read the translation explanations. Do not try to interpret or remember anything you read. Do not bother making any personal judgements or comparisons.
Note that this manner of reading, far from being the simpleminded mechanical performance it would appear, is itself a fairly difficult Zen exercise in master of attention: Therefore it is useful to carry it out with care even if the final purpose and meaning are not immediately evident.
One meaning of this admonition is that it is definitely counterproductive to expect to understand everything at once. Koans are geared to incite feelings of frustration in the arrogant, impatient, possessive part of the psyche, in order to expose the doings of this inner tyrant.
Fortunately, Zen practice provides something much more positive than confusion and worry. As you read the koans and comments, when thoughts occur to you, whether they be random, confused, or insightful, immediately think "No!" and do not pursue them. This is the traditional Zen initiatory exercise of the first koan, which you are now setting in the total design of the whole mandala of koans by viewing them all in this particular manner.
Try to read two koans per day in this way, one in the morning and one at night, calling No to mind as you read the koans, and also from time to time throughout the day. (Note that due to the possibility of distraction or oblivion in those who have not yet mastered attention, this particular exercise is not well suited for beginners when involved in hazardous tasks, such as operating heavy machinery; the second koan is much better in such cases.) At this stage, read the koans in the order they are presented in the book, pairing successive koans in daily readings.
Step Two
Now, instead of recalling No! practice focusing attention on the total perception of the immediate present: Take in the whole scene before you at once, again without making any judgements or comparisons, just as if your mind were simply a mirror impartially reflecting whatever comes before it. This is basic concentration on Not blind to causality according to the second koan.
Read through the koans again, as described in the first step, but this time switch the mind to focus on the immediate present whenever you notice thoughts arising. Not blind may be used even in the course of intricate or dangerous tasks, provided you get the proper focus: Make sure you can do it in simple activities before you try it during more complex occupations.
Step Three
Returning to the recollection of No! for home base, read through the koans again in the same order and manner, but this time with the explanations. Try to work through all the perceptual shifts and other exercises outlined, immediately remembering No! whenever you lose the thread.
Step Four
Repeat step three, using the recollection of Not blind for home base. Read the koans, comments, verses, and explanations, using Not blind to reorient yourself whenever necessary as you work through the exercises.
Step Five
Read the book freely now, shifting back and forth between No and Not blind fluidly and accurately according to the emphasis of each koan, to which the foregoing readings are calculated to have sensitized your mind. The purpose of this final step is to cultivate the ability to experience the consciousness of No and Not blind simultaneously, yet to also be able to shift back and forth at will to focus on either one, according to need: the purifying and awakening function of No, or the clarifying and enlightening function of Not blind.
wrrdgrrl: This practice is like floating on a raft while wrestling a cobra. One hand holds the writhing snake, the other steadies the raft against tipping. Even on a placid lake there are still the mildest of ripples.
Recently, I had an exchange with a radical meditator where my opinion on quieting the mind in a monastic setting was misunderstood by one or more readers. Since then I've been grappling with this snake hissing in my ear that there's a way I can clearly articulate my sentiments in a way that will result in a consensus. Even as I type this out I can see how indulgent that path of thought is.
When I read Cleary's "unschooled" method of reading/study, a bell sounded within, and I felt compelled to share with the forum to further advance my desire to obtain validation of my feeling that unstructured practice is more authentic than the mimicry of ancient monastics. Though this selection appears to adhere to a series of steps to be followed in sequence, I don't equate that to the practices that prescribe person, posture, and place. For this selfish action I am only moderately ashamed, yet fearless in that way of one whose post may likely get removed by mods for not explicitly quoting a zen master.
Aside from generating topical engagement that does not exclude ripping my argumant to shreds, my wish is for someone else to discover this illuminating text by Thomas Cleary, enhance their readings, and enrich their own mastery of snake wrangling. Each of us is alike in this activity, even if prescribed methods differ. 🐍
Submitted April 07, 2023 at 09:02PM by wrrdgrrI https://ift.tt/k0m5YJj
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