Zen is a spiritual challenge to live life with awareness and focus. It is not a religion but a Way of Life. Zen can be used as a Way in any religion. Zen is a training in mindful awareness during the process of day to day life. Words can't really describe Zen, but living with Zen is spiritually empowering.
The Illusion of Paradox.. Letting It BE.
Whatever is happening right now, could be a response to a past situation or indeed a past life. In Zen, it is named makyo, yet it is what is so with or without the name.. It has come to awareness therefore it is of value to see how I got it wired together in the here-now?
In reality, the past is gone, but the reactions may remain. No, it is the concept of the past being gone (or not) as the past is an illusion and an illusion cannot exist, therefore another paradox. Name it and that isn't it. Name it illusion, and drop that thought... Now what!? Sucked right into the paradox there! And further paradox...
Accept what is already being accepted. For nothing can be in awareness without such acceptance! So there is no acceptance when one already accepts!.
How do I work this out? I do not work it out! If past lives are gone - they are illusions, yet illusions are what are preventing me from awakening? If illusions are not resolved, do they not continue to influence our lives? Probably. But that too, is illusion.
If I ignore all this without looking, then that will not work. If I seek then that will not work. So, without seeking and without not-seeking... Living again with paradox.
Roles "I" Play
I know that I play a role of my own created narrative. I just need to know that I know it. I know that my narrative is created out of my identification of the body-mind. I know that night-time dreams and daily living in my "waking state" generate identical responses in my body mind. So what to do?
No "doing". Listen and watch as Self. Practice zazen. What else?
I am Self taken on human form and this "I" is nothing reasonable or intellectual, it just observes reason, knowledge or any other phenomenon. In fact it is not "it" at all! I am I. Nothing to do with the story that I have created about who I am. So who am I that contains all such narrative? Crushing the narrative won't "work" either! I still remain.
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