Hakuin's Song of Zazen

[R. Steven Coyle]

All beings by nature are Buddha,
As ice by nature is water.
Apart from water there is no ice;
Apart from beings, no Buddha.
How sad that people ignore the near
And search for truth afar:
Like someone in the midst of water
Crying out in thirst,
Like a child of a wealthy home
Wandering among the poor.
Lost on dark paths of ignorance,
We wander through the Six Worlds,
From dark path to dark path--
When shall we be freed from birth and death?
Oh, the zazen of the Mahayana!
To this the highest praise!
Devotion, repentance, training,
The many paramitas--
All have their source in zazen.
Those who try zazen even once
Wipe away beginning-less crimes.
Where are all the dark paths then?
The Pure Land itself is near.
Those who hear this truth even once
And listen with a grateful heart,
Treasuring it, revering it,
Gain blessings without end.
Much more, those who turn about
And bear witness to self-nature,
Self-nature that is no-nature,
Go far beyond mere doctrine.
Here effect and cause are the same,
The Way is neither two nor three.
With form that is no-form,
Going and coming, we are never astray,
With thought that is no-thought,
Singing and dancing are the voice of the Law.
Boundless and free is the sky of Samádhi!
Bright the full moon of wisdom!
Truly, is anything missing now?
Nirvana is right here, before our eyes,
This very place is the Lotus Land,
This very body, the Buddha

[sschaula]

Would you care talking about this poem? I'd like to know what you think of it.

[R. Steven Coyle]

Hey Scott,

Zazen is mindful study of the self. Practice of Zazen, returns the mind to its natural state, unlocking the manifold gates of The Dharma. In Buddhism Dharma stands for the teachings of the Buddha - innate within us all.

[sschaula]

What is "the self"? Is it this guy typing right now wearing a brown long sleeve shirt? Is it the one that provides thoughts, such as "Who am I?" Is it the one who witnesses these thoughts? Is it a combination of all of these things?

How does mindfully studying the self, whatever that is, return the mind to its natural state? What is the mind's natural state? Are you sure it unlocks the manifold gates of the Dharma?

I haven't ever heard of the manifold gates of the Dharma...what are they?

The manifold gates of the teachings of the Buddha...that doesn't make sense to me. What does it mean to you?

How are these gates within us all? What does it mean when they're opened?

My main question is, though, what do you think of the poem? I wasn't looking for a textbook answer on what zazen is.

[R. Steven Coyle]

What is "the self"? Is it this guy typing right now wearing a brown long sleeve shirt? Is it the one that provides thoughts, such as "Who am I?" Is it the one who witnesses these thoughts? Is it a combination of all of these things?

How does mindfully studying the self, whatever that is, return the mind to its natural state? What is the mind's natural state? Are you sure it unlocks the manifold gates of the Dharma?

I haven't ever heard of the manifold gates of the Dharma...what are they?

The manifold gates of the teachings of the Buddha...that doesn't make sense to me. What does it mean to you?

How are these gates within us all? What does it mean when they're opened?

My main question is, though, what do you think of the poem? I wasn't looking for a textbook answer on what zazen is.

Scott,

The self is A=A. Whatever appears to our mind, is the self.

The natural state of our mind is pure, and direct perception. With it, the totality of Nature, contains buddha-nature.

The manifold gates of the Dharma opens with prajna wisdom. Prajna is direct insight into the nature of reality. The gates are infinite with the utilization of emptiness (sunyata): the lack of inherent existence in all 'things'.

Buddha's teachings, all of the sutras, were complete. With sunyata, you begin to realize them for yourself. You could think of Buddha as an archetype that lies dormant in each of us.

What questions specifically do you have concerning the poem?

[sschaula]

What questions specifically do you have concerning the poem?

I'm wondering why you posted it.

[R. Steven Coyle]

It's a great poem!

[sschaula]

Have you seen the end of what this poem speaks of?

[MKFaizi]

R Crumb wrote:

It's a great poem!

That is the only reason you posted it?

I think it stinks.

I cannot believe that you only posted it because it is a great poem. No thought gleaned from it whatsoever?

I mean, this is Genius Proper not Worldy Matters. What do you think this poem has to do with enlightenment?

Faizi

[R. Steven Coyle]

I cannot believe that you only posted it because it is a great poem. No thought gleaned from it whatsoever?

I mean, this is Genius Proper not Worldy Matters. What do you think this poem has to do with enlightenment?

The message of the song is a good one: Hakuin was fully enlightened, and a great writer. My intent was to begin a dialouge concerning Zazen.

[R. Steven Coyle]

Have you seen the end of what this poem speaks of?

Yes, I have.

[bert]

All beings by nature are Buddha,
As ice by nature is water.
Apart from water there is no ice;
Apart from beings, no Buddha.
What is there to believe but in Self?
How sad that people ignore the near
And search for truth afar:
Like someone in the midst of water
Crying out in thirst,
Like a child of a wealthy home
Wandering among the poor.
This Self,how near.Simplicity I hold most precious,are not the most simple things in this world the most perfect?pure and innocent.Hence it is the source of wisdom.
Lost on dark paths of ignorance,
We wander through the Six Worlds,
From dark path to dark path--
When shall we be freed from birth and death?
this sorry mess of inequality.but let us be honest;though art "that": untouched by the six stupifiers ,supreme in freedom,most desirable.you are fire - yet you are scorched!
Oh, the zazen of the Mahayana!
To this the highest praise!
Devotion, repentance, training,
The many paramitas--
All have their source in zazen.
All should be given up for it,like the drink to the drunkard.
Those who try zazen even once
Wipe away beginning-less crimes.
Where are all the dark paths then?
The Pure Land itself is near.
Those who hear this truth even once
And listen with a grateful heart,
Treasuring it, revering it,
Gain blessings without end.
how free it is,it has no need for sovereignty.this being once reachyed is our release from time and duality.In that day there can be deliberation.
Much more, those who turn about
And bear witness to self-nature,
Self-nature that is no-nature,
Go far beyond mere doctrine.
man strives for increase.becoming heaven's slaves.Come back,your goal is a jail!turn about and you'll arrive.
Here effect and cause are the same,
The Way is neither two nor three.
Freedom from the necessity of law,realisation by the very wish.
With form that is no-form,
Going and coming, we are never astray,
With thought that is no-thought,
Singing and dancing are the voice of the Law.
(lets me think of the movie fightclub,where tyler says:I am the all singing,all dancing crap of the world.)
Boundless and free is the sky of Samádhi!
Bright the full moon of wisdom!
wisdom is exactly happiness.
Truly, is anything missing now?
Nirvana is right here, before our eyes,
This very place is the Lotus Land,
This very body, the Buddha
The symposium of self and love.O!Wise Man,Please Thyself.

[R. Steven Coyle]

The bridge at Mama, we should all cross.
A rare mother, indeed, wants a sun.
If not, there is only rubble.
The moon is not ice, it is blue ice.

[sschaula]

I guess what I meant was, do you see it constantly, Mr. Coyle?

[LooF]

The bridge at Mama, we should all cross.
A rare mother, indeed, wants a sun.
If not, there is only rubble.
The moon is not ice, it is blue ice.

what is this?

[R. Steven Coyle]

Scott,

Not 100% of the time, but the majority of the time.

[sschaula]

Same here. Lately I've been humbled by it. It's hardly an accomplishment to become enlightened, seeing as how I did it in just a couple of years. I feel like I could have done it in a split second, but sometimes it takes a long time to find the light switch in the dark.

Now I feel incredibly stupid that I'm only in truth part of the time. When I catch myself deluded, I laugh. I think, what the hell is this mind doing?

I used to think that once I knew the truth, I'd be forever changed. It did change me, but now I know that I need to forever change myself in order to truly know the truth. To speak from it.

[R. Steven Coyle]

Same here. Lately I've been humbled by it. It's hardly an accomplishment to become enlightened, seeing as how I did it in just a couple of years. I feel like I could have done it in a split second, but sometimes it takes a long time to find the light switch in the dark.

I think it is a great accomplishment to become enlightened.

When I catch myself deluded, I laugh. I think, what the hell is this mind doing?

:) I know what you mean.

I used to think that once I knew the truth, I'd be forever changed. It did change me, but now I know that I need to forever change myself in order to truly know the truth. To speak from it.

Yes, same here. Indeed we're Nature's flux.

[MKFaizi]

I had no idea there were so many enlightened people writing here. How wonderful. More the merrier, I always say.

Back in the day, people who declared themselves to be enlightened encountered challenges. Now, it's anything goes. All you have to do is waltz in and post some Hakuin this or Hakuin that and you're done. Instant enlightenment.

I think it's great.

No reason for disagreement. Lovely harmony. Everyone on the same sheet of music.

Wonderful.

If I had known eight years ago that enlightenment was so easy, I would have done it years ago. What time I have wasted in long, hard work toward a goal. All I had to do was read and post some Hakuin and I could have been done -- just like that.

Presto-changeo.

To think that I have been such an idiot that I did not know that enlightenment was not a matter of reason but magic. Well, all the credit goes to the enlightened ones.

Congratulations, you two. Wow. I feel like I'm in Vegas. Such dazzling lights.

Faizi

PS -- I am not being sarcastic in the least. I am quite sincerely amazed by the stunning achievements of these two enlightened ones -- twin Barry Bonds of the enlightenment world.

Great home runs, dudes. Spectacular. And to think that I thought enlightenment entailed hard introspective work. What a joke. All you have to do is lip sync.

Faizi

[R. Steven Coyle]

Good ear-full.

Which enlightenment do you have?

[David Quinn]

I agree that a lot of people here overestimate their attainments and suffer from delusions of grandeur.

-

[sschaula]

David, if you're enlightened than so am I. We both admit that neither of us are perfectly enlightened.

[MKFaizi]

An enlightened one wrote:

When I catch myself deluded, I laugh. I think, what the hell is this mind doing?

Amazing. You laugh?

If you can laugh, then, your delusion must not be weighty in the least. In eight years, I have not found one of my cast off delusions laughable. My experience of shedding delusion was more like a psychological debridement process -- the stripping away of one's very hide. The yanking off of every layer was quite painful. Psychic blood.

I really had no idea that one could just cast off delusions and laugh about them -- kind of like plucking one's eyebrows -- and declare the job done.

My bad.

I have spent close to eight years here in all seriousness when all I needed to do was laugh my way to enlightenment. Ha ha ha ha.

No one ever told me that it was so easy. I was always told that enlightenment was hard to achieve. I had no idea that it was a laughable matter.

Just like that. No suffering to do at all!

I left a very bloody trail for nothing. I am such a drama queen - chopping up this; disposing of that -- and all I ever had to do was laugh and quote a little Hakuin.

I was so ignorant -- gotta laugh. I thought that I had to slog through this and slog through that. Hell, I did slog through this and that -- when all I ever had to do was quote Hakuin and say that I was enlightened.

Just like that.

To think that I wasted all that time and effort for nothing when these two guys just did it kind of instantly. I was stupid enough to seriously think about Sade and Nietzche and Kierkegaard and Weininger and Schopenhauer and Spinoza; slogged through discussions of mathematics and art; battled individuals one on one; laid myself bare and open to scrutiny of all sorts; used my real name --

When all I ever had to do was use a screen name and fake it -- and declare victory.

I am astonished, really.

So many enlightened people and I am not enlightened at all. Nearly eight years of tight introspection for nothing, Swimming below surface holding my breath for nothing -- when you boys just walked on water. No challenge whatsoever.

No wonder you think you are enlightened. In your position, I would, too.

Congratulations in achieving what I have not achieved in years of hard work.

Faizi

[MKFaizi]

R Crumb wrote:

Good ear-full.

You needed a good ear-full.

Faizi

[MKFaizi]

I am currently listening to "Absolutely Free"and "Idiot Bastard's Son."

Kind of like Hakuin.

Does that mean I am enlightened?

I reckon it means I am better than enlightened by the standards here.

Pretty fucking low.

Faizi