Hakuin's Song of Zazen

[sschaula]

Marsha,

I laugh because I should know better. When I know the truth, why does my mind continue to run into the screen door? I've dismantled myself, the world...everything to the ultimate philosophical truth, the highest knowledge. I know the absolute truth, and yet I continue to live deluded, having to seek the truth again and again, and constantly "falling" back to my deluded life.

Yes, it is funny...in a really dry way. Of course I can laugh...I'm not so attached to myself that I take it that seriously. The truth has given me some relief.

If you are attached to all of your trials and tribulations of course you won't reach enlightenment. You'll be so busy thinking about yourself that you'll hardly have any time for the truth itself.

I want to know your opinion, Marsha...WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT?

I want to know if you agree that enlightenment is the absence of delusion in the mind? Do you agree that once a person has learned the truth, through direct experience of enlightenment, that person can be called enlightened? I want to know if you think that a person needs to be constantly absorbed in the truth, in order to be called enlightened?

Because I think a person constantly mentally integrated with the truth of reality is perfectly enlightened, and that I am not. Without a doubt I'm not that.

But have I learned the absolute truth through tearing all of existence to shreds with my blade of logic? Yes, of course. Why haven't you? We have good resources here...especially Wisdom of the Infinite. Saying that you read Nietsche doesn't win you enlightenment. Reading David's book doesn't take you to the other shore. You have to apply the knowledge...and I must be stupid for assuming that you know that, or that you'd do it.

I don't understand how you haven't attained enlightenment in the time you've been here.

[frank]

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.
faizi.

enlightenment isn't a deliberate act...the idea of arranging a self in a deliberate way via having a 'bunch of rules'...in the hope of catching 'enlightenment'...like a dreamcatcher...hehe

enlightenment shows up when you catch your act..or catch yourself...or catch yourself in the act...come to think of it your self is your act...hehehe...yeah the self is seen as the lie it is...

you don't laugh enlightenment.
enlightenment laughs you.
it's a gas.
it's a blast.
it's caused.
it's empty and meaningless.

what's for breakfast?

frank

[MKFaizi]

Frank, who is enlightened, wrote:

you don't laugh enlightenment.
enlightenment laughs you.
it's a gas.
it's a blast.
it's caused.
it's empty and meaningless.

Well, I had no idea that it was such meaningless fun. I may have actually been capable of pulling that off in eight years.

I am such a dummy. Get this -- I actually thought that enlightenment took work in the form of introspection; gathering of knowledge; questioning; relinquishing of attachment -- all forms of seriousness. Looking at this thing and that thing and thinking about things -- writing about things in such a way to question and mentally absorb. Probe earnestly. Attempt to seriously understand problems.

And here it is in a neat nutshell -- empty and meaningless!

Astonishing. I have been working ardulously for eight years for nothing. All I ever had to do was to have fun.

No damn wonder I am not enlightened. All that crap introspection and thought for nothing.

Blow me down.

Faizi

[MKFaizi]

I am definitely enlightened. In fact, I am over-qualified for enlightenment. I am somewhere along Enlightened Grade Ten; Grade Fifteen being top notch enlightened.

I had no idea that all you had to do was to have fun. I have had tons of fun. More fun than I could possibly care to talk about. I have had so much fun that I did not know how much fun I could have.

Thanks to everyone here for filling me in. To think how hard I have worked on things when such work was needless.

All I ever needed was a helium baloon. If I buy a baoon filled with helium and suck in the air to feign a giddy voice, will I be enlightened more than I am now?

Sounds like fun to me! Let's all do it!

Mass giddiness and mass enlightenment!

I am so stupid. I thought enlightenment was hard work; striving for perfection. A kind of idealism.

I may get fired tomorrow or Monday. I rebelled against my non-supervisor. The usual thing -- I was doing my job and a few other jobs. Killing myself with work. Always a mistake. Work hates those who actually work. Work loves those who suck up.

I was not disrespectful. I merely said that I could not do this one more thing that they wanted me to do. I am already stretched to breaking. They want me to audit the work of the front office people. I can barely do my job and three others.

I am at the brink. The edge.

They can fire me if they choose. I really don't give a fuck. I might have one of them borderline personality disorders.

Yeeeeeee-haaaawww!

Faizi

[Blair]

It seems to me, you have a serious chip on your shoulder Faizi, it's hardly surprising you have spent eight years floundering around in the dark to no end.

Being sarcastic and vitriolic is not noble in any way. It serves neither you nor the people you are addressing.

[David Quinn]

frank wrote:

enlightenment isn't a deliberate act...the idea of arranging a self in a deliberate way via having a 'bunch of rules'...in the hope of catching 'enlightenment'...like a dreamcatcher...hehe

enlightenment shows up when you catch your act..or catch yourself...or catch yourself in the act...come to think of it your self is your act...hehehe...yeah the self is seen as the lie it is...

These two paragraghs directly contradict each other. The first one states that enlightenment isn't a deliberate act, the second one states that it is (seeing the self as a lie).

With contradictions such as these, no wonder you keep laughing hysterically all the time. You don't use your brain, so what else can you do?

Imagine a computer malfunctioning from internal inconsistencies and having no choice but to spew out gobbledy-gook all the time. That is what your posts are like.

-

[MKFaizi]

Prince wrote:

Faizi, it's hardly surprising you have spent eight years floundering around in the dark to no end.

I have spent nearly eight years thinking and working hard.

Not sucking up to whatever 'ho comes along.

Faizi

[MKFaizi]

Prince wrote:

Being sarcastic and vitriolic is not noble in any way. It serves neither you nor the people you are addressing.

What do you know of nobility?

Define sarcasm.

How do you know that my writing does not benefit the people I am addressing? What people am I addressing?

Faizi

[DHodges]

All I ever needed was a helium baloon. If I buy a baoon filled with helium and suck in the air to feign a giddy voice, will I be enlightened more than I am now?

Based on the amount of laughing going on, I'd say nitrous oxide rather than helium.

[frank]

enlightenment isn't a deliberate act...the idea of arranging a self in a deliberate way via having a 'bunch of rules'...in the hope of catching 'enlightenment'...like a dreamcatcher...hehe

enlightenment shows up when you catch your act..or catch yourself...or catch yourself in the act...come to think of it your self is your act...hehehe...yeah the self is seen as the lie it is...

These two paragraghs directly contradict each other. The first one states that enlightenment isn't a deliberate act, the second one states that it is (seeing the self as a lie).

With contradictions such as these, no wonder you keep laughing hysterically all the time. You don't use your brain, so what else can you do?

Imagine a computer malfunctioning from internal inconsistencies and having no choice but to spew out gobbledy-gook all the time. That is what your posts are like.

Are you getting rattled Dave?
Would you like me to leave the Forum?

frank

[R. Steven Coyle]

Faizi,

We're talking about two different things. I was trying to promote Zazen -- Zen.

You're enlightenment is more blood and guts.