At age 75 it is time for this mystic to reflect on the Buddhist practice that started about eight years ago. One of my friends has told me that I have always been a Buddhist! This piece is about observing aspects of practice, self and others. It is a broad overview. My intention is to follow-up, in a part two, addressing in more depth which teachings are “alive” for this mystic and techniques that have changed my view and/or approach to suffering over the years. It seems like we learn and change each to our own capacity. This is why it has been said that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, used different approaches of instruction, through skillful means, delivering the “medicine” that each person needed. Our differences are due to causes and conditions, both recent and stemming back eons. Eastern disciplines describe our life circumstances and life path as one influenced by “karma,” our past actions as they have intersected with others and the universe. As there is no current scientific explanation of how karma might work, it is just important to know that our lives are the product of past events, and most essentially, to realize that our actions at any moment propel us forward and shape our “trajectory,” both individually and collectively.
Spiritual curiosity is a deep human trait, and may be expressed by participating in formal religious venues or might simply be woven into many different personal actions and activities without any formal commitment to an institutional religious practice. People come to the Zen center to which I belong to for a number of reasons. A primary one, especially in these times, is to seek “relief,” or piece of mind – not that life can’t be amazing and beautiful. If this mystic may project his own opinion, what they will learn is that this piece of mind or cessation of suffering is relieved by understanding that our own minds cause the suffering (and that does not imply that external shit does not happen, on the contrary does it ever!) As Shunryu Zuzuki writes in Zen Mind, Beginners Mind: “Nothing outside yourself can cause trouble. You yourself make the waves in your mind. If you leave your mind as it is, it will become calm. This mind is called Big Mind.” One of the Buddhist precept commentaries describes our world as “inexplicable.” For this mystic and quite a few, the draw to Zen or Buddhism is due to a deep spiritual question regarding the nature of this “inexplicability.” Additionally, people come to spiritual practice, regardless of the religion, because they sense that there is a certain incompleteness to ordinary life (lack of “real” purpose). Their spiritual interest may also be due to personal trauma, depression, addiction, etc., or perhaps a desire to expose family to ethics and morality and/or to some combination of cultivating spiritual discipline and calming/enriching their lives. Note that trauma can include aging and all the loses that are associated with that. Trauma is dynamic and changes over time. Note that among some social circles, religious affiliation may mainly be about conforming to norms and it is “just done.”
In Buddhism, the teachings fundamentally do this: they explanation how suffering occurs in our lives and provide a means, a series of practices, to relieve that suffering. Buddhism, has a monastic aspect and a lay aspect. One of the things that is really important to understand is that lay practitioners will not be exposed to the level or intensity of monastic practice. Intense practice is correlated with relief from suffering over time. Of course, sometimes lay practitioners take up residency or monastic pursuits. At the Zen Center people may show up for only a short period of time. It is said that quite a few leave after a year, other in about three or four years. Maybe the practice or environment is not what they are looking for, which simply shows that Zen or any religion is not a panacea (and people have preexisting ideas). Results from suffering are seldom instant. Looking at some departures, from a positive viewpoint, suggests that they maybe they got what they were looking for and can now move on. Overall, one can argue that the benefits of intense practice, monastic or dedicated ascetic practice, can lead to greater spiritual “rewards.” But then again, we are all different and it is only in the external behavior of a person can we begin to ascertain the effect of any sustained spiritual practice. Stepping back a bit, we can find all sorts of amazing people in this world, regardless of obvious spiritual affiliations, so again, karma or a set of causes and conditions shape the nature of an individual. One thing this mystic would say is that I have a lot of respect for the monks at the Zen Center who exhibit kind, loving, helpful and calm behavior. They serve as positive role models and examples of what training can do, at least for this mystic. We can also study the enlightenment experiences of great masters and the teaching of various saints and masters. That there is something to “awakening to spiritual truths,” and more importantly embodying them or being actualized by them seems clear to this mystic.
Reflecting, my ego really wanted “enlightenment.” So, these eight years have been a good lesson. The “ego” cannot “get” enlightenment! Many of the teaching seemed very exciting when I came to the Zen Center (many still are). There was lots of intoxication! Recently, and partially why this piece is being written, I have gone back to examining the basics of the practice. The basics are not so “sexy” but very important. Buddhist practice and its teachings have been likened to a three-legged stool. The three legs are the teaching themselves (distilled to the four noble truths and the eight fold path), precepts and meditation.
Almost all branches of Buddhism have some form of precepts, or ethical and moral guidelines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_precepts. Ironically we discover that they cannot be kept completely and that the refer to not only physical practices but mental ones as well. Do not kill, steal, covet, lie and do not become intoxicated have a much deeper meaning. In Soto Zen, a Japanese originating form of Mahayana Buddhism, there are sixteen precepts. Interestingly they include the three refuges (taking refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha) the three pure precepts (cease from evil or release all self-attachment, do only good, and do good for others), and the ten grave precepts which are an extended take on the five fundamental precepts.
The third leg of the stool is meditation. This involves both concentration and mindfulness. In Zen, the type of meditation done is Zazen, also know as “just sitting,” objectless/formless meditation or “serene reflection.” One of the best description of it is this short recording from the Shasta Abbey: Serene Reflection Meditation Rev. Master Meian Elbert 07-26-12 29 min/10 MB. We can think of meditation as the process of exercising a muscle – the continual letting go of thoughts and distractions, sometimes facing with courage our fundamental fears, regrets and causes of suffering until they vanish, and sometimes forgetting the small self completely. The goal of meditation itself is not to achieve some great spiritual experience, but if it comes (kensho experience using Japanses Zen terminology) great! The benefit of meditation over time is a calmer mind, and seeing clearly. This doubles back to seeing our actions in a clearer, realistic and less judging way which directly links meditation with precept practice. In turn, one’s wholesome behavior extends out to others.
With regard to the teaching, since that Buddha’s Parinirvana, some 2500 years ago, the teachings have flourished. They have evolved and taken on the flavor, culture and philosophy of the places where the teachings have travelled to (think of it as a two-way street or a continued exchange of spiritual teachings between cultures.) This dynamism is happening in the United States currently. This explains the many so-called flavors or Buddhism. Here is a wiki link on the schools of Buddhism. Many of the teachings can be spiritually exciting and uplifting. This is a motivator! Teachings include Buddhist scripture, called the Sutras (Suttas in Pali) and many brands of teaching, from those in the Pali Canon associated with Theravadan Buddhism to Wisdom Sutras and Mahayana Buddhism (including the Zen and Rinzai School). Rounding out other main branches of Buddhism, all of which have a Mahayana flavor are Vajrayana (primarily Tibetan originating), Pure Land and Nichirin. While Vajrayana is more esoteric and metaphysical in nature, the two latter branches are fundamentally devotional. Probably the easiest to read and perhaps best understood by westerners are the many contemporary Buddhist commentary style books (blogs, videos, etc) including the prolific works of Thich Nhat Hahn and the insightful teachings of Shunryu Suzuki.
Now a bit about the personal dynamics of practice (approaches to practice). Quite a few individuals are initially drawn to the Zen Center due to those individuals’ “disappointment” with previous exposure to Christian church practice. However, many newcomers may initially be quite shocked to see even lay practitioners in black robes and a service that is structured around many rituals and forms, including bowing. As it turns out the bowing is an expression of humility, surrender and acceptance, not worship of a Buddha. But regardless, all Buddhist religions have a structure and a set of practices. The Japanese words, Jiriki and Tariki refer to “self-power” and “other-power” respectively. The pure practice of Zen, just sitting, just being mindful… is an example of self-power, whereas Tariki invokes help from the outside. Tariki, in its most apparent form would capture the practice approach of the Pure Land Buddhist sect who ubiquitously chant the name of Amitabha Buddha, or “Buddha of Infinite Light and Life,” chanting (in Japanese) “Namu Amida Butsu.” Shunryu Zuzuki describes Zen practice akin to the continuous and ever refined practice of baking bread, over and over again, until it is just right. This is Jiriki. Here is a nice short piece explaining how one Buddhist teacher used both methods. I’d say it is illusion to think we can really do it alone, as even the historic Buddha, while devoted to intense and isolated practice, previously studied under a number of wise teachers and near the moment of his awakening invoked the earth itself as his witness and supporter.
Buddhist practice in America can be all over the place and at times can almost be a form of escapism, which is a trap (says this Mystic). From this perspective, fundamentals of practice and a grounded understanding of what the heck we are doing can be helpful. The Shushogi is a compilation of Great Master Dogen’s ideas, put together by the Soto Zen school in Japan early in the last century. Shushogi is formally recognized as an accepted Soto Zen text by the Japanese Soto Zen community and the title can be translated as The Meaning of Practice and Verification. This relatively short document maps out the basics in five short chapters, namely General introduction to Buddhism (i.e. why practice?), The importance of reflection and repentance or contrition, Taking the precepts and maintaining wholesome conduct, The Aspiration for Enlightenment and Helping Others and Practice and Gratitude. You can find it here.
A very helpful commentary providing perspective on this document for western practitioners is in a blog site, subject labeled The Shushogi: the forgotten Zen text. Here is a quote: “Speaking as someone who is a working parent and lousy meditation-practitioner, the Shushogi is a gentle and welcoming approach to Zen that is at once familiar, and at the same time inspiring. If you’ve been turned off by Zen or meditation in the past, take a step back and read the Shushogi. It’s an odd-duck in the tradition of Zen, yet at the same time, I can see why Zen followers in Japan have so often embraced it.”
The reason this mystic has introduced the Shushogi, distilled fundamental ideas from Zen master Dogen, is to illustrate that study, practice and aspiration for enlightenment are pretty complex. We have to return again and again back to the starting point of our practice, like the baking bread analogy from Suzuki. Certainly, Zen practice, and meditation can be pretty “heady.” My spouse, a lovely non-Buddhist person points out that from initial observation, Buddhists tend to spend a lot of time in their heads, dealing with their mind. Maybe stepping back to see the forest for the trees is a good thing.
Little Known Mystic 