Individuals, just as they are,
reveal the unity of Buddhas and beings,
without inside or outside.
It is wholly manifested
at this very moment,
in this very place.
Gesshu Zenji, 17th-century Zen master
At this very moment
About the Author: zenscribe
Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste.
The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.
thank you very much for your reply.
"A true witness is one with the witnessing"
There is just ‘the witnessing’ –
exactly – never looked at it that way;
in the way like ‘there is just the drawing"
or there is "just the speaking" – Or the "cleaning the carrots".
‘To witness’ can be a lot. On a lot of levels. Going from conceptual – gestalt – microgestalt ( a peace of a line , a shadow) – ‘pure observation’ – … – ?
‘Whatever arises’- can be a lot – everything at the same time – when we don’t create foreground and background…
"There are no outsiders"
in which way do you mean?
Yes Meditation – that’s a great name: clear and simple!
A witness is a subject observing an object. Separation is the very nature of the act of witnessing. A true witness is one with the witnessing.
The koan is a tool that serves to close this gap between subject and object: We are the koan.
I am not a practioner of anapanasati. But the essence is this, too: We are the breath.
There are no outsiders, thus it is essential to become aware of our dualities and include them in the panorama of the whole of life. Welcome whatever arises: This is what I call Yes Meditation.
We can only call it "ours" when we are not separate from it.
this is very important to me.
Have always had question about it.
When we are witnessing our ‘suffering/…/… ‘ (Vipassana)
we are an outsider.
??????
It is a different way as ‘entering’ our ‘suffering’ (Koan? – but I never did koan)
we become our suffering.
when you do anapanasati for ex.
mostly we are not capable to just observe our breath. We are constructing our breath. Forcing it. For our attention is not ‘awarenes’ but ‘concentation’. Not ‘being’ – observation – but ‘doing’ concentration.
It is like it is not the right tension. Mostly to much? There is no ‘lightness’ in it?It is not ‘just there’. We are grasping?
When we are just ‘realy observing’ it is just the second before we become our breath?
Why should we cultivate the outsider?
There is nothing "wrong" with separation. Or with suffering. Or with pain or joy or boredom or fear or…
We can only call it "ours" when we are not separate from it.
Perfection/nonseparation here and now is appropriate action in an imperfect world.
"Our fundamental suffering is separation."
Yes.
– This tender loneliness , mostly baried under a lot of ‘important’ ‘doing and action’ –
And no.
At the same time separation is ok. It is perfect.
Becaus it is there. It is real. It is "present". It is ours.
Our fundamental suffering is separation.
When we want a thing, any thing, there is separation. As the sixth patriarch of Zen, Hui Neng, said: From the beginning, not a thing is.
Everything is interesting. Everything is ours.
The dunghill is in bloom.
Whatever it is, just do it. What else do you have to do?
But when you "want" " some-‘thing’ " (awakening), you reject the rest?
In making a goal , your awareness is not open in the moment?
"All" projections comming up on the screen of our minds, are interesting to us? They are all perfect? Becaus they are ours – to work with? Our way? We are the way? And because everything comes from something?
Our dunghill is the food for our blossoming garden?
Pablo Picasso, the famous french bouddhist?: I do not search , I find…
An evening chant during retreats goes like this:
Let me respectfully remind you:
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by
And opportunity is lost.
Let us awaken! Awaken!
Take heed:
Do not squander your life.
Someone told me of being afraid waisting his/her time during sitting.
I wonder "how could we ever waste time?"