Once a year, our school celebrates Buddha's birthday. We celebrate the birth of a man who was born somewhere between 2,500 - 2,600 years ago. But the meaning of this in Zen is not celebrating a man; it's celebrating this awakening. But it's not his awakening; it's our awakening. So what is our awakening?
The nature of the Dharmas is perfect. It does not have two different aspects.
All the various Dharmas are unmoving and fundamentally still.
They are without name and form, cut off from all things.
This is understood by enlightened wisdom, and not by any other sphere.
Talking about opposite worlds or absolute world or complete world is an intellectual style where more explanation, more analysis becomes necessary. Zen only points to the moment world, the world of this moment.
While there are many approaches to practicing, practicing with a sangha — together action — is the most powerful.
It’s possible to actually see what’s happening in this very moment.
If we can see it clearly, it’s possible ti respond to it clearly.
But if we cannot see it clearly, we’ll never be able to respond to it clearly.
That's what I like about Zen: You don't have to be so smart, you don't have to memorize anything,
That's what I always like about Zen: You don’t have to be smart, you don’t have to memorize anything, you don’t even have to know anything.
You just need to wake up, just now.
Our job is to really discover what our experience is. Don’t worry too much about what Buddhism says. Use the practice to discover your own experience and use that experience to attain your true self and help all beings.
Your true self is always shining and free.
...
Only without thinking, can you return to your true self.se
