Dear Bill, Reba, Eileen, Gladys, Steve, KoMyo and All,
Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question, "whether there
is spirituality in Zen". A bow to you all.
Let us begin by going to the basics first. Chan is the comprehensive
name of the universe. It is an "invisible" life force manifesting and
propagates ALL "visible" phenomena, including words and concepts created
by human. The practice of Chan is to be in tune with this "everything in
the universe".
In order for us to embark on this journey, we were taught the
1. "nature of emptiness" of everything and
2. just sit.
The first is to help us not to be affected by all the "visible and
impermanent" manifestations, but not to reject or ignore anything. Too
often we become attached to what we "know" and trapped in our own
dictionary. The danger is, when we hear some term or concept foreign to
our knowledge or experience, we judge them as being empty or of no
value. If so we are attached to the concept of emptiness. My Teacher
calls this "absolute emptiness". Emptiness is the "nature" of things,
but not the things themselves.
The second practice of just sit is to help us to quiet our mind, so that
our awareness can be enhances. But not be stuck in no mind. Stucking
in no mind is also "absolute emptiness". When our awareness rises, we
will notice our thoughts, our emotions, our spirituality, our physical
conditions, our entire overall well being down to every little detail.
Therefore, spirituality, emotions, minds, feelings and sensations are
all part of Chan. Chan is about in tune with everything and not
quieting or ignoring something. All separation, no matter now little,
from life force or phenomena, is suffering. Mentally, to see the
relativity and interdependence of everything is not hard. No word, or
concept or living being can survive independent from others.
Then, how do we be in tune? Enhance our awareness is the only way. For
two thousand years, HuangDi Neijing teaches that "awareness" is support
by "chi". In other words, when we are tired, we will feel little and
unable to focus. Scientifically, awareness is just energy
synchronization. To progress in the invisible domain of energy does
require dedicated practice. In order to synchronize our own life energy
internally with the same life energy of the universe externally,
meditate diligently by purifying our mental hindrance, (everything we
know), physical hindrance(dirty chi) and spiritual hindrances(our karma)
is the only way.
Then, no matter how foreign the subject, how strange our sensations, we
can be in tune with it. After all, there is a reason for the existence
of every phenomenon. Though they are empty by nature, they are
nevertheless manifested by some life force. And they will continue to
propagate as causes and effects.
Thus, my Teacher said, "there is exquisite existence in empty forms."
Thank you for your time for reading this.
JMJM
Head Teacher
Order of Chan
--
Be Enlightened In This Life - We ALL Can
http://chanjmjm.blogspot.com
http://www.heartchan.org
