Francisco Garcia Eymael wrote: > > Folks, > > Hi, how are you all? > > Sometimes, I wonder whether zazen could be described as >ceremony which main goal, counsciously or not, is to reaffirm our >collective identity as zen followers. > > No this is inaccurate. There is no goal in Zazen. Zazen is not a ceremony, Zazen has no goal. Zazen is just Zazen.
> That�s why orthodox zen teachers tell you that there is >nothing to gain from zazen. > No, the reason Zen teachers tell you this is because it is true. Zazen adds nothing to what is. It creates nothing. It will not make you better, brighter or stronger. It will not make you money, gain you power, or gain you harmony. It adds nothing. It does not make you wiser nor more enlightened. It is only being with what is already there. There is nothing wrong with what is already there. It is after all, the only thing that is. If you appear calmer, or more harmonious, or wiser, or more enlightened after Zazen it is only because this was already there, underneath our furious activity. >Zazen is only one of the ways by which >you can express your zen nature, or your identification with the >perceived Existence. > > No, zazen has nothing to do with expressing anything. You have no choice but to express your nature at all times. > If that�s true, then the hole zen practice can be seen as a >way of expressing this identification, and is consequently subject to >historical circunstances. > > The problem with this idea is that it is not true. > So, if in Eastern Asia, the monastic way was the ideal >expression of this zen nature, which will be the ideal expression in >the contemporary, industrial, western world? > > This also is not true. Many famous Zen monks left the monastery to live with beggars, or in a tree, or on a rock. Many spent years in a hut. There is no one ideal expression of "this zen nature" there has never been only one ideal. > Regards. > > Francisco > > > This is the true "Genjo Koan" is it not? What do I do right here right now? Be Well, Fudo ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give hope to a child. Helping a needy child is easier than you think. Click here to meet someone who needs your help. http://us.click.yahoo.com/.6JB_B/iJlJAA/i1hLAA/S27xlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Noble Eightfold Path: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration, Right Livelihood Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZenForum/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
