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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 5, 2007 9:32:51 GMT 1
Yesterday, I received through the post, a hardback copy of Ch'an and Zen Teachings, Volume 3. Printed in 1962 - as a first addition, according to the information contained within the cover. I have been trying to acquire hardback copies for a number of years, and they are very rare, very expensive, or both. Just recently, two have become available over the internet, one in the UK, and one in the USA. Originally, my intention was to gather together the complete series - Vols. 1-3 - and present to Richard as a gift. He had read them years ago, possibly when they first were published, but he did not own any of the older versions. We both have the later paperback versions, and as excellent as these books are, the publishers decided to leave out various photographs in the re-prints. And I am not sure what else, if anything, is missing from the later editions. No doubt, as time goes by, and circumstance conspires with me, copies might fall into my hands. The original copies are important, as a record of the complete book, as Charles Luk intended it to be received by the general public. Charles Luk, living in exile in Hong Kong after the fall of China to the Communists, translated the texts from the original Chinese, into English, with the intention that English reading Buddhists, might be able to use the texts to accompany their meditation practice. And it was further intended that the meditator be as self-sufficient as possible, in this practice, like the Ch'an practitioners of old, who lived in quiet, remote areas. The text chosen, not only give a systematic unfolding to spiritual development, but they also present the Ch'an path of master Xu Yun and his disciple - Charles Luk. This is our lineage. Obstensibly, this is the path of the 'enlightened layperson', or more formally, the path of the Bodhisattva, as taught by Vimalakirti - the very reason why Luk chose to translate this sutra. The path is often called 'lay', to breakup the attachment to the 'ordained' path, that exists in the Minds of many practitioners. Infact, this must not be taken as being anti-ordained, far from it, many members of this path have indeed been monks, and some of those monks, have been taught by enlightened laypeople. This was the case for me. I was ordained and studying Buddhism through the ordained path, when the layman, Richard Hunn (Upasaka Wen Shu), came into my practice, and freed my Mind from its inherent attachment to both 'Buddhism', and the 'status' of the ordained path! I wrote this article out of memory for that time; The Original Buddhism ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=626The True Mind is beyond 'lay' and 'ordained'. The Mnd Ground underlies all phenomena equally. It manifests into all sorts of things, but the Mind should not be allowed to 'stop' on any single 'thing', and obscure its essence. Therefore, the Dharma is passed on, but there is no-one to receive it!
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 6, 2007 8:36:30 GMT 1
Upon a visit to London in about 2003, Richard and I were wondering around the various bookshops of the Westend, and Richard made the interesting comment that modern books on Buddhism all seemed to be 'happy, slappy', or over-emphasising a kind of mirth and merriment about life, that the true nature of life does not really merit. As if to follow the Buddhist path is easy, and that all that will happen is that you feel an innate 'urge' to smile at everything, and everyone!
This kind of apparent happiness, is nothing more, of course, than another form of delusion, masking our own inherent, and deep dissatisfaction of the world. Modern publishers, n their pursuit of blatant financial gain, attempt to 'sell' Buddhism to the masses, as somekind of 'happy pill', encased within the structure of a book. The implication being that to buy the book, is to 'buy' happiness! This could no tbe further from the truth.
The short-term satisfaction of the need to 'acquire' more material 'stuff', does not change anything within the Mind. On the contrary, when the Dharma is purchased for money, it has no value whatsoever. The Mind of the buyer has no reason to develop outside of it's own ego-boundaries. The purchasing of the object, taking presidence over any effect the object might have upon the Mind. This is because the Dharma has been reduced in this circumstance, to a mere business transaction.
This situation actually serves to encourage ignorance. When one embarks upon a transpersonal path, one has to ready to accept the consequence of that decision. The ego will try absolutely everything it can, to prevent the Mind developing beyond the ego-boundary. Every trick in the book will be used to prevetn advancement! Illusion, delusion, confusion, destress, hoelessness and dspair, are just some of the words of description that can be used to describe at least some aspects of the path. It is equally true that bliss, transcedence and sublime happiness are also available, but only after one has undergone a severe self-examination. But even these things are not really 'real', but serve to obscure the Mind Ground.
The point is this; Buddhism is not an excuse for not applying oneself to the development of one's Mind. Buddhism exists to help, guide and inspire us to change our Minds, and realise our fundamental natures. Simply purchasing a book with a cover picture of a smiling monk, does not, in itself, change anything in the Mind. Buddhism is being sold as just another 'illusion' amongst many. And such an exercise, actually makes it harder for those who really do want to train, to find proper and correct guidance. It is my experience that generally speaking, older books are far more informative, respectful and knowledgeable.
The Mind essence can not be found in a book, but the book does not exist outside of the Mind essence.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 7, 2007 11:08:08 GMT 1
The Yi Jing - Book of Changes was always a popular discussion point. Richard had apparently een working upon a translation of his own, and as far as I know, had nearly completed it. As usual, there were problems with publishers, and various issues regarding the financing of the project, etc. I asked Richard about Charles Luk's work, and Richard was of the opinion that there were further translated works, as yet unpublished. And as far as I know, the rights to this work are in the hands of either Chalres' daughter, or grand-daughter. As to Richard's work, I assume that it resides with his wife, in Japan.
I am reminded of a research probject that Richard undertook through the auspices of Oxford University. He was sponsored to travel to Switzerland, and interview Carl Jung's grand-daughter, at the family home. Whilst there, he was shown Jung's original, hand-written manuscript of his biography entitled 'Memories, Dreams and Reflections.' Only in the intended original, Jung wrote clearly about how he thought that re-birth might well be a possibility. The family, worried about his reputation within the broader academic community, had this part of the manuscript struck from that which was eventually printed. More than this however, the editor of the book, insisted on painting jung as a Christian, when infact Jung had made it blatantly clear that he had outgrown all old modes of behaviour and stale ritual, and had indeed embarked upon an amazing and extraordinary transpersonal journey of his own! Jung aspired to penetrate the mystery of the universe, that lies at the base of all human thinking and experience. To this end, he perceived a common thread running through all religions. Not only this, but he saw the relevancy of Christian teachings such as gnsoticism - which mainstream Christianity in the West, had rejected as heresy thousands of years ago. Jung was a student of the universal spirit.
This is interesting, as he wrote a personal letter to Charles Luk, while he (Jung), was on his death-bed. Richard had, of course, seen the original full version - which conveyed the fact that Jung had been reading Ch'an and Zen Teachings, Vol. I - and agreed with master Xu Yun's assessment and teaching upon the realisation of the Mind. The letter has never been released into the public domain, but mention of it did appear on the back cover of some of the paperback reprints of the series, and reads as follows;
'The book C.G. Jung was reading on his deathbed was Charles Luk's Ch'an and Zen Teachings: First Series, and he expressly asked his secretary to write to tell the author that 'He was enthusiastic....When he read what master Hsu Yun said, he sometimes felt as if he himself could have said exactly this! It was just ut!'
Unpublished letter from Dr. Marie-Louis von Franz to Charles Luk dated September 12, 1961.' (Quoted from the back-cover of Ch'an and Zen Teaching - First Series ISBN 0 7126 17 11 6)
On a slightly different, but related note, Richard purchased the entire collection of Jung's works, in English, from a Japanese bookshop who had eceived the order by mistake, many years earlier, and had not had the time to send them back! Jung's works are very large, and Richard paid about £40 for the many volumes of research.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 8, 2007 9:34:53 GMT 1
Yesterday evening, I watch the film entitled 'Tibet: The Snow Lion Roars!'. Essentially dealing with the inhuman treatment of the Tibetans, by the Communist Chinese. In the many intervfiews that the programe contained, (including, of course, His Holiness the Dalai Lama), Mr Stephen Bachelor was interviewed. Immediately, a memory was triggered of one of my many conversations with Richard.
Richard Hunn held Ch'an weeks, every so often, in a fairly regular pattern after the 1970's, up until his moving to Japan in 1991. A Ch'an week consists of a gathering of Ch'an practitioners, into one suitable place, for a prolonged session of meditation. The time can vary fron one day, to a number of weeks, with a weekend being the most common, or might I say convenient for all those who have jobs, etc.
These times of intensive enquiry into the Mind of the practitioner, are designed to achieve very definite results, within a short time period of discipline and committment. To gather up the energy, focus it to such a pure degree, that the obscuring layer of the Mind is penetrated, and the underlying Mind Ground attained. Richard liked to use the text of masterXu Yun, and found in the Ch'an and Zen Teachings, as guidance for such Ch'an sittings. Charles Luk translated a Ch'an week(s) held by master Xu Yun, on a day to day basis. This means that for each specific day, master Xu Yun gave exact and clear instruction. The guidance, is of course, universal and eternal, as it is the Mind Ground talking to the Mind Ground, and the Mind Ground does not change.
Mr Stephen Bachelor, a British Buddhist who trained in Korea, invited Richard to hold a Ch'an week in Sharpham, Devon, UK. Richard held the week of course, and enjoyed it very much. But he did say that he was not allowed to use the traditional incense! Sharpham is a college for Buddhist studies, and apparently, at least at the time Richard was there, no incense was allowed to be used.
Richard also held a Ch'an week for the Western Ch'an Fellowship. under the auspices of master Sheng Yen, and Dr John Crook of Bristol university.
Of course, when Richard was living a settled life in Norfolk, he founded the Norwich Ch'an Association - following the Chinese tradition of gathering students around you, in a local area. At his home, he often held meditation sessions, and met and guided many people. At one point, he was also on the edge of acquiring a large house in Ireland, for the express use of Ch'an meditation. This was to be a donation to him personally, from a wealthy student who was very grateful for the help Richard had given. Bearing in Mind that Richard never, on any account, ever asked anyone for payment. This never came to pass, for various reasons.
However, our place of meditation is right here, exactly where we are now Richard travelled light, and in the end, certainly travelled furthest!
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 9, 2007 8:59:00 GMT 1
And where we are, is very much defined by 'how?' we are. We may, with the right effort, create an enlightened space, wherever we happen to be, and despite prevailing circumstance.
Richard often drew inspiration from the exsamples set by such great men as master Xu Yun, but also the Ming dynasty master, Han Shan. Infact, many of the commentaries to the sutras and sastras that Charles Luk translated, were indeed written by master Han Shan - who is considered to be an enlightened being.
And at one point, Richard advised me to follow the example of master Han Shan. Charles Luk, of course, translated a version of Han Shan's biography in his book entitled 'Practical Buddhism'. This book, relatively short in nature, sums-up the Hinayana and Mahayana paths, gives a sound description of the levels of meditative attainment on the Ch'an path (including references to Western students who had got very far in their studies), and the biography of master Han Shan. This is often a good compainion to the Luk classic, 'Secrets of Chinese Meditaion', where Luk offers extracts from important sutras and other texts (the Daoist DaoDeJing is included), that clearly are designed to guide the student along the path - through constant inner and outer referencing - so that one might reflect the other, and the distinction between the two be transcended!
There is always peace, even if there appears to be turmoil. At a time of great upheavel in Richard Hunn's life, he simply said to me that he spends his time;
'Separating the Bodhi from the klesa.'
Little did I know at the time that his private life had changed dramatically and that he was, at one point, in quite desparate circumstances. As we communicated by letter at this point in our relationship, I did not know until years later, when we sat in a peaceful garden together, with a cup of tea, just how bad things had got. And yet, Richard never communicated with me with the use of chaos. He only ever emphasised the 'host', or 'Mind Ground'. Such was the goodness of his teachings.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 10, 2007 9:23:07 GMT 1
Having frequented London's Chinatown for a numbr of years, I was surprised when Richard told me about a very good spiritual bookshop not far from Gerrard's Street - the actual centre of Chinatown.
The shop - (called Watkins) - resides down a side street, the location of which, only serves to add to the sense of mystery involved in a visit! It deals in new, old and rare books of all sorts, ranging from gnostic Christianity, Sufism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Psychology, Witchcraft and new Age beliefs. There is even a resident priest, that deals with Tarot readings.
This was a favourite shop of Richard's, oth in his younger days, and latter. If we ever in the area, (usually having Dim Sum, or Chinese breakfast, we would always give Watkins a visit. The street smells of strong incense, so one knew that something 'special' was going to happen. I, of course, despite being in the area regularlyy, had never heard of it. But now, some five years or so on, it is as if I have always known about it, and make regular visits.
One book that Richard purchased from there, that he was always trying to acquire a copy of, was entitled the 'Bardas'. A book of Welsh origin I think, that is said to contain very old Celtic wisdom - that is believed to have been preserved by the 'bards' of old. The travelling soothsayers and and poets of ancient Britain. When Richard purchased the book, he was staying with me in London. I cameback oneday, and found him lying on our garden bench, in the back garden, reading the Bardas. He looked at me with a sense of utter tranquility, bordering on bliss - and said; 'I've always wanted to be a Druid. Perhaps I was one in a previous life!'
Whatever the case, that book inspired Richard in his later life. he respected the literary tradition profoundly. He loved books and the knowledge they contained. And he would often make a gift of a book he was particularly fond of - as if all the feeling of reverence he held for a text, was passed-on implicitly to the receiver, in the act of 'giving'. He valued books, enjoyed holding them and knowing that he could read from them at will, but he was also unattached to them. He would give them away at a moments notice, if he thought the receiver would benefit. And this was the case with me. After one particular visit, Richard then on to visit his parents. About a week later, a box arrived in the post, and in it was a note from Richard, and about ten different books of varying size and content. One was about the Tun Huang cave findings, another was about Wordsworth and Zen, and yet another was about the Original Confucius, etc. All carefully wrapped and packed.
Elsewhere on this website, there are links to Richard's reviews that he wrote for Amazon.com. The books included, and the views expressed, show the general reader the kind of things Richard found interesting, his views on the subject matter, and how he would try and convey the 'higher' teaching contained in the text.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 11, 2007 9:34:08 GMT 1
Richard was in Japan, when the 2002 World Cup was held there (jointly with Korea). I met him in London, in August/September of that year, and he was full of admiration for the game of football, having experienced first-hand, the greatest football tournament in the world.
This was his first visit to my home in Sutton, south London. He arrived at heathrow, and got the X27 bus from there, which at the time, stopped not far from my front door. However, Richard over-shot the stop, and I received a 'phone call that he was 'Outside a Barclays Bank', and wasn't sure where he was. My wife and i, got the local map and found at least three barclays Bank branches. We made a list, and decided to check each one, moving down the list until we found him - a process of elimnation. Bearing in-mind that it was gone 9pm, and darkness was moving in. As it transpired, the first branch we checked, there he was. Very pleased to meet us, and full of excitement.
When we got back to the house, he gave out various gifts - which included a copy fo the Heart Sutra written in Chinese, on a rectangular piece of white cotton. After eating dinner, we sat-up and talked until about 4am in the morning. But the outstanding memory of that conversation, was the unfolding of a profound humour - that was as healing (for both of us), as it was relieving of stress. Situations in life that at the time were not altogether easy to experience or accept, where somehow made irrelevant, with a sense of humour that transmutted every experience into an acceptable profoundity. As if the normal human condition of suffering, was pierced trhough, right to the other side, where the situation itself could be viewed from a totally different perspective.
This humour was freeing.
And everytime I thought Richard had gone to sleep, and quietly tried to leave the room and head to bed myself, he would suddenly say something, in answer to a question I had asked, that I thought he had not heard! He looked asleep, but somehow was able to carry-on the conversation with me. Eventually, we finally got to sleep about 4am in the morning, but Richard was up at 8am, dressed, washed, and ready to head-out into London, for a visit to Watkins bookshop.
The funny thing about Richard's character is that he could be deadly serious, and deadly 'freeing'.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 12, 2007 9:40:00 GMT 1
'What is it we use everday, but do not see?'
One hot sunny day in the late 1990's, a postcard from Japan, dropped through the letterbox, containing this sentence. Those familiar with Ch'an teaching in general, and who have been able to read both the Chinese and Japanese sources, will recognise a classic Ch'an sentence, designed to 'turn' our Minds back onto themselves, so that the essence of the Mind maybe perceived.
The above is extremely interesting. In Buddhist thinking, we have six senses - the usual five senses and the Mind, which senses thoughts and ultimately its own essence. However, the 'essence' of the Mind, underlies all the other senses - each sense, has, at its base, exactly the same essence. If you follow one sense to its ultimate origin, the Mind essence will be perceived and penetrated. Infact, in the Surangama Sutra, we find the disciples of the Lord Buddha explaining which particular 'sense' each one had used to 'turn-back' the Mind, and realise the Mind-Ground.
The Ming Ch'an master Han Shan, sat by a thundering waterfall, listening to the noise, turning back his hearing. Asking himself 'Who is hearing?' In the Surangama Sutra, it is said that turning-back the hearing, is the best and most effective method for human beings. Han Shan listened to the noise of the water-fall, until he was able to find the 'still' Mind essense, which was the base of all noise. At such a place, all is quiet, as the process of 'hearing' noise, (that is, the process of 'creating' noise, through 'hearing' noise) had not yet occured. As the Mind does not merely 'receive' incoming data in a passive manner, but actually creates the data by perceiving it. If data is not perceived, then it follows that data does not 'exist'. Acoording to the Yogacara School, and the Vijhana Alaya teaching, everything we experience, is stored in the deepest recesses of our Minds. Karmic habit, over many lifetimes, lays the blueprint for our experiences.
These karmic habits can be wiped away if we penetrate the essence. To do so, breaks the back of karma, and no new karma is made. Following sense data back to its origin, and then fully penetrating that essence, is exactly what the Ch'an method is aiming to do. Nothing more, nothing less.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 13, 2007 9:22:36 GMT 1
Richard and I, were discussing the YiJing (Book of changes), and I asked about the peculiar wording in the Wilhelm translation (and others), that described people as either superior', or 'inferior', depending upon their behaviour, and 'view' of their circumstances.
Richard, who was, at onetime, working on a translation of this ancient text said that what has come into English as 'superior' person, is a translation of the Chinese term 'chun tzu', a Confucian term meaning 'enlightened' master. Or one whose outer action, and inner thoughts are in complete accord with one another, and that both do not deviate from Heaven's design, or 'Dao', (that is, 'Way' that manifests on Earth). Heaven and Earth being the first two hexagrams in the book. All the other 62 hexagrams are a result of the merging and interaction of the first two hexagrams - and life unfolds accordingly. Becoming 'one' with this unfolding pattern, is to act inaccordance with Heaven's Will (tian-ming, lit; 'Heaven's Brightness').
So a 'chun tzu', is a person who has become aware of Heaven's pattern, and lives inaccordance with it, without the slightest deviation from it. He/she is at one with change. This led me to question the translation of the term 'inferior person'. As such a term in English, can have all sorts of unnecessary associations. Again, Richard said that lhe term used is 'Xiao Ren', and that that translates as 'small person.' Within a correct context, this can be used to refer to a child. Or, an as of yet, undeveloped person. That is, someone who has 'growing' to do. Of course, an underlying implication is that growth will happen naturally - at its own rate, but the process can be enhanced, (and therefore speeed-up) with the right focus of will.
From this, I concluded that the terms 'superior' and 'inferior' were far too harsh, and implied a more or less permanent separation between the two states. As if one were not related to the other. Whereas, all 'chun tzu' or enlightened beings, started-out as 'xiao ren' or undeveloped people - a state that might be termed 'beginner'. Richard Wilhelm, a personal friend of Carl Jung, lived and worked in China for much of his life. A German by birth, he translated the YiJing into German, and later, his German translation was translated into English. By and large, I have found his translation (as far as I know, the first 'full' translation of the entire text), to be very helpful. However, compassion should always be present. It seems that instead of 'superior' and 'inferior', the terms used in English could be 'Enlightened' and 'undeveloped', this leaves the obvious connection between the two states. And helps inspire all of those who are as yet 'undeveloped', to search for the 'enlightened' behaviour advised within the text.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 14, 2007 8:28:03 GMT 1
The stilling of the Mind, is usally accompanied by a sense of profound peace and tranquility. A sense of bliss. This is not surprising, as it can take many years to get anywhere near such a state, and then, suddenly, the 'bottom drops outs the barrel', and there is a release of psychological tension.
A breakthrough has occured. The apparent surface activity of the Mind is suddenly 'stopped'. And when this happens, what lies underneath, beyond or at the base of thought, can be clearly seen. At first, it seems like a voidness in front of the Mind's eye. This is a great relief in comparison to what has been there before, that is the constant flow of chaotic thought, with one thought conditioning the appearance of the next, in an endless stream, that happens irrespective of one's will.
Master Xu Yun referred to this attainment as 'sitting on top of a hundred foot pole.' The implication being that one is, or can become attached to this attainment, mistaking it for ful enlightenment. And become unwilling to 'let go', to advance further. When one is sat at a top of a hundred foot pole, one will grasp the pole for dear life! However, the voidness that presents itself to the Mind's eye, is only relative voidness that lack an all-embracing nature. It is two dimensional voidness, that must be transmuted into a three dimensional experience. This does not happen, if one becomes attached to a stage of training. The clue is to 'let go' of the metaphorical pole, and allows one's awareness to expand in all directions.
Awareness itself, encompasses all things, including that which does the 'seeing'. Prior to this, there was a definite 'seer', and that which was definitely 'seen'. There was an 'experiencer', and that which was 'experienced'. This dualism is transcended if one does not become attached to relative voidness that appears before the Mind's eye. This voidness only seems to exist when one closes the eyes, and looks within. When attachment to this stage is abandoned, the realisation of the empty nature of phenomena is achieved, beyond the subject-object dichotomy. And becomes the essence of one's very presense. Whether the eyes are open or not, becomes immaterial. Attainment of all-embracing emptiness is a permanent state, beyond casual circumstance.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 15, 2007 7:55:01 GMT 1
When 'stillness' has been attained, the chaos of the Mind, sinks to the bottom, and a further stage of training is required to clear it. Master Xu Yun, in his biography 'Empty Cloud', says that the Mind is like a jar of muddy water - if the jar is left to stand, eventually the water will 'clear', and the dirt will sink to the bottom. Shake the jar, and the mud resurfaces, spreading everywhere!
Richard defines klesa as 'Klesavarana or conative hindrance, the affliction of passion, be it worry, anxiety, desire, fear, etc., and whatever causes it. Usually referred to in conjunction with jneyavarana or cognitive hindrance, the mind clinging to its own power of acting and formulating.'
Or, to put it another way, klesa is when the Mind moves in such away, so as to separate the unified Mind Ground into the duality of 'subject-object'. This gives rise to the view of the world as being separate from that of the viewer, or existing 'outside' of the viewer. The apparent (delusive) gap created by the subject'object perception, is filled with worry, anxiety, desire and fear. Furthermore, despite the suffering felt by such a situation, the Mind, due to its habits over long periods of time, actually becomes attached to this deluded process and thus 'clings' to that which makes it suffer.
When the Mind is 'stilled', and the meditator receives some relief from klesa, a watchful meditation must be employed, to ensure that the muddy-water of klesa does not rise again. A gentle awareness will serve to disintegrate and dissolve any rising klesa. Klesa may come and go, but will never have the dominant position it onc did - with the Mind being by and large 'free' from its influence.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 16, 2007 8:59:48 GMT 1
Saving time, is 'being time'. Richard use to say, usually when in the middle of some rush. He use to also say it (and things similar), during seated meditation.
Being time, as opposed to 'being' through time, has always been an interesting consideration. Not only on the theoretical level - but also on the practical level. The art of Tai Chu Chuan for instance, looks exceedingly slow and graceful to the casual observer. However, anyone who has mastered the art, penetrated the surface movement with the Mind's awareness, will say that from inside the practice, it is anything but 'slow'. Time is a matter of perception, and our perception defines the world we live in.
Time and space are intimately linked. In physics, one can not exists without the other. In a very real sense, 'time' is 'space', and 'space' is 'time', but our Minds create both. The Mind Ground eminates time and space, and as such, if we perceive from the Mind Ground, time and space cease. That is, the time and space as we create/experience, ceases to dominate the way we see the world around us. Our entire conscious awareness shifts from a single, linear orientation, to a multifaceted, panaramic view, that ultimately transcends the false dichotomy of 'subject-object'.
From this, we can see that 'space' and 'time' are Mind made, even though once produced through perception, these two attributes seem to exist separate, independently, and at the sametime inherently linked together, but outside of the Mind. Becoming 'time', is to penetrate the illusion of 'separateness'.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 17, 2007 7:54:52 GMT 1
About this time last year, I became profoundly aware that Richard was very ill. I knew he was ill, but I had hoped that he might turn the corner, so to speak, and stabilise, as he always seemed to do. But I felt that now it was different. He was in Kyoto, Japan, and I was in Sutton, England, but my sense of things changing in a more or les permanent manner, was both profound and deep.
This led to an intense meditation - not forced, but gently persistant. I would find myself waking-up at odd times in the middle of the night, getting up and meditating for about an hour or so in the dark, and then going back to sleep, with no sense of tiredness in the morning. During this time, I felt connected to Richard in a profound and underlying manner. As if Mind was calling to Mind. I hoped that somewho, whilst meditating in this way, I was able to help Richard on his journey through.
I 'phoned his house a number of times, but of course Richard was in hospital, and his wife was looking after him. So I wrote a letter, in the hope that it would somehow reach him. It did not of course. He passed away, a day or so before it arrived. I was contemplating flying to Japan to see him, but circumstances moved much quicker than anticipated.
There was a much more profound interaction and connection between us both at that time, than if I had actually been by his side. We had previously discussed one or two projects he wanted me to work on in July 2006 - the last time I actually spoke to him, but this was different. And that is why there will be two versions to his passing. Both correct in there own way. One factua, and based upon what was seen at the time, within a particular phsyical space - and the other, a by and large 'unseen' version of events, that might be termed 'gnostic'. There was communication with me, but not in the usual sense. Time and space seemed not to have any hold during this time. I was in what the American Indians would call the 'sacred space'.
This developed naturally, as I was unaware that Richard had gone back to hospital so soon after going home. He had been getting ill, stabilising, and getting ill again, over the previous year. He 'phoned me the night he was diagnosed - in August 2006 - we spoke for about 3 hours. The tone of the conversation was different. He did not tell me that night, that he had just found out that he had cancer. I suspect the doctors had been frank with him, and that he knew that the prospects were not good. However, with regards to his teaching of me, it was business as usual. Richard went into a 'wrapping-up' stage with me. My physical, orthodox, and everyday training was coming to an end a new phase was beginning.
And that phase is more to do with underlying reality, than obvious reality. To what lies beneath the usually 'seen' surface of events, where time and space do not have the same tyrannical control of our being, and where we can cross planes, and sit in the centre, as the situation dictates. But this is just playing with the Mind, fiddling with perception. The essence is beyond space and time. And everything that occurs in space and time, has the same essence. During Richard's last days, we switched from the rather blatant and common-place interaction of speech and action, to one of more or less permanent communciation that is beyond the structure of communication. free from the limitations of ordinary life. Richard experienced a set of circumstances that involved a transition from one form of being, to that of another. During this process, the essence remains 'unmoved' by the circumstance of chaos. When the Mind is right, the journey is smooth.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 18, 2007 8:57:30 GMT 1
The Joy of Words
Writing is joy - so saints and scholars all pursue it. A writer makes new life in the void, Knocks on silence to make a sound, binds space and time on a sheet of silk and pours out a river from an inch-sized heart. As words give birth to words an thoughts arouse deeper thoughts, they smell like flowers giving off scent, spread like green leaves in spring; a long wind comes, whirls into a tornado of ideas, and clouds rise from the writings-brush forest.[/i]
(The Art Of Writing: By T Barnstone & Chou Ping)
Ch'an is said to be beyond words and letters, but words and letters are used in its conveyance. Ch'an is said to be beyond the six senses, but the senses are used to grasp it. Ch'an - being a 'word', is beyond itself.
And yet, Ch'an masters often made use of words, but of course, in such away that the student's attachments to perceived meanings, were cut-down as they arose. The language of the 'uncreate' may make use of words, or indeed no words. The 'hau t'ou' method of Ch'an enquiry, seeks to find the gap between thoughts, or conceptualised meanings - and once found, penetrate into its essence. Words can assist - providing they are empty of any contrived meaning.
The paradox of the general Ch'an aphorism that the method 'is beyond words and phrases', is that such an assertion is making use of exactly the same 'words and phrases' it claims to be beyond! Showing clearly that words are used to go 'beyond', and not to become stuck on, or in. The 'meaning' of words is not the issue. Meaning in this sense is purely contrived. A list of letters can form any meaning projected upon them by the human Mind, and that meaning is perpetuated through the masses by a consensus of agreement. There was atime when the word 'apple' did not exist, and therefore did not have the meaning of the fruit we call today, an 'apple'.
Chains of words create contrived meanings that obscure the Mind Essence that gives rise to language. The Ch'an method attempts to returnt he attention of the seeker to the essence of the Mind, rather than to keep the seeker's attention firmly planted on the contrived meanings of the Mind.
Language is important. The Ch'an masters knew this, and of equal importance, was the clear perception of the essence of the Mind that gives rise to language. All human language, regardless of its localised differences, is dualistic in nature, and sets one object into existence, against its opposite object. There is a constant see-sawing of contrived concepts, depending upon one another for survivial and meaning. Take one pillar of the dualism away however, and the contrived psychological structure comes crashing down. Or, in the case of Ch'an development, the master skillfully reveals the Mnd Essence to the student, by removing a pillar of obscuration, and directling the Mind of the seeker to that which lies beyond the duality of language, or 'this' versus 'that'.
The letters of Da Hui ((1088-1163) show this clearly. And letter writing has been part of many Ch'an traditions for many hundreds of years. The skillful use of words and letters to go beyond there structures is a skill of any advanced Ch'an practitioner.
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Post by Shi Da Dao on Sept 19, 2007 7:52:17 GMT 1
I have on my bookshelf, a copy of 'Wordsworth and Zen', the name of the author escapes me at this time. However, this book, along with many others, was passed to me by Richard. The books he gave me, originated from probably three sources - new books, usually in hardback, and printed in India, books from his collection in Kyoto, Japan, and books from his collection that was at his parent's home in Norfolk. The Wordsworth book was this last collection.
There are others of course, particulalry a very interesting book regarding the finds at Tun Huang. Sometimes, Richard would stop-over in Korea between flights, and he would find the odd book there, also. Needless to say, Richard had a great respect for literature. Infact, for learning in general. He was, as a consequence, very well read. And an academic of the old school.
And as he could read (and write Chinese), many texts that he possessed were in that script, or something similar. He gave me a copy of the Heart Sutra written on a cotton cloth. It is about three feet wide, and about a foot long. His intellect was very well developed, and yet he always stressed that which lay just beyond its reach and its scope.
However, he was not anti-intellectual. The spiritual path, when followed correctly, so that attainment and advancement are secured - the intellect usually becomes an incredible device for wisdom. In a sense, Richard felt that the intellect comes of age, through the spiritual. But until then, until that transformation occurs, the Mind is disparate in its many competing functions. This chaos of function is the confusion we all experience, from day to day.
The untrained intellect can not know Ch'an, it can only know things about Ch'an. And in a very real sense, when the intellect is transformed by meditation, it breaks out of the boundaries that had previoulsy defined it. Its new function is mysterious and far-reaching.
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