Sunday, November 28, 2010

No study

I have no time to study this days. Working in finding a work, working in developing my skills as a programmer, working in painting the bathroom, working in samsara.

I say I have no time to study and no time to practice. So when I sit, I'm worried. When I paint, I'm thinking I'd like to be "practising".

Then it happens again. Almost like a patient and compasive friend patting you softly in the back, as to wake you up: I can see the brush in my hand, my hand is white and moving up and down by the wall. There is this quality in the light, I AM PRACTICING. The wall is a book, the chair I'm standing on is my cushion, the bottom of the bucket is my teacher and he asks: "what is your practice?" And my hand answers, up and down, left and right, up and down.

Later, going for a walk, hard walk on the new snow, my nose says thanks to the cold, my chins cry in joy. The bent old tree asks again: "what is your practice?" I turn my head, three swans flying by, and I know I'm practicing, the swans can testify it.

I come home, wonderfully warm, I pick up the Dhammapada because I'm thirsty, as if had been to long away from my lover and I needed a kiss. I open the little book and read:

Those who awaken
Never rest in one place
Like swans they rise,
and leave the lake

Maybe there is no study, but there is practice

All the time

6 comments:

  1. Amen to that ^^ (nothing else to add: if you want to read something wise, go read this entry again :P)

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  2. Yea, nothing to add.
    Just this
    _/\_

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  3. Maybe the only time we're not doing Zen is when we're practising it!

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  4. A monk asked Yunmen: What is the Buddha
    Yunmen answered: a dry shit-stick!

    Wait a moment, one is to find the Buddha in a dry shit-stick and not in "practice"?
    Look at my post again, I wrote about doing things and being worrying and complaining: is that "doing zen"?
    I guess Hommer Simpson doesn't practice too much zen, is he "doing zen"? If so, "his" zen is not "my " zen and I don't want it.
    So what do you "do" to "practice" zen?

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  5. Fully immersed in discussing Zen is Zen.


    As regards Homer, fully immersed in drinking beer is Zen...but I fear he finds it hard to focus on just the one activity! Beer - nice taste! - TV - Bart - beer - peanuts, where's the peanuts? - nagging wife - beer - Lisa practising her damn sax again! - how to get the next beer from the fridge without moving? - Bart...Bart!!! - doh, get it myself - poor me - ah, beer! - TV - where's the peanuts? -...

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  6. Kai!Shin(pson) fully immersed.

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