[excerpts from an email]
Knowing what to do is not enough, and even reading what I have to do many times over is not the same as doing it.
Confusion sometimes can be a step leading to clarity.
"Attaining this place, one's daily life is
the realisation of the ultimate reality [genjokoan]. Attaining this
place, our daily life is the realisation of the ultimate reality."
-To Forget the Self by Dogen Zenji in The Buddha and His Teachings.
Everyday questions from one's daily life have often helped unlock profound truths. Starting from Buddha finding sickness, death and asceticism on his journey on an average day. To disregard these events might not always be the wisest thing to do. However, if one is overwhelmed its not a fair place to think from, I agree. To be able to discern why the event is significant and what it teaches us, an ability to do so has to be developed through practice on a daily basis - the ability to see things as they are.
Yet, nothing is certain.
Zen says truth has nothing to do with authority,
truth has nothing to do with tradition, truth has nothing to do with the
past - truth is a radical, personal realization. You have to come to
it.
Knowledge is certain; the search for personal knowing is very, very hazardous. Nobody can guarantee it. If you ask me if I can guarantee anything, I say I cannot guarantee you anything. I can only guarantee danger, that much is certain. I can only guarantee you a long adventure with every possibility of going astray and never reaching the goal. But one thing is certain: the very search will help you to grow.
I can guarantee only growth. Danger will be there, sacrifice will be there; you will be moving every day into the unknown, into the uncharted, and there will be no map to follow, no guide to follow. Yes, there are millions of dangers and you can go astray and you can get lost, but that is the only way one grows.
Insecurity is the only way to grow, to face danger is the only way to grow, to accept the challenge of the unknown is the only way to grow.
Knowledge is certain; the search for personal knowing is very, very hazardous. Nobody can guarantee it. If you ask me if I can guarantee anything, I say I cannot guarantee you anything. I can only guarantee danger, that much is certain. I can only guarantee you a long adventure with every possibility of going astray and never reaching the goal. But one thing is certain: the very search will help you to grow.
I can guarantee only growth. Danger will be there, sacrifice will be there; you will be moving every day into the unknown, into the uncharted, and there will be no map to follow, no guide to follow. Yes, there are millions of dangers and you can go astray and you can get lost, but that is the only way one grows.
Insecurity is the only way to grow, to face danger is the only way to grow, to accept the challenge of the unknown is the only way to grow.
Osho Dang Dang Doko Dang Chapter 7
some of this juice was much needed
ReplyDeletexxo f.k