Reflection and Living Life
Reflection – 2004
Reflection... ? What is there to reflect upon? There is a Zen saying, everyday a good day. Here, good means "Good" as in the absolute - not in the conventional sense.
Quiet days continue to flow. I had trips to go here and there, New Zealand, Oregon, Alaska, Spain, etc., etc. I planted trees, cut brunches, took care of flowers, house, rabit, cats, etc. I wrote articles, etc. on the net. My family members are all in good shape. I play tennis, go fishing and hiking. What else???
A Happy New Year to all! Good day, and good life!
Kio
Reflection - 2003
Time passes, yet it also appears to be constant for some reason. Perhaps the quietude in my life makes me sense it that way. On this Christmas day, as I write this, whether it is busy or not outside, my mind is quiet. Perhaps, listening to Bach in the background helps to promote such a state of mind. If the time is constant, it does not exist, nor irrelevant, it is of no use of reflection. Yet, the ability to reflect exists in our mind as we learn to understand it. So, let my mind speak reflecting on this thing called life.
The main stream of my life is Zen as it continues to flow, as a prominent current of this universe. Some leaves floating in this stream, so to speak, are: my annual trip to New Zealand for fishing and backpacking, my son’s departure to his St. George’s boarding School, the sale of our Glebe house in Ireland, which we owned for perhaps a dozen years, and my management consulting work with some trips to Europe and parts of the U.S.
My involvement in Japanese internet was another event that I discovered last summer. I write in five topical subjects of Daisetz Suzuki, Meditation, Myokonin, Mechanism of Creativity, and the relaxed world of poems and Haiku’s. After four or five years of Net-related activities in English sites, this opened a new way to put thoughts together – all five subjects interrelated in some ways or the other. Discovery of new approach and new acquaintances makes the journey interesting.
I keep referring to old books for clarification while continuing my journey. It often creates a sense like, the truth was there before while I simply passed by it. Daisetz Suzuki once said, “It is interesting to understand more as you get old. One should live long to have such a taste.” Wondrous act, Jp. Myoyuu, of life that is he is referring to. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! Good day, good life!
Kio
Reflection - 2002
The year 2,002 has passed and 2,003 arrived as a stream continue to run in silence. After Kenji taking the SSAT test for the boarding school, he was busy writing essays during this holiday. Even I wrote an essay reflecting on Kenji’s personality as a part of application while Barbara made sure that everything is done appropriately. Other than few social gatherings, I enjoyed playing with my son the new computer games, Play Station-2, tennis and golf. Soon, we may start to take fencing together.
To reflect back the year 2,002, I found my new book not selling well - in spite of the foreword given by Dalai Lama and the praises from Stephen Covey, Mr. Cho of Toyota and many others. Perhaps business is to be looked as business and not to be mixed with spirituality (yet). Or, this was due to the lack of my command in the language. Anyway, other than a few consulting works, seminars, and three-month-help to a small start-up company, my life remained quiet.
After a few years of the journey into my inner mind, the notion of “subjectivity is truth” is felt more vividly. As my practice of meditation continues in daily life as it should, there are “life” energies felt as if they are sparks of electricity. After going through the inner search, it is like coming back to the external world again. While exhibiting a new outlook, this experience reminds me an Zen expression, “Before, there were mountains and water. After, mountains and water…”
In a week, I am to go to a 10-day meditation retreat. In February, I will be go back to New Zealand for fishing. There are various ways to express life depending on the external circumstances tied with our internal potential. Whether it is work, hobby, friendship or else, I wish the best in every one, every cell, and every trees and all to exhibit its own intrinsic nature!!!
Kio
Today is the new year's day of the year 2002. By accident, I found the file I wrote in Dec. 1999, "Reflection 1999" as attached below. Interestingly, there was not much of a difference in how I see things, life, etc. then and now. Yet, there was not a sense of disappointment at all. Rather, there was a sense of confirmation to follow the way.
The way is "May all beings be Happy." Or, I call, H-max. It is the law of the universe manifesting by itself. Yet, since it is not clear in our conscious mind, and without the eyes of wisdom, it is made such that we are put in the position to find the path every step of our life. There is a path, we can take that is in line to the way. This is dharma, law of nature, and H-max. It may be characterized as following certain stages. (The notion of the middle way may indicate the point that we go back and forth in these stages as if we are to maintain the main path. See the connection to the 10-ox-herding picture):
The process of walking on the path may bring certain symptom. For example, if correctly practiced, we will feel life's energy inside. This may be tied to our sense of being one with the mission. (Examples: Daisetz, Goenka, Matsushita, my own experience, etc.) To deal with our monkey mind, we need to be well prepared to develop skills. By practicing skills, we can help direct our precious life energy in the direction that ultimately meet the idea of H-max. (May all beings be happy.) - whatever we do, whether it is management, labor work, human relationship, etc.
Some of the findings of being on the path may be:
By practicing the way, we will find all our bodily cells, our body and mind, our behavior, society, and universe expressing the path of H-max.
May all beings be happy!!!
To end this year, highlights of my journey are summarized. (written on Dec. 10, 1999)
Bonno (delusion):
It comes and goes. Sometimes overwhelming, and other times very calm. It seems that when I let the Bonno to take care by itself, it goes away. It may be because Bonno cannot hurt anyone unless there is some identity to hurt. If there is no "self" to be protected, of course, Bonno will exhaust its energy by itself and fade away. (Bonno: delusion)
"When it is not amusing, yet, it is amusing." - Daisetz
"Thank you for letting me to have Bonno." - Myokonin
Accepting the fate:
What can I do but to accept the fate? Whatever happens in life, there is reason for it. What seems funny is that I may not fear death but may be more concerned to things seemingly unimportant, such as fixing the plumbing problem. Is it because I resigned to be bothered by the idea of death (because there is none) but to focus on things more immediate to my living? I do not know. But I feel that there is a relationship to live to accomplish the mission to what we do.
"Among good and bad, and especially because of that, we find fresh evening breeze."
o Sengai
"If we meet disaster, let us meet. If we are to die, let us die." - Ryokan
Mission:
Mission relates to the meaning in life. Mission is to be found from X- connected to the life energy, or driving force of the universe. So, as much as we let go of Bonno, and let X to sort out the important and unimportant from Jizai (free) state of memory to come up with answer every step of the way in life, we find the course of our life and therefore, mission according to X. When we see our mission coming up from the depth of our being, and connect it to our consciousness with our behavior, I believe it is when we become a true person. I still believe that it is something with H-maxium (universe).
"As we live, we die and die the total death, and do as our mind desire, that is good."
o Shido Bunan
"Unless the world as a whole can achieve happiness there is no happiness as an individual." - Kenji Miyazawa
Life Energy:
Lively living of child, like my son, is a nice specimen to watch. Life energy is felt and it does not dwell in one thing but seems to keep searching ways to express whatever creative way it can find (often disturbing to us parents but bringing smile). For kids, this may be natural. For adults, perhaps we need meditation to bring us back to the core of our existence, and functioning of the life energy to express it in the Zenki state. Some people may require more dedicated time than the other people. This may be the continuous process to be worked on as much as living with Bonno has to go on.
"Makumoso" - Mugo
Omushoju nishogo shin: "Let the mind flow freely without abiding anywhere."
- Diamond sutra
Being the Master
Mini-Company idea came very close to this statement. From business to life management (without management), one is to find the destiny and reason of existence. I preached this over many years from consciousness level. Now, it is connected to deeper level of truly being the master of any situation we are in. Problem-solving is life. Without problems, and therefore, mission, we do not have any reason to live. So, be the master, but always have deep problem-consciousness (mission). I still think that consciousness (management) and unconsciousness (Management without management) has to be connected.
"How can I command whatever happens to me?"
"By being one with whatever happens." - V. Howard p.108, Inspire yourself
"If you prove one, the other is dark." - Genjo Koan, Dogen
Catchball with X
It is my view that we go back and forth between Eden and this world. Eden is permanent, bliss, as-it-isness, or nirvana. This world is dream with pleasure, pain, and suffering. We may go back and forth between these two worlds where illusion and realization of illusion may take effect. Of course, searching for the solution/truth and getting lost in the search is possible. So, go to Zero-base mind and come back to this world, back and forth. We just have to surrender and ask X to bring us mission, creative ideas, and source of compassion.
Dharma, Zen
"There is no doctrine on the truth of enlightenment that is teachable…Truth is not expressible, nor is it something that can even be said to be or not to be."
o Diamond sutra
"If I was to express the principle of Zen, there is no way I can open my mouth and say anything about it…. Kaatz!" - p.16 Rinzai Roku- iwanami
- Zen is to realize the laws of nature and truth where there is no room for human
artificial mind to set in. Sekkei Harada p.8 Zen no Tomo Nov. 1999
Zen has nothing to do with letters, words, or sutras. It only request you to grasp the point directly and therein to find your peace abode. P.46
Passage:
My passage has been reading, meeting people, Koan, and Hishiryo. It may continue to be with Makumoso, Hishiryo, Surrendering, and noticing illusion. Nembutsu (NAM) may be a part of this. As much as karma take effected in forming self to a child to be blinded from his originally awakened mind, I may have to be reborn or die my self to live, over and over. There should be more emphasis in practice in my daily life, and work. How do I keep my course? Probably, I need a steadier heartbeat, Hishiryo/Shikan Taza for example.
"There is but one straight passage open and unobstructed through and through. This is so when you surrender all – your body, your life, and all that belongs to your inmost self. This is where you gain peace, ease, non-doing, and inexpressible delight. All sutras and Zen sayings are no more than communications of this fact… to point the way to this." P.47
About new knowledge: