Life Beyond the Image

A Question for My Peers…

2009-07-10T05:09:27Z

This is a question for fellow writers of spiritual matters, but anyone is free to comment below.

I have noticed a trend – and it is nothing earth shattering – in this world of spiritual teaching:

A man or woman may come to a realization, perhaps only a realization on a superficial level, or perhaps something deeper, then they begin to ‘teach’ it. Not that there is necessarily anything wrong with this. But it makes me wonder if enlightenment, the way that term is used by the masses, is nothing more than conformity to one’s ideals of enlightenment.

I am not against anything they are doing, and I cannot sit here and say I ‘know them’ in any intimate way. But is this all we have to look forward to? We go to listen to someone speak on a podium, we may have or may not have a realization, then we go and speak on a podium.

My big question is, In what way is this helpful to humanity?

Don’t take it as, “I am expecting there to be something or nothing there,” because that is not it. I really want to know.

How do you see this?

Are You Enlightened?

2009-07-01T02:25:19Z

This short back and forth is from a recent conversation with my friend Boosy.

TM: Stop worrying about achieving a ’silent’ mind. Stop it. Just be pleased that you were born and are able to enjoy this life.

Boosy: What about meditating to achieve a silent mind? Isn’t that the control that takes you to the next Buddha?

TM: It is all very easy to say, because we have heard this for thousands of years now. But we never take a moment to ask important questions:

What is meditation? What is a silent mind? Who is it that wishes to achieve this? Does control lead to freedom?

Why someone would want to be the next Buddha is beyond me. It is living a life handed down. It would be more helpful, more powerful, to be the first Boosy, and not the next someone else.

Boosy: Yes, I totally agree. And as to the control, understood. However I must ask, how can Boosy take Boosy to mental zenith of enlightenment?

TM: How can you be sure that there is anything else other than what you already have? Is it possible that enlightenment is nothing more than an idea handed to you by someone else? I am not saying this is the case, or that it is right or wrong. Let’s just look at this.

Most people would say that enlightenment is something they do not have but want. So they see themselves as separate from those that do ‘have’ it. How does this come about? There must be this comparison; “They are higher than me, someday I will get there, I should be there, I am at a lower level but someday I’ll be higher,” or whatever it is.

In order for this to occur there must be the two separate ideas: Over there is something, but here something is missing. So this search for wholeness is built on a foundation of separation.

If you see this, how do you approach the search for enlightenment? This is just something to consider while you work in the laboratory that is Boosy.

Boosy: I actually believe that you are born enlightened and that it is more about the awareness.

TM: You have pointed out something very important…that we are already there from the beginning. The problem may arise when someone else tells us about this enlightened state – or some other state we ‘need’ to achieve – then we decide to go looking for it. Much like the man searching for his glasses and they are on his head the whole time.

Although, this search might not begin as a search for enlightenment per se, there is this separation when we begin to seek because we feel we are not already enough.

Boosy: I look back to me as a 4 year old on the balcony laying looking into the stars…I feel then what i feel now. I am then who I am now. I would say that the search for enlightenment lies within you, and rather than the silencing of the mind, I’d opt for listening.

How do you approach your search? Do you consider yourself “enlightened”?

TM: To answer your question, there is no search here. Search in the sense of looking for something that is not here, looking for something to make ME complete, looking for something I feel is missing, and so on. There may be ‘technical’ searching when working within thought, but that is not the same as we are talking about here.

And as to your second question, never trust someone that tells you they are enlightened, for they have no idea of what is happening within themselves. (Note: see below for further discussion on this sentence. Also, Davidya has written more on this topic in his post The Goal of Enlightenment.)

If I say, “I am enlightened,” then I am dead. Once I say I’m in a particular state, an unchanging state, a finished state, then I’m dead man masquerading as a live one. Even the term ‘enlightenment’ is inadequate for the beauty of the human form, of human functioning.

And the word Enlightenment has been used to cause even more separation. It is more of the Haves and Have Nots; the Have Nots feel they need it, so they go to the person that has what they feel they need, while the Haves need their students, or those below them, otherwise no one will know they are enlightened!

Luckily, not everyone in the world is in such a state, and it really is not so difficult to see. But in order to really see this, you must dive deep into truth and forget about what you think the truth to be.

Anyway, there is NO STATE that can capture this. Humans are flowing, alive, and changing creatures, and problems arise when we force that creature into an unchanging state. If there is the total destruction of humanity, it may arise because of this mistake.

Potential Violence

2009-06-23T03:00:38Z

A message from a friend:

Whats the possibility of you two moving back to the USA? At least out of the way of North Korea’s ballistic and long range missile range. I fear that Japan will see a lot of violence if the situation keeps escalating.

Thanks for the concern. Akiko and I will stay here, though. Please don’t worry for us too much!

The problem with this kind of potential violence is it is a WORLD problem – a problem for all of humanity – and not just something for Japan and the neighboring countries to deal with. It seems more immediate for us because it is physically so close, but that does not remove the responsibility from every human being to end this violence within themselves.

Violence is, of course, a human problem. Not a nationalistic problem, religious problem, social problem, but a human problem. It is true, this violence is born from nationalistic separation, religious separation, social separation, and so on. But these systems of separation will never be able to conquer this problem they have created.

The ‘cure’ for violence is beyond its system of creation. So the responsibility is that of every human being on this beautiful planet, and the solution will not be found in another system.

This separation can only be dealt with on the individual level, if I can put it that way. It is for you, and you alone. Others may talk about it or point to it, but in the end, it will be your courage and curiosity that takes you all the way to the end.

The human race has never been away from the shadow of war. But this violence does not have to continue within any of us.

To The Student

2009-06-23T02:50:48Z

Don’t say you are ‘All One.’ That is an incredibly powerful statement. And as we go into this step by step we can see your confusion. So is the fact your confusion, or your idea of being All One? If you are All One, you would have no questions to the contrary. You would not ask a thing. So please, let’s not cover up the fact of your confusion with your idea of wholeness.

We begin with what we have. There is no shame in being confused.

Zen and the Cockroach

2009-06-23T02:37:53Z

Takuin sat in a Zen temple in Kyoto, waiting for a Zen Monk and an interesting conversation.

During his wait, he saw a little cockroach making its way across the floor. It was indecisive; move one way, go back, move one way, go back. He sat with this little creature for some time while waiting.

Then, a student of the temple walked into the room. He walked over to the roach and stepped on it.

Takuin left the temple.

On Twitter 2009-05-18

2009-05-18T05:55:00Z

Threaded comments are now available on Takuin.com….neat-o! #
Today’s Wikipedia feature article is about Takuin’s favorite painter (and one of his favorite triptychs). #
The link leads here: http://bit.ly/NFWmb #
is off to watch Kabuki at Kabuki-za… #
is off to Toyama at 5:45 AM on the bullet train. Back in 4 Days. #
Talk and worry, talk and complain, talk and worry. All one can do is listen. #
How much longer will you search? #
Let’s suppose you get your desire, through no fault of your own, and ‘become’ enlightened. What will you do with it? #
Takuin is preparing to go off to Hiroshima to the Atomic Dome and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. He leaves tomorrow. #
We explore peace by exploring violence. Violence is the fact; not non-violence. In order to have peace, we must dive into our violent nature #
is thinking on peace and violence. #
didn’t think about it until now, but he will be offline and away from an internet connection for the next 5 days. First time in years. #
will resume skype dialogs at the beginning of next month. Otherwise, send messages through the Contact page at Takuin.com. #

Traveling Japan

2009-05-11T01:31:47Z

Takuin is currently traveling throughout Japan and will be away for the next few weeks.

I’ll be in Hiroshima and will visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in addition to several other locations. Then it is off to Kyoto for a few days. Mix in some Kabuki theater, a sumo match, and a trip to Toyama and you have a pleasant journey.

And for those I have not already contacted, there will be no dialogs through skype until the end of the month. (This does not affect those I have already scheduled.)

And remember, in your quest for wholeness (as silly as that may sound), don’t forget to go out into the world to see the beautiful creations of both humanity and nature. Every moment is a moment to sit, even if you are standing.

So leave your effort behind (don’t worry, you can return to it later), walk out your front door, and take in what the world has to reveal.

Always listen, and take what is given with gratitude.

The Human Form

2009-04-25T10:37:00Z

The human form is fascinating, as are all living forms. It is within this house we sit, but there are no walls, no floor, no ceiling, and no chair to sit upon. But that is good, for we are not there either.

This body will continue to go on, until it ceases to continue.

The Grief of a Buddhist

2009-04-22T22:57:44Z

Question of the Week: 4/24 – 4/30

“How does a Buddhist deal with the process of grief and loss?”

The Dealings of a Buddhist

Why should it matter that a Buddhist needs to deal with grief? In what way is that different from the needs of a Catholic? Or an Atheist? The system one adheres to is not a significant factor, as grief may be a reality with or without a system. What matters is the grief; not YOUR grief, and not the Buddhist’s grief. Just grief.

There may be stages to this grief, or steps or processes, but all of that is after the fact analyzation. If you are a ‘Buddhist dealing with loss,’ you are already fighting through a system hoping to cope with grief; you don’t need to add to that by expecting a particular unfolding of events.

Of course, it may end up unfurling precisely in the way other’s have explained, but that is none of our concern. How it unfolds, after the fact, is important only to the analyzer hoping to use it as a tool in the future.

We’ll leave that to them.

Dealing with Grief

I am not sure that it is a matter of “dealing with” grief. This does not mean that the grief is not there. If it is there, it is there.

Takuin can remember – in the past – he would use grief as a way of feeling close to the person that had passed. It wasn’t a necessarily a conscious thought, but the need to be close fueled the grief and kept him attached to both it and the person.

Whenever Takuin would deal with grief, it was always HE and GRIEF, as if it were something apart from the self, or something that suddenly attacked without warning (there is always a warning). But now if there is grief, it is pure and free of attachment. There is nothing that solidifies it into an experience, and nothing that wishes for its continuation.

Grief without attachment is miraculous. When the feeling comes and is allowed to be as it is, there is great beauty there. There is no wasted energy trying to resist, and nothing to tell you things should be different from what they are. It is that grief – pure grief – that holds an unimaginable beauty. It is without the dirty fingers of the controller, and is a full spectrum of feeling untouched by our thoughts and desires.

Untouched grief is beautiful.

Loss

Takuin asks you this: What have YOU lost?

Someone has died. Physically, they are no longer part of this world (at least, not in the way we wish for them to be). They’ll never again call you on the phone. They’ll never again meet you for lunch. They’ll never again hold you in their arms.

Again: What have YOU lost? (Takuin is not saying you have, or have not, lost anything.)

Think of what you had while they lived, and what you now have. Tell me the difference. This has nothing to do with what you want or what you feel you should have done. Just look at it and tell me what you have now. You may be able to rattle off one hundred different things you feel YOU have lost.

But again: What have YOU lost?

I want to know.

How?

Whenever you ask this question, you give away your power to find out for yourself. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as all you want to do is program your VCR. (Do people still own VCR’s?) But why on earth, if one is serious about liberation, would anyone ever ask someone else to give it to them? I can not see the value in this.

Questions and their answers can not be separated. The answers are the questions.

Never ask how to deal with grief. Grief is there to teach you how.

What Was, and What Is

2009-04-19T07:03:56Z

This is from a current conversation happening on Facebook.

There is your ‘current life,’ and then there is the life you would like. Of the two, which one is real? Of the two, which one can you attend to NOW?

I can only relate to what is and not so much to what was or will be (in part because those states are fluid)

That is wonderful. Although I don’t refer to those states as fluid, but rather, static. What was or what will be are built from what has come before; what was is a memory, and what might be is the past projecting forward into a possible future. It is not static in the physical sense, but it is static psychologically (if that makes any sense).

In other words, it may give the illusion of fluidity, but it is akin to changing the curtains in a prison cell; it may look temporarily prettier, but the complete movement in still very limited.

All IS what is, but there is a danger there. When one wishes to capture what is as an experience to be had again, it becomes that same movement of the past. And this is a great stumbling block for millions of searchers, it seems.

Seeing what is for the first time is wonderful, but staying with it is not easy. It is much easier to stay with your memory of what is, but that has no meaning, other than the selfish comfort it provides.

Of course, none of this is meant to be right or wrong…we’re just exploring. I hope you brought your pith helmet!

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If you want to find Takuin on Facebook, he is not very difficult to locate. Just do a name search and he’ll pop up right away.

He’s also on Twitter. If you are already a member, just use @takuin. And if you’re not a member, go here.