Hi al,
Oh this list is nice.
Nick, I'm in the Indian Himalayas, but not so high up.
In Himachal Pradesh.
Stan, you wrote:
>Isn't one of the fundamentals of Zen practice not to
>have a goal?
Tricky stuff. Could we say that is the "aim" of zen?
I'm not being silly. I think the problem is that when
you write down zen, it's just nonsense. Maybe it is
useful to distinguish the path rom the goal. Even this
is ultimately artiicial, but anyway, I mean, it is not
natural to be enligtened - a sad act. Do you have a
goal? If not, that's fine. But I think most o us do
have goal, so thge thing is, how to reach this
goal-less state? It is quite rare or someone to be
able to just drop it all.
There was a master in India about 1800 years ago or
something, called Shantideva. In Buddhism, they say we
should be free from desire. But he made an interesting
statement. We should have desire, to become
enlightened. That is, the desire to become enligtened
is very good, and even to be cultivated. That mightr
make very good sense.
Or maybe we could think of it like this - okay we
have a goal. That motivates us to do whatever it is we
think is good - zazen, shakuhachi or whatever it is.
When we are actually doing it, we might not need the
motivation at that time, as we're doing it already. In
that moment, you may have the chance to drop all
goals. Just be doing it. Someone on the list said, do
it to do it, not to get something. I think yes,
perfest. While you're doing it, that is it. Just some
of us might need something to get us to that point.
>If one acheives an enlightened state, then one can
>decide what to do with it according to the situation
>one finds oneself in.
Yes yes, when one does. Just it might take very great
determination to get us there. That is the pont about
aspiration. We aspire to greatness, or whatever. That
is really a powerful thing.
> To have a goal or intention of saving others before
>one has acheived enlighenment is putting the cart
>before the horse.
I am very sorry for writing on this subject which I
actually do not know about. I have heard some things
from some other people. Maybe it is useful?
If one is enlightened, then one is beyond karma. That
is to say, ... well it seems that when one dies there
will be no more causes for a future birth. One's
mindstream... just doesn't continue in that way.
"Nirvana".
If you have strongly generated the Bodhichitta wish,
the wish to remain in "Samsara", returning again and
again for the sake o all sentient beings, then that
acts as the cause or future rebirth. That is, that
"ties" you to the continuation of your mindstream
reincarnating again. So you can't do it the other way
round, so it might seem.
Anyway, why else would you bother trying to get
enlightened? . . . ?
Alex:
Bamboo shakuhachi's which are nice, in Japan maybe
seem to start around 1000 US dollars and go up to
whatever! I you start on something cheap, then get a
teacher, then the teacher should be able to guide you
to a shakuhachi.
So you play xiao? Shakuachi is very different, but
xiao will give you a good head start. I you don't have
a teacher, just I should mention, to make a note
starts diferent than with xiao. With xiao, you can
start suddenly right? like "t" or "te". Wth shakuhachi
it's more like "h". Kind of just breathe! The note
starts from nothing, and goes to nothing. If you want
inspiration, look at the shape of a bamboo leaf.
> What is the significance of generating Bodhichitta?
Oh, a big question. People have answered very nicely
about it, and I don't want to confuse the issue. Hmm.
One might say that there is nothing MORE significant
in Buddhism.
I don't want to tread on anyone's toes. I don't
disagree with what anyone has sain anyway.
Dharma practise just doesn't seem to make any sense
without Bodhichitta. Yes, it is the wish to relieve
all beings from suffering. That is a vast thing. But
it's okay.
The first thing the Buddha taught was the truth of
suffering. It really is good to get an insight into
suffering. Having that, Bodhichitta follows naturally.
So it's a case of remembering that really.
Are we practising for ourselves? Really, "I" cannot be
enlightened anyway, right? You see?
Then wish this wish strong in our minds, we are ready
to start. That's when the "no-goal" stuff comes in. We
are ready, now just practise. Nothing else. Only
precisely what you are doing. Then finished, so really
give out all the benefit generated, to the benefit of
all beings. This seems to be a skillful way.
Does that answer you question?
Best wishes
Justin.
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