Ox Herding

Anniversary Week: A Clenched Fist

Here's another favorite post, one that uses a line in President Obama's inaugural address to make a much larger point. And, now that it's actually peach-eating season (at least, on the West Coast), I especially appreciate the conclusion.

In his inaugural address, President Obama said, "We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

The President's metaphor got me thinking about the various clenched fists in my life.

There's the clenched fist of protection, which limits my experience (and injures those around me). There's the clenched fist of position, which freezes my relationship to those who care about me.

There's the clenched fist of view - my inflexible ways of perceiving changing circumstance. There's the clenched fist of story - the fabrications that I cling to when things don't go my way.

Occasionally I'm able to relax one of these fists.

In these moments, I immediately experience how the world extends its hand toward me. Sometimes I return the gesture and join hands with the world. Other times, the fingers tighten back into the clench.

It's an interesting study. One thing I know for certain: It's hard to eat a peach with a clenched fist.

 

Later note:  As it turns out, Puerhan addressed exactly this topic on January 21 with one of his fine poems:

Hurt

I unclench my fist

Feel cool air on my palm

And space between my fingers

What if I unclench my heart?

Fist by Robbie Veldwijk

Peach by Kook Skatkat

Anniversary Week: The Zen of Shakespeare

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the first Ox Herding post. When I began this blog, I had no idea how important it would become to my own practice. The commitment to post every day, Monday through Friday, has forced me to look more deeply and thoroughly into my own life. What a blessing!

And this blessing pales next to the encouragemnt of many friends in near- and far-flung places, from Anacortes to Singapore to Finland. Thank you for your support, inspiration, and challenge.

This week I'll re-post my favorite posts from the last year. I hope you enjoy them! We'll start with a bit of Shakespeare.

In Act II, Scene III of Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare wrote:

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever,

One foot in sea, and one on shore,

To one thing constant never.

Then sigh not so, but let them go,

And be you blithe and bonny,

Converting all your sounds of woe

Into hey nonny nonny.

Of course, men are deceivers. Sadly, so are women.

In fact, anyone who gives themselves over to thinking and storytelling operates from delusion. Because thoughts are the real deceivers. Thoughts deceive us ever. Thoughts have one foot in sea, one on shore, and are never constant.

But if we let go of thoughts, then we will sigh no more. We will be blithe and bonny. And all our sounds of woe will convert into hey nonny nonny.

To make much ado about nothing, you might consider:

1. What lies behind sighs? When you become aware of the deep inhalation and sudden release of your precious breath, what does it signify?

2. In what situations are you "blithe and bonny?"

3. And for those of us who are Zen students: Lin-chi's "Katz!" and Shakespeare's "Hey nonny nonny!" -- Are they the same or different?

First published on August 6, 2008
Photo: Mark Santa Ana

This Lousy World

Today's video features Pema Chodron's brilliant and witty teaching on how to work with the suffering we experience in our lousy world. Please enjoy!

Thank you for reading Ox Herding. Best wishes for a lousy weekend!

Barry

New Ways to Suffer

When I first saw this New Yorker cartoon, I laughed out loud.

But with a little reflection, I thought:  What? The current suffering isn't enough?

And then I thought: Maybe not. Because we just won't stop increasing it!

Men & Gods

Do you know the primary difference between men and gods?

Gods don't think they can become men.

We so desperately seek to change our lives. If only . . . if only we had a new iPod. A new wife. Or a new mind.

An enlightened mind would be nice.

Really . . . with an enlightened mind, life would be okay!

Gods don't suffer from this particular delusion. That's what makes them gods.

Dialog from The Given Day, by Dennis Lehane
Photo by Woodly Wonderworks

Emotions

As you know, many posts on Ox Herding involve examination of various feelings, both pleasant and unpleasant. I write about this because it's a way for me to learn more about "my" mind.

But this can be a tricky process, especially when I start to believe in my feelings and emotions.

That's why I was pleased to read the following passage, written by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, in the current issue of Tricycle Magazine:

All too often we think that getting in touch with our emotions is a means of tapping into who we really are - that we've been divorced from our true nature, and that by getting back in touch with our emotions we'll reconnect with our true identity.

But your emotions are not your true nature; they're just as fabricated as anything else.

Because they're fabricated, the real issue is to learn how to fabricate them skillfully, so they don't lead to trouble and can instead lead to a trustworthy happiness.

Remember that emotions cause you to act. They're paths leading to good or bad karma. When you see them as paths, you can transform them into a path you can trust.

Source: "Head and Heart Together," Tricycle Magazine, Summer 2009
Photo: Tina Tervo

More About Mara-Nature

As a follow-up to last Wednesday's post on Mara-nature, I thought you might enjoy this passage on Mara and Kaun-yin from Original Dwelling Place, Robert Aitken, Roshi's wonderful book of essays.

Both Kuan-yin and Mara function as the Net of Indra. Each point of the net perfectly reflects each other point. Each point is a hologram.

Mara says, "All of you are me."

Kuan-yin says, "I am all of you."

It's the very same thing, except in attitude. Attitude poisons or nurtures the interbeing.

Photo: Phil Hollenback

Art As Practice

The Rev. Danny Fisher recently posted this interesting video on Korean Buddhist painting. In the video, two nuns and a monk paint a large image of Avalokitesvara in the "water-moon" incarnation. The faces of the artists, as they describe their work, bring Avalokitesvara to life.

Thank you for reading Ox Herding. Best wishes for an enjoyable weekend!

Barry

Ryokan

At the crossroads this year,
after begging all day
I lingered at the village temple.

Children gather round me and whisper,
"The crazy monk has come back to play."

My daughter, Susie, has returned to Seattle for a few weeks. Over the last few days, we've wandered galleries and bookstores, enjoying the familiarity that comes from 22 years of shared life.

But now Susie's her own person, slightly unfamiliar. She sees the world differently and offers easy disagreement. And sometimes she sees my strangeness and plays with it. Crazy old dad.

It's not a big deal. And yet . . . extraordinary!

Mara-nature

Recently I read this sentence in an essay by Robert Aitken, Roshi:

If your behavior seems strange, it is because I am not yet well
acquainted with your side of my psyche.

The world presents us with many "strange" behaviors, from rage and addiction to wisdom and compassion.

These behaviors - both afflictive and beneficial - together make up this flickering, transient thing we call the self.

I don't know about you, but I would prefer it if everyone focused on my beneficial behaviors rather than on the afflictive ones.

Unfortunately, that's not the path of practice. The Buddha confronted his afflictions - in the form of Mara - without flinching. And it was through this "coming to terms" with all aspects of Mara that he awakened.

Mara lives within each of us. We might call this our Mara-nature.

Perhaps Mara-nature is as central to our lives as Buddha-nature. The Buddha observed that Mara-nature is the boat that takes us to the other shore (okay, he didn't use the term "Mara-nature!").

I asked about this on Twitter. Puerhan responded by saying, "'Mara-nature' is when Buddha-nature is obscured, definitely available to all!"

I asked, "Then, is Buddha-nature when Mara-nature is obscured?"

Puerhan wisely returned, "Haha, does the sky ever obscure the clouds?"

Photo by Jason Hunter