{"id":1897,"date":"2019-01-31T20:12:40","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T20:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zatma.org\/?p=1897"},"modified":"2019-01-31T20:34:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-31T20:34:00","slug":"lessons-lesson-1-where-do-i-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/?p=1897","title":{"rendered":"LESSONS – Lesson 1. Where Do I Begin?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a>\"\"<\/a><\/h4>\n

The man in the kitchen with a box on his head\u00a0 by FLY<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

WHERE DO I BEGIN?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This question is layered in that it refers to both the material realm as well as the spiritual. In this instance, I will address a method of knowing where to begin and how. In other words, the question where do I begin<\/em> is the method used to find the aim of the question. The aim in this case is \u2026a spiritual practice.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Where do I begin a spiritual practice?<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The question is determined by the object \u2013 \u00a0a spiritual practice. <\/em>\u00a0Now I think it is worthwhile to take some time to examine whether we ever asked ourselves such a question. Or did we wily-nilly, without a plan, haphazardly stumble into one.<\/h4>\n

It may seem a bit laboring to examine our tracks \u2013 but don\u2019t skip this exam. It is beneficial and eye-opening.<\/h4>\n

As an example, many of us began a spiritual or for many, a religious practice in childhood. Our families for generations were Lutheran, Jewish, Catholic, Agnostic or a number of other traditions and we were trained-up in our family\u2019s tradition to go in one direction or another. Not having a family habit is just another tradition. But at some point \u2013 hopefully, at some mature point \u2013 we come to the question on our own.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Where do I begin a spiritual practice of my own?<\/em><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Something happens and we ask that question from a very different perspective \u2013 from the place of our self in circumstance \u2013 and we ask it alone. This shift is essential for an adept \u2013 in order to get anywhere on a spiritual path, we must see where we are (alone) and we must know our aim (purpose, intention, aspiration). It does not matter whether we live alone, are married, live in a group \u2013 the question is asked alone. It is not a community question. It is not like the migratory Lemming that from instinct commits mass suicide. It is a solitary event.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Where do I begin a spiritual practice?<\/em><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Even if we think we have asked this question and answered it, it is beneficial to examine it further.<\/h4>\n

In asking this question we might see that we stumbled into a spiritual practice \u2013 some of us were pushed, shoved and dragged by circumstance; others may know something that most of us don\u2019t know and yes, there are many who have never asked this question at all. Suffering or a sense of lack is often at the root of our beginning a spiritual <\/em>search.<\/h4>\n

But it is fruitful to take the time to ask for ourselves.<\/h4>\n

If you read the historical account of sages and adepts, you might see how many sages or adepts have zig-zagged and many outstanding sages have benefited from a variety of spiritual practices.<\/h4>\n

In the Zen Buddhist tradition, this zig-zag is particularly true. Zen Buddhism does not have a set of doctrines or dogmas foisted on. If asked what does a Zen Buddhist believe, <\/em>the response is either silence or a response along the lines of I have no beliefs. <\/em>To have beliefs means you believe the mind, which is impermanent, and always changing, as the storehouse of\u00a0truth, it may know many ideas but may not be the realization of truth.<\/em><\/h4>\n

There are no set doctrines \u2013 beliefs \u2013 dogma. To practice Zen Buddhism is not a matter of belief \u2013 it is a matter of realization. Take for instance, Hui Neng the 6th<\/sup> Patriarch of our Chan lineage. It is said he was illiterate, a poor peasant who by chance happened to hear the recitation of the Diamond Sutra. It awakened him.<\/h4>\n

Whatever circumstance awakens, practice occurs. In Zen, form takes the place of belief, but even so, realization is central. \u00a0Form is useful to a point but it is not carved in stone. To ask a Zen Buddhist, \u201cDo you believe in God?\u201d is an ignorant question. If a Zen Buddhist answers, it is an ignorant answer. How is it possible to put into words the indescribable and unutterable?<\/h4>\n

And finally. Enlightenment in the simplest terms is not holding. <\/em>Think about it. Often it is stated as letting go \u00ad<\/em>but not holding <\/em>does not presuppose grasping as letting go <\/em>does. It is safe to say that letting go<\/em> is a practice and not yet enlightenment.<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Where do I begin a spiritual practice I will commit to following?<\/em><\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

To summarize \u2013 consider the question \u2013 Where do I begin a spiritual practice?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Examine how you got to where you are \u2013 the tracks that led to where you are. Be honest in your review. Is where you are, a practice that you commit to \u2013 a practice embraced with confidence? It\u2019s a question only you can answer.<\/h4>\n

Imagine the commitment of Hui Neng \u2013 he heard the Dharma from a street preacher of the Diamond Sutra \u2013 struck, he turned and followed it with a sureness in the face of whatever followed. A fearless commitment.<\/h4>\n

\"Humming<\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n

Author: FaShi Lao Yue<\/h4>\n

ZATMA is not a blog. If for some reason you need elucidation on the teaching, please contact editor at :\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n

yao.xiang.editor@gmail.com<\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This short piece is for all those who need a review or a new beginning with their practice. It is a lesson we often overlook – especially when we find ourselves confused and restless. It’s a brief piece that presses you to ask “where do I begin?” over and over again. It asks you to review and examine where you are and make a commitment – to embrace a path and follow it with surety of purpose as our dear one Hui Neng is alleged to have done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essays","category-essays-by-yao-xiang-shakya"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1897"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1916,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1897\/revisions\/1916"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zatma.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}