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<\/a><\/p>\nWelcome Dear Friends.<\/p>\n
This piece may be longer than most of what ZATMA posts. But it is hot off the heart – heated up by the Divine Mother of Time – of Birth and Death – and the Truth. It may be for you and it may not be. You get to decide whether this work is for you. The Work being:\u00a0 “if you want to be free” or “if you don’t.”<\/p>\n
I know a choice is obvious but i must add that there is always the possibility for a breakthrough<\/em> – a\u00a0breakthrough out from behind the veil of ignorance.\u00a0 <\/em>With that possibility in mind, read it. What do you have to lose?<\/p>\n I wish each and every one of you good luck, the good luck of hearing the sound of the high bird that waits patiently to sing to you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I am tempted to go in many directions all at once but I know that will be too confusing. I don’t want to add to your confusion. We are confused enough. The Order is offered as a way to help you hear what is told, understand what is given and to see where you go with it on your own. For the sake of clarity and utility, I recommend you print this out.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We play at Paste<\/p>\n Till qualified, for pearl.<\/p>\n Then, drop the paste<\/p>\n And deem ourself a fool.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The shapes- though- were similar,<\/p>\n And our new hands<\/p>\n Learned Gem-tactics<\/p>\n Practicing Sands.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n I hope you have read it several times and thought about it as well. In this context, both Ming Zhen and I agree that for an indeterminable amount of time we spiritual seekers\u00a0play<\/em> at spiritual practice. As you’ll read later we enjoy and find the Zen stories entertaining, amusing and light. But as in all things, we cannot stay there although we may get stuck there. Getting stuck tends to look like dogma, doctrine and concrete. It is often laiden with judgement as in I know and you poor fool do not.<\/p>\n Don’t lose heart if you find yourself still playing with paste. It’s part of the training. Afterall, we have to start somewhere and learning fanciful Zen tales is an appealing place to start. This happens in all spiritual practices. Ancient stories and parables are taken in at the level of the listener or in this case in the hands of an unskilled but willing seeker. A spiritual kid, if you will.<\/p>\n What determines whether or not we’ve given up our childish ways with paste? A sense of being a fool. Yes. That is it. A sense that you have been playing around with spiritual pearls all the time thinking you were cool. In the know. Some think they are awake. At some point, a spiritual adept confesses being a fool. I know exactly when I confessed to my teacher. It was that part of the poem that says, deem myself a fool. <\/em>I still laugh about it. If you can’t laugh at yourself, well – that’s a sure give-away you’re still playing around with paste. Remember, however, that’s a place most of us begin. Whatever you do, don’t try to fake being a fool, or fake laughing at yourself. This is why you need a teacher; because a teacher can spot this stupidity and chicanery – and that my friend’s is a priceless gift.<\/p>\n As the poem goes on it portends to give a hint at what comes next. NEW HANDS. Yes, something happens and we realize what we have been given is a gem; a precious jewel that we play with skillfully – with wisdom – in the shifting sands of this impermanent realm. We take it seriously, but not too seriously. Notice I say take it seriously\u00a0<\/em>first…and you do this for a long time until you realize you are after all playing with sand. But don’t try to reverse these. Don’t think you’re playing with sand first. That will lead you to despair and even nihilism. No. First, take the teachings and practices seriously –\u00a0<\/em>and at some point you’re likely to see it is all sand. Always has been.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This teaching by Layman P’ang impacts how you might understand the Zen parable in the next section. Layman P’ang’s teaching is so lucid I feel as though I do not need to add anything except to encourage you to read it and take it into your life practice.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The past is already past. The present does not stay. The future is not yet come; Whatever comes to the eye, There are no commandments With empty mind truly When you can be like this, <\/p>\n \u201cWe play at<\/span> paste till qualified for pearl<\/span>,\u201d noted Emily Dickinson. The observation also applies to instructions about Zen\u2019s attitude toward life. We begin with parables that seem, to the beginner, to be such pretty little jewels. Later, when we deepen our understanding, we see them as the <\/span>glass substitutes used to acquir<\/span>e in the \u2018gem-tactics\u2019 needed for handling real pearls.<\/span><\/p>\n Early o<\/span>n<\/span> we learn ab<\/span>o<\/span>ut the monk who, while fleeing from a tiger, clings to a loose sapling on a cliff\u2019s side and sees death whether he goes up or down. Yet, he<\/span> <\/span>picks a wild strawberry and <\/span>savors its sweetness. Yes, we s<\/span>ay, we should all live in the \u2018now\u2019<\/span> <\/span>moment. But once we grow in Zen,<\/span> <\/span>the story<\/span> <\/span>loses its charm. It is no easy task to\u00a0live in the now<\/em> – to be able to concentrate and focus right where you are with what shows up, but Ming Zhen goes onto to write…we call out to the monk, “instead of picking a strawberry, scrape out a foothold for yourself!” And I add climb up, get out of there because…T<\/em><\/span>here are degrees of advancement in<\/span> <\/span>Zen\u2019s<\/span> <\/span>regimen…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Yes, there are degrees of advancement but it does not mean to skip this work of being in the present moment. Work there – work with a decision to concentrate and focus and when you are stable in doing that then, and only then, go to Part 2 where we will take up the task of advancement.<\/p>\n Image Credit: Fly, 2020 From the Bottom UP<\/p>\n The image depicts the chakra energy.<\/p>\n Author: FaShi Lao Yue<\/p>\n Image credits: Fly, 2020<\/p>\n ZATMA is not a blog.<\/p>\n \u00a0If for some reason you need elucidation on the teaching,<\/p>\nOrder of the Work. Read this first.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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We Play with Paste by Emily Dickinson 1830 – 1886<\/h4>\n
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Layman P’ang’s Teaching on Ultimate Reality \u2014 740-808<\/cite><\/h4>\n
\nDon\u2019t try to regain it.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t try to hold it from moment to moment.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t think about it
\nBeforehand.<\/p>\n
\nLeave it be.<\/p>\n
\nTo be kept,
\nThere\u2019s no filth to be cleansed.<\/p>\n
\nPenetrated, nothing remains.<\/p>\n
\nYou touch ultimate reality<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Thorn Crown Murder<\/span> \u2013 Anthony Wolff (Ming Zhen Shakya)<\/span><\/h4>\n
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