.. ZEN Illumination .. 「When birds sing.」

[Saga]

Hello all! I want to have a place where to talk about Zen. :3

 

 

I truly love and admire Zen Buddhism. I started my Zen journey 7-8 years ago and to be honest, at first I didn't get a thing. Not only that, I actually went criticizing some of the Zen stories through which one is supposed to learn a whole new life.

 

Basic learners and in general people that know a bit about Zen surely know that Zen is about everything and nothing;

"Desire not a single thing and you shall find happiness."

 

I remember the first time I read that line. I was at some local cafe-bar with friends. *chuckles

Yeah, I always carry some books in my bag, no idea why. I feel kind of complete(?) when I have some book/note/papers/manga/whatever to do with art and literature. So,I was drinking my tea with my friends,while we were skipping classes at the near local cafe-bar. And it was then,when I was actually reading some random page of my Zen book I was currently carrying in bag.

"Desire not a single thing and you shall find happiness."

I remember how I averted my eyes from the book to the window and blank stared.

 

My thought was 'How to not desire nothing and I find happiness?! Ain't dreams made of wishes and desires? Ain't dreams becoming reality the real happiness?!'

I put the book aside and ignored that sentence for around four years. Yeah, you read well - four years I spent over a single damn sentence,which I found for ridiculous. Of course,of course I kept reading. Some parts I agreed, to other not. It was like an inner war, you know?

 

But then one night I got angry for not getting a thing of that Zen Buddhism, I went sarcastic;

"Why should I actually think like most of the people do? Zen Buddhism is something special, Zen Buddhism has hidden wisdom, Zen Buddhism this and that. What if Zen Buddhism is actually NOTHING?!"

 

Nirvana.

 

I froze and laughed. Every single human being has their own interpreting of things and Zen is not an exception. Zen is actually the NOTHING.

 

Well, may be I sound crazily mad right now.

 

Zen can be NOTHING when you decide so, but ZEN can be EVERYTHING when you decide so as well.

 

If I am asked now what about the sentence - 'Desire not a single thing and you shall find your happiness', I must say... it's a wonderful saying.

 

Natural flow of things is the happiness, everything else is your own force to make through. Usually you feel tired and exhausted, you say 'Had enough'. But, hey, why blaming it all on life? Why you say life sucks? Who actually made you into forcing your strength to...be it, make your crush like you back; get the desired job; marry the guy of your dreams - whatever you call 'happiness'? You,yourself and no one else. Because when desire rises up,then sins arise too. To understand something, you first must drop your opinions and see through the words. Because words are most powerful weapon of humanity. And I am a young soul, I have desires too. But in the moments of breakdowns in my life, I came to understand that 'NOTHING' is a lonely thing and through loneliness and pain, one learns a lot. A whole new things, than when is happy. The irony comes now though, when I was so close to understanding that saying, I fail once again. Because of desires and my own opinion.

And even now, failing all because I stated personal opinions and Zen is all about the ''question'', not the answer. Because the answer is an individual.... may be? *grins

 

Today I read something really beautiful and I want to share it and ask you, if you saw through the words I am about to write;

"If two hands clap and make no sound, what is the sound one hand make?"

 

*smiles

Ain't it beautiful?

[miyahara_sama]

I always liked this riddle ^^

"How can you drink tea from an empty cup?"

[Saga]

Which makes me recall one story,

 

Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.

 

Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.

 

The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"

 

"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

[Aoi]

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Very interesting article! *________________*

[Leslie_LC]

I love this quote "Desire not a single thing and you shall find happiness." I have noted it down. ^_^

 

Thank you for the interesting and beautiful article, Saga-san! ^_^