Hard Ass Zen

Blasting holes by misunderstandings as well as clingings is a informed tactic found in a Zen stories of old. Teachers as well as students infrequently appear to be locked in a duel, shouting down a single make a difference after an additional as off a mark. Certainly, this approach can be exactly a medicine any of us needs during a little vicious indicate in a lives. And it's additionally true which a fiercely thrown knowledge shaft can be extremely helpful in trenchant collective lies as well as falsehoods as well.

Most of a time though, those of us trying to act a tough ass, similar to aged Nanchuan a cat cutter, for example, fall flat upon a faces. Not usually does a bid done miss a mark, though infrequently it's so crude which a lot of people suffer.

The Zennist's posts newly have been using tough donkey upon Soto Zen practitioners. In my opinion, a little of a critiques he offers have been very useful, as well as worth considering. However, afterwards there have been lines similar to these:

The initial oxherding design concerns a adept who is in a hold up as well as genocide poke for Bodhicittanot only behaving similar to a little competitor blockhead receiving Jukai in a Soto Zen core determined to Bodhicitta as if this were all there was to a matter. A genuine votary of Buddhism, similar to a oxherd boy, discerns fully (hence wisdom) they have mislaid something dear as well as vital. What they have been acid for is their mislaid Buddha-nature or comprehensive Mind which hides in a jungle of a ordinary deluded mind.

Dude. Where's my blockhead cap?

Seems to me which there's a ruin of a lot of competitor blockhead in most of us, whether a donkey is upon fire acid for a truth, or we're only fumbling about in spiritual la la land. Confidence slides into arrogance rsther than quickly, generally when making comments about a validity of other people's ways of accessing a tr! uths of this life. I've crossed this line before, as well as substantially will do so again, so this post is a check upon myself as well.

Along these lines, there is a following post by Uku about a Blogisattva Awards. While you can conclude a little of a view (i.e. what's a indicate of blogging contests), a level of angst feels quite misplaced:


I assimilate it's a good event to nominate wonderful bloggers though you do not see those finalists under-read. And listen folks, you do not have zero personal in this. I'm not against bloggers or blogs, not during all. I'm against contests. you find it silly when people have been putting all those badges "oooh, I'm a finalist!" in their blogs as well as posting blog posts "ooh, I'm nominated!". Yeah, I'm a hypocrit right now whilst acclaiming which in my little Buddhist bubble contests have been flattering stupid. you do not think this world needs celebrity-awards-contests-glamour-shit. you find those Buddhist blog contests to be very lame. Who's got a biggest dick? Well, not me.

Here's a thing. Had there been a multiform month period of ongoing speak as well as announcements leading up to a Blogisattva Awards, afterwards a dressing down would have been appropriate. Like Uku, you have a deep distaste for a commercialization as well as glamorizing of sure aspects of Buddhism, as well as sure teachers. And a little of it calls onward a need for fierce response, even if which reply isn't pleasing to experience.

However, a Blogisattvas were voiced multiform months ago. In fact, you had a highly discussed post behind afterwards asking if these awards fostered a clarity of community or not. After a initial wave of announcements as well as discussion, there was often zero for a good four months. Those operative upon a endowment website picked up blog links, nominations, as well as whatnot. Once in a while, they would mention a endowment website. But mostly, it was only something which went upon quietly, with roughly no hype. So, really, a to! tal "fuc k these awards" explanation smells a lot similar to teen spirit.

I do not wish to simply collect upon The Zennist as well as Uku here. Actually, you think a nude down, rigorous qualities of Zen appear to attract a fair volume of hard- assnessed, generally amongst us masculine practitioners.

No fucking approach we're gonna speak about love. Hell, care is infrequently too mushy.

If you do not lay multiform hours of zazen a day, do weeks of sesshin, as well as need knee operation during 45, you haven't practiced tough enough.

Better do full lotus motherfucker - none of which half-assed seiza bench shit.

You suggest a Dogen quote, I'll a single up you with a citation, exegesis, as well as discourse upon why you do not assimilate which line you quoted.

All of this sounds exactly similar to which aged dharma hall Nanchuan led so many years ago. Here's Case fourteen of a Mumonkan:

The case: Nanchuan saw a monks of a eastern as well as horse opera halls fighting over a cat. Seizing a cat, he told a monks: "If any of you can say a word of Zen, you will save a cat." No a single answered. Nanchuan cut a cat in two. That dusk Zhaozhou returned to a nunnery as well as Nanchuan told him what had happened. Zhaozhou removed his sandals, placed them upon his head, as well as walked out. Nanchuan said: "If you had been there, you would have saved a cat."

Who have been wearing a blockhead caps in a eastern as well as horse opera halls? Might not be as easy as it appears. I'm sure as ruin not sure. In fact, every time you go behind to this koan, a players involved as well as their responses demeanour different.

What can you sense from a middle hard-ass?

First off, there have been a potential profitable qualities, such as diligence, commitment, powerful effort, fierceness, as well as a like.

Secondly, there is everything which competence be considered opposite, such as softness, gentleness, kindness, love, balance, as well as hu! mility.

But let's get fucking genuine - when you recognize which middle hard-ass using your life, it's a good event to laugh. Because being a hard-ass is flattering damned droll looking. Bulging eyes. Teeth stuck out. Arms flailing all over a place. Mouth foaming. And when you supplement something as powderkeggish as religion to a mix, it's similar to puttingHoward Dean as well as Ted Nugent in a blender. (Man, which would be fun.)

Marguerite's stream post over during Mind Deep about her retreat with Buddhist clergyman Ruth Denison includes a following lines:

I remember complete evenings clinging to reciting a 5 precepts, over as well as over again, as well as Ruth smiling whilst you all dozed off as well as secretly begged to be freed. "Now, a single some-more time . . . "

So damned funny! You can only see which middle hard-ass coming out in all sorts of ways here. "I'm gonna intone every final syllable if it kills me!" "You think I'm a sucker, Ruth, I'll show you!" "BOOOOORRRRring! I'm gonna only do zazen as well as to ruin with this chanting shit!"

It's really waggish when you see how something so elementary pushes you over a edge. you saw it only a few hours ago, when a bus was twenty mins late, as well as you was getting ticked which you wouldn't have sufficient time to check my e-mail before Friday afternoon meditation practice with a college students. you mean, how foolish is that?

About as foolish as this photo here.



Take which you glorious hound! No blogisattva badge for you!