Our thoughts today will be on the verses from the “Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra” below. Although they sound a little crazy once we get the idea that is trying to be expressed in the sutra our lives will be filled with much less stress, strain, and worry.
No old age and death, no cessation of old age and death;
No suffering, no cause or end to suffering;
No path, no wisdom and no gain.
No gain thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajna Pramita.
Shohaku Okumura in his book Living by Vow A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts writes about these verses beautifully.
If our life is based on dichotomies like good and bad, we chase after good things and run from bad things. We are concerned about whether we are good or not. If we think we are good, then life is worth living. If we think we are bad, then life is just a mistake. This dualistic thinking makes our life rigid and narrow.
No matter what mistakes we make, we can start over because everything is impermanent. We can change. We can change the direction of our life. This is the way we transform our life, our thinking, and our views. According to Dogen Zenji, sitting in zazen and letting go of everything is the key to shifting the basis of our life (p. 163).[1]
Yet, we allow the above thoughts of old age and death and suffering to chase after us each day and we allow those thoughts to upset us and ruin our day. Or, if we choose, we can begin our day with sitting (meditation) and let go of everything good and bad, fear and happiness and more. We can be free of the mind made chains of emotions and thoughts. We can focus on the now and the only thing important in the now when sitting is “your breath.” Allow your mind to be free of the to-do lists, the past conversations and actions, the fears and the joys. Simply wait and watch quietly for the body to become still and the mind to become quiet and the breath to become deeper and slower.
I am not tied down forever to the behaviors that have been hindering me in my life and can see them for what they really are impermanent. The programming may be old and deep but with time and effort all things are possible. Remember the old saying, “All things are possible for those who believe.” So begin today to let go of your fears of old age and death, suffering, and limitation or whatever else may be holding you back from being the person you desire to be, a person living a life of compassion, love, and peace.
This is a new year the perfect time to begin your life a new! You are a Bodhisattva, whether you know it or not, so live this Prajna Paramita today and watch the results manifest in your life.
Things to focus on this week:
- I will begin each day by sitting in quiet meditation letting go of everything but my focus on my breath.
- I will remind myself that doing this can help free me from my fears and my rigid and narrow thinking.
- I am changing the direction of my life for good today!
- Lastly, I will keep a journal of the opportunities that have been presented to me so I can keep track of my progress and my opportunities for growth.
[1] Okumura, S. (2012) Living By Vow A practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts, Wisdom Publications, Boston: MA
The Secret to a More Fulfilling Life: Part 10 The Practice of Letting Go
Posted in attachment, BUddhism, cause and effect, clinging, fears, happiness, illusions, love, meditation, Mindfulness, self-help, suffering, Uncategorized, wisdom, Zen, tagged Buddhism, dualism, faith, feelings, inspiration, Kazuaki Tanahashi, learning, letting go, life, questions, relationships, thoughts, Truth, Zen Chants Thirty-Five Essential Texts with Commentary on July 22, 2018| 2 Comments »
I love this quote by Kazuaki Tanahashi from his beautiful book Zen Chants. It brought to mind what often happens when I sit down to meditate. Up come all the nodes and knots that I’ve experienced throughout the day or the week. I focus on how hard they were to surmount or maneuver around. When I catch these thoughts arising I think to myself, I need to let this go. It is disrupting my meditation! And thus, the simple thought of letting go is now the catalyst for more thinking, self-recrimination, and more.
Round and round on the merry-go-round I go until my head is spinning and I’ve made myself dizzy. So how do I “pass through the barrier of dualism?” How about becoming one with the barrier? One with the thought, feeling, or idea. To give it the freedom to be, to go, to sustain, or disappear without judgment, fear, or insistence.
To breath into it slowly, lovingly, and kindly. We are so quick to provide loving kindness to a friend or family member in need. To hold back recrimination or judgment. To give them space to find themselves to live their life as they need to. To respect their boundaries, dreams, and desires. Yet, how often do we not give ourselves the space, advice, room, or love?
How often do we give ourselves permission to let go, to make mistakes, to get up in the middle of a sit when we have a cramp in our leg? I recall some time ago when I was sitting in dokusan with one of my favorite teachers, Lou Mitsunen Nordstrom, and I told him I was going to start my own zendo and name it “If it itches, Scratch it.” I may go to the fictious “Zen Hell” for that idea. Luckily the only hell I have is between my own ears! And for sure I need to “let go” of that idea!
Wow! Maybe I should start my new adventure by letting go of the idea that hell is between my own ears! What a great ending for my workbook on The Secret to a More Fulfilling Life.
Definitely THE END!
[1] Tanahashi, K. (2015) Zen Chants Thirty-Five Essential Texts with Commentary. Shambhala: Boston and London
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