Don't seek it in anything at all

Don’t seek it in anything at all

It’s Friday night.
They’re still taking sides across the Atlantic.
Which calls for more from Vimalakirti:
« Therefore, Shariputra, if one would be a seeker of the dharma, one must not seek it in anything at all. »

Or, I might add, seek it everywhere.

Par zenscribe|2015-10-02T20:19:17+01:00septembre 26th, 2008|Textes|8 Commentaires

À propos de l'auteur : zenscribe

Enseignante Zen et poète, Sensei Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell est née et a grandi à Minneapolis, aux Etats-Unis. Arrivée en France en 1981 pour étudier la littérature et l’histoire, elle y est restée, s’installant à Paris, où elle élève ses deux enfants et gagne sa vie en tant que journaliste. The Zen teacher and poet Amy “Tu es cela” Hollowell Sensei was born and raised in Minneapolis, but came to France in 1981 to study literature and history and has lived in Paris ever since, raising her two children and making a living as a journalist.

8 Commentaires

Hugo 30 septembre 2008 à 0 h 19 min - Répondre

Thanks for the idea Ting. I had one beer today.
little lake 29 septembre 2008 à 21 h 54 min - Répondre

ok!

When I was first in the zendo I saw the people bowing when they came in in this place of exercise.
I asked someone: "why don’t we bow when we leave the zendo???"
I was told: " becouse we never leave the zendo."

Maybe it is that way to with the rakusu. Maybe the most powerfull rakusu is the one that has been burned allready – the unwritten one.
Life embracing us as one big rakusu…
Ting 29 septembre 2008 à 18 h 48 min - Répondre

I’m in for the beer Little Lake.
And Hugo, you sound like you could use one too.
Hugo 29 septembre 2008 à 9 h 27 min - Répondre

Today I am seeking the dharma in my pain, my tears and my scares.
Outside the sun is so bright and it is becoming hot.
Me too.
little lake 29 septembre 2008 à 0 h 22 min - Répondre

What Picasso ment by finding is in fact "not taking sides" I guess. Not "doing" but "being".
Being the eyes and the hands, surrendered to the proces going on – becoming the proces – one with the piece he made –
without "head" interfering – (ego/controler).

Finding is not finding "something" else. Finding is pre-conceptual :astonishment, openness , you’re given something that doesn’t separate itself of the process.
The artist, the process, the piece he makes are all one fluid movement in time , from moment to moment.
It is not just absorbtion though. Fully awake from moment to moment, there is an aspect of clear differentiation: the eyes just see what there is… changing from moment to moment –

Why would we seek for the light?
When we see clear, we see we only know the light by knowing the darkness???
Let’s have a beer toghether with Freddie…
Ting 28 septembre 2008 à 21 h 36 min - Répondre

I suppose it’s better to forget the whole dharma-thing.

Some years ago I burned my rakusu.
It had been laying in a drawer for I don’t know how long for I don’t know what reason.
Just couldn’t throw it in the trash can I guess; sentimental fool that I am.

So I decided to make a fire in front of the garden house. I put some wood in an iron basket and set it on fire.
Just when I had thrown in the textile, Freddie the greengrocer next-door walked into the garden to check out the smoke signals. He’s a sensitive guy. So he asked, what’s going on? Is this some kind of ceremony?

No of course not Freddie, want a beer?
Ting 28 septembre 2008 à 8 h 15 min - Répondre

Seeking and finding, are both “taking sides”.
This is it and that’s not.
Picasso seems to reject “something already known”.
Why? What’s wrong with it?

Not seeking it in anything at all / seeking it everywhere refers to this old paradox.
The Third Patriarch said: “Just avoid picking and choosing.”
Avoid avoiding? That’s logically impossible.

I suppose it’s better to forget the whole dharma-thing.
little lake 26 septembre 2008 à 23 h 31 min - Répondre

…
"I don’t seek – I find"
for when we seek – we seek for "something" that is allready known…
while finding – is finding the unknown…
picasso

Don’t seek it in anything at all