I use zen to study mind and more.

  Liao-an.

 

" Just get to  the fundamental, don't worry about the outgrowths. What is the root, what are the outgrowths? Knowing the mind and seeing it's essence is the root; explaining Zen and expounding the path are the outgrowths. If you know the mind and see it's essence. You may speak at will and go where your feet take you- nothing is not the path."

    For me the study of zen is in the application to one's own perception.  For me it was a psychological science. Zen equipped me with a microscope, a flow chart, and a cheat sheet. But my study of zen did not start when I picked up a little zen book. If henceforth no thing is not the path,  then all the steps taken  hitherto where the path. So where do I find this "fundamental"?  

Should I leave that hanging,  all mysterious like?  Let's jump ahead a bit..because my life, my mind, all this has outgrowths that I am not supposed to worry about.  He says, knowing the mind......AND....Seeing it's essence....is the root. The root is this fundamental. 

He says, when I find it my outgrowths will be explaining zen and expounding the path.  Could I apply the same principle that I outlines before in this section? 

If I have outgrowths of any kind, previous, current, changing, different, then they are all the root of my mind. or...rooted in the mind.

  Hum, my outgrowth here is confused.  I really picked a big quote. I am going to graciously relieve myself of the responsibility of this quote because this is not coming out naturally at this time. I only tried to approach it again because I said that I would and it would only be a bad excuses not to try.

 

I did, how ever find a very nice teaching and made an observation. And maybe the buddha will let me talk about it a little bit, after I type it out for yous. ** crosses fingers**

 

 

The Business Of Zen-  

      One day the governor of the province asked Mu-Chou (780-877), " What is the Business of Zen?" Mu-Chou said, "Come here, Come here."

The governor approached; Mu-Chou said, "You sure can talk nonsense!"

The governor was speechless. Finally Mu-Chou asked."Whom have you seen?"

      The governor said that he had seen such and such an old adept. Mu-Chou asked, "What else?"The governor replied that he has read scriptures.  Mu-Chou suddenly hit his chair and said, "In the teachings, what is this called?"

The governor said,  " This is not spoken of in the teachings."

Mu-Chou said, "In the teachings it says, 'Productive labor as a means of livelihood is not contrary to the truth.'  What about that?"

The governor had no reply.

IZM-   SO mysterious. so baffling. What are you sitting there thinking of this? Where did you get hung up at?  I zeroed right in on the advice given to the governor.  I like to hang on to good government philosophy because you never know one of these lives ya might get to be  in charge for a damned change. Ya know, so always seeking correct methods and guiding principles life to life...is a really good habit to get into. And if you don't believe in reincarnation..... hustle hustle.

Anyway.  Do you see a lesson in the words of Mu-Chou?  

Governing is  a corrupt affair, even your best leaders are forced into tough compromises. Humans suck like that. Let us assume that Mu-Chou would only talk so much with someone if they had a good heart and mind. And remembering that this is potentially the most important conversation in this governor's life. What is best for all concerned and what shares in pointing to the way?

Not that Mu-Chou was ruminating those thoughts, we are...that guy just Miyagi chopped that thought out of the air like a fly. We and our Governor will have to go a longer way.

Sometimes I think we make the mistake of overly mystifying, or far away externalizing these teachings. 

I think this is for the governor to remember that people who are proud in their labor are happy people. Happy people can endure if they have something to be proud of. Something to produce and sustain.  In that they can live lives closer to truth.  When cutting corners, corruption, controls and making the people put out cheap labor...there is no accord in the people to find truth.

But that is my bent on the matter....((i lean a bit Confuciusonian))