#ordinary mind

[rainbowtwo]

Ordinary Mind

‘I would like to be effortlessly famous, like the Bodhisattvas and saints of ancient times, for the benefit of all sentient beings without any attachment to the worldly rewards of fame. My efforts to be famous, however, would have constantly changing results like the different masks of an actor and would probably pull me between happiness and unhappiness. So, maybe I’d better try to stay in ordinary mind without self-advertisement.’

-  Thinley Norbu, Gypsy Gossip and Other Advice. 

[ox-head]

As Buddhist doctrine in general regards ignorance as the root of all sufferings and rejects the three poisons—greed, hatred, and delusion—and other unwholesome activities, Mazu’s unconditional identification of the complete, empirical human mind of good and evil, purity and defilement, enlightenment and ignorance with absolute Buddha-nature immediately provoked strong criticisms from more conservative quarters within the Chan movement. Nanyang Huizhong was the first to launch an attack. He criticized that “the south[ern doctrine] wrongly taught deluded mind as true mind, taking thief as son, and regarding mundane wisdom as Buddha wisdom.” Scholars in general agree that the target of this criticism was Mazu’s teaching. Huizhong himself advocated “this mind is the Buddha,” but he could not tolerate that Mazu included deluded mind in “this mind,” because he thought it betrayed and confused the basic teachings of Buddhism

Jia Jinhua, “Chan Doctrine and Practice of the Hongzhou School”, The Hongzhou School of Chan in Eighth- through Tenth-Century China, pg. 69

[ox-head]

If one wants to know the Way directly: Ordinary Mind is the Way! What is meant by Ordinary Mind? No activity, no right or wrong, no grasping or rejecting, neither terminable nor permanent, without worldly or holy. The sūtra says, 'Neither the practice of ordinary people, nor the practice of sages, that is the Bodhisattva's practice.'

馬祖道一 Mazu Daoyi,  江西馬祖道一禪師語錄 Jiangxi Mazu Daoyi chanshi yulu (Record of the Sayings of Chan Master Mazu Daoyi of Jiangsi)

[thiscompassionatelife]

During a moment of extraordinary awareness, you may notice that the familiar you is nowhere to be found. That conspicuous absence has everything to do with the exquisite nature of the moment.

You may be saying, If I’m not there at such a moment, how is noticing possible? Awareness is there. It’s capable of noticing. It’s just that it has no agenda.

But then, if you ask yourself what sort of intelligence asked that question about how noticing can happen, you will see it’s the ordinary mind.

-Jan Frazier

[ringlesscircus]

Joshu Washes the Bowl

A monk told Joshu: `I have just entered the monastery. Please teach me.'

Joshu asked: `Have you eaten your rice porridge?'

The monk replied: `I have eaten.'

Joshu said: `Then you had better wash your bowl.'

At that moment the monk was enlightened.

Mumon's Comment: Joshu is the man who opens his mouth and shows his heart. I doubt if this monk really saw Joshu's heart. I hope he did not mistake the bell for a pitcher.

It is too clear and so it is hard to see. A dunce once searched for fire with a lighted lantern. Had he known what fire was, He could have cooked his rice much sooner.

http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/cgi-bin/koan-index.pl

[addingnothingbutavoice]

Just being bored

Well, it looks as though it will be just another boring day.  No zombie apocalypse, no meteor shower, and no other earth shattering event to rescue us from the life we have.  It may be boring and mundane at times, but that is O.K. It is O.K. to just sit and be bored.  We are always looking for an escape from the life we have, imagining that if we were plunged into chaos, we could finally live life on the edge.  It might be exciting and filled with adventure.  Of course it probably would lead to other stress relate problems and the possibility of being disembowelled by the living dead.  But, whether or not we realize it, we are always living on the edge of life and death.  In each moment we are reborn.  With awareness and attention each moment inspires curiosity and we stop seeing habitually.  

Our brains are designed to form habits. Skillful habits can be quite useful, because they help us filter out certain aspects of our experience.  Sometimes we need to pay less attention to certain details around us to function effectively.  But when we ignore in excess we truly become ignorant.  We cut ourselves off from the world right here.  We can't see when our habits are hurting rather than helping.  And we can't see when we are just trying to escape our boredom without really seeing the consequences of those actions.  So, today just sit and be bored for a moment.  Feel how the body reacts and notice the thoughts that go along with it. Pay attention as the world ends.       

[addingnothingbutavoice]

Structured Thinking

We believe there is something inherently wrong with the way we think. As in all fields of self-help we are fortunate to have countless authors coming to our rescue, giving us tools and stuctures to guide our thinking.  Because we are not creative enough, or innovative we need to employ exercises designed to make us better thinkers.  Maybe the economy depends on that unique, creative, wonderful idea that I have burried deep inside me waiting to be unleashed into the world.  But really it appears that our ideas, along with our bodies and even our soul, fall into a continual project of self improvement. 

We all fall into this trap in different areas of our lives.  Because I work in the library and come from a psychology/philosophy background, I am continously surrounded by ideas.  Others might be chasing a new exercise routine, diet or religion.  The truth is there is nothing wrong with our thinking when it isn't wrong.   

[1-61]

After the first statement is out , and often before, I get hopelessly involved in words to contain the increasing number of ideas. As I progress this morass becomes larger and my head more and more deeply engulfed in recurrent themes which are infolded in sickening profusion, While on the paper. in attempting to snatch all I can before I forget, I am soon so over-extended- stretched grammatically and logically to the point where any semblance of clarity is lost- that I am forced to stop.

-Neal Cassady