Hair On Fire

Another short post today. I’m preparing the video practice meeting post so I have limited blog time today. I might be ready to put that up tomorrow.

What I want to say today is about how a lot of current dharma writing seems to emphasize a “take it easy” approach so I was happy to see the recent Buddhadharma magazine with a woman with her hair on fire and the feature article by Gelek Rinpoche on that theme. I encourage you to check it out.

Oh, and though I stray a bit from my point, I’m just reminded of wandering in the Inspire coffee shop in Bayfield, Wisconsin, on our recent kayaking trip. They had a copy of Tricycle so I flipped it open to a section that asked various Buddhists what they would change about dharma in the West, or something like that. Aitken-roshi answers the question by saying among other things that the most problematic aspect of the current scene is not the watering-down of dharma by including lots of other things (although that is serious) but what is really threatening our capacity to transmit is the decline in discipline. Something like that. Oh, right on you are, old grandfather of Zen, I said. Anyway, maybe a blog reader with Tricycle on hand could offer the exact quote.

Back to practicing with our hair on fire and the importance staying focused (!).

The Tibetan Buddhist approach that Gelek puts very nicely emphasizes the rarity and preciousness of this human life as a motivation to really make our practice a priority and attain something.

The Dogen Zen perspective on wholeheartedness focuses more on how devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to our practice as our whole life is in itself the gate of joy and ease.

“When we throw ourselves into zazen, into this very life, we enter the gate of joyful ease and the Way is complete in all the ten directions. Right here is the truth-happening place, and the shoes that are already on our feet fit so nicely.”

That’s how I put it in the “Hair on Fire” chapter in Keep Me In Your Heart Awhile.

There are a number of near enemies of wholeheartedness but I’m not talking about that for now. This was going to be short.

You can address near enemies and various concerns about wholeheartedness in the comments, if you like.

By the way, the comments for the question, “Why do you practice zazen?” are quite interesting and I will probably respond in a post soon.