Wandering around the Buddhist blogosphere I ran across a story that purports to be out of the Zen tradition. Frankly, I’ve never encountered it before and am a bit suspicious about its origins. Although I also have to admit it does contain a message I think commonly held to be “Zen.”
It goes somewhat like this. A senior student decides it is time for him to be acknowledged as a master of the Zen way and goes to his teacher to discuss the matter. It is raining so he has an umbrella. When he comes to the teacher’s cottage before entering he sets the umbrella down outside the door, and as this is Japan, or at least a Zen story, he takes off his shoes and sets them down next to the umbrella.
Inside he tells his teacher that it is now time to be acknowledged as a teacher in his own right.
In response the teacher asks whether he used an umbrella on his walk to the cottage?
The student replies yes.
The teacher asks on what side of the umbrella did the student leave his shoes?
The student cannot reply and is given a lecture about mindfulness.
Now, noticing each moment and remembering what one has done are laudable things.
And that noticing is the germ of the Zen discipline.
But thinking it is about attending and remembering is missing the point.
By, oh let’s say, by a mile…
The way of awakening is about opening the mind and heart. Being here fully as we are.
Mindfulness is just an expression. At least for those of us walking the Zen way.
Saying “forgetting” could be just as useful. Although then we’d have all sorts of Zen students proudly proclaiming how they forgot their umbrella…
The problem here is rather like the “debate” of self power and other power. The rhetoric of Zen is filled with self power allusions. One of my favorite is in Wumen’s lovely little homily on encountering the Mu koan where he tells the Zen student to let it become a red hot ball stuck in one’s gullet, where one cannot swallow it down nor spit it up. And those of us who have sat with this koan and have walked with others on their way with this koan, know that this is a real expeience of real people. And that it is not the experience of this koan for many people, or at least not the immediate predicate of waking up, to realization. Rather, more often the way is found when one finally, finally, lets go of the last desperate idea of what it is supposed to mean. It is a surrender. And it turns out the great joke of self power and other power, is that there is no debate.
Mohammed is said to have said that if we are willing to advance one step toward God, God will run a hundred steps toward us.
If we don’t get trapped in that koanic word God we can get a real pointer on the way for us.
Take some initiative. And then be ready to be surprised by joy.
And, here’s another pointer.
Noticing the umbrella is a good thing.
Notice it.
Then when you don’t need it, put it down.
Don’t worry about remembering.
Don’t worry about forgetting.
Rain or shine, with your teacher or alone, it is already here.
Lovely…
Sad…
Beautiful…
Horrendous…
Lovely
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