{"id":430,"date":"2008-12-28T08:21:00","date_gmt":"2008-12-28T08:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2008\/12\/keep-me-in-your-heart-not-charming-the-masses-with-ridiculous-practice\/"},"modified":"2008-12-28T08:21:00","modified_gmt":"2008-12-28T08:21:00","slug":"keep-me-in-your-heart-not-charming-the-masses-with-ridiculous-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/wildfoxzen\/2008\/12\/keep-me-in-your-heart-not-charming-the-masses-with-ridiculous-practice.html","title":{"rendered":"Keep Me In Your Heart: Not Charming the Masses with Ridiculous Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

I\u2019m beginning to hear from people who have read my book and am enjoying the feedback. You too are welcome to comment here any time or send me an email. I might start a \u201cgoogle group\u201d around the book because it doesn\u2019t seem complete to just throw something out there and then hide out, like giving a dharma<\/a> talk and then running off to your room, trying to avoid the consequences of what you\u2019ve done. Please let me know if you are interested in such a thing. <\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Here\u2019s one concern, raised by a dear, old friend.
<\/span><\/span>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
The problem with the teaching you want to present is that it has never charmed the masses\u2026. But how many have noticed their hair is on fire and how many of them will collide with the book.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
When I was young, I was interested in popularizing Zen and (mostly unconsciously from my present perspective) into <\/span>really<\/span><\/span> being liked by others. On the other hand, teaching Zen is like what Harry Truman said about working in Washington, D.C. \u201cIf you want a friend, get a dog.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
This wanting to be liked and wanting to teach Zen got me into a lot of trouble. A lot of <\/span>wanting <\/span><\/span>for one thing. Anyway, one of my first students must have picked up on this dynamic. He came to dokusan and said, \u201cI had a dream last night that you had become famous \u2013 but not for Zen.\u201d Another student told me about a dream where she saw me out in the middle of a lake, \u201cI couldn\u2019t tell if you were swimming or drowning,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
My purpose for writing this book was not to become famous but to do my best to toss into the current dharma dialogue what now appears to be the essence of Buddha\u2019s teaching. That essence is constantly hopping along \u2026 and unchanging \u2026 and I don\u2019t claim a monopoly on this in any way\u2026.
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
I remember when Rev. Jesse Jackson was running for president in 1984 and said some anti-Semitic things, thinking the microphone was off. Then at the Democratic convention he made some repentance saying, \u201cGod\u2019s not finished with me yet.\u201d Well, Buddha\u2019s not finished with me yet either.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Here\u2019s Katagiri Roshi giving me marching orders from the same talk that led to the chapter \u201cDainin\u2019s Four Essential Points.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Buddha\u2019s teaching is what you have to do constantly right in the middle of Buddha.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>This is the most important request to everyone.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>If you become a priest, whatever happens constantly be there.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>Even though people don\u2019t like, still we have to emphasize.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>Even if there is no one who is interested in such a zazen, still you can emphasize and teach without poking your head into different beautiful colors people are interested in.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>It is pretty hard to teach just essence of Buddha\u2019s teaching because not many people are interested in such a ridiculous practice.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>Just sitting.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>It\u2019s really ridiculous.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>But I have to do.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span>I am priest so I have to do this.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Wholehearted practice is ridiculous from the point of view of self-clinging. Why make wholehearted effort without figuring to get some thing<\/span>\u00a0that will save the ego forever? <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m beginning to hear from people who have read my book and am enjoying the feedback. You too are welcome to comment here any time or send me an email. I might start a \u201cgoogle group\u201d around the book because it doesn\u2019t seem complete to just throw something out there and then hide out, like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":182,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nKeep Me In Your Heart: Not Charming the Masses with Ridiculous Practice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I'm beginning to hear from people who have read my book and am enjoying the feedback. You too are welcome to comment here any time or send me an email. 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