300 - Yet Another Blog Review

Warning Spoilers Ahead!

So I saw 300 last week, and I must admit I was really looking forward to it as I have long been a fan of Frank Miller's art and storytelling (though I haven't read Sin City and frankly find that material a bit much - like eating your cheerios in whiskey for breakfast). I actually bought the graphic novel a couple of years ago, and it certainly is a stirring and graphically impressive exaggerated retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. It was in fact published in 1999, long before 9/11 or our current entanglement in Iraq and ongoing threats of war with Iran. And I did see the movie Sin City and at the very least I was fascinated and even awed by the way the images on the big screen matched the panels, look, and feel of the graphic novel (which I did peek at before seeing the movie).

But what can I say about 300? Off the bat, I will admit that the adrenalin crazed inner 13 year old boy loved the movie, just as in my adolescence I loved Robert Heinlein's Starship Troopers (which a party pooper friend of mine informed me was a trashy sci-fi tribute to fascism). But the 40 year old Buddhist minister came away deeply troubled. As one admitted fan of Frank Miller said of his work: "The more I think about it, the less I like it." By the way I took that from the comments section on a blog entitled "Why Frank Miller is a fascist writer." But let's leave aside Frank Miller himself for a moment and even leave aside the fact that 300 was written in 1999. How did the movie 300 itself strike me?

To begin with, have you ever seen those Marine Corps recruitment ads that they used to play on t.v. and before movie previews (maybe they still do, I just haven't seen one in a while)? The one's where the young man is suddenly transformed into a knight or some other kind of warrior and must battle monsters and jump through flames and who knows what else? Then they get transformed into a US Marine in full dress. 300 felt like a 2 hour version of those Marine Corps recruitment videos. The Spartans even bellowed a kind of roar that sounded equivalent to the Marines "Ooo-rahh!" several times in the movie. And seriously you almost feel like you can get testosterone poisoning from just sitting there watching the whole thing.

On the other hand, I think I also began to understand the joke from that old comedy movie Airplane where the pilot keeps asking questions like, "Billy, do you like to watch gladiator movies?" Not that there wasn't some seriously gratuitous female T&A (even a rather overdone and grotesque orgy scene that some reviewers compared to Caligula) to keep us hetero types happy. Oh, and who knew that the ancient Greek Oracle was also an exotic dancer! Something for everyone!

But the more disturbing subtexts (What am I saying - they were overt-texts) of the movie was the us vs. them mentality that divides everything into black and white. And I mean this rather literally. Other reviewers have already pointed this out, but it is glaringly obvious that the "heroes" of the story are white Europeans (and to be fair so were the historical Spartans) while the enemies are all Africans, Middle-Eastern men and mutants!?!?! Perhaps there were some Africans serving in the Persian army in the 5th century BCE. And of course the Persians were Middle-Eastern. But I doubt Xerxes was a giant modern primitive, or that his armies contained orcs (they show an Immortal with his mask off and its basically an orc) and ogres (this is hard to miss). Talk about dehumanizing the enemy. For that matter, the ancient Persians probably did not look too different from their Greek counterparts - the Persians were as much descendants of the ancient Aryan tribes as the Greeks unless I am mistaken. This was not a European vs. Arab conflict - but the movie certainly seems to convey the image that this is Europe vs. Asia (and Africa judging by appearances) . In fact, both the graphic novel and the movie say of the Spartans that they are about to fight "all the hordes of Asia." Wow! Maybe it was true historically that the Persians were bringing a massive force (some historicans seriously suggest 2 million) from the Asian continent, but to use that term now makes me think of terms from the early 20th century like "Yellow Peril." Have we really retrogressed that much as a culture? Are we really fighting the "hordes of Asia" in our War on Terror? I don't think so, in fact, as far as alliances and enemies go - Asia seems to be a realy mixed bag right now. Iran and North Korea are actually our only declared enemies, whereas our allies are Japan, Pakistan (kinda sorta), Saudi Arabia (their royal family anyway), China is an important trade partner, and so on and so forth. This fighting against "all the hordes of Asia" may have been historically the case, and it may play well in the Red States (think of of all the people Borat made unwitting clowns of) but is this kind of rhetoric really helpful at this time? Even as propaganda?

Does it even need to be said that apart from its apparent demonization of the "other" (meaning all those who are not white Europeans) the movie glorifies war in a way that probably hasn't been seen since the 1940s, or at least since John Wayne died? One reviewer called it "warnography." Even more disturbing to me than its glorification of war (because really the Spartan sacrifice was laudible - and perhaps they did save Western civilization) was the villainization of all those who opposed the war. The movie even more than the graphic novel (because the whole Theron subplot is absent from the graphic novel) portrays all those who argue for war as in the pay of the enemy. In the case of the clergy who argue that one should trust in the gods rather than war, they are not only traitors but are portrayed as greedly leprous old lechers. And the politician Theron is not only a traitor but a rapist. And just to nitpick - since all the gold coins the Persians bought off these traitors with had the stamp of Xerxes in it, where in Greece did they think they were going to spend it? Or did they plan on just spending it after the Persians wiped everybody out? If I were a lecherous old leprous pagan priest selling out my home and country I'd demand unmarked coins and then hightail it out of town. I guess the point is that peace-mongers are not only corrupt traitors but stupid and shortsighted as well.

Oh, and Ephialtes! The humpbacked traitor! The more I think about this subplot (which granted was based on history though I don't know if Ephialtes was actually a grotesque monster) the more it bothers me. The point of it seems to me that Ephialtes soul was as twisted as his body, and therefore should really have been dropped off a cliff as a baby the way his parents were supposed to. WTF! So I guess the Spatans aren't just standing up for truth and justice and democracy, but also for eugenics, abortion, and infanticide!

Oh and of course the constant cry to defend truth and justice and democracy against "mysticism and tyranny." All this seems a little odd coming from the Spartans. Granted, these guys were defending the proto-democracy of all the Greek City States, but the graphic novel had a line that really put this in better perspective than the movie. At one in the point in the graphic novel King Leonidas says to his men, "Leave democracy to the Athenians." So basically these guys are the US Marines.

Now how about Frank Miller himself. Turns out the guy really is a flag waving patriot who is at the least a raving Libertarian and believes that our enemies are an existential evil straight from the 6th century. Frank Miller may not be a racist or a fascist, but he is certainly not one for nuance. I think I will write a separate blog about Frank Miller himself.

So what is my final verdict on 300? Well, it certainly is quite a spectacle. The imagery is quite arresting - the graphic novel is quite literally brought to life and that is something to see. And on one level it is certainly a rousing war story. But if you think about it - it's message is really disturbing - glorification of war, demonization of the enemy, villification of anyone who speaks for peace, and so on. While an East Coast middle class liberal intellectual like myself can laugh off this kind of stuff, I worry that there are many in this country (the one's who were taken in by Borat) who will take this movie with a deadly seriousness. And it really bothers me that this may be exactly what Frank Miller intends.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Guidelines for the Place of Practice (Dojo)

Hi anyone and everyone,

The following are tentative guidelines that I am writing up to use at Nichiren Shu meetings that I am either hosting or involved in directing from afar. I wrote them based on my experiences with many Buddhist groups and observing the dynamics of those groups, and also based on stories my wife tells me about teaching classes and how disruptive and disrespectful the students can be to the teacher and to each other. I have also read on various yahoo groups complaints about a certain carelessness at gongyo and how others find that disturbing. So what I am wondering is if anyone would care to read through these and let me know what you think. Do they come across as too strict or not strict enough? Did I leave something out? And so on.

Ok here it is:

In the Sacred Services of Nichiren Shu we cite a modified version of a passage from chapter 21 of the Lotus Sutra that reads: "Know that wherever this sutra is worshipped is the place of enlightenment." Bearing this in mind, we must show reverence in our attitudes and actions for this place of enlightenment, for our fellow practitioners, and for the Gohonzon. To have a casual, negligent, or even disrespectful attitude in the time and place of practice is tantamount to slandering the three jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and the Buddha-nature of ourselves and others. Though we should show the reverence and respect that Bodhisattva SuperiorPractice displayed to all beings throughout our lives, the time and place for reciting the Odaimoku and the Lotus Sutra before the Gohonzon should be an especially regarded as the time and place to cultivate such reverence and respect. If we cannot show reverence and respect in the presence of the Omandala-Gohonzon and our fellow practitioners, then when will we? So please keep these following points in mind when coming to Nichiren Shu meetings:

1. Please try to be on time to services and practice sessions. If one is unavoidably constrained due to family or traffic or some other incident, then please make sure that when you come in you do not distract anyone or disrupt the service. If coming late means that someone must break away from the service to let you in (for instance if the meeting is in a home or apartment or some other space where doors cannot be left open) - then it is better to wait outside until the formal service is over and then be let in. But above all - you must not distract or disrupt the service and most especially not those who are conducting the service.

2. Shut off your cell phone, pagers, or other electronic devices that might make noise and disrupt the service. Remembering to shut off such devices is part of the practice of mindfulness and is part of showing reverence and respect to the Gohonzon and one's fellow practitioners. If one does forget and you receive a call or some other signal, please shut the device off immediately and/or leave immediately. Under no circumstance should you take a call in the place of practice while a service is going on.

3. Make sure to take off your shoes in places where shoes are to be taken off. Check to see if other people are wearing shoes and if not, where shoes are put when taken off before entering the practice space. Also, if in a temple and one is at a service where one isexpected to go up to the altar area to offer incense, one must remember to take off one's shoes. Usually the minister will explain this beforehand, but also watch to see what other people are doing.

4. If one is at a service and there is a time for the congregation to offer incense, please do not hurry but walk up, offer the incense, and depart in a dignified manner. And if one is comingbetween the doshi (officiant) and the Gohonzon, please remember to bow to the doshi before stepping in front of him, and again when stepping away. This is basically to excuse yourself for coming in between the doshi and the Gohonzon. At the same time that you shouldnot hurry, you also should not dawdle or offer long prayers when offering incense. Please be mindful that other people are awaiting their turn.

5. If one is at a service and the congregation is expected to beat the hand drums during the chanting of Odaimoku please be mindful and do not drop the drums during the service. Please place them somewhere that they will not fall or be harmed. And when beating thedrum, please make sure to be in rhythm with the taiko drummer and/or the mokusho. Be mindful that when the bell is rung for the final three Odaimoku the rhythm will change. Watch carefully.

6. When chanting the Odaimoku or the Lotus Sutra, please try to stay in rhythm with the ministers or lay leaders. The mokusho and/or taiko will help set the rhythm, but there may be times when one is chanting without such instruments. In any case, please keep the same rhythm and tempo so that Odaimoku chanting can be harmonious. Do not chant in such a way that it disrupts the harmony.

7. Sometimes after a service there may be a Dharma talk or even a discussion period. During this time, do not hold private conversations. Only one person should be speaking at a time, and theothers should show their respect by listening attentively. If it is a discussion meeting, please be mindful that everyone should have a chance to speak or ask questions. Do not monopolize theconversation. Also, stay on topic. And if the minister or lay leader who is facilitating the talk asks you to save your comment or question for later or reminds you to please come back to the topicor that it is someone else's turn to speak - do not take that personally. The facilitator of the discussion is simply trying to make sure everyone has a chance to speak. If you think that you arebeing neglected or unfairly cut off, please talk to the facilitator about this afterwards.

8. If it is a Nichiren Shu meeting and discussion, the topic should be about Nichiren Buddhism. While it is ok to occasionally discuss other Buddhist teachings, this should be related to the practice of the Lotus Sutra according to Nichiren Shu. Also, discussion meetingsmay have different themes. Please be attentive to those themes. Many times it is entirely appropriate to talk about how the Lotus Sutra and the gosho and the practice of Nichiren Buddhism relate to daily life and current concerns and issues. But on the other hand, adiscussion meeting is not a place to seek psychological counseling (either form the minister or lay leader or from the group as a whole) or secular advice. It is a place to shed the light of theDharma on our lives and not a place for group therapy.

9. Buddhist meetings should discuss the values that shape our lives. These values may impact our decisions in economic, social, and political matters. Buddhism teaches the value of life - and so it will have something to say about war, capital punishment, abortion,euthanasia and other issues. Buddhism teaches right livelihood and that one should not take what is not given - and so will have something to say about how one earns a living and about economic and social justice. Buddhism teaches about the equality of all beingsand so will have something to say about discrimination. On the other hand, the Buddha did not play partisan politics and neither should we. The Buddha taught his insights and values and teachings about cause and effect to the people of his day and then told them "Now isthe time to do as you see fit" as they returned to their secular duties and obligations. He left it up to them and their conscience to decide what to do. We also must leave it to the individual todecide how to vote or whether or not to demonstrate for a particular cause. A minister might interpret the Dharma and decide that he/she must speak out on a certain issue or even demonstrate (or refrain from demonstrating). But a minister and other members of a Sanghashould not be telling others how to vote or whether or not to demonstrate or what political party to join or which candidate to back. It is the responsibility of the Sangha and its leaders toteach the Dharma, not to indoctrinate people in political, social, or economic views except indirectly by virtue of teaching the Buddha Dharma and its values and insights. But the specific application of those values and insights must be left to each person to "do as theysee fit."

10. When leaving the place of practice, be sure to leave everything as you found it - if not in a better condition than you found it. This is everyone's responsibility. Fluff cushions and make sure they are set right, put chairs back where they belong, make sure that no rubbish is left behind, and so on. One must show reverence and respect and even gratitude to the place of practice and those who have made it available (even in a rented situation). This reverence, respect, and gratitude might even extend to making a dana offering to help support those who have made the meeting possible and to help pay for the costs of the space and/or other materials that wereneeded to hold the meeting or other overheard on the part of those hosting the meeting (for instance a minister might have to pay tolls when going back and forth across a bridge in order to come to the meeting space). Such dana is also part of taking care of the spaceand those who have made it possible to gather and practice there. Please do not take these things for granted but remember that reverence, respect, gratitude, and generosity are at the heart of Buddhist practice.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Nichiren Buddhist Practice Intensive in Atlanta in May

Hi everyone,

This is to let everyone here know that I will be conducting an intensive practice retreat this coming May in Atlanta, Georgia. It will be held at the Nipponzan Myohoji temple. There is limited lodging available at the temple on a first come first serve basis. The cost for the retreat is $50 for all four days to cover food, but one may also wish to offer dana to the staff (which would be myself and the Tenzo or head cook). It is $15/day if you can only come to some of it. Though people are encouraged to come on Wed. night, the retreat will begin in earnest on Thursday morning and continue until Sunday at noon (though lunch will be offered on Sunday). This is a rare opportunity to participate in a rigorous form of Nichiren Buddhist practice for a four day period and to get more in-depth instruction in the meaning of the Three Jewels and the Three Great Hidden Dharmas according to the writings of Nichiren Shonin and the Lotus Sutra. This is open to those interested in Nichiren Buddhist practice anywhere in the world. All you have to do is come to Atlanta.
Contact me at ryuei2000@yahoo.com for more info. The tentative schedule is below:

Wednesday, May 9th.

• 8:00 PM orientation, light dinner
• 9:00 PM - lights out.

Thursday May 10th - Saturday May 12th

Mornings:

• 6:00 -7:00 Wake-up, Rise, Shine
• 7:00 - 7:30 Morning Service
• 7:30 - 9:00 Breakfast & Clean Up
• 9:00 - 9:20 Odaimoku Chanting
• 9:20 -10:00 Dharma Talk, Q&A
• 10:00 – 10:40 Silent Sitting Meditation
• 10:40 -10:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
• 10:50 -11:30 Shodaigyo Meditation
• 11:30 – 1:00 Lunch & Clean Up

Afternoons:

• 1:00 -1:40 Sutra Recitation
• 1:40 -1:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
• 1:50 - 2:30 Silent Sitting Meditation
• 2:30 - 3:00 Break
• 3:00 - 4:00 Dharma Talk, Q&A
• 4:00 - 4:40 Shodaigyo Meditation
• 4:40- 4:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
• 4:50 - 5:30 Shodaigyo Meditation
• 5:30 - 7:00 Dinner & Clean Up
• 7:00- 7:30 Evening service
• 10:00 Lights out

Sunday May 13th (Morning schedule only)

• 6:00 -7:00 Wake-up, Rise, Shine
• 7:00 - 7:30 Morning Service
• 7:30 - 9:00 Breakfast & Clean Up
• 9:00 - 9:20 Odaimoku Chanting
• 9:20 -10:00 Dharma Talk, Q&A
• 10:00 – 10:40 Silent Sitting Meditation
• 10:40 -10:50 Walking Meditation w/Odaimoku
• 10:50 -11:30 Shodaigyo Meditation
• 11:30 – 1:00 Lunch & Clean Up

The topics for each day will be as follows:
Thursday: Taking refuge in the Buddha as Gohonzon
Friday: Taking refuge in the Dharma as Odaimoku
Saturday: Taking refuge in the Sangha as Bodhisattvas of the Earth
Sunday: Bodhisattva Activity in the World

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Happy Bodhi Day and Comments on the Vows of Universal Virtue Bodhisattva

Hi everyone,

I hope everyone had a happy Bodhi Day. For those who don''t know this is the day in which Japanese Buddhists celebrate the awakening of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Also, I was asked today about how to apply the Ten Great Vows of Universal Virtue Bodhisattva from the 40th chapter of the Flower Garland Sutra. I realized after writing it that it might be helpful to others and so for what it's worth here is my take on them (and yes, this is blatant Bodhisattva-ism and I think it's great):


The Ten Great Vows of Universal Virtue Bodhisattva actually come from the alleged 40th chapter of the Flower Garland Sutra. I believe it may be a Chinese creation. Thomas Cleary did not translate it in his Flower Ornament Scripture. I am not an expert on that sutra though, but that is my understanding. It has been a decade since I seriusly studied the Flower Garland Sutra. Anyhow, there is a translation of that 40th chapter iin the excellent book on the Flower Garland by Garma C.C. Chang called "The Buddhist Teaching of Totality: The Philosophy of Hwa Yen Buddhism." I heartily recommend that you read that section on pp. 188-196 because it provides some very practical advice on the attitudes and actions one should cultivate. Unfortunately I do not have time to copy these out for you right now. Looking over the Ten Vows I will briefly comment on how they apply to my practice:

1. To pay homage to all Buddhas: Homage to the Buddhas of the ten directions in included in my daily prayers and sutra recitation. Aside from this however, this means that we should have respect and reverence for the Buddha-nature in all beings that we meet including our own true nature.

2. To praise all Buddhas and their virtues: Again this can be part of one's daily prayers and sutra recitation. But in daily life it means to not only look for manifestations of loving-kindness, compassion, patience, and other virtues but to remember to encourage and praise them in other people. Complement people when it is warranted and point out the good people do.

3. To make great offerings to all Buddhas: At my home shrine or butsudan I offer incense, flowers, candlelight, fruits, and suchlike. In daily life this means giving of my time and resources to my family, co-workers, and those in need as appropriate (I don't usually give money to homeless people but I do give to charities and there are opportunities to donate food or clothing). But as the sutra notes the most important thing is to offer the Dharma by trying to implement the Buddha's teachings in one's life - cultivating and acting on one's loving-kindness, compassion, generosity, self-restrain, patience, peace of mind, and wisdom and so on.

4. To confess and repent of one's evil deeds and hindrances: None of us are perfect. If we are honest with ourselves we will see that we more often than not fall short of our ideals. We do what we shouldn't do and fail to do what we should do. We should humbly recognize this and make determinations to do better. We should not wallow in guilt or remorse (which is unskillful), but should see clearly what we are or or not doing. We should see our entanglements clearly. We should also realize that the entanglements are themselves empty and only entangle us if we let them. Buddhist repentence can take on a liturgical form, and I occasionally will say longer or shorter statements of repentence as a form of cultivating and expressing such self-reflection and determination. But as or even more importantly, is to realize that there is no sinfulness in the selfless self-nature and to let go of such attachments as greed, grudges, laziness, bad-habits and so on and to have the freedome to think, speak, and act more skillfully without attachment.

5. To rejoice in the attainment of merits by others: This can also be done liturgically or as a form of generating sympathetic joy in silent meditation (I have articles on this at Ryuei.net as well as on loving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity). In daily life it is pretty straight forward advice. Do not begrudge people or envy them. Rejoice in their good fortune, particularly if brought about by good causes. Take it as an inspiration to make good causes yourself.

6. To entreat Buddha to set in motion the 'Wheel of Dharma." Again this is part of Mahayana Buddhist liturgies, but in daily life it is to foster an attitude of seeking out good teachers and supporting them. Of course one must be discerning and not just support anyone who calls themselves a teacher. Determining who is or isn't a good teacher requires some observation, comparison to what the sutras teach to see if they live up to that standard of insight and conduct, and observation of their followers/students/disciples to see if these are really people you would want to be around. But when a good teacher is found they should be supported by showing up, or assisting them (even if just in helping them set up or clean up the meditation hall), or even financially so they can continue teaching. Do not take good teachers for granted because they are continuing the Buddha's work in the world.

7. To beseech Buddha to remain in the world. This one is especially poignant for me because one of my own teachers is getting old and has alread officially retired while another of my teachers is moving to Chicago. Don't take good teachers for granted. Support them and their teaching and let them know they are appreciated.

8. To be a zealous follower of Buddha's way at all times. I think this means to not be lazy about one's daily practice of meditation and/or sutra recitation. We should regard spiritual cultivation as just as necessary as taking a shower or brushing or teeth - perhaps even moreso. And to constantly be mindful of our intention, speech, and actions throughout the day to make sure that we are living in accord with the Dharma and not just with our own selfish ideas, habits, and entanglements.

9. To accomodate all sentient beings for their own benefit. It has been said by the punk rocker Jello Biafra that the motto of Americans has changed from "Give me liberty or give me death" to "Give me convenience or give me death." This is an exageration perhaps, but seems too sadly true in many ways. We should be more considerate of others and of all life on this planet. If that means selling our SUV to drive something less taxing on the planet's resources than we should do that. If it means giving up our seat on a crowded bus to an older person or pregant woman we should do that. There are many ways, big and small, by which we can accomodate all sentient beings.

10. To turn over one's merits to all sentient beings. Jesus said that when we give we should not let the left hand know what the right hand is doing. In other words we should not be self-congratulatory about our meritorious acts. We should not do things just to make a name for ourselves or to be seen as the good guy or to earn a place in heaven. We should do it become selfless compassion is the most natural and wonderful way to be - it's own reward. Even more than that, we should consider that our acts will ripple out to touch all sentient beings. We should relinquish all thought of personal reward and act for the sake of all beings in every act big or small. Ultimately there are no separate beings and there is no merit, but causes and conditions unfold without boundary. This is why Bodhidharma told Emperor Wu that the result of all his generous support of the Sangha was "no merit." Bodhidharma was not telling him that his generosity was no good - but he was trying to shock him into a larger perspective.

So that is my take on these Ten Vows. They are more than just sentimental liturgical statements. We might include them (in various ways) in Buddhist prayers and meditation in order to cultivate our minds and foster such bodhisattva intentions, but those intentions to be authentic must become the way we live our lives. Though the vows are stated in grand mythic terms - they are really pointing us to the attitude we should express in even the littlest act of smiling at a co-worker, giving up our place in line to someone in a hurry, doing our job with begrudging it or slacking off, reflecting on ourselves and determining to do better, rejoicing in others good fortune, expressing our appreciation and gratitude to others, perhaps dropping off food or toys at a charity drive. All of this is encompassed by these vows.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Why is a Nichiren Buddhist commenting on koans anyway?

I am sure I have mentioned it before but koans are "case studies." They are often pithy little comments or dialogues between Zen Masters in the past. But they could also be full blown stories, or passages from the sutras, or even statements of Buddhist teachings. Back when I was in high school some of my teachers were really into these stories and shared them in class. That was my first exposure to Buddhism. I was already hooked on the parables of Jesus because of the way they overturned the prejudices and expections of his contemporaries (and of ourselves) and pointed to a deeper and more compassionate way of living. At least that is how I was taught about the parables from 6th grade on (when I started going to Catholic schools). And now to discover not just a handful but whole books full of such thought-provoking brain teasing and sometimes humorous teachings and anecdotes seemed too good to be true.

So I devoured books by Alan Watts, Paul Reps, D.T. Suzuki and so forth, and that is how I started wondering about Buddhism itself. It was obvious to me that these stories were emerging from a wisdom, practice, and way of life that I knew nothing about. Instead of Zen Buddhism, however, my first encounter with "Buddhists" was with the Nichiren Shoshu of America. I was deeply suspicious and critical of them from the very first meeting I accidentally stumbled into - but the chanting really resonated with me. In the end I did give it a try for two years and that was enough to discern that what they were teaching was not authentic Buddhism. Fortunately they did also expose me to the writings and practice of Nichiren Shonin, the Lotus Sutra, and the practice of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo which I did feel was authentic.

After leaving NSA I hooked up with the Won Buddhists, and though they have a list of a dozen (or more) koans, they don't really stress them at all. But I continued reading about koans on my own over the years. When I came to live in San Francisco I found my spiritual home base with Nichiren Shu. At the same time I finally met people who had real experience working with koans. These were people who actually used them in contemplation training in authentic lineages as opposed to armchair Buddhists (like myself) just reading about them. This gave me a chance to really get into them on the level of practice and not just literary appreciation, to see them as contemplative tools and not just clever stories or paradoxes.

To be honest, while I have long been fascinated by koans, I have also long been intimidated by them. The whole koan thing has this "I know something you don't know" mystique about it. I always found this infuriating and disconcerting. I always wondered if I really was missing out on something, because heaven knows I didn't see the point of many koans and even the one's whose point or points did seem clear also seemed to hold the tantalizing promise of something else just over the horizon. Also from reading the accounts of Bankei and Hakuin and even the stories in Phillip Kapleau's Three Pillars of Zen, it seemed like working with koans (at least the Rinzai way) would involve deliberately driving oneself to a nervous breakdown. My life certainly had and has enough problems without all that! And yet Zen (or at least certain strains of Rinzai) seem to be saying "No pain no gain." So I had always carried around in the back of my mind the thoughts that (1) you are missing something BIG, and (2) you are a wussy for not seeking out a Zen Master and taking up this challenge, and (3) if you present yourself as a Buddhist teacher (which I became expected to do after being ordained as a Nichiren Shu minister) someone who really does know the big secret(s) and has done the hard work is going to ambush you in Dharma Combat and expose you as a Dharma fraud because you don't know what the sound of one hand clapping is or whatnot. So these little Zen gremlins were really undermining my confidence in myself and in my own Buddhist practice. Of course my faith in the Lotus Sutra and the efficacy and sufficiency of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo (when understood as not merely a verbal formula) kept these gremlins in line. Still, something had to be done!
Fortunately I met two people over the last few years who, as I said, had done real work with koans and were willing to work with me based on their own experience and understanding of koan training. Because I trusted them and knew that they respected the Lotus Sutra and Nichiren Buddhism and would not try to turn me away from my primary practice or compromise my faith I decided to trust them and take up the challenge of koans.

The first person (who has asked to remain anonymous) really taught me a lot and helped me see what koans were and were not. That helped a lot! Having done koan work he knew the officially accepted responses in the traditions in which he had trained but of course was trying to make sure that I really got it and wasn't just accidentally stumbling upon the right phrase or gesture. More on that later. We went through the Sound of One Hand, Joshu's Mu, All Things Return to the One, Nansen Kills a Cat, that damn story about the Ox which is #38 in the Gateless Gate (I really found that one frustrating and always have, and now that I know at least one "official answer" it still bugs me - maybe even more) .

Later I took up this kind of practice with Taigen Dan Leighton who is designing his own koan curriculum. Taigen's approach is not Rinzai but Soto, so he is not looking for any official answers or responses as I don't think the Soto way of working with koans ever came up with any. Also, instead of focusing on just one word or short phrase as Rinzai tends to do, he wants people to look at the koan both as a whole and in each of its parts, and to let the koan really sink in through the whole of one's life as opposed to just hammering away at a part of it in order to force a kensho (seeing one's true nature) experience. Rather, he emphasizes genjo (actualizing the nature) in daily life. With Taigen I have worked on several other cases from the Gateless Gate as well as a Chinese poem that relates to practice. And Taigen makes it clear that one never really finishes a koan, even if one moves on to others. There are always greater depths to realize, or perhaps it would be better to say the unfolding of them in the actuality of our daily lives does not cease.

One last element I'll add here because it pertains to what I have learned about koans. Many years ago I found a book called The Sound of One Hand which is a translation of a Japanese book wherein a disgruntled Rinzai monk in early 20th century Japan decided to expose the fraudulent practices and corruption of Rinzai Zen by publishing all the official answers of the two most prominent Rinzai lineages in Japan. I held off on buying that book (it is out of print but fairly easy to find used copies in San Francisco) for a long time. I finally did buy it and put it on my shelf. I finally took it down a couple of months ago. At that point I had been doing koan work with Taigen for almost two years. It was a fascinating and very illuminating read to see what kind of answers the Rinzai tradition was looking for and accepting in the early 20th century in Japan. It was disillusioning to realize that these so-called enlightened Zen people weren't really expressing their own insights but a bunch of rote answers instead. Still, while those answers were often culturally bound and in any case useless because real Zen doesn't accept hand-me-down second or third hand responses, it was useful to view the book as a kind of pointer to the different koans in the same way the many commentaries and talks about the koans can be useful pointers.

So what was the result of all this? Do I still feel that there is something I don't know? Or am I know "in the know"? Do I still feel like a wussy? Or have I earned my koan spurs? Do I still fear being ambushed by Dharma combatants? Or am I now the one who can cut others down to size? No to all of it.

I now realize that there is nothing to know. There is no secret gnostic code to learn, no mystical rapture that must be attained. What I was missing out on was what everyone tends to miss out on and what I still tend to miss out on - being really and fully present to life. The koans help direct you back to that.

I no longer feel like a wussy because I have dared to take up the challenge and to test my insight and the depth of my practice in private encounters with koan teachers. Note that when I say "practice" this includes the depth of my practice of Odaimoku. I do not mean that the depth of Odaimoku was being or is being tested. What I mean is that the depth of my practice of Odiamoku is what was and is at issue. How deeply have I seen into, realized, and actualized what the Odaimoku is about? That is the real question. Even still, I do get a kind of "stage freight" before the practice discussions (Taigen uses the term dokusan), esp. if I don't have anything to "present" insofar as my understanding of the koan goes (and it can't be a merely conceptual understanding). And each new koan is a new challenge (or perhaps the same challenge in a different guise), and even the old ones are new each time one looks at them. Life is like that.

What about Dharma combat? I am less worried about that now. I have yet to be challenged in that way at Faithful Fools, and I have survived being guest speaker at several Zen centers. If I was going to be blindsided by Zen it would probably have already happened. As it is, I have yet to feel that I have been caught "with my pants down" by any questions from Zen students or teachers. This does not mean I am Captain Know It All Supercool. It simply means that I have confidence that I am able to share and explain Buddhism, the Lotus Sutra, and Odaimoku in a competent way and that I can do a serviceable job of handling questions about it and perhaps more importantly of grounding it all in actual practice and daily life. I have in fact engaged in what might be called Dharma combat from time to time and the ground didn't open up and swallow me. So I am more secure about it now. And in any case, I have learned that if you fall off the horse, just get back on again. (If Pia is reading this you know how literally I have learned that lesson.)

So now a few words about koans themselves. Here, in no particular order, is how I currently think about them (this is of course subject to revision):

Koans are not the secret keys to enlightenment or buddhahood. The teachers who have worked with me have not presented them that way either. My first teacher said that they were kind of like diagnostic tools in that each koan is about a different aspect of Buddha Dharma and tests your ability to relate to that principle in a very concrete way and not just conceptually. In other words, you must not only see the point of the koan but must fully embody it as naturally as you take a breath or write a blog, or drive a car, or hug your wife and daughter, or whatever the moment truly calls for.

Koans then are about taking the next step after conceptually learning the Dharma. Perhaps one doesn't need to even begin with a conceptual understanding as the koans demonstrate the various teachings, but it sure helps. Or again, koans are about taking the next step after formal practice of the Dharma. Sure you can recite the sutras or sit still staring at a wall until your eyelids drop off or chant until your jaw drops off, but if confronted with the Buddha Dharma in everyday situations or if expressed in a less formal and perhaps more spontaneous and natural way would you still recognize it? Would you be able to relate to it? Could you be it? Too many people who get interested in Buddhism or Buddhist practice (and I include myself in this) get caught on the level of conceptualizing or just relating to the teachings and practices in formal and structured situations, discourses, and practices. But life is not always like that. Can you really see and live the Dharma in your whole life? Koans are ways of testing how well you can do this. Actually they are invitations to do this. In one sense they are also as artificial as reading discourses or chanting or formal sitting meditation. But they are on the fringe of artifice and the actual way life is lived. They invite us to enter into them and then to see how the principle(s) they express are being enacted here and now in the actual mess in which we are living.
This is why koans are so seemingly irrational. Actually they are not about being irrational or illogical or amoral or anything of the kind. They simply invite us to enter into life situations as they really are without all the projections and filters and divisions that we usually approach life with. This does not mean that concptualizing and analysis and conventional distinctions are to be ignored or disregrded, but the must be put into perspective as the impermanent conventional constructs that they are. In fact, there are koans that also challenge a one-sided attachment to the nonconceptual.

It should be noted that the sutras themselves contain many passages and teachings which aim to do the same thing. In fact, the classic koan collections include sutra passages. So this way of trying to assimilate, realize, and embody Buddhist insights concreteley, directly, and immediately is not unique to Zen or the koan tradition. It is the heritage of Buddhism as a whole. But the koan tradition has taken this particular approach and refined and utilized it to an unprecedented degree.

In reading through the koan collections now I find that they are a lot less opaque. They have become even more meaningful to me than they were back when I was first intrigued by them in high school. For one thing, I have learned a lot more about Buddhism on the doctrinal and practical levels. This has provided me the background and proper context for the koans. And now that I have really begun working with as opposed to just reading them I now see that their aim is not just to be paradoxical, or witty, or irrational, or clever, or shocking. I see what they are aiming at - the concrete reality that is the life I am actually living - and that it is direct presentation or demonstration of Buddhist teaching and not some new or unique teaching. It might be an overstatement but koans are not exoteric secret doctrine but are actually very down to earth exemplifications of Buddhist teaching and practice (even if their language is sometimes rather exotic or strange or in the nature of very obscure inside jokes).

So it might seem that suddenly I am peppering my writings with koans. But this interest is not actually any sudden development at all. It goes back to even before I first heard of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. It is only now, however, that I feel competent enough to publicly write about them. (It helps that I have recently learned that people like Alan Watts didn't have any of the background and experience that I have and in fact wrote a lot of rubbish, and I even find D.T. Suzuki's writings suspect now.) I am not saying that I am an expert in them or that I am in any position whatsoever to teach koans to other people (I am not). But I feel that I am at least in a position to take advantage of their richness and share some of that with others as the teaching stories that they are. I am really appreciating how they can shed light on Buddhist principles and practices that are shared by all Buddhists and are not just the provenance of Zen.

One other thing, my discussions or reference to koans also does not mean that I rate them higher than the practice of Odaimoku or that I am jumping ship to join the Zen camp. In fact, I feel more confident as a teacher of Nichiren Buddhism for having worked with koans, and this includes in the area of shakubuku (by which I mean breaking through entangelments and subduing afflictions). I now see from the inside and not just the outside what koans are about and how to keep them in proper perspective. They are not meant to replace the sutras or cause the neglect of the sutras (and it was a Zen teacher who pointed this out to me when he overheard my critique that koans seem to do this in Zen practice). They are just skillful means to help us relate more directly and concretely to the Wonderful Dharma unfolding in and as our life right here and now. Furthermore, while the practice of Odaimoku can benefit from approaching it as a koan (Hakuin's Letter to a Nichiren Nun explains this), I still do not think that Odaimoku should be reduced to being viewed or used as just another koan (one among many). While the Odaimoku does have functions that overlap with the function of koans, it is also about more than just that. To oversimplify, koans are about raising a sense of doubt about the Dharma's concrete meaning and really making an effort to see into one's life. Odaimoku should also do this. But Odaimoku is also an expression of the single moment of faith and joy in the Wonderful Dharma, and that is a whole other topic and gets into a whole other aspect of Buddhist practice that I believe is outside the direct purview of the koans.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

The Staff of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo according to Baqiao and a Dragon Girl

Hi everyone,

Among Nichiren Buddhists there is the idea that one is not really practicing correctly or fully until one has a calligraphic mandala called the Gohonzon. This is actually a huge misunderstanding that I, as a Nichiren Shu minister, would like to correct. All one needs to do to practice Nichiren Buddhism is to (1) have a sincere trust and conviction in the teaching of the Lotus Sutra that not only are all beings capable of buddhahood but that buddhahood is right here and now, (2) express that conviction through practicing for oneself and others by chanting the title (Daimoku) of the Lotus Sutra which is both a form of meditation and a way of sharing the Dharma with others, (3) deepen one's understanding of the Wonderful Dharma which is your life's true nature through studying the teachings but even more importantly through studying your own life. Whether or not you have a nifty calligraphic scroll to hang on your wall is, if not totally beside the point, at least not as crucial as people mistakenly believe.

To clarify, the word "gohonzon" is a generic word used by all Japanese Buddhists (not just Nichiren Buddhists) to indicate both the ultimate reality and also whatever a particular school or temple uses to portray or depict or indicate that reality. So the gohonzon of Pure Land Buddhism is Amitabha Buddha. In the Zen temple down the street from me the gohonzon enshrined there is a statue of the historical Shakyamuni Buddha.

In Nichiren Buddhism the Gohonzon is one of the Three Great Hidden Dharmas that Nichiren taught are the basis or standard of practice in Nichiren Buddhism as the direct way of practicing the essential teaching of the Lotus Sutra. They are the Gohonzon (Focus of Devotion), the Odaimoku (Great Title), and the Kaidan (Precept Platform). Nichiren Shu understands the Gohonzon to mean the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha revealed in chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra who exemplifies the Oneness of the Person and the Dharma; the Odaimoku is the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra (which is Myoho Renge Kyo in Sino-Japanese); and the Kaidan is understood to be wherever we uphold the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra. Actually, all three of these are the One Great Hidden Dharma which is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo (Devotion to the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Flower Sutra). Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the true nature of the Gohonzon, it is the Dharma that we chant, and it is by upholding it that we become part of the Sangha of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and their followers. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo for Nichiren Buddhism is the all in all of practice, realization, and actualization when we chant it, awaken to its meaning, and embody its spirit. This means that the Gohonzon is not other than Namu Myoho Renge Kyo itself. And in fact, in Nichiren Shu, a simple inscription of the Odaimoku can be used to depict the Gohonzon, it does not have to be the calligraphic Omandala though that is often enshrined in homes. Even more importantly, the Gohonzon is present whenever the spirit of Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is upheld, whether or not there is a concrete depiction.

Now here are some things Nichiren wrote in a letter that is now called "The Swords of Good and Evil":

"The Lotus Sutra is the staff that helps all the Buddhas of the three existences as they set their minds on enlightenment."

"When one uses a staff, one will not fall on treacherous mountain paths or rough roads, and when led by the hand, one will never stumble. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo will be your staff to take you safely over the mountains of death."

This put me in mind of something a Zen Master named Baqiao once said: "If you have a staff, I will give you one; if you don't have a staff I will take one away. "

Odaimoku, the essence of the Lotus Sutra which in Nichiren Buddhism represents the essence of Buddha Dharma, is the authentic staff of Nichiren Buddhism. Not Odaimoku as a concept, or a paper scroll, or a verbal rabbit's foot, or an object of superstitious clinging, or a method of positive thinking, or a magickal tool for getting something else. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo as an expression of living Dharma is to be our staff. So do you have this staff in hand? Or do you have something else? Is your wealth real wealth? Is your poverty real poverty? What do you really have or not have when you talk about Odaimoku or the Gohonzon?

What is this staff? Who is giving or taking it? What is this giving and taking? Who is gaining or losing? What is having or not having?

Here's a conceptual dead-end sidetrack: This also has to do with the three truths of provisional realities, emptiness of self-nature, and the Middle Way. These three different truths are all different ways of pointing to how things are, including ourselves, others, and our environment. These three truths are also exemplified by the staff of Odaimoku. Is it a provisional reality to take up or put down? Is it empty of giving and taking? Is it just the Middle Way that avoids all extreme views? Yes!

Last night, wondering what my nine year old daughter would make of this I caught her attention, leaned across the table and said, "Julie! If you have a staff I will give you one; if you don't have a staff, I will take it away." Then I leaned back to see what she would say or do.

Julie, went, "Hmmm...well..." Then she looked me right in the eye and said, "If you have a staff, I will give you another one." Then she held up both her hands as though holding two staffs. "If you don't have one, I will go to your house to find out where you left it. Then I will take it and bring it to you."

I don't know what a Zen Master would make of that, but I especially like the second part. It would be a case of not having a staff and still having it taken, of having a staff and still being given it.

But Julie did not stop there. She immediately said, "No wait. If you have a stick I will hit you in the face with it! If you don't have a stick I will kick you in the ass!"

Well she had me there. I laughed out loud in approval. I don't know what a Zen Master would make of that, but she certainly seems like a Dragon Girl to me.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo,
Ryuei

Reflections on Hyakujo's Fox

There is a great koan (case study or teaching story) called Hyakujo's Fox. It is the second story in a collection called the Gateless Gate. The link to that story is here:

http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/gateless-gate/2.html

Note that the other koans in the Gateless Gate collection are worth contemplating as well, since they are all designed to deepen our understanding and application of various Buddhist teachings. The point is not to just befuddle people, but to spur them to take Buddhist teachings out of the abstract and relate to them more concretely. To assimilate them into our lives so that the enlightened view and actitivy which it gives rise to can become more natural to us.

I would now like to comment on this koan as it has been a very important one to me for years. One of the reasons it is important to me is because since becoming a Nichiren Buddhist back in 1986 I have constantly heard people talk about the law of cause and effect. But then I realized that there are shallow and deep ways of understanding this law and how buddhahood relates to it. This koan is one of many things which opened my eyes to a deeper and more concrete perspective. The koan and related verses and classical commentary will be in bold with my comments following in regular type:

Hyakujo's Fox

Once when Hyakujo delivered some Zen lectures an old man attended
them, unseen by the monks. At the end of each talk when the monks
left so did he. But one day he remained after the had gone, and
Hyakujo asked him: `Who are you?'

The old man replied: `I am not a human being, but I was a human
being when the Kashapa Buddha preached in this world. I was a Zen
master and lived on this mountain. At that time one of my students
asked me whether the enlightened man is subject to the law of
causation. I answered him: "The enlightened man is not subject to
the law of causation." For this answer evidencing a clinging to
absoluteness I became a fox for five hundred rebirths, and I am
still a fox. Will you save me from this condition with your Zen
words and let me get out of a fox's body? Now may I ask you: Is the
enlightened man subject to the law of causation?'

Buddhism assumes that there can only be one Buddha per world per dispensation of the Dharma. Each Buddha rediscovers the Dharma anew after it has been forgotten and teaches it by setting in motion once again the Wheel of the Dharma. Once that Buddha Dharma has again been forgotten the way is open for a new Buddha to appear and set the Wheel rolling once again. So Kashyapa Buddha was one of the Buddhas of this world prior to Shakyamuni, the Buddha of recent history and the Buddha who set the current Wheel of the Dharma rolling. Unfortunately, even upon meeting a Buddha one can still miss the point, the Buddha's can't do everything for you. So this poor Zen master of a previous age taught that an enlightened man transcends cause and effect and for this was doomed to five hundred rebirths as a fox - and the fox in East Asia is looked upon as a kind of malevolent trickster. So this was not a good thing. He is doomed to continue appearing as a fox until he gets the Dharma right - kind of like Bill Murray having to repeat Groundhog day until he gets it right. Now he hopes to undo the past and wants to get the right answer.


Hyakujo said: `The enlightened man is one with the law of causation.'

Other translations say: "The enlightened man is not blind to the law of causation." which I like better, but this works as well. So the point is there is no one to transcend and nothing to be transcended. The law of causation is what we are for good or ill, and we can either be blind to it and act in ignorance or we can be aware of it and work with the process, with the way things are, with the way we are. A Buddha is an "Awakened One" not one who has transcended to some other realm or reality.

At the words of Hyakujo the old man was enlightened. `I am emancipated,' he said, paying homage with a deep bow. `I am no more a fox, but I have to leave my body in my dwelling place behind this mountain. Please perform my funeral as a monk.' The he disappeared.

The next day Hyakujo gave an order through the chief monk to prepare to attend the funeral of a monk. `No one was sick in the infirmary,' wondered the monks. `What does our teacher mean?'

After dinner Hyakujo led the monks out and around the mountain. In a cave, with his staff he poked out the corpse of an old fox and then performed the ceremony of cremation.

That evening Hyakujo gave a talk to the monks and told this story about the law of causation.

Here is where something funny occured to me. Granted that this is a fantastic story utilizing the Buddhist idea of rebirth as an animal, and the East Asian idea of foxes as magical beings who can take on human form and who like to trick others, it seemed to me that maybe Hyakujo himself made up the whole story to make a point about how enlightened ones relate to causation - by being aware of it instead of denying it. Furthermore, it seemed to me that perhaps he was walking around the mountain and found the dead body of the fox and this inspired him to make up this story and then have the monks bury the poor fox. This would make Hyakujo the tricky one, coming up with a dramatic device to make a point and get a fox buried with full honors. It would also mean that the effect (the dead fox) of the exchange between Hyakujo and the fox was in actuality the cause of the (possibly imagined) exchange between Hyakujo and the fox. I thought of this because I had been reading Dogen's wonderful essay "Uji" or "Being-Time" in which Dogen relates how being is itself the flow of time and vice versa and how past, present, and future are mutually related. This means that in the profound view of cause and effect, effects can be causes and causes can be effects depending on point of view. So one can aspire to a goal (the effect in the future) and that can motivate one to do one's best (the cause in the present) but in a way the future effect has become the cause of the efforts which then become an effect of the imagined goal. And there are many other permutations as well. But again, I have drifted into abstraction with this. Brining it down to earth, it means that a dead animal on the side of road embodies both cause and effect - to the eyes of a clever and discerning person like Hyakujo everything, no matter how humble, can be a teaching and can open up for us the many possibilities of cause and effect.


Obaku, upon hearing this story, asked Hyakujo: `I understand that a
long time ago because a certain person gave a wrong Zen answer he
became a fox for five hundred rebirths. Now if I was to ask: If some
modern master is asked many questions, and he always gives the right
answer, what will become of him?'


I suspect that what Obaku is really getting at is this: "Leave aside the wrong answer, what about when the right answer is just given as a matter of intellectual knowledge, or becomes the cause for pride or complacency, or even arrogance?" Obaku seems to be asking Hyakujo if he really knows the answer in his heart and not just in his mind. Is he giving the right answer with the right attitude? Most importantly, he wants a demonstration in concrete terms. Something that will show how all this talk of cause and effect, and awareness of it, can come to life in that moment.


Hyakujo said: `You come here near me and I will tell you.'

Obaku went near Hyakujo and slapped the teacher's face with this
hand, for he knew this was the answer his teacher intended to give
him.

A slap in the Zen context does not really mean abuse. Just like one would slap a hysterical person to bring them back to clarity and cut through the panic, a slap in Zen is meant to bring a person back to this moment. Obaku had been around long enough to know that this is what Hyakujo intended to do, so he pre-empted him. The student had become the teacher in this instance.


Hyakujo clapped his hands and laughed at the discernment. `I thought
a Persian had a red beard,' he said, `and now I know a Persian who
has a red beard.'

I am not certain, but I think this may be a reference to Bodhidharma, who was said to have had a red-beard. Bodhidharma was not a Persian but a South Indian I believe. Other translations of this story say "foreigner" rather than "Persian." But let's assume Bodhidharma is meant here. If that is the case, what is means is that when Obaku acted as he did, he displayed the very concrete awareness, insight, and ability to act naturally on that enlightened-awareness that Bodhidharma had come to China to teach. Instead of teaching theoretical knowledge based on scholastic study of the sutras, the legend of Bodhidharma has him teaching the Chinese how to bring that knowledge into their actual awareness, their bodily posture, their ability to act concretely in the true spirit of the teachings through the zazen and other methods that he taught. In acting as he did, Hyakujo is saying that Obaku had brought Bodhidharma to life right then and there by living his teachings. And this is how past (Bodhidharma) becomes concretely present (a slap) and actualizes the goal of enlightenment (the future). Cause and effect have become one, because they are no longer a linear chronology of past cause leading to present effect or present cause leading to future effect but cause and effect both present in one action. Slap!


Mumon's comment: `The enlightened man is not subject.' How can this
answer make the monk a fox?

`The enlightened man is at one with the law of causation.' How can
this answer make the fox emancipated?

To understand clearly one has to have just one eye.

The one eye is the eye of concentration and insight, the eye of being fully present in this moment.


Controlled or not controlled?
The same dice shows two faces.
Not controlled or controlled,
Both are a grievous error.

If one has opened that eye then one can see the limitations of these answers. One can see the implied dualism in seperating ourselves from cause and effect or seperating causes and effects. One can see these things for oneself rather than just thinking about them abstractly.

Namu Myoho Renge Kyo (the slap in the face of Nichiren Shonin),
Ryuei