Practice Notes – March 11 2018

When i was young, the thinking mind “turned on”….. i thought about life… alot….. then one day, i realized that thinking was making “me” more sick.

Then i spent a long time trying to force this thinking mind to be quiet … but it was counter-productive… like the mythical nine headed hydra, each head I cut off ….. made two new heads grow back. The mind was being resistant…. it was fighting back and became more noisy when i tried to make it quiet….. so that was a deadend.

Then one day, i realized that there was another brain process taking place….. in paying attention to the five senses, i found that they do not use the “thinking” mind, and its tool (language), to communicate their data to the data center (brain). The five senses are direct and quiet in their process. The eyes don’t need to verbalize what they are seeing in order for the brain to receive it, process it, store it….. this is the same with what we hear, what we feel, what we taste and smell. It Just Happens. The sensing process is not verbal.

“If you would walk the highest way, do not reject the sense domain, for as it is full and complete, the sense world is enlightenment.” Xin Xin Ming

Then i realized that the thinking mind, with all its calculations, definitions and distinctions; causes cognitive dissonance…. causes a struggle, with living in a flowing unbroken oneness.

Then i realized that the thinking mind does not need to halt or stop.

Realized i would be chasing my tail for my whole life trying to do so. Just let it be…… watch it….. let it flow by….. just let it do its thing….

Realized that the ancient teachers taught to use the doors of the senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body) as the path of oneness.

Then learned that holding the ‘sensing mind’ like a crystal in the palm of the hand, taking care of it like a little baby.

Then the “I” can finally let go and disappear, and let trust take over so the ever self-defensive “I” can put away its swords and spears, helmet and shield, and sit down quietly on the zafu.

Feuds over, one-pointed practice can begin……….

This world of bringing all the family, friends and enemies alike, to the banquet table, is proper practice. Letting everything be as it is. Is this Shikantaza?