Zen: Silence Of Illumination, Illumination Of Silence

Describes the non-dualistic approach to the Zen practice of mokusho, silent illumination, the precursor to shikantaza, or "just sitting, "raises experiential questions that are directly related to practice and includes a period of silent practice.

Transcript

Welcome. Thank you for being here. I'll be talking about mokusho, Silent illumination, The precursor to the Zen practice of shikantaza or just sitting. But just sitting is not the same as doing nothing. We notice the mind's tendency to become attached to objects of consciousness such as sounds, Physical sensations, Thoughts, Including feelings, Memories, And future concerns. Whatever we experience in this practice of choiceless, Objectless, Goalless awareness, We simply notice and return to the present moment and to the basic fact of just sitting. To repeat, In this practice, Your attention is focused on sitting, Just as you are. You're not trying to gain anything or to reach any special place. You're also not trying to get rid of anything. You simply sit and return your attention to a sense of the whole body just sitting in the present. The present is your target. This is mokusho, Silent illumination, Plain and simple. The mandate here, As I like to describe it, Is to just keep sitting no matter what. Or, When you get lost in thought trains, To just remind yourself, Just being as it is, Just sitting. Remember, Letting go of thoughts is not the same as trying to eliminate thinking altogether. Just being is just a simple reminder to take a backward step and to simply continue to notice exactly what's happening in this present moment. But what is this simple basic fact of sitting? To cite an old koan, What is sitting with the face before your parents were born? This face is the face before concepts, Ideas, Or feelings, Memories, Wishes, Or desires before they become activated. It's that first moment of awareness. This is the true Dhamma I, The seeing before and beyond concepts. What is this sitting before concepts form? What is this sitting when concepts form? What is this sitting after concepts form? What is this sitting in the moment before the bell sounds? Inside the sound of the bell. Outside the sound of the bell. After the sound of the bell. What is this sitting when the bird flies away in the endless sky and you are simply being here, Just sitting still, Just noticing? What is sitting upright? What is the basic fact of sitting? The sitting of the left hand nestled gently in the right palm, Thumb tips lightly touching. What is the mind of sitting in silence? What is the mind of sitting in the truck sound, After the truck sound, In the wind sound, And after the wind sound? Dogen Zenji says that we must thoroughly investigate all of these mind moments. By hensan, Or thorough investigation, He means to just keep sitting no matter what. We investigate by sitting without pushing away, Or grasping, Or chasing after anything, Or running away from anything. In other words, Avoid picking and choosing. Avoid avoiding. In other words, Exercise non-attachment to the rising and passing of all experience. Simply abide in the Dharma position of your uniqueness, Just as you are. Abide in the common ground of whole being, In separateness, In deep connectedness. What is this basic fact of sitting? Abide in the sitting of this question. Abide in the sitting of the present moment in the Dharma position of who you are right now, Just sitting. The past is gone. It's no more than a memory puff. The future has not yet arrived. It's no more than a fantasy, Or a wish, Or a concern, Or a desire. The present moment is gone as soon as it arises, Again and again, Moment after moment after moment. The only reality is just this present moment of silent illumination. And even the term moment doesn't really get it, Because really there is no moment, Because we're all in constant change. But please be careful. Don't grasp at the present either. Grasping is one of the three poisonous minds. Ignorance, Attachment, Or grasping, And aversion, Or avoiding. We tend to pick and choose, To grasp and to push away, Because ignorance splits the mind into a grasper and a grasped, And creates the likes and the dislikes that generate picking and choosing. This is only natural because we're all human beings. And this is not the problem if you simply sit and notice. Ignorance creates desirer and desired. Ignorance creates attachment and aversion, Grasping and pushing away. But the mind that sees and the mind that is seen is one and the same mind, The one mind. The mind that hears and the mind that is heard is one and the same mind. The mind that speaks and the mind that is spoken to is one and the same mind. A. H. Dogen writes in Shobugenzo Sokoshinze Butsu, Mind, Here and Now is Buddha. We realize in practice that mind, Here and now, Is Buddha. We realize in practice that the mind which is Buddha is this. We realize in practice that mind and Buddha, Here and now, Is right. And we realize in practice that this Buddha mind is here and now. And the mind that has been authentically transmitted means one mind as all dharmas and all dharmas as one mind. So in conclusion, Please be careful not to turn the one mind into a something. There is really nowhere to stand, No solid ground, Just as it is. Mokusho is its own ground. Don't grasp the nowhere either. Grasping the nowhere is also one of the three poisonous minds. Whatever one grasps at, A memory, A concern, A creative flash, Enlightenment, Samsara, Nirvana, The present, They can all function as anchors and resistances. If you raise the anchor and just keep sitting, What will happen? What is left? Just this. The silence of illumination and the illumination of silence. The silence of just sitting, Just noticing, And the illumination of simple awareness. Let's put these ideas into practice. I'll ring the bell three times, Entering silence, And at the conclusion of the silent period will be signaled by one ring of the bell. Thank you for your presence and for your practice, And please just keep practicing, No matter what. It's so important, Not only for you, But for all beings that you come in contact with. Thank you and take care.

Reviews

Thank you so much for your teachings. I listened to this one a few times. As Rose said, simple but not easy. I feel I am making some progress on some of these more difficult keys to practice.
Just sitting…… best I can. 🙏😊

Frighteningly simple and not easy at all. No wonder we need to practise. Thank you