To renew is to grow. In a behavioral sense it is restarting the cycle of beginning, middle, and end (BME). Let’s imagine that each moment (1/1,000,000,000 of a second), similar to radioactive decay, can be seen/felt (measured) regarding BME. Then all moments are such as all is afoot=changing. Okay. Now accepting this as possible we give it the taste test. Can we sense (taste, smell, tactical-awareness, hear and see) it?
Continuation as BME is the basis of measuring change-rate. In Zen we are each moment and how we relate determines our ease or disease. Let us sit is another way of saying be aware. Stopping, sitting, stillness and quiet in a wolf is its life. This pausing is based on a scent, sound or sight-object. The wolf allows the moments to unfold before responding. It then leaps into action to capture the prey and thus survive–BME. We humans often react rather than respond. As the wolf is honed to being patient we are conditioned to over react based on false assumptions. It is through awakening that we hone our insight. This clarity when renewed is enlightenment. There is a subtle growing penetrating-awareness, the continuity of BME
Norman Fischer (https://everydayzen.org/teachings/suffering-and-renewal/) offers his insights into suffering and renewal. First there is neither dismissiveness or knee-jerk reaction:
What a simple thing to sit down and breathe. Nothing particularly deep or spiritual about it. Just sit there. And yet, I think that everyone here knows that in a subtle way, over time, this simple sitting really does change our lives. As I was saying this morning, and I have been thinking a lot about this lately, one way to understand our sitting is to recognize that through our sitting we are meeting another person; that is, a much larger person that is sitting on the cushion with us, a person who is not exactly different from you and I, but is also not exactly the same as you and I. And as we sit, letting things come as they must, there is no way that we can stop them, but also being willing to let things go. Just the process of sitting like that will help us to discover this person. And then as we continue with our lives, little by little we find a way to allow this person to act through us, through our lives, and then we see that it is possible to let go of fear and anxiety and just trust this person. Trust the deep wisdom of our own lives that is deeper than we are consciously aware of.
We are sitting ego and true-self. This constructs the idea that our interpretation of self independent as the true person of no merit is the cosmic-self (small mind-big mind).
According to Shunryu Suzuki, a 20th century Buddhist teacher, a mind that relates to something beyond itself is a limited, small mind. It is a dualistic understanding of the mind. If your mind is related to something outside itself, that mind is a small mind, a limited mind. In contrast, the big mind represents the Buddha nature, or higher Self. It is the mind of wisdom that is sometimes referred to as the natural mind. The big mind does not relate to the outside world but seeks satisfaction from within itself, letting go of ego and the need to control. It is clear, uncomplicated and peaceful. https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/10038/small-mind
So, we renew moment by moment, breathing in acceptance and out, letting go. Our Buddha Nature is being awake to it and living thus in everyday life…
Please join us tonight at 7:00/ET as we explore Renewal: https://zoom.us/j/7096899032?status=success#success The password is FSZS
108 Bows
Sangaku
Tuesday the 24, Yoshin Amy Wilson
will speak about her five-day sesshin
in up-sate New York