Water Dissolves Water: Baso Döitsu

All of you here! Believe that your own mind is Buddha. This very mind is buddha-mind.

Water Dissolves Water: Baso Döitsu

“Violence” - some words from the Buddha before his enlightenment

"Everyone is guilty." But not in the Catholic sense. A Buddhist takes responsibility for their own heart.

From here: http://zenjournal.tumblr.com/post/4349403030/violence-some-words-from-the-buddha-before-his

Violence gives birth to fear.
Just look at people and their quarrels.
I will speak of my dismay
And the way that I was shaken.
Seeing people thrashing about like fish in little water
And seeing them in conflict with each other,
I became afraid.

The world is completely without a core.
Everywhere things are changing.
Wanting a place of my own,
I saw nothing not already taken.
I felt discontent at seeing only conflict to the very end.
Then I saw an arrow — hard to see,
Embedded in the heart.
Pierced by this arrow, people dash about in all directions.
When the arrow is pulled out,
The do not run, and they do not sink.
-
Interpretation and elaboration:

“The radical suggestion is… that the issue is in your own heart. That’s what triggers the running around… it is obvious that many people are not willing to look at some part of themselves. They get involved in addictive behaviors, they get very busy with work, social relationships, entertainment… The fear resides in our own hearts or minds. The task in Buddhism is that it’s REALLY useful to take that arrow out, to take responsibility for what’s in here… to find the roots of our distress. Someone has to do it.
…
“We try to help the world the best we can… one of the ways we help is to have done the inner work so that we can meet the world calmly and peacefully… to support people and help people by being calm and peaceful in times of distress. If we’re running around in dismay, then we can’t really help people.”

Gil Fronsdal from a recent Zencast.org talk, “Our Attachments, given at the Insight Meditation Center.

Every Fool Thing

every hang-nail holy
every butt pimple holy
every wolf in the tea house
scratching at back door mind
scratching at black hole velvet intelligence within
every fool thing holy
every rainbow-hued ghost in blue moon trance
every black-nosed buddha of translucent breath
everything falling through cosmic gutters of night
behind pastoral screens beaming
droning freak enchantments
yep it's holy
every stoned reflection
every heart lulled
every sweet graceful shadow rhythm
everything in a ragged old universe holy
everything an open eye
everything harvesting zen from seeds of fire
every star banging bright tonight
holy holy holy
until the chao comes home
until the tao comes home
until ET phones home
until a monkey AUMs
like I said
it's all holy
every serpent string
in the ever-holy musick of the spheres
every clear mist of this fur-spotted body
every blossomed jewel on death's wilderness mask
every liquid invocation anchoring time
every beatific grind in blood and bone holy
every fool thing holy
because it is also wise
everyone I love you
because you are holy