(I wrote this to some very close friends so the format is alittle off but I figured it would make a good blog anyway)
Subject: Bitter work
Body:
If you see through this world and let go of it then this is wisdom. If you see through it and do not let it go thats just talking Zen
I have to ask myself why I want to become a monk. This is very important question to ask oneself when one wants to become a monk. There is a story about a Japanese monk please let me tell you the story. There was once a great Japanese monk before the Meiji era. In those times like now Japanese monks are dressed in great robes of embroidered silk (at least for monks of great repute). Now this monk was enthusiastically invited to everyones house for dinner. One day when invited to this very rich noblemans house he took off his traditional silk robes and put on rough spun robes and rolled in the mud. He then went to the house of this nobleman. They inquired what he wanted he responded please I am but a simple itinerant monk can you please help me with some food? they sternly replied NO! Go away we have a great guest coming! he then came back with please I am starving can you please help me? I am so cold in this winter night. They finally gave in and gave him some rice. He ate it humbly. The entire time his hosts seem very anxious for him to leave, grumbling, and shifting waiting for him to finish. When he did they insisted he leave of course he did. After he left he cleaned himself up and put on his silken robes and went back to the house. They served him an elaborate feast in high Japanese tradition. When they asked him to eat his simply started to rub the food on his clothing and self in a violent fashion. They asked great monk what is wrong? Is the food not to your liking?? he replied I came here not an hour ago dressed as a beggar and you treated me terribly so why do you welcome me now? I think it is the clothing you revere! So here let us feed this clothing you love so much.
In this way I must be careful what I have respect for; Do I feel that the purpose and effort is of value and great on its own or do I simply care about the clothing saying oh this is a Zen monk and I must love what he does because of it? Either I respect the clothing and I have no business trying to become a monk or I want to help all sentient beings. I must be careful of this if I am not then I will put myself in a position that I cannot build a life when all I respected was the Monasticism and not the Religion.
It must be recognized that I a great hedonist. I love intoxication, auditory/visual sensation, but most of all I enjoy sexual pleasure. This really should not come as a revelation. All people enjoy the pleasures of life. That being said its not that common to enjoy the creature comforts and hedonistic pleasures of life as much as I do. I bring this up because as a monk almost all of the things I really enjoy will be gone. Masturbation, sex, privacy, intoxication, movies, music, eating what I want, and so forth will be gone. So if that understanding is had I guess the question is Are you (Devin) willing to give these things up or more to help all sentient beings escape suffering?
These and a great many other questions need to be answered before I can responsibly say someone is ready to retire to the monastic tradition. My only answer is that if I can dedicate my life to the benefit of others without being abused and that it will give me purpose then how could I not want to do this? I want to end the suffering of all those I love so badly. There are problems with my answer of course. It is a greedy answer. I want to end the suffering of those I love this is enslavement to those I love and to their suffering. Whatever this problem is not a problem for right now. This is a problem for when I become a monk.
I see the people in this video and my thoughts kept changing. First they were wow this is such a beautiful way of practicing then my thoughts turned to what about ticks, other parasites, and poisonous things?? then finally wow look how enslaved I am to what I have. I will become such a practitioner or something very like it these people are saints and I want to watch this with you so that we can gain a better understanding of each other and of what this means.
"Ever practicing in solitude, ever walking alone those who have penetrated, roam Nirvanas road together. Their tune is ancient, their expression pure, their bearing naturally lofty. Their appearance is haggard, their integrity unshakable. People ignore them" song of enlightenment By Great Master Yung Chia of The T'ang Dynasty
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5902279151658995270#
Subject: Bitter work
Body:
If you see through this world and let go of it then this is wisdom. If you see through it and do not let it go thats just talking Zen
I have to ask myself why I want to become a monk. This is very important question to ask oneself when one wants to become a monk. There is a story about a Japanese monk please let me tell you the story. There was once a great Japanese monk before the Meiji era. In those times like now Japanese monks are dressed in great robes of embroidered silk (at least for monks of great repute). Now this monk was enthusiastically invited to everyones house for dinner. One day when invited to this very rich noblemans house he took off his traditional silk robes and put on rough spun robes and rolled in the mud. He then went to the house of this nobleman. They inquired what he wanted he responded please I am but a simple itinerant monk can you please help me with some food? they sternly replied NO! Go away we have a great guest coming! he then came back with please I am starving can you please help me? I am so cold in this winter night. They finally gave in and gave him some rice. He ate it humbly. The entire time his hosts seem very anxious for him to leave, grumbling, and shifting waiting for him to finish. When he did they insisted he leave of course he did. After he left he cleaned himself up and put on his silken robes and went back to the house. They served him an elaborate feast in high Japanese tradition. When they asked him to eat his simply started to rub the food on his clothing and self in a violent fashion. They asked great monk what is wrong? Is the food not to your liking?? he replied I came here not an hour ago dressed as a beggar and you treated me terribly so why do you welcome me now? I think it is the clothing you revere! So here let us feed this clothing you love so much.
In this way I must be careful what I have respect for; Do I feel that the purpose and effort is of value and great on its own or do I simply care about the clothing saying oh this is a Zen monk and I must love what he does because of it? Either I respect the clothing and I have no business trying to become a monk or I want to help all sentient beings. I must be careful of this if I am not then I will put myself in a position that I cannot build a life when all I respected was the Monasticism and not the Religion.
It must be recognized that I a great hedonist. I love intoxication, auditory/visual sensation, but most of all I enjoy sexual pleasure. This really should not come as a revelation. All people enjoy the pleasures of life. That being said its not that common to enjoy the creature comforts and hedonistic pleasures of life as much as I do. I bring this up because as a monk almost all of the things I really enjoy will be gone. Masturbation, sex, privacy, intoxication, movies, music, eating what I want, and so forth will be gone. So if that understanding is had I guess the question is Are you (Devin) willing to give these things up or more to help all sentient beings escape suffering?
These and a great many other questions need to be answered before I can responsibly say someone is ready to retire to the monastic tradition. My only answer is that if I can dedicate my life to the benefit of others without being abused and that it will give me purpose then how could I not want to do this? I want to end the suffering of all those I love so badly. There are problems with my answer of course. It is a greedy answer. I want to end the suffering of those I love this is enslavement to those I love and to their suffering. Whatever this problem is not a problem for right now. This is a problem for when I become a monk.
I see the people in this video and my thoughts kept changing. First they were wow this is such a beautiful way of practicing then my thoughts turned to what about ticks, other parasites, and poisonous things?? then finally wow look how enslaved I am to what I have. I will become such a practitioner or something very like it these people are saints and I want to watch this with you so that we can gain a better understanding of each other and of what this means.
"Ever practicing in solitude, ever walking alone those who have penetrated, roam Nirvanas road together. Their tune is ancient, their expression pure, their bearing naturally lofty. Their appearance is haggard, their integrity unshakable. People ignore them" song of enlightenment By Great Master Yung Chia of The T'ang Dynasty
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5902279151658995270#