Monday, December 24, 2012

Dharma Discourse: Where Is the Barrier by Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei

No inside, no outside.  Nothing to 'find'; it is omnipresent.

Dharma Discourse: Where Is the Barrier by Geoffrey Shugen Arnold Sensei:

"Liang says, "So then knowing my fault I must change." Yuanwu says this response was undeniably extraordinary. Knowing my fault I must change. This is the great pivot point of spiritual practice, the beginning of being responsible for the whole catastrophe, as my teacher would often say. It is here that practice begins. When we don't understand, then both the problem and the solution are thought to be external.

Within adversity or injustice it is especially difficult to understand that if we want to get to the root of the suffering, we have to deal with both the creator and master of the suffering. It can be difficult when the problem seems so clearly located somewhere else. And, indeed, there may be a real problem. But if we want to get to the root of suffering, as Qinshan said, we have to bring out the master within that barrier. Because we'll find that even when injustice has been rectified, even when inequality has turned to equality, the root of suffering persists. This is what the Buddha realized. This is the First Noble Truth, "Life is dukkha.""

"Knowing my fault I must change." When we begin to really understand this truth, practice becomes easier, but it also becomes more difficult. It's more difficult because as we stop trying to locate the problem somewhere else, as we face ourselves more honestly, our lives can seem to get harder, more painful. But because we're now so much closer to the real heart of things, because we're being honest, now we can really practice effectively.

http://w.wzen.org/zmm/teachings/shugen/shugen45.php

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