Truly it is our expectations and our judgments that trap and enslave us. Surely if there is a Buddha Nature it resides within and is the cause of nothing, like music in a world of deaf mutes it has all the aspects of nothing until we learn to hear it, but how hard it can be to hear.
Do you suppose it was sunny the day music was invented, or was it found just lying there among the clutter of the world, unnoticed until that day. Did the person who found music bring it home with him or spin it into existence in front of his community like a wizard conjuring up a ghost. How do you suppose it traveled to every place and all places?
Buddha had a wife named Yasodhara and a son named Rahula. I wonder if he had a dog. Surely as a prince he must have had a dog. Then we could well ask its name and its nature and if he carried it with him when he left home. I always see Buddha as essentially a good man a decent fellow. How hard it must have been to leave his wife and child behind the night he left home. But the real question is did he take his dog with him when he left.
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The first musician was a woman, in my opinion. There are two situations that almost demand rhythmic and/or melodious voice. One is a baby. They respond to melody and to rhythm and, historically, babies upbringing was exclusively the domain of women.
ReplyDeleteRepeatitive tasks are another situation that encourage repetetive or melodious voice. And people have been doing repetive tasks forever, it seems.
I'll bet that the Buddha didn't have a dog. Most domestic dogs are the embodiment of morality, in my opinion. I have met a couple of "bad dogs," but they are the exception and may have been responding to bad treatment at some time in their lives.
If He'd have had a dog, I'd bet there would be a "Dog Sutra," extolling dog virtues in some way.
Steve :
ReplyDeleteIn the summer of the first year of Jotei (1228) Zen Master Ekai (Mumon) was lecturing on Koan of the ancient masters to the monks at the monastery of Ryusho temple in East China. He intended to use the koan as a ram for battering open the gate in order to inspire his students of Zen according to their ability. His notes were unwittingly collected. There is no order as to the beginning or the end. In total there are 48 cases, now called "The Gateless Gate." Traditionally the first Koan in the collection is called “Joshu’s Dog”
“A monk asked Joshu, a Chinese Zen master: `has a dog Buddha-nature or not?'
Joshu answered: `Mu.' [Mu is the negative symbol in Chinese, meaning `No-thing' or `Nay'.] “
This entry is my attempt to comment on that Koan.
Meaning no disrespect to Joshu or anyone so inclined, it dawned on me that one who has never had a dog might reply this way. Then it dawned on me that a worldling who has never had a dog might reply this way.
ReplyDeleteFinally it dawned on me that if I were a dog in any life, I would be without Buddha nature? How then to become enlightened, what instructions are there for dogs? I cannot "see my Buddha nature" if it isn't there, so atainment must be the path??
I bring these up not as serious points for discussion, but as the way I tend to respond to that Koan. Of course I am not a Zen practitioner, either.