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Date of the document's last update/modification 03/09/93
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This file is the work of Stan Rosenthal. It has been placed here, with his kind
permission, by Bill Fear. The author has asked that no hard copies, ie. paper
copies, are made.

Stan Rosenthal may be contacted at 44 High street, St. Davids, Pembrokeshire,
Dyfed, Wales, UK. Bill Fear may be contacted at 29 Blackweir Terrace, Cathays,
Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, UK. Tel (0222) 228858 email [email protected].
Please use email as first method of contact, if possible. Messages can be sent
to Stan Rosenthal via the above email address - they will be forwarded on in
person by myself  -  B.F.

NOTE:
You may find and odd sentence or missing information every now and again in the
files. Hopefully not to frequently. This is because the files were originally
written on a machine using CP/M and had to be converted to dos format. Many of
the 5.25 disks were very old and had bad sectors - thus missing info.

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Human relationships are of course the roots of society, and begin in infancy
within the family, extend when we begin to attend school, and grow even
more with friendships and intimate relationships.  It is hardly surprising
therefore that so many of the precepts are concerned with our relationships
with our fellow human beings, and Zen Taoist sesshin (meetings) are conducted
in a anner which shows that it is possible to act in an harmonious manner
towards others without having to discard or subjugate our own individuality.
Even within the framework of the precepts, there is ample room for individual
expression, and many people benefit from the structure of sesshin to gain
confidence when in discussion with others ... many people who believed
themselves too shy to express an opinion 'in public' find that they can begin
to do so in sesshin.

In this way, through the application of Zen Taoism, the most fundamental
precept of all is being followed, but in a manner which succeeds because
it occurs from within the individual, rather than through any attempt to
apply external pressure.  The precept being applied in such circumstances
is,
       "Allow yourself to be,
       so that your life may become a time of blossoming."

As mentioned, this is probably the most individual or personal precept of
Zen Taoism.  We believe that there are many people who never realise (make
real) their full potential.  Sometimes this is because of adverse aspects
in upbringing, sometimes because of the hazards encountered in psychological
development, or it might simply be because the individual could not identify
their latent potential.  In this last instance, such people frequently come
to 'sesshin' in order to discover for themselves, what potential they have,
and continue to attend because they find that what they receive from sesshin
helps them in many other ways.

We might say that such people as have just been described, discover that
they have more courage than they believed, and if this is the case, they
would be discovering and applying the precept,
       "Seek the courage to be;
       to defend yourself, and your convictions."
There are of course others who attend sesshin for other motives, or who
discover a value in sesshin which they had not previously considered to
be important.  I am thinking here of some who are perhaps somewhat too brash,
or over confident, for it is usually the case that they learn the value
of listening.  Similarly, there are some Zen students who express themselves,
and may feel impatient when listening to someone who is not gifted in that
way; but even impatient students learn that those not so adept as themselves
can often have something of value to contribute.  So it is that people of
all descriptions, with a wide range of attributes and skills, feel that
they gain considerably from sesshin and the application of Zen Taoism to
everyday life, with regard to their attitude both to themselves and to others.
They are of course following the percept which tells us,
       "Act in harmony with your fellow beings,
       with nature, and with inanimate objects."


We believe that much of the antagonism and anguish in life stems from human
relationships, and that the root of many human relationship problems may
be found in the ego, that is, in the attitude which many people have that
the world revolves around them, or that it should have their needs as its
priority.  This 'ego need' manifests itself in many different ways.  We
can easily recognise it in situations where we might say to ourselves woefully,
       "Why does it always happen to me?",
as though life itself contrives against us, but it is not so easy to recognise
in someone, who, with the best will in the world, complains that those whom
he or she wants or tries to help, will not listen.  This is not to say that
it is wrong to help others who are in need (it may be remembered that there
is a specific precept on compassion), but that we should know the motive
from which we function, even if our action benefits others.  It is important
to realise though that examination of our motive for performing an act does
not mean we should stop performing the act if we discover that it stems
from 'wrong motive', but that we should not pretend the motive is other
than it is in reality.

In Zen terms, ego-centredness is called 'puting oneself at the centre of
the universe' and is considered to be a barrier to one's own development,
and a negation of society and the world at large, especially if it results
in our applying one set of rules to ourselves, and a different set to the
rest of society.  This is referred to in the precept which tells us,
       "Know that you are not the centre of the universe,
       but learn to put the universe at your centre."

This precept is particularly difficult for those who do not participate
in Zen.  What it means is that we should try to 'encompass the universe
within ourselves', which implys that we should try to appreciate how even
macrocosmic laws (the Tao) are reflected in the individual at microcosmic
level, and within society at intermediate level.  In Zen we are taught that
this can be accomplished by 'right meditation' and positive interaction.
Probably the most elementary form of positive interaction is friendship,
and true friendship is believed to occur only if there is no egotistical
motive.  In this respect the precepts advise us,
       "Value true friendship, and fulfil your obligations,
       rather than striving with egotistical motive."

Meditation is one of the cornerstones of Zen.  Whilst it cannot be fully
explained in only a few words, one outcome of the Zen meditative state is
that the individual becomes, albeit temporarily, egoless.  With continued
meditative practice, the individual learns how to act 'naturally', that
is, without ego, and this in turn aids positive interaction with our fellow
beings.  Although it is somewhat over-simplified, friendship is an elementary
form of this interaction.  Positive interaction and the meditative or egoless
state combine in a manner which is described as 'synergic', and it is this
manner which is believed to be of benefit to the individual and society.
Synergy is the action of two or more elements when they are combined, the
action of this combination being greater than the actions of the elements
if separate.  In human terms, this means that a synergic interaction between
two or more people will have a greater and more positive outcome than could
be produced by those people if they were not working together.  The synergic
response is in fact considered to be 'exponential'.  This cannot easily
be defined, but, for example, when two people work together in order to
move a heavy object, and manage to do so when another two people of equal
strength have failed, the latter action could be described as synergic.
The reason for this is that the effect of synergy is to multiply rather
than to add.

In order for two or more people to act in a synergic manner, or to act in
a manner which produces a synergic result, they must interact with each
other, rather than one acting upon the other or both acting separately.
It is a Zen belief that in society, human beings are 'interactively
interdependent', which means that they both act upon each other and depend
upon each other. Whilst this may be difficult to comprehend, it becomes
easier to understand if we think of the actions of human beings upon each
other as being what makes society what it is at any time.  If we act upon
each other in an antagonistic manner, society itself becomes antagonistic,
but if our interactions are synergic, we engender a society which is itself
positive, constructive and supportive to the development of human potential.

Zen meditation has already been mentioned, and whilst it cannot be fully
described here (since it must be practiced in order to be 'understood')
it is hopefully worth describing in a little more detail.  As has already
been stated, one purpose of meditation is to 'let go of the ego', but as
is quite well known, a particular function or outcome of meditation is that
it reduces the unhealthy effects of stress by promoting relaxation.  This
is referred to in the precepts with relationship to health, the relevant
precept being,
       "Remember to renew the source,
       in order to retain good health."

Although some people consider meditation to be somewhat mystical, and although
in some respects it possibly does have a mystical element, it also functions
at a very basic anatomical and physiological level.  The key to Zen meditation
probably lies in the method of breathing which is employed.  This is known
as 'diaphragmatic breathing' and involves using the diaphragm as a mechanical
pump in order to clear the lower lobes of the lungs of stale air.  This
in turn enables the breathing rate to be reduced without causing oxygen
deprivation.  The effect of the slowed down breathing rate is that the metabolic
rate decreases, and it is this which aids the relaxation response.  As physical
relaxation progresses, so it seems, the conscious mind 'relaxes' or at least
becomes less active.  The result is both physical and psychological 'stillness'.
On meditative practice, the Zen student is advised in the precepts,
       "Seek neither brilliance nor the void;
       just think deeply, and work hard.
       When still, be as the mountain;
       When in movement, be as the dragon riding the wind.
       Be aware at all times,
       like the tiger which only seems to sleep,
       and at all times let the mind be like running water."

To those who do not meditate, it may seem strange that reference to 'the
dragon riding the wind' occurs now with regard to meditation, whereas it
was used previously with regard to action.  However, those who do participate
in meditation will understand that although meditation is stillness, it
is not without its own energy and that when the diaphragmatic breathing
technique has become natural, the action of inhaling and exhaling
diaphragmatically is smooth and continuous, and not without its own beauty.
The 'movement' referred to is that of the abdomen rising and falling in regular
and rhythmic waves, without disruption.  In this way it was likened (somewhat
poetically) by the early Taoists to 'the dragon riding the wind'.

The statement which advises us to 'be still, as the mountain' refers to
the stability of the sitting posture, for Zen teaches us that when learning
meditation, the entire body must be stable so as not to distract us from
the psychological aspects of the meditative process.  The reference to 'deep
thought and hard work' might seem somewhat paradoxical, considering the
outcome of meditation, but in this instance, deep thought implies concentration
on what is being undertaken, and hard work refers to the fact that meditation,
although simple, is far from easy.  In telling us that we should 'seek neither
brilliance nor the void', the precepts are advising us that it is impossible
to meditate if we are consciously thinking of what we hope to achieve, whether
it is 'enlightenment' (brilliance) or 'emptiness' (the void).  The 'awareness'
which is mentioned in the same precept, is in fact (admittedly somewhat
obscurely) described in the following line which tells us that the manner
in which we should be aware should be like 'the tiger which only seems to
sleep'.  If we observe such an animal as the tiger when it is in sleep,
it is perfectly relaxed, but at the slightest sign (sound or smell) of danger,
the response of the tiger is immediate; it is as though the natural
preparedness of the animal does not disrupt its equally natural sleep pattern.
Finally, 'the mind like running water' is referred to quite often in Zen, and
implies that even if we are distracted from what we are doing, the practice of
meditation will enable us to return virtually immediately to the previous act.
In meditation itself, this implies that even if our meditation is disturbed,
we should be able to return to it immediately the distraction has ceased.
The fact that this does occur with experienced meditators has been confirmed
by the use of electroencephalographs, which record the 'rhythms' of the brain.

As will now be evident, Zen is a mixture of the pragmatic and the idealogical,
of the straight-forward and the mystical, of the physical and the psychological,
and the prosaic and the poetic.  It is perhaps for these reasons that it
appeals to such a diverse range of people as attend Zen sesshin around the
world.  In the two major sects of Zen Buddhism (Soto and Rinzai Zen), sesshin
is conducted in a manner which conforms to Buddhist teaching, but Zen Taoist
sesshin has no religious formality.  This does not mean that it has no
formality, but that the formality is concerned more with providing a structure
or pattern within which the needs of the students can best be met.  Zen Taoist
sesshin usually include, or are followed by an informal 'cup of tea' and
discussion on what has occured during sesshin.  The Roshi does not usually stay
for this discussion (since he or she knows that students feel more free to talk
without their teacher being present), but since every Roshi has been (and in
many respects remains) a student, it is usually a source of much pleasure
to the teacher to know that so many people of different ages and background
are able to converse with and help each other.  Also, the sound of laughter
from the dojo (place of learning) as the students relax after sesshin can
also be a source of amusement to the teacher, for Zen contains much humour,
and the teacher might deliberately have created a 'diversion' to amuse the
students during this informal discussion period.

It is during this period that a student who wishes to talk privately with
the Roshi will seek a 'private interview' (known as 'Dokusan' or 'Naisan'),
and it is no exageration to describe these inimate discussions as being,
on occassion 'magnificent' in their synergic effect, for there can be few,
if any relationships which equal the intimacy and understanding which exists
between a Zen Taoist teacher and his or her students.  It is in part because
of the input of energy and length of training which is necessary on the
part of the Roshi to gain and retain the skills required that Zen students
are told in the precepts,
       "Have humility and respect;
       give thanks to those from whom you learn,
       or who have otherwise helped you."

Although the student is expected to have respect for the Roshi, this does
not mean that students are required to accept everything which is said without
question.  In fact, students are advised in the precepts,
       "Know that there is no shame in questioning."

This precept is in fact a condensed version of an aphorism by an early Chinese
philosopher, the aphorism being known as 'The Code of Scholarship'.  It
is, in full,
       "To ask may bring a moment's shame,
       but not to ask is to remain in ignorance,
       and so condemn oneself to lifelong shame."

Sesshin is not the only period in which the student is expected or provided
with the opportunity to learn, for Zen Taoism is not a monastic order, but
is very much 'in the world'.  Outside of sesshin time, Zen Taoists go about
their daily lives doing very much the same sort of things as anyone else.
It is therefore appropriate that learning should continue outside of sesshin,
and students frequently seek an opportunity of applying in their daily lives
the precepts which have been learned and discussed in sesshin.  For example,
the student is told,
       "Help those who are suffering or disadvantaged,
       and as you yourself become awakened,
       help those who seek to make real their own potential."

The term 'awakened' refers to what is hopefully an ongoing process in which
the student's own potential is made real.  This means that the student is
in fact being advised to offer help (by providing help) for anyone who is
in any way disadvantaged or suffering, but should take care not to assume
the teaching role until he or she has been told by the Roshi that the student
has reached a sufficient level of awakening.  With further regard to helping
others, and also to 'necessary distinction', the student is taught that
in order to discover if one is in a position to help others it is often
necessary to distinguish between the value placed on something as it relates
to oneself, and the value which may be placed upon it by another person.
This means that if we ourselves are not thirsty, a glass of waater would
be of little or no value, but because it would be of value to someone who
is thirsty, we should not consider it to be valueless.  To do so would be
to think of it only from our own subjective frame of reference, and this
would be to think of ourselves as 'the centre of the universe'.  The relevant
precept tells us,
       "Know that a thing or an action
       which may seem of little value to oneself,
       may be a priceless treasure to another.

As may be appreciated from this example, the precepts are not separate entities,
but form an integrated structure of concepts.  Although they are expressed
in the form of advice, the structure they form is in reality the Zen Taoist
frame of reference.  A major aspect of this frame of reference is that nothing
is static.  This is usually expressed in a more positive manner, in the
expression, 'all things are in a state of flux'.  Our relationship or attitude
to change is therefore considered important, and we are advised in the precepts,
       "Accept transience, the inevitable and the irrevocable.
       Know that change exists in everything."

The term 'transience' describes the fact that nothing remains for ever,
and that the nature of all things and processes is only temporary.  The
'inevitable' refers to the fact that although there are some things which
we can influence, there are others which we cannot influence and the
'irrevocable' is a reference to the fact that something which has already
occurred cannot 'unoccur'.  In total, these three terms imply that it is
fruitless to wish or pretend that things are different than they are, or that
something which has happened did not occur.  Whilst this makes sound sense to
all of us, it is quite often difficult to prevent such thoughts or wishes from
arising, but Zen teaches that the reason for this is the confusion between
'wishing' and 'faith or hope'.  Whilst we might have faith in a divinity, or
hope that a change will occur to improve a particular state, neither of these
is the same as 'wishing' in the delusory sense in which it has been used
here.  This sort of wishing, although understandable, is not to be recommended,
especially since it can easily change to a state of pretending that things
are other than they really are; and this will undoubtedly prevent us from
discovering just what can and what cannot be influenced.  Zen does not teach
that we should merely 'allow things to happen' and neither does it teach
that we should not respond to situations; but it does help us to discover
(through necessary distinction) where it is appropriate to respond or attempt
to influence a situation, and where it is inappropriate or without value
to do so.

Inability to act, or to determine when it is appropriate to act is considered
in Zen to be a barrier to our awakening, and we are told in the precepts
that we should overcome these barriers.  The relevant precept adtually advises,
       "Negate the barriers to your awakening;
       discover ther positive in the negative."

This is a reference to a particularly significant Zen teaching called 'The
Gateless Gates', in which we are told that there are numerous gateways in
life, and that part of our purpose in individual and social development
is to learn to recognise and pass through these gateways.  The concept of
the gateless gates is interesting because it enables us to broaden our frame
of reference by realizing that some things which are usually thought of
as negative can in fact be positive, or even that something which is negative
can be converted to the positive.  If, for example we are too shy to speak
in public, this is a negative factor, and therefore something which 'inhibits
our awakening'.  It is like a locked gate in front of us.  However, in
overcoming such an inability we 'unlock' or pass through that gate.  If we
think of a locked gate as a barrier, an unlocked or open gate is a form of exit
and entry.  In this instance the same gate can act as a barrier, or an exit
from or entry to a different 'mode of being', from a state where we were
unable to converse in public, to a state wehre we are able to do so.  A
negative gate or barrier will then have been converted, by our action, into
a positive gateway.

Zen does not provide a definitive list of the gateless gates, because any
individual has his or her own gates through which to pass.  However, there
are certain 'gates' through which every individual does pass, two of these
being birth and death (referred to respectively as 'the gateway to life'
and 'the gateway to eternity'.  Birth is considered to be the physical
manifestation of our true being, and death, our return to the infinite or
eternal from which we come, and in which we dwell for ever.

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