"According to Dogen Zenji we are not seeking for help from outside because we are firmly protected from inside. That is our spirit. We are protected from inside, always, incessantly, so we do not expect any help from outside."
What does this mean? Never heard it said this way. What (allegedly) protects us? Or is it something that enables us to protect ourselves? Not a person of faith myself, and all those religious promises of "protection" and "comfort" rang hollow to me. Buddhism has been unlike any other religion in that it didn't blow smoke up my ass, or fabricate castles in the air, but I'm trying to find...refuge, I guess. I can say "I take refuge," but it means nothing to me. How do I build a foundation of security and right thought when my soul is nothing but sand?
As I understand Suzuki Roshi, he maintains that we have complete confidence in ourselves to meet whatever arises and respond appropriately. That confidence is always present, though we're only sometimes in touch with it. With continuous practice, however, we see more of what is already there, and it's born from a deep understanding of how the entire universe supports our very existence.
Well, we can begin with this example. We don't produce the food that sustains us ourselves. We do it in collaboration with the soil, the sun, and the rain. We also do it in collaboration with other members of our community: farmers who grow the vegetables, packing, and shipping companies that deliver them to the store, and grocery store workers who shelve and help us check out. We, the individual, are supported by our local community.
Our local community is supported by a larger community: nearby cities, the states, the country, and eventually, the entire planet. The planet itself is supported in the same way. Although this is fast-moving, there is a point of view from which the entire universe sustains our existence.
None of this is done intentionally or deliberately. The point, though, is that we exist as a part of a greater whole and could not exist without that greater whole. In that way, we are supported.
"According to Dogen Zenji we are not seeking for help from outside because we are firmly protected from inside. That is our spirit. We are protected from inside, always, incessantly, so we do not expect any help from outside."
What does this mean? Never heard it said this way. What (allegedly) protects us? Or is it something that enables us to protect ourselves? Not a person of faith myself, and all those religious promises of "protection" and "comfort" rang hollow to me. Buddhism has been unlike any other religion in that it didn't blow smoke up my ass, or fabricate castles in the air, but I'm trying to find...refuge, I guess. I can say "I take refuge," but it means nothing to me. How do I build a foundation of security and right thought when my soul is nothing but sand?
Thank you for the question.
As I understand Suzuki Roshi, he maintains that we have complete confidence in ourselves to meet whatever arises and respond appropriately. That confidence is always present, though we're only sometimes in touch with it. With continuous practice, however, we see more of what is already there, and it's born from a deep understanding of how the entire universe supports our very existence.
"We have confidence, we just don't realize it" - makes some sense. No idea how the universe supports our existence, though.
Well, we can begin with this example. We don't produce the food that sustains us ourselves. We do it in collaboration with the soil, the sun, and the rain. We also do it in collaboration with other members of our community: farmers who grow the vegetables, packing, and shipping companies that deliver them to the store, and grocery store workers who shelve and help us check out. We, the individual, are supported by our local community.
Our local community is supported by a larger community: nearby cities, the states, the country, and eventually, the entire planet. The planet itself is supported in the same way. Although this is fast-moving, there is a point of view from which the entire universe sustains our existence.
None of this is done intentionally or deliberately. The point, though, is that we exist as a part of a greater whole and could not exist without that greater whole. In that way, we are supported.