In Zen, each moment is a birth, each moment is a death. Every moment a new thought is born, every moment a thought dies. Every moment is a chance to let go, or a trap, in which we cling to our ideas of self. Letting go of thoughts, in zen, is liberation. Likewise, we eventually have to let go of our bodies, our minds, we die. But also, from the zen point of view, nothing dies, nothing is born – everything is just a constant change, constant transformation. But it certainly seems like our separate self dies – zen is the investigation of this separate self, seeing through the illusion of separate self, and understanding that all things are interconnected, interrelated. If everything is related to everything else, if everything is one thing, how can anything die, zen asks? It can’t – there is only transformation. The heart sutra says, basically, “No birth, no death.”
Spent an hour today working on energy. For years, I've sensed energy at my third eye chakra, due to meditation. Lately, I've felt that energy is "stuck" there. Today I was able to unstick it. I was able to gently move that intense, distracting energy to my throat, then my chest and solar plexus, then down in the Hara or tanden, which allowed me to feel more grounded. Too often in my head, lately, I think, and I've begun to feel that intense energy at the third eye is an indicator of this. Now, I still feel some energy there, but it is less intense, feels more flowing.
I'm looking forward to working on moving that energy more, learning to let it flow more easily. Trungpa often discussed energy, saying that everything is energy and our ability to relate to our energy and other's energy. Negative thoughts, feelings, psychic states, these are just forms of energy, though they appear to be "solid" "real" things - we make them that seem solid and real and permanent by the ways in which we talk about them and approach them - like unending mental cliffs in the landscape of our mind. I think maybe toss a little cartoon birdie at them, let them fall like the leaves in the backyard a bit. It's so easy to get wrapped up in our emotions and concepts about things, wanting things to be one way or another, but when energy flows, isn't trapped in negative cycles, then there's an ability to rest in reality just as it is, perfect in this moment. Perceiving and working with energy, just energy as it exists in the body, I'm beginning to think is just as important as working within the conceptual framework (I'm often frustrated due to x,y,z, and I want to learn how to be not frustrated) that we call our lives/selves.
Finding a quiet place that exists in society while also being outside society - or distanced from it - is necessary to practicing this.
2 comments:
I found you via Tao’s blog. I think this is really good and true. Lately energy has been “unsticking” in me, many different reasons why, from the base of my throat and middle of my chest. I used to be hesitant to talk about this bcause of vague new-agey connotations, but the more I relate to my body from yoga and meditation, the more that “energy” seems like the best description. Reaching out to let you know there are other peeps experimenting with similar stuff, and enjoy reading about it. Thanks
Hi, oh cool, glad you found this. Is your blog no future t-shirt blog? Along with the snowboarding ones? I've definitely felt hesitant to talk about things like this for the same reason, but I think understanding in terms of energy is helping me learn in different ways. Almost like it's a gateway to admitting to myself that there are other ways to know things that doesn't have to do with words/language alone. Thanks for saying hello
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