Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “I cannot hear what you say for listening to what you are.” Actions my friends, speak louder than words. Just as a healthy tree is known by the good fruit it bears, the reality of our practice is known by the “fruit” we bear in our lives. Our speech, actions, and lifestyle represent the “fruits” of our practice. They are the external and essential evidence of our understanding and practice (or lack of it).
In our homes, neighborhood, and workplace, what fruit do people see in our lives? Do they see a rich harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Or do they see someone who is hungry from lack of fruit?
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Coming, going, the waterbirds
don’t leave a trace,
don’t follow a path.
- Dogen Zenji, 1200 – 1253
When I was first studying Zen and Tao, I wanted to rid myself of impatience and anger. I knew it would take some time. After a while, I looked at myself and I was still impatient and got angry over trivial things. It dawned on me that it was not going to be an overnight process or even many overnights. It was going to take a long time to overcome so many years of negative thought patterns. Even to this day, I still occasionally get impatient at times or maybe even angry, but now I know what to do or not do with those feelings. I recognize them and then let them pass. If we do not let our feelings get a hold on us, we are being successful.
The moon’s the same old moon,
The flowers exactly as they were,
Yet I’ve become the thingness
Of all the things I see!
- Bunan
No matter how hard we try, we eventually discover that we cannot force change within the heart. We cannot read a book and then demand of our heart or mind: “I want you to feel this way!” We soon realize that the most intimate part of our being can betray us. It can cause us to be wrapped up in anger, hatred, lust, or some other negative emotion. Only by cultivating wisdom through meditation and prayer can we begin to effect change within.
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All night I could not sleep
because of the moonlight on my bed.
I kept on hearing a voice calling:
Out of Nowhere, Nothing answered “yes.”
-
Zi Ye, Collection of Chinese Folk Songs
For most people who are seeking their path to oneness, there is an understanding that there are many levels of practice, and that everyone has the ability to practice. It is not a case where only the most ascetic souls who live in caves can attain their goals. Instead, know that everyone can progress at his or her own comfortable rate. Obviously, the more dedicated one is to their practice, the more progress can be achieved over the same rate of time as one who is not as dedicated. Yet do not let an inability to commit whole heartedly deter you from setting out on your path. It is better to practice some than not at all. By practicing some, one will see the fruits of their efforts and thus be more inclined to then totally commit to their practice.
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True nature is always elusive,
Only the heart of no-heart
can grasp-it.
Up in the mountain,
the burning jade stays brilliant.
And in the roaring furnace,
lotus blossoms keep their fragrance.
- Ngo An, Korea, (circa 1090)
Those who pursue their practices with dedication and firm conviction achieve concentration and the fruits of their practice more quickly, compared to those who have less dedication. It is very easy to think that the only way to progress is when you have withdrawn from an everyday life, perhaps as a monk living in a Himalayan cave may have done. However, this is not the case. Someone may have a great deal of time available to them and know quite many teachings, but with only a come and go dedication, little progress is achieved. Conversely, a person with a smaller amount of time may only do a mild practice, but have a great intensity of dedication. Such a position is a far superior way to progress on the path of enlightenment. Having little time is balanced by rock-solid dedication at practice time and sincere cultivation of meditation in action.
The fifth effort we must make is what is called Prajna, which is the higher wisdom that comes from discrimination, and this wisdom is sought through the process of contemplation utilizing the Samadhi that we have mastered. By cultivating a constant remembrance of these five efforts and commitments, the specific practices can be comprehended in this simple manner. This inspired one to follow through on walking the path and not just wishing for it.
The third effort required to maintain our steady walk down our path is cultivating a constant mindfulness of being on the path itself. This mindfulness is not a form of a negative mental obsession, but rather, a gentle reminder and awareness of the goal of our life, of faith in your journey, and of your decision to commit your energy to the process of walking the path towards inner peace. It is also the practice of mindfulness of our own inner process, being mindful both at meditation time and during daily life.
The fourth effort needed is samadhi which we have already discussed. We must be committing to systematically moving through the levels or stages of samadhi, and to using these skills of attention as the tools to discriminate between the various forms of ignorance and delusion that keep us in samsara.
The second effort needed is the is the positive energy of ego that is the supports your faith of going in the right direction. Ego is often looked down upon, but without any ego, we would be inert. This energy puts the power behind your sense of knowing what to do. When you are strongly acting on what you know to be your correct path, that is conviction. At times when you may feel weak or unsure, and are taking little action, that is from lack of conviction. It is this conviction that keeps us meditating, praying, and practicing every day.
In order to successfully follow your path, there are five efforts needed. First is a rock solid belief that you are moving in the right direction. Please do not confuse this with a blind faith in some religion or teacher. Rather, it is an inner feeling of certainty that you are moving down the correct path. Of course you do not know exactly how your journey is going to develop, however you do possess an inner intuition of walking steadily towards the goal of your practice.
There is also a form of concentration without any object of focus. In objectless samadhi, all thoughts and senses are in a latent form, although you are remain fully conscious. This means they are not active in focusing attention either in the unconscious level of mind, nor in the active, conscious level of mind.
It is important to understand that the objectlessness being addressed here is far deeper than simply quieting the noisy, churning conscious mind as one does when beginning meditation. Allowing a noisy mind to gradually calm itself is an important step, however it is important to remember that it is only a stepping stone to the unconscious.
