Calm Abiding
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The cook monk Dairyo at Bankei's monastery decided to take good care of his elderly teacher's health and give him only fresh miso, a paste of soy beans mixed with wheat and yeast that often ferments. The Buddhist teacher Bankei (b. 1622) noticed he was being served better miso than his disciples and asked, "Who is the cook today?"
Dairyo appeared before the teacher. The cook informed him that, according to his age and position, he should eat only fresh miso. Bankei told him, "Then, you think I shouldn't eat at all." With this, he entered his room and locked the door.
Dairyo sat outside the door and asked forgiveness. Bankei would not answer. The cook sat outside for seven days, and the teacher stayed inside.
Finally, in desperation, another disciple called to Bankei, "You may be all right, old teacher, but this young disciple here has to eat. He cannot go without food forever!"
Bankei opened the door smiling. He told Dairyo, "I insist on eating the same food as the least of my disciples. When you become the teacher, I do not want you to forget this."
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"Least" does not mean "of less worth" or "intrinsically less than." "Least" pertains to relative rank in the congregation of disciples. Bankei recognizes the relativity of rank, thus hierarchy, and the absoluteness of equality of being. Only Bankei is the teacher; Bankei is equal to all, and all are equal to Bankei.
In the Gospel of Matthew 23.12 (CEV), Jesus provides a caution that mirrors the above Zen koan: "All who lift themselves up will be brought low. But all who make themselves low will be lifted up." Jesus speaks to the natural law, often called karma.
Elsewhere, Jesus addressed, in the Gospel of Matthew 6.5 (CEV), the pride of religious leaders of his time - "When you pray, don't be like those show-offs who love to stand up and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They do this just to look good. I can assure you that they already have their reward."
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Bankei understood the wisdom of the Buddhist teaching of "no-self." So, the Zen patriarch Bodhidharma (who flourished in the 6th century) could say, "A buddha isn't a buddha."
We are not what we appear to be; when we remove the signs of nature and society, we are something other than a self. As Buddhism teaches, we are signless. Hence, being not a self means we are what everyone is, for such no-self does not mean "nothing." When we awaken, we realize no one or everyone is special.
When empty of self, a fullness arises. Hence, no-self is the absence of an illusion. No-self is a presence.
Only through direct experience can we know that "something" or "not-nothing." When we know this through these relative bodies, our life experience moves to and from the Center of equality with others. You are no more one with your best friend than with a terrorist or serial killer. No priest or spiritual teacher is more intrinsically worthy than someone with no interest in a spiritual or religious path. We are all buddhas and christs needing some cleaning.
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If we were to become someone called a buddha, we would see that being a buddha is nothing special. We think a buddha is special for we see through nonbuddha eyes: so with a christ.
Accordingly, a christ or buddha would not be showing off to impress others, get attention, and demonstrate some spiritual insight to set themselves off as superior. The most humble person in the room would be the Buddha, the Christ.
Humbleness marks us increasingly as we grow spiritually. Trying to be humble does not work. And humbleness does not mean playing weak or hiding your knowledge or expertise. We learn humbleness the same way we know anything. We learn humbleness in being humble. Humbleness is natural. We are at peace when humble. We bring peace to others when humble.
Some call this no-self by True Self and refer to False Self as an illusion. Yet, when a self refers to having a True Self, that is not the True Self. One is still stuck in the illusion. No one has a True Self. No one has ever found an ego. We are the True Self; there is no False Self. "I" includes all other beings. Spirit has no address; all is in it, all is it. We sit together at one table, eat the same food, and drink the same drink.
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Why do we teach individual spiritual practice if no-self is true? Well, you discover no-self through yourself. This body-and-mind is a manifestation of no-self. It lives, for most persons, in a cloud of forgetfulness. The sense of self is the pathway to awareness of boundless, selfless presence. No-self illuminates the self. Then, the sense of self arises and dissolves, progressively becoming more aligned with no-self. One need not denigrate it, such as in ego bashing. The ego bashing the ego - well, what a sight! All relative is an embodiment of the absolute. Your sense of self is present to serve no-self.
Thus, one cannot find a seam between God and no self, so no seam between you and God. To find one is to find the other, yet one, playing as two, is one. God is no-self shining in myriad rays of Light. Wonderful! This play includes Jesus, Buddha, all our ancestors, the tree leaves, raindrops, and you. God seems to enjoy frolicking.
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*(C) Brian K. Wilcox, 2024. Permission is given to use photographs and writings with credit given to the copyright owner.
*Brian's book is An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love. The book is a collection of poems Brian wrote based on wisdom traditions, predominantly Christian, Buddhist, and Sufi, with extensive notes on the poetry's teachings and imagery.
*Quote from Bodhidharma in Bodhidharma. The Zen Teaching of Bodhidharma. Trans. Red Pine.
