Beware the Lion-Worms in Monastic Robes
2007/7/15 22:42:12
This ID generally does not go out of the way to visit temples. The world is nothing but one great temple — entering without entering, departing without departing. If some claim that certain people steeped in greed, anger, ignorance, doubt, and pride are planting seeds for hell, while others who attain prajna-bodhi are destined for the Pure Land or heaven, that is nothing but the feverish nonsense of Christianity, Catholicism, and their ilk. Hell — is it not also a solemn place of practice? Using hell to terrorize followers is merely the tiresome gimmick of so-called religions that use feverish nonsense to deceive.
But precisely because there is nowhere that is not a solemn place of practice, there must exist formalized, worldly places of solemn practice. Those who cling to "nowhere is not a place of practice" while grasping at this very assertion have merely been tricked by another kind of tiresome gimmick. The formalized solemn places of practice in the human world are temples. Within such formalized solemn places of practice, one must commit fully to formalization — one must cling to the solemnity of the place of practice. Here, clinging is true liberation.
Not establishing a single image is nothing other than establishing a thousand, ten thousand images. Not establishing a single word is nothing other than establishing a thousand, ten thousand words. Not establishing a single dharma is nothing other than establishing a thousand, ten thousand dharmas. Nearly all who loudly proclaim Zen ultimately fall into the trap of these thousand-and-ten-thousand images, words, and dharmas. As of now, the gimmicks played by lion-worms wearing monastic robes are not even up to that standard — beware the lion-worms in monastic robes!
For those who use temples as bases for massive wealth-extraction and other nefarious activities, the law must be used to punish them severely. Within the grounds of any temple, no commercial activity should be permitted. No monastic should participate in any commercial wealth-extraction activity. No lay practitioner of right faith should give offerings to monastics who do not uphold the dharma. No temple should sell admission tickets.
No local government should use temples as tools for wealth extraction. Governments should allow capable lay practitioners of right faith to purchase temple properties, buying the temple and then donating it entirely back to the temple. All who have left home must practice both agricultural work and Zen, both agricultural work and Pure Land cultivation simultaneously. All temples may accept offerings from lay practitioners of right faith, but all corresponding dharma services must not charge any money or goods. Those who leave home should not retain a single thread, not store a single grain of rice — generating the great compassion mind, achieving great realization, and transferring the merit to all sentient beings. Leaving home is not something kings, generals, great men, or sages can accomplish — it is the act of the truly, fiercely courageous. Without such breadth and boldness of spirit, what home are you leaving?
Admittedly, what is described above is probably quite unrealistic. But reality has always existed to be transcended. Reality is merely the collective karma of sentient beings. When a single person makes a vow, heaven and earth tremble. Fixed karma is originally empty — what is real and what is present?
Chán Zhōng Shuō Chán 2007/7/15 22:45:58
Setting aside the stock market, even just for tomorrow's 5 AM Brazil-Argentina final, everyone should get some good rest.
Signing off now, see you tomorrow.