RIGHT NOW, THIS LETTER, THIS STROKE OF THE KEY IS PRACTICE!!

I read something recently that reminded me again that IT IS THIS MOMENT which is my practice. In this "MU" journey I am on right now, MU is that which keeps slamming my feet back onto the ground where I am standing. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, not awhile ago, not a in a few minutes. RIGHT NOW! This is practice.

"See what is prior to any motion of mind."
Zen Sand 4.106


Bows,

Alan

The Beauty of Simplicity!

I had to share this. I just love the colors! I love the flavors too. This is the birthing of the simple sauce called "marinara".

Salute!

Alan

ME, MALA AND MU

So I have taken up the koan "MU". I have no idea what this means for me but it is truly what my spirit led me to do. It may reveal my arrogance, my stupidity or it may even reveal my hunger for the "truth" about this great life we all have been given to live.


I have met with Dosho twice now, sharing my thoughts, sharing my frustrations, just sharing. Now I have told him not to treat me with soft hands. Life is swiftly passing by and The Great Matter must be dealt with. No, I don't know what all this means either! 


So anyway, this morning I decided to take me, my mala beads and mu for a long slow walk...five miles...each step was mu, each rolling tire from the cars was mu, each bird was mu, the wind was mu and then I would lose mu for about five or ten minutes and then mu would come back. Back and forth, me, mala and mu. It was a great walk! 


And now I am going to make some marinara sauce and enjoy the back porch, watch the trees, the birds and maybe have a scotch.


Mu,


Alan

JUST THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS TO DAILY ZEN FOR THE FOLLOWING QUOTE;

The spiritual light shines alone,
Far transcending the senses
And their fields;
The essential substance is exposed,
Real and eternal.
It is not contained in written words.
The nature of mind has no defilement;
It is basically perfect and complete in itself.
Just get rid of delusive attachments,
And merge with realization of thusness.

 - Pai-chang (720–814)

And so I have to remind my self again! It's (if there is an "it")  is not in the books, it is not in my thoughts, it is not in my feelings, it is not in my smell, my taste, my eyes, ears, nose or even Mu!

"It is basically perfect and complete in itself."

MMMMMMMMMMMMMUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So again, I sit down and shut up, I get up and live, love, hate, be happy, be sad, be brave, be afraid, be proud, be humble, be dumb, be smart. Then again I sit down and shut up.

All the while "it is basically perfect and complete in itself."

Bows,

Alan

As promised. Cuban Fare actualized/incarnated! I am calling this Cuban chicken stew with black beans. Yummy!!!!!
Thanks to that Cuban Spirit who entered me this morning!

Bows,

Alan

I just had to share this with all of you. This was last Wednesday evening!
Don't need to say anything here, right?

Bows,
Alan

Cuban Fare - ACTUALIZED/INCARNATED

OK, I don't know, maybe I am being used as a channel for some ancient Cuban. That's OK! Anyway, this morning I decided to look up on the web what some of the common spices in Cuban foods might be. One article spoke of something that is called SOFRITO, a mixture of sauteed veggies, usually onions, garlic, green peppers. The Cuban version adds oregano. What I have here is garlic, oregano, black pepper corns, Italian tomatoes, green peppers, jalapeno, and chicken thighs. The thighs are bone-in, skinless.
So I have thrown all this together and also added one sliced Bartlett pear. Now I am just letting it stew until the eschaton and then I will put it over some brown rice.
I'll probably take a pic of it at completion and let you take a peek.
That's the food practice for today.


So I have been reading a book Dosho recommended to me, NOVICE TO MASTER, An Ongoing Lesson in the Extent of My own Stupidity by Soko Morinaga.
One encounter he has with a young man about religion leads to the following statement by Soko:

"Information collected on the subject of religion is worthless. Religion is, to the very end, something you must verify for yourself through actual practice.

Many people are willing to learn techniques that help them live their lives. But the person who seeks to confirm their life at its roots by reaching beyond technique to the fundamentals-to true religion-is exceedingly rare. I find this state of affairs most regrettable. That is why I can't help but urge you to refrain from evaluating your daily life on the basis of what you think you know, on the basis of collected data. I want you to awaken to everything and to seek the true way of living. But make no mistake: Whether you remain in the category of a dissatisfied person or become an awakened (human) is solely up to you, dependent solely upon your  own actual doing."
Pgs. 115-116
In the Christian tradition I think they would call this INCARNATING and in the Buddhist tradition I think this is what is mean't by ACTUALIZING.

So what is MU?

Well, until I can actually SHOW YOU, doesn't do me much good to just talk about !

So I will sit down and shut up!!!!!!!!!!

Bows,

Alan