A person walks up to the edge of the lake, and asks the floaters, "How does one float on the water?" The floaters reply, "Get in the water, lie on your back, take a deep breath, and you'll float." The person replies, "I don't understand. I don't see how that's possible. What must I learn to do?" The floaters reply, "There's nothing you need to learn; just get in the water, lie on your back, and take a deep breath." The person says, "Why won't anyone meet me where I am here on the lakeshore, and show me what to do?" The floaters keep floating, and the person keeps standing on the shore.
This is a rough analogy of what's going on here. You already understand that imagination creates the illusion of selfhood, so stop imagining, and attend, notice, look, be. Become a person of action and attentivenes rather than reflection. Do whatever has to be done without looking forward or backward, without projecting, cognizing, calculating, fantasizing, judging, or knowing.
Long before Nike came up with its slogan Zen Master Seung Sahn used to tell his students, "Just do it!"
Becoming psychologically unified with THIS is like someone getting lost in an intense action game, say tennis. At you begin the game, you are talking to yourself and saying things like, "Remember to get the racket back early, keep the knees bent, etc," but as the game heats up, the internal monologue stops, and the player is running madly back and forth chasing down lobs or smashing returns. With sufficient attention and focus, time and space disappear, and eventually the player, as a separate entity, also disappears into the action.
What would happen if the player kept that same level of intensity and attentiveness in ordinary life after the game ends? S/he would cease to be psychologically separate. There would only be THIS doing whatever THIS is doing. This is what all of the teachings are pointing to.
In the beginning a certain amount of intensity is necessary, but as thought structures collapse and illusions are penetrated, the psychological union of mind, body, and universe becomes a relaxed flow. Jump in, and let the current carry you along. It is far more fun to go with the flow than to fight against it.
This is a rough analogy of what's going on here. You already understand that imagination creates the illusion of selfhood, so stop imagining, and attend, notice, look, be. Become a person of action and attentivenes rather than reflection. Do whatever has to be done without looking forward or backward, without projecting, cognizing, calculating, fantasizing, judging, or knowing.
Long before Nike came up with its slogan Zen Master Seung Sahn used to tell his students, "Just do it!"
Becoming psychologically unified with THIS is like someone getting lost in an intense action game, say tennis. At you begin the game, you are talking to yourself and saying things like, "Remember to get the racket back early, keep the knees bent, etc," but as the game heats up, the internal monologue stops, and the player is running madly back and forth chasing down lobs or smashing returns. With sufficient attention and focus, time and space disappear, and eventually the player, as a separate entity, also disappears into the action.
What would happen if the player kept that same level of intensity and attentiveness in ordinary life after the game ends? S/he would cease to be psychologically separate. There would only be THIS doing whatever THIS is doing. This is what all of the teachings are pointing to.
In the beginning a certain amount of intensity is necessary, but as thought structures collapse and illusions are penetrated, the psychological union of mind, body, and universe becomes a relaxed flow. Jump in, and let the current carry you along. It is far more fun to go with the flow than to fight against it.
