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The Ox
AI Suggested Keywords:
The talk addresses the metaphorical "Zen Ox" as a symbol of personal and spiritual challenges, discussing the various strategies individuals might employ to confront these trials. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding one's intentions and the hidden motivations behind actions by referencing a story where a monk queries a master about how to deal with life's myriad experiences. The master's response and the subsequent commentary by Dogen underline the futility of attempting to control external circumstances, suggesting instead that these experiences are manifestations of the Buddha Dharma.
- Dogen's Commentary on Controlling Experiences: Dogen comments that experiences are manifestations of Buddha Dharma rather than mere objects, emphasizing that attempts to control them are futile.
- Monk's Inquiry to the Master: A referenced story where a monk asks how to deal with myriad experiences, to which the master advises against trying to control them. This highlights the core teaching of acceptance within Zen philosophy.
AI Suggested Title: Embracing the Zen Ox Within
A few days ago we had a talk and in the question and answers we talked about meat and killing and kofers and various things. So I know you have a lot of different feelings about this and thoughts and views. We are going to encounter a Zen Ops and we have to find out, each one of us, how we want to do that and how it is we intend to tangle. with the zen ox.
[01:04]
Some of you might like to just try to go up and pet him. Pet him a little bit. I don't know what he'll do in that case. Some of you may wave a cape in front of him and hope that he'll run past you, charge right past you, and you won't get gored. Some of you probably won't be quick enough to get out of the way when you try that, and you might get bored. And then again, some of you may want to take on this Xanox in a life and death fashion. So today I thought I'd talk a little bit about this. And I wanted to tell you that I was going to talk about this so you would know that that's what I was talking about.
[02:04]
Because when I talk about what I'm talking about today, you might not realize that it's about this encounter tomorrow unless I tell you. So now I've told you. The Zen Ox is a little bit like the beast I talked about before. It's not like you can just go up to the Zen Ox and say, can I have the highest meaning of the Holy Truth, please? Would you give me some enlightenment, please? Something like that.
[03:08]
Probably the Zen Ox will not be so accommodating, just like a wild man wanted to get out of the cage. But in this case, the synopsis might tell you to get out of your cage and then you can have whatever you want. Anyway, today I wanted to bring up again the story of a monk who asked an ancient master, When the hundred and thousand and myriad things come, what should I do? And the master replied, Don't try to control them. And as I said, Dogen, in commenting about this, said,
[04:09]
What comes is the Buddha Dharma, not objects at all. And don't think this is just a clever admonition, but even if you try to control things, they can't be controlled. What should you do? Always in a question like that, what should I do? When I raise these questions today, I mean to say this is in the context of what questions should I ask? What should I say? What should I do? There's always some hidden part to a question like that. The hidden part is In order to what? What should I do in order to what? In order to look good?
[05:13]
In order to have a nice time? In order to not be hurt? In order to have people like me? In order to what?
[05:28]
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