The Moon in a Drop of Water

Last updated on: November 23, 2008 at 10:35 am by Dosho Port

The Moon in a Drop of Water 2008-11-23T10:35:00-06:00 Dosho Port

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Question: I read this in a book by Wolinsky. What if so-called trauma is ongoing for us if we unconsciously compare what we are getting now—in the world—to stillness or essence? In other words, we expect perfection of “prior to form” in the world of forms…without knowing it, we keep hurting ourselves because it doesn’t exist in our view of the formed world. Well, unless you have one foot in stillness. So, perhaps everyone around us, and ourself, is coming up short due to this unconscious comparison. One’s wife cannot match perfection of LOVE or Stillness itself. But, we hold her to this standard sometimes?

Response: In my view, yes, there is that deep kind of projective distortion coming, maybe, from the early moments of the arising of our bifurcating consciousness. The world of this and that (the old earthworm cut in two) is compared with the blissful sea of oceanic nonbeing, or some such thing. This yearning might be the source of Bodhicitta, Way Seeking Heart. Thoroughgoing practice, no part left out, is necessary to really deal with this one.

Another way that the early moments of consciousness effect us is quite the opposite – the fear of annihilation. This is an issue (FEAR!) that many practitioners dip into as their zazen deepens. The source of the fear seems to be come from those very early moments in the arising of self consciousness and the concomitant awareness of the possibility of the extinction of self consciousness. That is, self consciousness is for the first time aware of itself and aware that just as self consciousness arose, it could disappear.

As a person’s mind quiets down, fear from a very primitive moment consciousness often re-emerges. This phase of practice is very important and a time when many people find other things to do. If a person sticks with it, tames the Ox, so to speak, they will realize that the object of the fear is a shadow of the early consciousness – not something real – and need not be feared or idealized as in the question above.

I read Dogen as dealing with this issue in several places including this passage in the Genjokoan:

People’s attaining enlightenment is like the moon reflected in water. The moon does not get wet, the water isn’t broken. Though it is a vast expansive light, it rests in a little bit of water—even the whole moon, the whole sky, rests in a dewdrop on the grass, rests in even a single droplet of water.

When the moon of enlightenment illuminates the droplet of bifurcated consciousness, the moon is not tarnished, consciousness is not crushed.

Thank you for your question.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

November 22, 2008

Pancho and Lefty by Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan

Next Post

November 25, 2008 Bob Dylan - Most of the Time (FULL VERSION)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 December 2016 October 2016 June 2016 April 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was promised descendants as numerous as the stars?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses David Abraham Jacob