Keep Me In Your Heart: Not Charming the Masses with Ridiculous Practice

Last updated on: December 28, 2008 at 8:21 am by Dosho Port

Keep Me In Your Heart: Not Charming the Masses with Ridiculous Practice 2008-12-28T08:21:00-06:00 Dosho Port

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I’m beginning to hear from people who have read my book and am enjoying the feedback. You too are welcome to comment here any time or send me an email. I might start a “google group” around the book because it doesn’t seem complete to just throw something out there and then hide out, like giving a dharma talk and then running off to your room, trying to avoid the consequences of what you’ve done. Please let me know if you are interested in such a thing.

Here’s one concern, raised by a dear, old friend.

The problem with the teaching you want to present is that it has never charmed the masses…. But how many have noticed their hair is on fire and how many of them will collide with the book.

When I was young, I was interested in popularizing Zen and (mostly unconsciously from my present perspective) into really being liked by others. On the other hand, teaching Zen is like what Harry Truman said about working in Washington, D.C. “If you want a friend, get a dog.”

This wanting to be liked and wanting to teach Zen got me into a lot of trouble. A lot of wanting for one thing. Anyway, one of my first students must have picked up on this dynamic. He came to dokusan and said, “I had a dream last night that you had become famous – but not for Zen.” Another student told me about a dream where she saw me out in the middle of a lake, “I couldn’t tell if you were swimming or drowning,” she said.

My purpose for writing this book was not to become famous but to do my best to toss into the current dharma dialogue what now appears to be the essence of Buddha’s teaching. That essence is constantly hopping along … and unchanging … and I don’t claim a monopoly on this in any way….

I remember when Rev. Jesse Jackson was running for president in 1984 and said some anti-Semitic things, thinking the microphone was off. Then at the Democratic convention he made some repentance saying, “God’s not finished with me yet.” Well, Buddha’s not finished with me yet either.

Here’s Katagiri Roshi giving me marching orders from the same talk that led to the chapter “Dainin’s Four Essential Points.”

Buddha’s teaching is what you have to do constantly right in the middle of Buddha. This is the most important request to everyone. If you become a priest, whatever happens constantly be there. Even though people don’t like, still we have to emphasize. Even if there is no one who is interested in such a zazen, still you can emphasize and teach without poking your head into different beautiful colors people are interested in. It is pretty hard to teach just essence of Buddha’s teaching because not many people are interested in such a ridiculous practice. Just sitting. It’s really ridiculous. But I have to do. I am priest so I have to do this.

Wholehearted practice is ridiculous from the point of view of self-clinging. Why make wholehearted effort without figuring to get some thing that will save the ego forever?

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