Selections
from the Cypress Tree Zen Newsletter, Fall 1999Selections
from the Cypress Tree Zen Newsletter, Fall 1999
Practicing with Anger
by Anne Rudloe, Abbot - CTZG
The aversion and anger that we all experience in our lives are great teachers -- they show us most clearlywhere our deepest attachments are. Unlike desire, anger is obviously negative and unpleasant. If you're angry, nothing is right, everything is sour no matter what it is. In the complexities of daily life theseemotions are entrenched and powerful, hard to see clearly, but in a formal Zen retreat, the situation is simplified so that we can grasp it more easily.
"I don't like this, this isn't what I thought it would be, if the jerk next to me doesn't stop squirming I'll go through the roof. Why am I sitting here?" Our minds are constantly reacting to what happens. Some of it we like and approve of, some of it is exhausting, seemingly arbitrary or just plain silly. It becomes easy to see how from judgement and comparison comes like and dislike, then seeking and desiring or aversion and avoidance, and finally pain if we don't get what we want or if we get it and lose it. It's a clear demonstration of the first two Noble Truths and it's mentally exhausting.
In a retreat our job is to pay attention to anger when it arises, observe how our minds contribute to the problem with endless self justifying speeches. It's easier to see there than in a daily life situation. When anger arises, don't suppress it, don't stifle it because it's not "spiritual" or "enlightened." It'll just erupt somewhere else and cause more pain. Instead, observe it, penetrate it, understand it -- it'll be a strong teacher. Whether in a retreat or dealing with an unavoidable unpleasant situation in life, if we pay attention to this emotion instead of just being swept along by it, it will show us like a spotlight exactly what it is we're most attached to, what are the biggest hindrances to being truly free. It can be used to recognize areas of attachment, the things we need to focus on to become truly free. And eventually, if we persist in practicing with the anger rather than letting it take total control, we may reach a point where anger dissolves and is replaced with compassion. That's when a creative solution to the problem becomes possible.
Book Review
by Konrad Plendl, CTZG Webmaster
Zen Computer
by Phillip Tosio Sudo, Simon & Schuster, 1999
I first heard about this book on NPR (National Public Radio) and thought, "Great another ' Zen of . . . ' book." However, as I listened to the interview of the author, Phillip Sudo, I became more intrigued. He has published a book called Zen Guitar about using Zen to learn and play the guitar and uses the same approach for Zen Computer. Unlike many authors who write "Zen of ..." books Sudo has studied Zen and Eastern Philosophy and is a practitioner of the Martial Arts. This background shows in his writing.
When I first glanced through the table of contents I thought the book would be simplistic, another "... for Dummies" book. The book is written in the style of a users manual with a "Read Me" and a FAQ (frequently asked questions) sheet. He covers basic topics such as the keyboard, mouse and hard drive, but he gives good advise on using each aspect of a computer with a Zen-like approach. For example, in the section on "Sitting at the Computer" he advises the user to sit in a straight posture and to give the computer a nod, as a samurai bows before his sword. The computer is a part of our lives, and if our lives are lived spiritually, then the part of our life that is spent at the keyboard should also be spiritual.
The central idea of the book and of Sudo's concept of Zen philosophy is contained in the FAQ sheet. All modern computers are based on the binary system of 1 and 0. Words, numbers and command are all read and stored as binary data by the computer. 1 and 0 are also important concepts in Zen. Sudo writes:
In Zen 0 is like the ocean and 1 is like a wave. A wave is of the ocean, but distinct from it, too. Each wave swells up out of the water and moves forward through space and time. The ocean, constant, manifests and powers the wave. (30)
Zero represents emptiness. Sudo does not point this out but the root of the Sanskrit word for emptiness, sunyata, is also the basis of the English word zero. Out of this emptiness arises 1, the everyday world. Both exist in a constant, complex yet simple interplay. The goal-less-goal of Zen practice is to find the still point of 0 at the center of our minds and apply it our lives.
Computers are based on logic. Any program is written with a series of ifs, elses, ands, ors, etc. If the logic of a program is flawed it will not work properly, this is referred to as a bug. In Zen logic is transcended 1=0. Nothing, emptiness, is still something. As the Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna says "There is no difference between nirvana and samsara." Realization of emptiness is immanent in everyday existence. Sudo does a good job of applying this concept to working, writing, or surfing the net using a computer.
The book is written for the general reader but is also useful to someone with an extensive background in computing. We can sit in Zen meditation for a whole weekend, but if we do not apply it to all aspects of our lives, including computers, it becomes a meaningless exercise. Sometimes we need to read a book like Zen Computer to remind us of this.