Rivers

Rivers form their course by means of a process of repeated erosion. As rain falls on a hillside, that rain gathers into a rivulet. That rivulet gradually creates a channel for itself, and gradually grows into a stream. Eventually, as the channel of the stream is deepened and widened by repeated flows of water, the stream becomes a river which develops well-defined banks and a definite course. 

In the same way, our actions become habitual. These habits become part of our personality and we take these habits with us from life to life in the form of mental formation or habit energy.

This is otherwise illustrated as “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Your words become actions. Your actions become habit. Your habits become your character. And your character becomes your destiny.”

Our actions in this life are conditioned by the habits which we have formulated in our past during this life, and possibly over the course of previous lives. 

This is what practice is about.

Et oui...

3 Short Stories

3 short stories on the same theme. Can you figure them out?

Last Monday evening, after Karate class, we sat in Zazen from 8:00 to 8:30. While we were there, a thunderstorm broke up. Before our Dharma discussion, I went outside to close the cars windows. And there, no Mugen (my dog). The furry little bastard (one of his nicknames - another one is Houdini) was gone. Jumped through the window. So, no Dharma discussion that night. We all go out in the dark and rain, trying to find him, no Mugen. I roamed the neighbourhood until 11:00. Still no dog.

Tuesday morning, after a short and agitated night, I asked Gerri to take over the Tai Chi class while I went looking for him.As I had almost given up, my phone rang, he was at the fire station, right beside the Dojo... I went there, thanked the firefighters (great guys) and took him back home with me.

Two monks traveling on a trail arrived at a river. Waters were higher than usual. On the bank, a young woman was hesitating and asked the younger of the two monks to help her cross. He exclaimed, 'Don't you see that I am a monk ? I took a vow of chastity and cannot touch you for women are unclean'

'I require nothing bad from you, but simply to help me to cross this river,' replied the young woman with a little smile.

• "I am sorry. I can do nothing for you," said the embarrassed young monk.
• "Don't worry about the vows" said the elderly monk. "Climb on my back, I'll carry you to the other side".

Having reached the other bank, the old monk put down the young woman and she thanked him with a broad smile. She went her own way, and the monks theirs. 

After a while, the young monk who could not stand it anymore and said, ' How could you dare carry this unclean woman on your back? It's against our rules.'

 'This young woman needed help and I carried her down to the other bank. You didn't carry her at all, but she is still on your back,' replied the older monk.

Once upon a time in Thailand, a Lady saw a Monk sitting in meditation under the sun in the middle of summer. The Monk was very thin, he looked starved and sickly, sunburnt and bitten by mosquitoes and other pests, but there was a saintly aura about him as he sat beautifully and still in the middle of this ordeal.

Impressed by his dedication, the Lady invited the Monk to rest at her house. She served him food and tea and he ate and rested for several days. The Lady and him spent lots of time talking about the teachings and practice of Buddhism, and the Lady was thoroughly enjoying his company

She built for him a small temple and a shed at the top of a hill she owned, so he could practice in decent conditions and would not have to beg his way out in the world. Everyday, a servant would bring him some food. The Monk got better. At times, the Lady would come speak to him and he would preach the Dharma to her.

After several month, the Lady's Granddaughter came to visit her. She was lovely. There was a special bond between the two ladies, they both were beautiful, charming and generous, and deeply loved each other. As she thought the Monk would also enjoy meeting such a charming and lovely young girl, the Lady asked her grand daughter to bring the Monk his food.

That evening, when the Lady visited the hermitage, she asked the Monk how he had felt about her beloved granddaughter.

The Monk answered : "An other walking sack of shit."

The Lady told him : "If are not able to see and appreciate beauty when it is there for you to see, you don't deserve it. Leave now !"

The next day she burnt the hermitage.

Muso Kokushi and the Drunk Samurai

Muso Kokushi, (夢窓 疎石, 1275 – 1351), was one famous Rinzai Zen Master in Japan. Once upon a time, he was traveling escorted by a Samurai friend and Kenjutsu expert. They arrived at a river and boarded a boat to cross it.

Master Kokushi was sitting away from the Samurai on the other side of the boat which had filled up with passengers. As the captain was turning away people, a drunken samurai rushed up, demanding to be taken aboard. The captain could not decline. 

In the dangerously overloaded boat the drunk started a quarrel. Master Kokushi tried to reason him by pointing out that any violent movement might sink the boat.

"You meddling priest!" shouted the drunken samurai, and he hit him on the forehead with his iron war-fan. The blood poured down. 

The master quietly sat unmoving and the samurai, satisfied, slumped back in his own place without further disturbance. 

As the boat reached the other shore. The swordsman lightly jumped out, looking at the samurai, waiting for him to come ashore. 

There is something about the stance of an unhappy kenjutsu expert... The bully well knew that he was going to dearly pay for his striking Master Kokushi.

But Muso jumped from the boat and said : 

"No, No ! Now is the time to apply our Buddhism. These Forms are Emptiness; Anger and all the Passions are the Bodhi." 

And he swiftly and quietly led his follower away.