Thoughts on Naturalness

*under construction* :)

I explain to you matters
Pertaining to enlightenment,
But don't try to keep
Your mind on them.
Just turn to the ocean
Of your own essence
And develop practical accord with its nature.
- Yangshan

The above is what leapt to mind as I wondered what to write here. It is something I gathered while looking for pieces which others might find inspiring before meditation at Zen Retreat in the evenings, and I like it because it suggests that even thoughts about enlightenment are thoughts not to get caught up in nor distracted by. What then would it mean to Just turn to the ocean Of your own essence And develop practical accord with its nature?

Stim Morane: I would add another factor, which is that our minds must be restored to their true context, or ground, which is the whole human nature. Hence my interest in "naturalness".

We often discuss openness and sharing, relaxing, letting go and giving up. Maybe we don‘t quite discuss what/where/who we are relaxing INTO… That seems harder, because anything we say falls fantastically short. What IS the true context of mind?

In places/moments wherein patterns overlap and line up with a precision which goes beyond anything we could have dreamed up or written, it seems to me that what has happened is a strong shifting of attention and awareness from being the center to a kind of vast periphery beyond logic, which seems to have been waiting for us all along. What appears then makes ’more’ sense, though it unravels our former notions of how things are ‘done‘.

So, Fefonz mentioned that words like harmony and simplicity are discussed in shallow ways most of the time, and I agree. We get flaky-flighty when we look for signs and TRY to capture these moments of flow and chemistry, or manufacture waves to ride. Pila mentioned the undesirability of seeking bliss, for instance. Surely though, taking notice and simply appreciating what we recognize, without getting trapped in outer signs and metaphors, is one way to cultivate accord with this true context? We can do this when we know that is all they are.  

Dao’s question regarding ‘technical’ and specific terminology was something I took into consideration forming this sort of question for everyone (including myself). My sense is that naturalness is an expression of Sunyata, or emptiness, which we discussed a little a few weeks ago…not having and not expecting to have a place to land…or center… not expecting to get somewhere or know something definitively.. not expecting to capture or keep.

The piece above says Don’t try to keep your mind on them… This to me implies that it is they (‘matters pertaining to enlightenment) arise naturally when we, in a sense, cultivate a knowing connection (accord) with an essence deeper than logic/thoughts. The description of an ocean seems particularly helpful, as it surely cannot be contained.

-Eliza