Cross posted from: The 10,000 Things
Signs of Good Government
When Master Xuetang was leading the community at Qianfu, one day he asked a recent arrival where he had come from. The student said he had come from Fujian. Xuetang said, “Did you see any good leaders along the way?”
The student said, “Recently I passed through such-and-such a province, and although I have never met him, I know Master Ben of Poshan there to be a good leader.”
Xuetang said, “How do you know he is good?”
The monk said, “When you go into the monastery there, the paths are clear, the halls are in good repair, there are always incense and lamps burning in the shrines, morning and night the bell and drum are sounded precisely and clearly, the morning and noon gruel and rice are clean and wholesome, and the monks are polite when they see people as they go about their activities. This is how I know Ben is a good leader.”
Xuetang smiled and said, “Ben is surely wise, and you have eyes too.” He then reported these words to the governor of the prefecture and added, “I am getting old, and I ask you to invite Ben to be leader here at Qianfu, in hopes of the prosperity of the work of the Chan community.”
–Annals of the East Lake taken from Zen Lessons – The Art of Leadership by Thomas Cleary
Matthew 7:1-5
1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you.
3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye?
5Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Inner Mastery, Outer Rectitude
Xuetang said to Master Huaian Guang:
When I was young I heard these words from my father:
“‘Without inner mastery one cannot stand, without outward rectitude one cannot act.’ This saying is worth practicing all your life; in it is summed up the work of sages and saints.”
I remembered these words and cultivated myself while living at home. Even now, when I am leader of a group, these words are like the balance stone weighing heavy and light, the compass and rule determining square and round. Without this everything loses its order.
– Extensive Record taken from Zen Lessons – The Art of Leadership by Thomas Cleary
Reflection
Xuetang said to Master Qiean:
In managing affairs one must weigh the heavy and the light; when speaking out one must first think and reflect. Strive to accord with the middle way, do not allow bias.
Hasty and careless actions seldom bring success. Even if you can get done in this way, after all you cannot complete anything totally.
When I was in the community of students, I fully witnessed benefit and harm. Only those of virtue moved people by their magnanimity. I hope those in the future who have willpower will practice this carefully. Only this will be of sublime benefit.
Lingyuan used to say, “Usually when people always dwell in inner reflection, they are able to clearly understand much, but when they get involved in things, running outside, then they oppose integration and lose the body of reality.”
If you really want to think of inheriting the responsibility of the enlightened teachers, I direct you future descendants to always examine and criticize yourselves.
– Extensive Record taken from Zen Lessons – The Art of Leadership by Thomas Cleary
Matthew 7:6
6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.
Someone of Perception
Xuetang said:
When Gaoan addressed the assembly, he would always say, “In a group you must know when there is someone with perception.” I asked him the reason for this, and Gaoan said, “Have you not read the words of Guishan, ‘In your actions, take your examples from the superior, do not lazily follow the mediocre and the vulgar’? Those who while daily in the midst of the crowd do not sink into low folly all utter such words.
“In a multitude of people, the vulgar are many, the knowers are few. The vulgar are easy to get used to, the knowers are hard to get near to.
“If you can develop your will so that you are like one man facing a thousand enemies until the power of vulgar habits are ended, you will truly be transcendent, beyond measure.”
– Extensive Record taken from Zen Lessons – The Art of Leadership by Thomas Cleary
Matthew 7:13-23
13Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
14For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.
15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
16By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
“By their fruits ye shall know them.”
“Narrow is the gate… and few are they that find it.”
“I never knew you”
Or perhaps, more to the point he should have said… you never knew me.
Wide is the way to destruction and many are they on that path, the vulgar and the mediocre, the one’s that see the mote in their neighbors eye but not the beam in their own. Too often I fall into that company. Perhaps we all do. Inner reflection allows me to find these faults in myself. Sometimes right away, sometimes after much work, sometimes only after battling much denial and self-justification. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly… doesn’t matter… as long as we are practicing inward reflection, practicing inwardly what we profess outwardly… searching for these answers the timeframe is of little consequence. The fruits will always materialize if we work for them and if we have eyes to see and ears to listen we can always see those that are striving on that narrow, inward path. The difference between they and those on the wide path are glaringly obvious once the mist is lifted from our eyes.
outstanding, and thanks for the reflection, for it is ours we see,
Kudos & Recommended
A day for reflecting…something we should all do more of I believe. I also believe that is a part of many problems surrounding us..not enough time to reflect quietly on your own life and how you effect others and the world around you.
People who say they aren’t given to much introspection and are always busy can not get to know themselves. If you don’t really know yourself that leads to inward and outward problems on a personal basis or your dealings with everyone. You have to have a philosophy of Self before you can work with and understand others.
Another diary today I can save and refer back too.
Kinds of power
Knowing other people is intelligence,
knowing yourself is wisdom.
Overcoming others takes strength,
overcoming yourself takes greatness.
Contentment is wealth.
Boldly pushing forward takes resolution,
Staying put keeps you in position.
To live till you die
is to live long enough.
-Tao Te Ching #33 – Ursula K. LeGuin’s rendition
I get stuck in the externalization, the mote in my eye. Thank you for posting this diary.
I think we all do from time to time. Perhaps there are saints and zen masters that do not… I wouldn’t know anything about that.
For me the key has been to get better at recognizing the signs of when I am off track and then stopping to take a look at what is going on inside… keeping the focus on myself… not in an egotistical way but in a self-corrective way.
It is a practice that has to be balanced however as it is so easy to beat ourselves up and turn it into an inverse ego thing… expecting perfection and beating ourselves up when we do not achieve it. Danger in either direction.
We are not saint. The point is that we focus on a path of spiritual progress rather than spiritual perfection.
When he said that he would restore the honor and dignity of the White House, he was projecting an aura to people of having it made; therefore, there was no need for him to do soul-searching. This sort of aura led countless people to follow him like a cult figure and create a religion out of right-wing politics.
His inability, refusal, denial… whatever word you want to use… to admit that he has made a mistake or is capable of making mistakes is absolute and incontrovertible proof of his unfitness for office.
No man incapable of admiting fault and consequently of accepting responsibility for his mistakes is fit to be in any position of authority over anyone or anything.
In fact, such a person should be in constant psychiatric care and potentially hospitalized until they are no longer a danger to themselves or any other person.
It occurs to me that perhaps the reason so many people resist inner reflection and introspection, the “inner mastery,” is that it is, quite simply, terrifying–a peeling away of all the protective layers we wrap around ourselves to avoid looking at things that cannot be marked, measured, quantified. To do so makes us vulnerable in a society that relies on physical and psychological armor and leaves us, finally, with no excuses, just with our Selves.
Which is, of course, the great cosmic joke. All that fuss, hanging on to stuff, when it’s really worth nothing.
For your collection, a few from my Clips and Quotes file:
Never much for poetry myself but my favorite book growing up was his You Read to Me, I’ll Read to You.
“… finally, with no excuses, just with our Selves.”
Self examination is the pathway to freedom. If we wish to be free of all the external stuff, all the resentments, shame, guilt, and remorse it is only through reflection and the spiritual journey within ourselves that it is to be done.
Freedom, wonderful and blessed freedom.
But also… responsibility. To be free is to be responsible. Responsible for our choices, responsible for our actions, responsible for our thoughts and words… responsible for which wolf we feed. We can no longer blame others. We have the power of choice. No one makes us do it. We choose. Good or bad, right or wrong. Our responsibility.
You know, and I know, and probably a lot of folks here know, that there is enormous freedom in self-reflection and acceptance of the reality of responsibility. Too bad our culture denigrates them so, as does our administration.
Haven’t checked in since your “Soul Food” and I’m glad I came back. I copied off that first one, read it often and shared it with friends…. We often forget that not everyone is on the net… and the joy of reading (and re-reading) is in holding paper, focusing and re-focusing, underlining and note-taking and reading again.
You are a wonder, wonder-teller. You are one of my favorite reads, Andrew C. White…..
Now, back for re-read number two.