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In the most recent issue of the Plum Mountain Newsletter, Genjo Marinello Osho published one of his teisho's, based on Chapters 1 & 9 from "The Sayings and Doings of Zen Master Rinzai." His pointer on samadhi was so simple, clear and heart-felt that I thought this might be a nice way to begin our week.

Genjo Osho relates, "Usually, our discriminating consciousness is dominated by our instinct for survival, and the activity of distinguishing self from other completely colors our view. Therefore, we rarely even feel oneness or harmony. But, in samadhi, where we are harmonizing with some activity, even if it is just the activity of sitting and breathing on the cushion, that’s a time when the discriminating mind begins to relax. If you’re dancing and you’re thinking about the steps while you’re dancing, you’re not dancing. You can only dance when you’re not thinking about the steps. Then, something happens and between the dancing and the music and yourself there is a blending and dance happens. Because you’re not thinking about the steps, and harmonizing with the movement and moment, a natural rhythm and samadhi develops that is a prerequisite to any breakthrough.

Add to that a loosening of the barriers due to exhaustion [during sesshin], the crucible of fire and pain and you may find that your deepest psychological gunk is floating free around in your awareness. Perhaps some of it can now float away, but at a minimum it’s not constipated. At such times, we have a chance to go much deeper than harmony and unity. In a flash we may glimpse the boundless void of Shunyata and be blown away – I mean where you can’t find yourself and there’s no need to find yourself.

Sometimes the experience manifests as nothing but Nature; every squawk of the seagull is the Universe and every splash of the wave reveals or testifies this truth. In such a timeless moment there’s no sense of self whatsoever. There is no one observing and yet somehow there’s awareness without an observer. Other times, the experience manifests as everything blowing apart, revealing the formless boundless void. It’s like popping a balloon and what’s inside the balloon is completely empty. Everything pops, not just your sense of self. It’s realizing that every "form" is a multidimensional origami of Nothing. The first time one experiences a breakthrough of this kind it is transformative and life changing. This kind of deep breakthrough comes in several different flavors, but always there’s no self. And there is always the realization that the whole universe and beyond is dynamically alive (creatively vital)! No one penetrates this matter, where the boundaries between the usually cordoned-off sections of our brain are translucent, without exhaustive effort and the readiness of time."

Truly beautiful... clear... open... perfect...  I hope that you may find this helpful to your practice. If you would like, you can not only read his entire teisho and much more in by downloading the adobe PDF from the Choboji website. It's thoroughly wonderful and much care has been put into it. I sure you'll enjoy it.

May You Practice Well,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
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