Zen Is Optimism!
Reconciling Zero
What Constitutes An Enlightened Teacher?
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What Constitutes An Enlightened Teacher?

My kingdom for a teacher.

Last Few Posts:

Terms In The Audio:

  • Zero: The fundamental teaching of the late Zen master Joshu Sasaki: “As the Buddha taught, zero inevitably splits into mutually opposing activities which inevitably disappear into zero.”

  • Reconciling Zero: The investigation of Zero in the pursuit of Effective Zen.

  • Effective Zen: The one path on Zen Mountain that gives any one individual the best chance of reaching the peak (realizing non-duality).

  • Zen Mountain: The collection of all possible Zen paths.

  • Buddhism: The set of spiritual activities where the highest good is the realization of non-duality.

  • Highest Good: That which exists for its own sake (there is nothing greater).

  • The Realization of Non-Duality: The complete understanding of a self inseparable from circumstance – where complete understanding implies manifestation.


Zero-Buddhism (Our Original List:

The preconditions necessary for a manifested Buddhism to arise, namely:

  1. A clear picture of the goal of Buddhism.

  2. A clear picture of the path to the goal

  3. An understanding of the obstacles expected along this path.


Zero-Buddhism (The Revised List):

The preconditions necessary for a manifested Buddhism to arise, namely:

  1. An enlightened teacher

  2. A clear picture of a path

  3. An understanding of the obstacles expected along this path.


The Four Characteristics of All Activity (As Described by Zero)

  1. Given an appropriate trigger, activity arises from a set of necessary preconditions.

  2. Every activity that arises will inevitably disappear.

  3. The end of every activity lays the foundation for the next.

  4. Every activity contains the mechanics of its own disappearance.

The Question For Next Week: What Are the Requisite Preconditions Needed for the Teaching Activity to Arise?

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