Friday, July 23, 2004

Existance and Variety

Each existence depends on something else. Strictly speaking, there are no separate existances. There are just many names for one existence. Sometimes people put stress on oneness, but this is not our understanding. We do not emphasize any point in particular, even oneness. Oneness is valuable but variety is also wonderful. Ignoring variety, people emphasize one absolute existence, but this is a one-sided understanding. In this understanding, there is a gap between variety and oneness. But oneness and variety are the same thing, so oneness should be appreciated in each existence. That is why we emphasize everyday life rather than some particular state of mind. We should find the reality in each moment, and in each phenomenon. This is very important.
–From "Acceptance and Non-acceptance", out of Beginners Zen, Beginners Mind, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

Acceptance and Non-Acceptance is a wonderful essay, covering many subjects in its 3 and a half printed pages.  This is not the best, if such a thing can be said.  It seems to be the most enlightening to me at the moment.

Namaste'

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