Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘When you sit zazen, even for a moment, you cannot escape the delusion which immediately starts to work. According to Dogen’s Fukanzazengi: “You should sit zazen without wasting time.” The moment you hear that you straighten up, like this. Then the next moment your brain starts to work. “What is straight?” And gradually your chin sticks out and you start to dream.

To stand up is to stand upright in the middle of Buddha’s world, not upright in the middle of your brain trip. Just stand up, ok? Of course even though you try to stand upright something happens from the outside… something interesting which makes you pay attention to it. Some good smell right before dinner, “Hmmm. .. very good smell. What’s that dish?” But the important point, the difference between Buddha and the unawakened is how long you sway in your thoughts. “Wow, what kind of dish is that? Who is the cook today? Maybe Frances? She is a very good cook. How many cooks are making tonight’s meal? Today there are many sick students. Poor sick students, they will miss this dish.”

This is the attitude of the unawakened.

The attitude of Buddha is, “Good smell, ok. Who is cook? Frances, ok.”

Nothing else.’ (from Wind Bell)

Frances is this case is the late Fran Thompson, whom I met a few times, though I never got to taste her cooking.