SENTIENT BEINGS

 

"Insentient beings are often conceived of as comprising the physical universe—what we call “nature,” and think of as really dead, nonliving. People unwittingly or romantically anthropomorphize nature but think that nature is insentient. To put it another way, we draw a boundary between sentient and insentient, perceiving and judging each in a particular way. Dogen rejects such a conception of nature. From the standpoint of the Way, insentient beings do elucidate dharma—not in human language, but in their own expressions—hence they are alive in their own way. What Dogen is saying is that insentient beings are sentient, sentient beings are insentient—no separation. When we perceive reality in terms of the separation that begins with the boundary between self and other, we extend this perception to everything else—good and bad, up and down, heaven and earth, heads and tails, black and white. Yet every one of these dualities is two parts of the same reality—not two separate things."

-Mountain Record of Zen Talks by John Daido Loori-

(Nemo Hill posted at FB 2014)

Every morning I lean out my front window and take a shot of sky-often predawn or dawn and sometimes evening. This morning when I leaned out, a young cop standing guard at the police precinct across the street, waved at me and I waved back. We acknowledged each other and it made my old heart sing.

Does the sky feel?
Doesn't everything?

Clouds feel wind.

Thursday
July 16th 2020
The humidity returned and I haven't slept well. I'm still sorting papers and stuff, gearing up for more eliminations. It all has to be small packages to navigate three flights down and several blocks to the thrift stores. They were closed for months. If they continue to be open, I'll continue with my process. There are stacks of boxed books ready to go, but I don't have the strength and will need some muscle and a dolly. I've lived in these rooms since 1969, been through several student situations and three careers, so you can imagine the scene perhaps. Two tiny rooms are pretty much storage and closets. I've been talking about this for years it seems. It is the omnipresent never-ending rant.

5 p.m.
Looking Up
Third Avenue at 21st Street

At the Grocery store-a surprise event of random generosity from a woman named 'Chris' who was behind me in line and asked to pay for all I'd bought. I gratefully accepted. I asked-she used to work in the fashion Industry and has lived in the neighborhood for twenty five years. I told her about my morning delight when the cop waved, and that this was the second delight of my day. She told me to prepare for the third and left. The cashier knew her-said she often gives money to store workers and others.

#3

 A Virtual Zendo meeting at 7:30 and the promise of a home visit from Sensei Robert Chodo Campbell Saturday.
HOWEVER
We might have to reschedule. According to the National Weather Service, hot and humid weather will arrive Saturday and stick around until Tuesday. The heat index is expected to climb close to 100 Sunday and Monday, and could even reach 105.
https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/nyc-weather-heatwave-bring-dangerous-temps-weekend