Jack: Part of the scripture recitation for the weekly meditation at the priory is Dogen’s Rules for Meditation. Dogen is pretty obscure for me in general, so I’m not very surprised when I find that I don’t understand something he writes. One of his statements has always seemed particularly incongruous, though. He states, “Training is enlightenment.” I train, but if what I do is enlightenment, then I’m not sure enlightenment has much to offer. If it doesn’t get any better than this, then I’m not sure why I’m making an effort.

Mentor B. I too found that bit from Dogen confusing. And frankly, I don’t read much of his material anymore. It may all be entirely correct, but it is so inscrutable it mostly doesn’t help me. Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, or Richard Bachs’ Jonathan Livingston Seagull are somewhat inscrutable too, but they both touch a space that lights a fire of inspiration. Dogen doesn’t.

Mentor B. is a good friend who has kindly agreed that I can include some of our informal conversations as part of this blog. Mentor’s path is Buddhist though other paths were traveled too as part of the search for truth. Mentor’s interests span everything from art to science to philosophy. Mentor’s wisdom is that of a lay traveler, not a monk, so the words recorded reflect insight of experience rather the authority of sutras or the doctrine of any particular lineage.

Mentor’s ephemeral presence here will mostly reflect Buddhist related material. In real life, the conversations cover a much wider range.

Welcome, Mentor B.

Recently a couple of incidents underscored that equanimity is a practice rather than an endpoint. Prior to this, I had viewed it as an eventual result of practice — rather than a practice itself.

The first occasion was a mind storm while running. It was the usual gloomy doom musings of the mind that show up now and then. Like a gathering thunderstorm where the clouds and cooling sweep of the wind spawn ever increasing condensation and precipitation, thoughts swept through consciousness finding signs of impending calamity everywhere. As I realized what was happening, I also realized I had choice about the matter. I could indulge this runaway train of thought sounding its horn of urgency or I could deliberately choose a path of equanimity by focusing on what I was actually doing. With some effort I chose to pay attention to the moment, the natural setting of the run, the breath as it changed cadence in response to variations in slope and pace.