Without pushing the river

A Thousand Grasses, by Kamisaka Sekka, 1900

Notes from Insight Hour Podcast #163: The Tao and the Rhythm of Experience

Begins with the story of a monk seeing a flower and smiling.  JG says that it contains every important lesson.

It "contains" beauty and decay, which correspond to attachment (holding on) and suffering (maybe: wanting things to be different)

It "contains" emptiness and suchness.  Emptiness is the "coming together of forms" (there is no basic thing that is a flower) and suchness which is the Zen teaching of the "is"ness that is free from description.

JG says the point of meditation is to allow us to experience the "endless expression of things as they are"... "allow the process to unfold without pushing the river"

Then, "we can be part of the rhythm... it carries the experience (like in music) when it's not interfered with".... there is balance and harmony in this.

These are the 10,000 joy and sorrows.

We are not involved with our conditioned liking and not liking things.

JG then takes time to differentiate between non-action (good) and inaction, between equanimity and indifference. The former is being energized and responsive.  He presents a story where you can even hit someone over the head with an umbrella (with love).  It's not inaction.  

We are dealing with whatever is arising (not "reacting"); we are not experiencing either expectation or resistance.   Instead of resisting, we say "let me feel this too).