"Doubt" 10 of 200 from Robert Aitken's book Miniatures of a Zen Master.
I've always had trouble with "doubt". It seems to have a bit of negation built into it. It is too bad that English words often have more than one meaning. Just say "I doubt it!" to in the middle of a conversation and see if it doesn't have negative effects.
Aitken Roshi uses "inquiry" to describe doubt and it seems so much more helpful or even closer to being intimate would be "wonder". Maybe all these words are synonyms for the feeling described by...
Yesterday, it was cold and snowy here in Northern Idaho so I hibernated with computer and books catching up on reading and viewing. A twitter friend pointed me to a 4 part youtube video by Shinzen Young called Zero and One. (Highly recommended.) One of the nuggets that has stuck with me from this series was Shinzen's description of some term he was using as "highly technical and very specific". While I can't remember the exact term he was refering to, I can see where doubt or "Great Doubt" may also be describing something highly technical and very specific and I've missed it all this time.
How's that for doubt, inquiry and wonder? More research needed!
I've always had trouble with "doubt". It seems to have a bit of negation built into it. It is too bad that English words often have more than one meaning. Just say "I doubt it!" to in the middle of a conversation and see if it doesn't have negative effects.
Aitken Roshi uses "inquiry" to describe doubt and it seems so much more helpful or even closer to being intimate would be "wonder". Maybe all these words are synonyms for the feeling described by...
"At the bottom of great doubt lies great awakening. If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully".
Hakuin
The torch of doubt and chaos, this is what the sage steers by.
Chuang-tzu
Great Faith. Great Doubt. Great Effort. - The three qualities necessary for training.
Chien-ju
Yesterday, it was cold and snowy here in Northern Idaho so I hibernated with computer and books catching up on reading and viewing. A twitter friend pointed me to a 4 part youtube video by Shinzen Young called Zero and One. (Highly recommended.) One of the nuggets that has stuck with me from this series was Shinzen's description of some term he was using as "highly technical and very specific". While I can't remember the exact term he was refering to, I can see where doubt or "Great Doubt" may also be describing something highly technical and very specific and I've missed it all this time.
How's that for doubt, inquiry and wonder? More research needed!
No comments:
Post a Comment