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Trust
June Reflection by Paul Gulick, JDPSN
In what, or in whom, do we place our trust? Who has not been disappointed in some way by someone important to us--a friend, a partner, a therapist, a teacher, or even one’s own self? If in trusting in others we are hoping for perfection of speech, action, or character, it seems likely we will be disappointed now and then.
In our tradition, we hear of the three essential qualities of a Zen practitioner: great question, great determination, and great trust (or, if you prefer, great doubt, great courage, and great faith). Trust in…? Zen Master Seung Sahn said we must believe in--trust in--our true self. I don’t think he forgot that in Buddhist teaching one of the three marks of existence is non-self. He must have been referring to that which is not limited by an idea of self, that which is beyond an idea of perfection, a direct experience of truth in which trust no longer applies.
The third Zen ancestor wrote “It’s no use to seek truth. Just let false views cease.” To my mind, this requires a lot of trust. It means opening ourselves to that which we can’t define in some way. We can practice this kind of trust, in the safety of our own Buddha nature. Thank you for practicing it together at Blue Heron.
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