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Date of the document's last update/modification {28/09/93}

This file is the work of Stan Rosenthal. It has been placed here, with
his kind permission, by Bill Fear. The author has asked that no hard
copies, ie. paper copies, are made.

Stan Rosenthal may be contacted at 44 High street, St. Davids,
Pembrokeshire, Dyfed, Wales, UK. Bill Fear may be contacted at 29
Blackweir Terrace, Cathays, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, UK. email
fear@thor.cf.ac.uk. Please use email as first method of contact, if
possible. Messages can be sent to Stan Rosenthal via the above email
address - they will be forwarded on in person by myself.

.......................................................................

TAO: THE GATELESS GATE
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OF GIVING UP MINDFULNESS

If we would discover,
which is the master, mind or man,
then we must test possession.
The test is simple, look at the mind
and give it up.
If we succeed, then we own it,
if not, then it possesses us.
For giving up the mind consists in whole
of stopping it, for when it stops
there is no conscious thought.

But when we talk of giving up the mind,
we speak of giving up
the conscious act of mindfulness,
of consciousness of self,
'...For minds which are allowed
to overtake the man
in which they dwell,
become like pools, in which ideas,
like particles of earth,
when separate
and in suspension,
become like muddy water.
And muddy water
is best cleared
by leaving it alone.'

So whilst we sit, we meditate
upon the timeless moment,
and when that instant
(which is forgoing 'I'ness) does arrive,
we have then passed through
that gate which is the fourth,
and in this fleeting moment
eternity and life
are one again,
for here,
the image and reality are one.


TRANQUILITY THROUGH ACCEPTANCE

Life may be created only
in the image of its creator.
But this is not to say
that man does have htis iamge
nor that he does not,
for though he does exist
as all things which exist, exist,
it is not man, but life
which is the image of eternity.
And when we claim, as men, that we are created
in our creator's image, yet again we use
the anthropomorphic argument.
And in our ignorance, we do attempt
to re-create creation
in a form which we can understand.
And thus, in ignorance, man chooses
that which he can understand,
because, through his reliance on his mind,
he thinks he comprehends it.

But in reality, no problem does exist,
for the problem which there is,
is only in the mind,
'... and the mind would have
the man exchange
the beauty of reality
for the picture of that beauty,
by trying to persuade him that
he can own the picture,
but cannot own the beauty
it depicts.'

And so, the man, in ignorance exchanges
that great reality, for the image
which is finite.  For this, the finite, is the limit of his mind.

And if we would achieve the true tranquility,
then we must learn to sit through 'knowledge of'
and pass beyond the 'knowing' state,
so that the mind may realise
that probing its existence
is not the prime necessity of life,
'... and in that instant
when all is quiet,
then will the moonbeam
of delight,
place tranquility
within the man
and fill him with
its iridescent light.'

And in this living light,
we have passed through that gate
which is the fourth,
and takes us into
quiet tranquility.

And, this gateway,
fourth of the minor gates,
is but the first for those
whose courage and whose calling
would have them passs
beneath the major gates.

O MON: THE MAJOR GATES

'For some, tranquility
is not enough,
for they have the need
to do great deeds,
just as the ladybird
upon the blade of grass
climbs upward, climbing down.'


JAKU:  TRANQUILITY

For most, tranquility
will indeed suffice,
for in tranquility, they find
that moment's peace
which they had left behind.
But, for others,
this fourth minor gate,
the gateway to tranquility,
is but the first
of many major gates
which lead to that,
which some would call
enlightenment.

And it is here perhaps, that man must make his choice
as to whether
it is tranquility
that he does seek,
or something more besides.

For he who does remain
beneath this gate
must choose,
whether to remain
at this safe point,
or whether
to continue
to the other major gates.


TZU TSAI: SELF BEING

It is not true to say
that choice exists for he
who sits in true tranquility,
for some will stay there,
going neither back nor forward
on the path,
whilst others will return
to that estate in which they dwelt before,
but might return from time to time again
to sit beneath that gate.

And yet there is another class of man
who does continue on the path,
regardless of the pain it doubtless causes.
He does continue, not through conscious choice,
but through the obligation that he feels
towards himself, and all his fellow men,
the sense that tells him that he must continue,
if he is to be complete.

But this is not to say
that men so driven might be right,
or that they are a higher
or of a lower class
than they who do not further venture
upon the path.
For what is meant by this, is simply that
the man who has no choice
but to continue on the path
will so continue,
and furthermore, that it is wrong
for any to assume
that it is his obligation
or his right
to face
and pass beneath the major gates
that do remain.

For whilst it is not true to say
that he who does continue, chooses so to do,
we may also say in equal truth, that he who does continue,
was chosen so to do.


KENSO:  LOOKING AT ONE'S SELF

The first of the major gateways
is passed through,
when we achieve tranquility.

The second is the opposite to this,
and does require the man
to be true master of his mind,
and to prove it
by 'looking at his soul'
and seeing it as though
it does belong to someone else;
by looking at hs life and deeds
objectively, without emotion,
not critically,
but with calm detachment.

And this he must achieve,
no matter what he sees.

The mind will place before him
that which it knows will please,
but he must seek, and find
the soul which is beyond the mind.

Ans he must see his soul
in its despair,
and must watch his life
pass backwards by,
until he sees his soul
as it was there,
before the time when he was born.

As Ekai said,
"He is as a person,
who by a tiny window sits,
waiting for a horseman
to pass by.
But if he blinks,
he misses what he seeks to see.
The answer then
is not to blink
but simply sit
and not deny,
what it may be
that passes by."


KUFU: THE TECHNIQUE BEYOND TECHNIQUE

And when the man has seen his soul
then may he venture further
on the path,
toward that major gate which is the third.
For having looked upon himself
in his totality,
then may be place his soul,
and so may place his total self
where'er he will.

For his intensity
is not intensity of mind,
but rather that intensity which comes
from pure intensity
which is
the one technique which does remain
when all techniques are learned.

'The master of the sword
was fearsome
in his mode of being,
so much, that those
of international grade
would venture not
to even smile
when he stepped in
to take the class.
One student though,
he singled out,
and for an hour or more
did rant and shout,
and guide, and run
around the hall,
calling which stroke
should be next, and then
which after that.
The student's arms and legs
first ached, then ceased
to ache.
The soundless sound
came to his head,
he lost awareness
of his fellow students,
seated watching
as he moved about.
And then the master
called out 'Stop'
and as he stopped
the master bowed.
The student bowed,
but as he rose,
a laugh from deep inside
came out.
And lo, the master,
to the amazement of them all,
thre backhis head,
and laughting at the private joke
the two had shared,
strode, still laughing,
from the hall.'

And only then, in retrospect, the student recognised
that in that timeless moment
within the soundless sound,
he had achieved
that one technique
that is beyond technique,
that one technique
which does remain
when all techniques
are learned.
He knew that now,
and from this time,
the sword, and he,
were one.'

And when we do achieve 'kufu',
we do, at that same instant,
achieve 'sammai',
the oneness of the implement
or weapon
with the man.
And in this instant, they are one.

And for the man whose implement is thought,
he and the thought are one,
and so there is no need of mindfulness.


MUSHIN NO SHIN:  MIND OF NO MIND

And when the mind becomes so trained
that it itself is unaware
of its own workings,
the total man has passed
through that fourth major gate
that is the gate
of mindless thought.

As Chang Yen-yuan did say,
"Both meitation
and the execution
of the work of art,
must be one act,
independent of desire
to execute
a work of art."

So once the mind becomes aware
of what it is about to think,
or cause the body to perform,
the art is lost.
And what remains,
although it may be pretty in its way,
is nothing but technique.
'A master took a class,
and for two days
did show them how to exercise
and how to sit.
The students, six in all
complained most bitterly
throughout this time,
that the pain they felt
was great, and that
if the master felt such pain
then he could not stay still,
as he bade them do.
The master's words,
(that he too felt the pain)
were of no avail.
The students did contend
that he, through practice,
no longer had such pain.

The third day dawned,
the students stood outside,
beside the gate,
to wait for he who was to come
and theach them yet again.
The master came,
and seeing themar ound thegate,
was overjoyed tosee
that they had learned
some etiquette.
And in his pelasure,
as he closed the gate behind,
he did forget to take
his finger out.
The gate still closed,
but with no sound,
except the sound
the master made
as his finger turned
from flue to black and then to bauve.
And when they had established
that the bone was shole,
the master chided them
for lack of practice,
and once again
sat with them to meditate.

And thus, with mindless mind
and multo-coloured finger, he
proved that pain alone
should not prevent
our meditation,
provided we accept it
as physical,
and with
no mind.


TOMARANU KOKORO:
THE NON-STOPPING MIND

And just as running water
cannot be stopped,
but does  become, i time,
the boundless ocean of enlightenment,
so might the mind
become so trained
that no power or interfering thought
can stop the man who does possess it.

This is the gateway to
the mind which does nt stop,
the mind like running wter.
This major gateway is the fifth.
For even though the leat
which floats upon the surface
of the stream,
might be cut in twain
by the swordsman's blade
thrust into the pebble bed,
look at the water
which simply flows
around the blade.
Can we discern which particle
flowed to the left,
and which flowed to the right?'

And in this way,
the mind like runnin water,
bends like bamboo
when strong winds blow,
but does regain its upright stance to flow.
And in this way,
the mind like running water does nt let go
until the steam
and ocean
once again
are one.


KONO MAMA:
QUINTESSENCE

The man who passes through
the gate which is the sixth,
is the man whose mind is one
with him, and with his soul,
and who, thrugh his completion,
does become
a part of that reality
in which he dwells in life.

And in such men
there is no difference between
observer
and observed,
'...for both are one,
as all things
are one.
And when
he looks upon the flower,
he is the flower.
And when
he paints the flower,
he is the paper,
brush and ink,
yet still remains
the flower.
nd they who look
upon his work,
for that one fleting moment,
they too
become the flower.'
And he who has passed through
the quintessential gate,
he shall be known
by his deeds.


ISAGI YOKI:
RETURNING TO ETERNITY
WITH NO REGRETS

And since a man is but a finite part
of what we term eternity,
so must he return
to that eternity
from whnce he came.
This gateway of return, if used,
becomes the seventh major gate.

But whilst all creates
born to life,
must die,
for those wh pass beneath
this seventh major gate,
the act of thus transcending life
is that same act
as passing into timelessnes,,
into eternity,
and therefore back
into that same
infinity in wihch
all things exist.

Whilst still remaining mortal,
and so, still living,
the true enlightened one
again becomes a part
of that eternity
from whence he came,
whilst still remaining
to walk upon the earth
in his enlightenment.

So whilst the mortal man must die,
the true enlightened one
lives on for ever,
for through his true enlightenemnt,
he has transcended living
and so transcended deathh
by returning to eternity,
whilst still retaining
that which we call mortal life.

But being mortal,
live will elave him
when it will.
But this will not be
the end of him,
for he who is created
in enlightenment
cannot be destroyed.
For, through his true enlightnment,
his deeds themselves create
enlightenment
in those who follow him.

And so,
although his body dies,
his soul continues
on its way, where it has been before
whilst in that state
of manifested life.

But those who pass beneath
this seventh major gate
are few,
for it takes a lifetime
to even see this gate,
and few men live a lifetime.

And to pass beneath this gateless gate,
requires more still than dedication,
for non shall pass beneath it,
save those who have the courage
of great men, to re-craate,
and so perpetuate
the beauty, truth and jsutice
that eternity demans.
'And if you see a tear
fall from his eye,
do not be deceived
to think he fears
to die.
For teardrops such as these
are signs from heaven sent,
and each one is a part
of the ocean
of enlightenment'.


TAININ:
UNDERSTANDING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

INKA SHOMEI

The inka shomei, which means a 'seal of approval', may be either oral or written.  Originally, the 'inka' (as it is known) was given only to a student who had reached the stage of 'satori', (enlightenment), but it is now generally accepted in Taoist Zen that there are various tages of enlightenment.  As a result it is by no means uncommon for inka to be given at various stages or levels of studentship, each particular inka designating the grade which the student has reached.  There are some who think such devices to be trivial, but there is a sound and logical reasoning behind the inka system, for, by knowing the level reached by the student, the teacher himself knows the degree of difficulty with which the student can be expected to cope without mishap.

The grades or levels of inka are;
     Unsui ..... Novice
Gakkyu .... Ordinary student
Gakuto .... True follower
Jisha ..... Attendant or organiser
Gakuboko .. Helper or monitor in the place of practice Sensai .... Instructor
Gakkocho .. Principal instructor
Shihan .... Honorary title for instructor of great merit
Jikijitsu . Director of ceremony, and assistant to roshi
Roshi..... Old scholar, master or teacher, the head of
            a school or similar institution
Kokushi ... National teacher
Tzu ....... Honorary suffix for a venerated teacher.

GAKUTO: TRUE FOLLOWER The distinction awarded by a master to a student
who has proven by demonstration, his ability to apply the philosophy.

SENSAI: INSTRUCTOR The 'true follower' may be allowed by his master to
form his own class (under the aegis of the master).  The status of
Sensaitakes many years of practice and application to attain.

GAKKOCHO: PRINCIPAL The head of a school, either in the sense of a place
of learning, or school of thought.  This title should be applied only to
those whose interpretations have the approval of a higher authority.
Such approval is usually given in writing, but may be oral.

ROSHI: OLD SCHOLAR This title implies complete mastery of the mystic
art, and more particularly, mastery of the teaching techniques involved
in guiding the student toward enlightenment.  The title is reserved for
a master for whom one has the greatest respect.  It is usual for a Roshi
to choose his best disciple to inherit the title, although the title may
be honorary, being bestowed by a student, or group of students, upn a
master, out of love and respect.

Tuition should be neither offered by, nor accepted from any person below
the grade of Sensai, other than under her supervision.

APPLICATION FOR STUDENTSHIP

The would-be novice is always interviewed by the roshi, and it is the
teacher's decision whether or not he should admit the applicant to the
school, for much will depend uponthe applicant 'showing a true face',
that is, upon the degree of honesty and openness he shows at this
initial dokusan (private interview).  The student obviously ha the same
opportunity to choose his roshi.

On arrival at the gakkai, the visitor isually greeted by the Jisha,
gakuboku, or jikijitsu.  The greeting used is that known as 'gessho', in
which the hands are placed palms together, fingers raised.  The body is
bowed slightly.  The symbolism of the greeting is that the left hand
represents love, and the right, people.  It is considered that love and
peace together provide the freedom to grow, and so that eifngers are
opened slightly, keeping the heels of the hands togerther, so that the
hands represent a flower blossoming.  Gessho is the informal 'rai wo
suru' (bow of acknowledgement), and is used as the formal greeting
between all Taoists (and also many other groups).  The specific
symbolism of our school is the partin gof the fingers at the end of the
gesture for we consider that the freedom t grow is the most important
aspect of what we teach and learn.  But although specific to our own
school, we welcome its use by anyone who has this wish for others.

THE DOJO (place of practice) should be draught free but well ventilated.
It should be still and quiet, with subdued colours.  The floor shuld be
covered with a resilient non-abrasive material such as soft carpet or
foam rubber.  Eachstudent will require aproximately six feet square of
floor space.

The section which follows (Sabi Tao) is intended for those would- be
students who ar unable to find a master from whom they may receive
personal suition.  The instructions shown follow the pattern which I
have used in attempting to help those who have honoured me by seeking my
guidenace on the path to the gateless gate.


SABI TAO:
THE WAY TO TRANQUILITY

'The student asked the master,
Why this? Wy that?
The master did reply
I teach how, not why.'

1.   Seek only two things,
     karaki, the empty mind
and
     jaku (sabi), tranquility.

2.Seek these two things by the one way, tainin, understanding through
experience.

3.Only then will you have the understanding born of experience.

4.This understanding is reality, it is not the understanding which is
born of knowledge, but the understanding which results from the reality
of experience.

5.So do not come seeking knowledge.

6.Come to seek experience, and understanding will surely follow.

7.Come with an empty cup.  Forget your title, your position, your name.
Before the gateless gate they are of no importance.

8.Beware of hallucigens, for they produce false pictures, not reality.
And furthermore, as much as some would wish to believe otherwise, we
have no control over the pictures they produce, nor have we control over
our own actions when we are under their influence.

9.Beware of those who talk, but do not practice, for they are false
prophets, and are not worthy of your ear.

10.If you find it impossible to have trust without explanation, leave
now, and return when yu have the trust required of you.

11.If, whilst under tuition, you have doubts, state them, even if it
results in your tuition being postponed until those doubts are
reconciled.

12.It has been the custom, since early times, to learn to meditate
whilst seated 'as the rock'.  In order that we may sit in this manner,
the bodymust be supple.  This is achieved by practicing exercises
devised to develop the degree of suppleness required.

13.The exercises we use have been reduced to a series of eleven.

14.Initially, be prepared to spend some forty minutes to complete the
series.

15.Practice the series every day, and within two or three weeks the time
required will be reduced to fifteen minutes.

16.Within three months, the time required should not exceed ten minuts
each day.  Each exercise in the series should be practices every day,
except where sickness intervenes.

17.Allow at elast three hours since the last full meal before attempting
the exercises.

18.If there is any doubt as to ability or health, seek medical advice.

19.When starting the exercises as a beginner, use only sufficient energy
to cause gentle sweating.

20.If the sweating is profuse, or if there is shortness of breath, go
more gently.  If either of the symptoms continue, again seek medical
advice.  Always evacuate the bladder and bowels before starting the
exercises.

21.The ideal clothing is a 'judogi', but any clothing which is
non-restrictive may be worn, provided that it is absorbent.

22.The feet should be bare.

23.As each exercise becomes easier to perform, increase the effort
gradually.

24.Exhale when bending forward, breathing out positively so as to clear
the lungs.

25.Breath in when rising or straightening up.

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