In the Floating World
Everything is transient! Ukiyo.
浮世 - Ukiyo. The Floating World.
In Buddhism - the world of the living is Ukiyo.
In Japanese history, a 200 year period in pleasure-seeking of every ilk & kind is Ukiyo-e.
Ukiyo is an understanding that the world is fleeting and everything in and of the world is transient. Ukiyo includes everything.
How do you respond to Ukiyo?
The Way to consider the world is to understand, to know, to experience:
Everything is perfectly resolved in the unborn, undying, unconditioned, immutable.
Different cultures give us diversity, but our work is to look for unity in diversity. As Shitou has written, “…merging difference & unity.” No easy task when the ego-self is running our life.
The ancient teaching requires repetition and review again and again. It requires we pick up the teaching and keep it in mind wherever we go and with whomever we are meeting.
We take up two teachings:
Let go of the ego-self and look for unity in the diversity in this ever-changing world.
Let go is colloquial language for surrender. Unity is to see holiness which is understood to mean wholeness. Wholeness is the equivalent word to Dharma, that which holds-things-together.
Do we understand our place in the floating world as a place to surrender, to see the big holy place where the Dharma holds things together in the midst of change.
Study these teachings of letting go of your side of things and listen. Just listen. Know that right in the middle of the ruckus is wholeness, but we do not see the wholeness because we are functioning in and with our ego-conditioned-selfcentered position.
Civilizations expect that we accept the social norms. When we see the effulgence of a civilization, we are willing to accept the norms of society. Effulgent light is essential in holding the material world together. Effulgent light is what helps each one of us to accept what the world of Ukiyo is presenting.
We need to be able to go with the flow as branches falling from a tree float on the surface of a river. Each branch inevitably becomes one with the ocean.
YES, there are loggerheads. Disagreements are perhaps at an especially high rate in this current of time. We have forgotten that nothing stays the same. Change is inevitable and often results in battles.
Heavy branches log-jam the flow to the ocean, but eventually the power of Ukiyo insists that even the loggerheads and log-jams give way to the everpresent transient world.
We forget that everything is perfectly resolved in the unborn…and attack and fight in pursuit of something different.
TRUST IS WHAT WE NEED
Not the trust in UKIYO, but trust beyond the floating world of transience. Although we know or at least give a nod to the floating world, we, however, often fight with IT, fight against IT and want IT to be different.
We mistakenly apply this desire to make change against what changes arise in Ukiyo. We take up the battle and charge at the changes we hate and hate those we claim are to blame.
For us to trust beyond Ukiyo we must change from reliance on the floating world and seek the unborn, undying, unconditioned, immutable nature which is our true nature. IT is you, nothing in the world is IT.
May we be safe from harm & free from suffering as we go towards IT alone, until we realize that all along IT is… and IT alone is our true nature.
Don’t give in to the vagaries of the floating world. Study how you get caught up in the wish for the world to be different to the detriment of your awakening.
Right where you are is the focus of your concentration. It is much like kindergarten, keep your hands to yourself, sit still and keep your eyes on your own work.
That’s IT.
If you are interested in receiving practice reminders, or The Fundamental Point, you welcome to subscribe.
www.asinglethread.net - www.zatma.org
If you have questions, please send them to: yaoxiangeditor@substack.com. The Fundamental Point! May it be useful to your spiritual work.