Kasan's Sweat and Sameness of Being

[Astral Monk]

A zen story:

 

Kasan was asked to officiate at the funeral of a provincial lord.

 

He had never met lords and nobles before so he was nervous. When the ceremony started, Kasan sweat.

 

Afterwards, when he had returned, he gathered his pupils together. Kasan confessed that he was not yet qualified to be a teacher for he lacked the sameness of bearing in the world of fame that he possessed in the secluded temple. Then Kasan resigned and became the pupil of another master. Eight years later he returned to his former pupils, enlightened.

 

Here is a tale about achieving sameness of being in all circumstances. Is there something analogous in Daoist practice? If so, how is it achieved?

 

In Kasan's case it came as the fruits of zen style meditation.

 

8)

[Rocky Lionmouth]

(Edited for clarification, spelling and flow)

 

Cultivating emptyness will probably help against doubt and fear of judgement, wich seems to have been one of Kasans hindrances, or maybe it's a projection of mine.

 

Kasan never found sameness of bearing, i think he went away, lost everything and then he came back to teach.

 

In my current understanding Zen and Daoist practice agrees that everything is ever changing and in dynamic relationship with other things, law of impermanence and all that.

There is no being the same or behaving the same ever for anyone, worrying about it could be an indication of ones clinging to a distorted perspective and thereby not seeing and honoring the Dao and the nature of things.

I know i've read (but where?) that one should carry oneself alone as if in the company of guests and vice versa, but i think this points to the position that no matter if we have company in the moment we're always in a relationship to the rest of the world, and it is good energy economics to be honest with ones nature and respect the nature of the 10 000 things. Nobles are noble in relation to commoners, middle class is rich in relation to the humblest of workers, skilled practicioners have cultivated applying a method more than those who have used their time for other things.

 

As i've understood thus far Zen and Daoist cultivation are similar in their search for oneness of being.

Sitting in forgetfulness is a classic Daoist technique that i keep thinking is very similar to zazen, although my experience with both is limited.

Allowing ones intent, spirit and body to unify is an important step of the way in Daoist cultivation, letting go of misconceptions and understanding reality supposedly comes from practising Sitting in forgetfulness, among other things.

 

What do you think?

Edited September 12, 2016 by Rocky Lionmouth