u/TrueOdontoceti

Do you know about emancipation? If you formulate the idea that you can understand, then you are blocked off from it.
Later, another adept said, "I dare not turn my back on you, master; for fog is rising from *your* feet!"

Then there is the story of when Beiyuan Tong left Dongshan. Dongshan said, "Where are you going?" Tong replied, "Into the mountains." Dongshan said, "Flying Monkey Ridge is steep—a fine sight!" Tong hesitated. Dongshan said, "Reverend Tong!" Tong responded, "Yes?" Dongshan said, "Why don't you go into the mountains?" At these words, Tong suddenly got the message.

The ancients were quite direct in their ways of helping others. Whenever people came to them, they would show them. In this case, he said he was going into the mountains; what does this mean?

People today do not realize clearly, inevitably making an understanding. By a bit of understanding, they have blocked themselves off. One can only investigate comprehensively through experience; one cannot understand just by intellectual interpretation. Once you have comprehended thoroughly with unified comprehension, you will no longer doubt.

Nevertheless, this is not easy to maintain. If you have entered into it correctly, you will not backslide. Thus, even if you have clarified what can be understood, that is not comparable to seeing what cannot be understood and also having the ability to maintain it. Then you will always be aware and always be alert.

This is why an ancient said, "The normal mind is the path; can one aim for it?" "If you try to head for it, you are turning away from it." Seeing as how you are not allowed to head for it, then how do you maintain it? It's not easy!

Is this not emancipation? If you seek a state of emancipation, this is what is called a cramp! Xuansha said, "The whole earth is an eon of hell; if you do not clarify yourself, this is a serious cramp." It will not do to idle away the time.”

Also funny to note the recent activity in the Middle East where tall buildings are being hit by far more destructive objects than commercial airliners and yet we aren’t seeing any buildings collapse in the manner all three buildings collapsed on 9/11.

These silly weapons engineers don’t realize they can cause far more damage with mythical jet fuel fires that collapse and dustify massive buildings with their special powerz. 🔥🔥🔥

And this event, that even as a child I recognized defied the laws of physics, was then used to justify invading the countries of others and the murdering of a million civilians in the name of “fighting terrorism”.

If you live in western society, you took part. No matter how small your contribution to the machine.

Weird world.

u/Zahlov posted another final message but there was a glitch on that one and he can’t post anymore because he promised so he sent me his final final message so I could share it with you all:

For twenty years, it’s like I’ve been breathing in open sky air, walking mystical shorelines instead of falling through filled up voids. Starting bands to spread my love to the whole universe—I have eight kids but I’m leaving them to start a band because when I see into their eyes I see unconditional love and I feel I’m not worthy as a parent lest I hit at least triple platinum as a lead singer in a rock band. I wish I didn’t have to spend so long away from my children like this—I never thought I would be called to be a famous musician but I have to become worthy of my childrens’ love. I didn’t lose my footing in middle school—I drifted outward, learning the rhythm of waves, carried more than cast aside as a castle was made inside of my heart but it wasn’t made of sand it was made of solid steel and wood planks. I’ve been moving with the current ever since, not lost, not unreal—just here, sun on the water, feet in the sand.

My band will be called Bad Ass Bois. I’d say I never lacked outer awareness. If anything, I was always watching the horizon. Even seven years ago, when something like an “awakening” brushed over me here on rzen, it didn’t drag me into darkness—it felt more like finding a strange object half-buried where the tide meets the shore: an all powerful ring, glinting, humming with quiet weight. Not a curse, not salvation—just something that didn’t belong to me, yet somehow came into my keeping. I felt the ring tugging at my soul, pulling me deeper into despair.

Since then, there’s been no endless nightmare loop, no torment without end—just an odd, ongoing journey where I must hit triple plat before I can stand the thought of being anywhere near my eight children again. Like being asked, without urgency, to carry that ring across shifting coasts and salt-stung winds, past dunes and reefs, toward some distant volcano rising beyond the sea haze. Not a desperate quest—more like a long walk at low tide, unsure if I’ll ever get there, unsure if it even needs to be done.

Nothing has really “worked out” or “failed”—things just… happen. No blazing ascents, no plunges into hells or heavens. No breaking limits or becoming anything larger than myself. And now, standing where the tide rolls in and out, there’s no finality, no sense that the journey is ending where it began. The ring is still in my hand. The volcano is still out there, somewhere past the horizon line.

So I’m not stepping into some rebirth. I’m not leaving for a new life inland, or building something solid and defined. There’s no sudden climb, no transformation into who I “should” be. My parents’ expectations, the world’s problems—they drift like distant ships, visible but not calling me aboard. I’m not chasing a grand purpose or a perfect ending.

Looking forward feels like watching sunlight scatter across water—no fixed path, no strict discipline. I’m not shedding illusions or anchoring myself in structure. I’m not simplifying or sharpening into something clear-cut. I’m still wandering—salt हवा, ذهن half elsewhere, half present—neither fully grounded nor completely gone. Glitter glitter but all dreams pitter out unless you break through the ceiling and hit triple plat.

There’s no dramatic awakening, no scales falling away—just the steady hush of waves. I haven’t left the classroom in the sky; maybe it was never above me, just reflected in the ocean’s surface all along. And the “real life” I was meant to start? Maybe it’s been this tide, repeating, unclaimed.

That said, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll linger like foam at the water’s edge. Comments may wash in; questions may drift out unanswered. No firm departures, no clean endings. Just Bad Ass Bois rocking out and getting loud.

Thanks for walking this stretch of shoreline, however briefly. I don’t have much to wish—maybe just calm seas, or at least waves you can stand in. I hope I’ll see my kids again… someday. Being so far from them breaks my heart. God bless them I hope they live to see me hit triple platinum so that they can finally have a father again.

Bad Ass Bois out

A dialogue with Huangbo

“(5iii-c) 又云。我此禪宗從上相承已來。不曾教人求知求解。只云學道早是接引之詞。然道亦不可學。情存學解卻成迷道。道無方所名大乘心。此心不在內外中間。實無方所。 .

{5iii-c} Teacher also says:

This zen lineage of ours, from its early heritage till now, has never taught people to seek knowledge or to seek interpretation/explanation.

It is only said that 'studying the way' is a phrase to initially receive and guide [people]. But the way cannot actually be studied. Should there be remnant of passion to study and to interpret, it becomes the bewitching way.

The way has no direction and no location; it is named the great vehicle's mind. This mind is neither inside nor outside nor in-between. It is really without direction and location.”

Huangbo Xiyun, Zen Teacher. Essential Dharma of Mind Transmission