KOAN:

Yun Men imparted some words saying, "Everyone has a light; when you look at it, you don't see it and it's dark and dim. What is everybody's light?" 

He himself answered on their behalf, "The kitchen pantry and the main gate." He also said, "A good thing isn't as good as nothing.”

POEM:

Spontaneously shining, bathed in solitary light 

It is an open secret

Flowers fall, the tree has no shadow

Look! Who does not see? 

Seeing, not seeing

Ride the OX backward and enter the Buddha Hall

As the world darkens, this koan always slips to the surface of mind. It’s a koan I have worked on, or kept company with for years. This is part of koan practice, koans we work on rise up and invite further investigation, or help us reconnect, or resurface the insights that opened up when we sat with or inquired into or kept company with the koan in the past.

So here in the koan, we have an invitation to consider that Everyone has their own light.

The buddha as he was passing, invited his disciples to be a lamp unto themselves.

In the Zen tradition, instructions for zazen invite us to turn the light to shine within.

Koun Ejo in his treatise of luminosity says: 

Sitting under the open sky, weightless as a flame. Even if eighty-four thousand thoughts come and go, each will display itself as the luminosity of perfect knowing itself if you do not hold to them and allow them to just go on their own way.

This display of luminosity must not just be something you experience in sitting but in each step. This step, this step, are all the walking of luminosity. 

In this luminosity usual people and sages, deluded and enlightened are one. In the midst of impermanence, this luminosity is unobstructed. Forests, flowers, grasses, leaves; humans and animals; large or small, long or short, square or round: all display themselves simultaneously, free of discriminating thoughts or intention. This is luminosity unobstructed in impermanence. Luminosity is its own open brilliance; it does not depend on your mind.

Luminosity has no location. When Buddhas appear in this universe, it does not arise with them. When Buddhas cease, luminosity does not cease. When you are born, luminosity is not born; when you die, luminosity does not die. Buddhas do not have more of it; sentient beings do not have less. If you are deluded, it is not; if you are enlightened, it is not. It has no rank, no form, and no name. This is the Body of Totality of all things.

You cannot grasp it; you cannot throw it away. It is unattainable. Although it is unattainable, it penetrates this whole body. From the highest heaven to the deepest hell, all realms are illuminated perfectly. This is wondrous and inconceivably subtle luminosity.

Everyone has their own light—

If we try to look for it, we don’t see it.

This is an interesting conundrum, Hogen Roshi during Rohatsu sesshin pointed out then when we really look for something, it vanishes.

Perhaps the looking and the vanishing and what is left in the vanishing are all light—the light of awareness, the light of buddha nature, the light of our true nature

Everyone has it—this light

More intimate then perception, it shines out of our eyes, it graces every word, image or thought, in streams through our blood vessels, it pools as our hands touch another's, each place of contact—

each sound, smell, taste, touch, breath, feeling emotion—another color, texture of this radiant light

This koan invites us into intimate recognition of the “light” of true nature.

To see, know, experience the light of buddha nature in everyone and everything—this is the aspiration of someone on the path, when I try to articulate my vow–that is it.

And what does the practice of this look like?

A reminder—the light of awakened nature shines through everyone and everything, can you let yourself trust that, see it, know it

And can you study, what gets in the way–of seeing your own light?

Of affirming this light in everyone you meet?

Perfectionism, fear, habits of distraction—these things appear to cover our light, and the light of the universe. And yet–they too are the light, in the moment of their arising.

What does it look like to practice seeing everyone’s light?

To see what is shining through before thought/projection?

To see each person’s beauty, uniqueness?

And—to help them see it too?

We can even do this for the parts of ourselves—

What is the light of the inner critic, anxiety, fear, greed, judgment, comparison?

Can you see the light in the ordinary stuff of your life? The carpet, walls, the objects you interact with, your shoes, the work you do…

This is a great koan to accompany us during this time of year, the holidays. Whether you are seeing family, or spending time alone.

Can you see, know, awaken to the light that permeates everyone and everything. Can you see the unique light shining forth from this word, this color, this screen?!

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