At the end of the seminar Shibata Sensei tested Keri for Shodan, our first student to receive a black belt. An honor to the Dojo on its fifth birthday.
A couple days later, as I was preparing tea at the Dojo's kitchen, I noticed a writing on the white board in Japanese. Three Kanji reading Hi Shi Ryo.
A research revealed that Hishiryo is a Zazen term, used by Zen master Dogen, founder of Soto Zen.
While the beginner in Zazen deals mostly with thoughts (Shiryo), and the thought about eliminating thought (Fushiryo), the Master's true "thinking" of Zazen is Hishiryo (No-thought), a state of mind of NOT dividing things/making distinction/using discretion/judging.
That is a way to attaining spiritual enlightenment.
"Thinking non-thinking," wrote Master Dogen, "How do we think without thinking? Think from the depths of non-thinking." This is cosmic consciousness. Hishiryo consciousness. Our conscious senses cannot define it, words cannot explain it. It comes only through our living Zazen experience.
Hishiryo is the harmonizing of objective and subjective views, ultimate consciousness beyond time and space, the highest consciousness, universal, beyond all existences, beyond thinking and non-thinking. To experience Hishiryo consciousness, that is Zen.
The path is long, and, with patience, it is revealing.
I feel very fortunate having a teacher.
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