modalityzencart模板

WHITECOLLARZENWHITECOLLARZENUsingZenPrinciplestoOvercomeObstaclesandAchieveYourCareerGoalsStevenHeine2005OxfordUniversityPress,Inc.
,publishesworksthatfurtherOxfordUniversity'sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship,andeducation.
OxfordNewYorkAucklandCapeTownDaresSalaamHongKongKarachiKualaLumpurMadridMelbourneMexicoCityNairobiNewDelhiShanghaiTaipeiTorontoWithofficesinArgentinaAustriaBrazilChileCzechRepublicFranceGreeceGuatemalaHungaryItalyJapanPolandPortugalSingaporeSouthKoreaSwitzerlandThailandTurkeyUkraineVietnamCopyright2005byOxfordUniversityPressPublishedbyOxfordUniversityPress,Inc.
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comOxfordisaregisteredtrademarkofOxfordUniversityPressAllrightsreserved.
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofOxfordUniversityPress.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataisavailableISBN-13:978-0-19-516003-1ISBN-10:0-19-516003-7135798642PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaperACKNOWLEDGMENTSviiGAMEPLANixPARTONEMountainsAreMountains:RootsofEverydayStressIntroduction:ApplyingZen31.
ZenandProfessionalLeadership122.
ThePowerofZen25PARTTWOMountainsAreNotMountains:TransformingConflictintoOpportunity3.
EverybodyMustGetFoxed454.
TheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment685.
SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees87ContentsPARTTHREEMountainsAreMountainsAgain:FromStructuretoAnti-Structure6.
ReturningtotheMarketplace1077.
All'sWellthatEndsWell1288.
ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere155GLOSSARY/INDEX185APPENDIX:KoanTranslation("Te-shanCarryingHisBundle")191viContentsOMEOFTHEMATERIALinthisbookhaspreviouslyappearedinthefollowingjournalarticles:"Ch'anBuddhistKung-AnsasModelsforInterpersonalBehavior,"JournalofChinesePhi-losophy,30/3–4(2003):525–540;"ZenintheWorkplace:Apply-ingAnti-StructuretoEnhanceStructure,"GlobalBusinessLanguage,9(2004);"CriticalViewofDiscoursesontheRelationbetweenJapa-neseBusinessandSocialValues,"JournalofLanguageforInterna-tionalBusiness,15/2(2004).
Thepictureonp.
38of"Kuei-shankickingoverthewaterpitcher"appearscourtesyofRyoanjitempleinKyoto(itisalsoinNishimuraEshin,ed.
,Mumonkan,Tokyo:Iwanamishoten,1993).
ThestatueofPai-changholdingthefly-whiskonp.
113isheldatSaijojitemple(aka.
Daiyuzan)nearOda-waracity.
WhiteCollarZenisdedicatedtomySensei,whosometimespoundedhisfistsohardtherewasbloodonthetable.
Iwillal-waysrememberthosewordswelaughedoutloudaboutaswewaitedintheparkinglotofa24-hourautoservicemallonesteamysummernight.
Mayherest.
Thisbookcouldnothavebeenwrittenwithouttremendoussupportandassistancefromtherightpersons.
IespeciallythankAcknowledgmentsSviiiAcknowledgmentsCynthiaReadofOxfordUniversityPress,whobelievedintheprojectfromtheverybeginningandwentwaybeyondthecallofdutyateverystepineditingthemanuscriptonmultiplelevels.
Severalextremelyinsightfulassistantshelpedtheproject,in-cludingJessicaReyesandMelissaSekkel.
Inaddition,CristinaSassoandPatriciaGonzalezwerehelpful,andtherewereaddi-tionalcommentsonportionsofthemanuscriptfromSandyAvila,MariaCubau,CarmenCusack,ClaudiaG.
Flores,andErinWeston,amongothers.
Also,ZenbuddiesChrisIves,DanLeighton,andDaleWrightputintheirtwocents.
TheyknowIprobablyshouldabeenadoctor.
Thentherewasthegrowlofthatwildcatheardwhilehitchin'arideallthewaytoNashville.
.
.
Disclaimer:Allnarrativescontainedhereinareexaggerated,distorted,orotherwisetakenoutofcontext.
Readwithcaution,andenjoy.
Thisbook,likethatoldmissivetoKyushu,isforalltheangel-headedhipstersoutthere.
Theyknowwhotheyare.
AcknowledgmentsixGamePlanUsingZenPrinciplestoOvercomeObstaclesandAchieveYourCareerGoalsMountainsAreMountains:RootsofEverydayStressIntroductionAPPLYINGZENOnmakinguseofaZen-basedexperienceofintuitiveinsight,whichisnotathoughtprocessbutastateofexistenceChapterOneZENANDPROFESSIONALLEADERSHIPIntroducingtherelationbetweenZenandthebusinessworld,andwhytheworkplaceisinneedofZenChapterTwoTHEPOWEROFZENApplyingthesteadinessandflexibilityoftheUnmovingMindtoprofessionalinterpersonalrelationsMountainsAreNotMountains:TransformingConflictintoOpportunityChapterThreeEVERYBODYMUSTGETFOXEDWhydoobstaclesblockthepathtoprofessionaldevelopmentbasedondeficienciesinself-disciplineChapterFourTHEGREATERTHEDOUBT,THEGREATERTHEENLIGHTENMENTTransformingfeelingsofhopelessnessbyexperiencingtheGreatDoubtChapterFiveSEEINGTHEFOREST,BUTNOTMISSINGTHETREESActivatingandintegratingtheHermit'sintuitionandtheWarrior'sspontaneityMountainsAreMountainsAgain:FromStructuretoAnti-StructureChapterSixRETURNINGTOTHEMARKETPLACEAdvantagesofZenEncountersoverConfrontationsforendingconflictandachievingmutualproductivityChapterSevenALL'SWELLTHATENDSWELLFourStepsfordealingwithproblemsinorganizationalstructurethroughcreativewaysofspeakingandsilenceChapterEightCOMINGFROMNOWHERETOSOMEWHERETheimmediacyandeccentricityofenactinganti-structuralapproachesThispageintentionallyleftblankpartoneMountainsAreMountains:RootsofEverydayStressTwomonkswerearguing.
Onesaidtheflagwasmovinginthewindandtheothersaidthewindwasmovingtheflag.
Alongcamethemasterwhosaid,"It'snottheflagmovingorthewindmoving.
It'syourmind.
"ZenkoanabouttheSixthPatriarchThispageintentionallyleftblank3Introduction:ApplyingZenWABookNotAbout,butFromZenHENINJAPAN,Iamoftenaskedaboutthepurposeofmyvisit.
Theexpectedansweristhat,likemanyotherforeigners,IcametoworkintheJapanesecorporateworld.
WhenIsaythatmypurposeistostudyZenBuddhism,IamusuallyaskedinaveryperplexedwayaboutwhyAmericansaresointerestedinsuchanold-fashionedtradition.
ApassengeronthebullettrainoncetoldmeheneverwenttoBuddhisttemplesbecause,"Whenyou'veseenone,you'veseenthemall.
"Ontheotherhand,anAmericanfriendcurrentlyworkinginJapanwastoldbyherJapanesecolleaguesthatifshewantedtounderstandthecorporatestructuresheshouldlearnsomethingaboutJapanesereligion,especiallyZen.
Forexample,theypointedoutthatsince1937employeesineveryMatsushita(Panasonic)factoryaroundtheworldbegintheirworkdaybyrecitingsevenprinciplesbasedonakindofreligioustrainingthatemphasizesthequalitiesofservice,fairness,teamwork,improvement,humil-ity,acceptingchange,andgratitude.
Overtime,Ibegantorealizethatmyfriend'scolleagueswereright:wecannotappreciatethe4MountainsAreMountainsdynamicsofJapanesebusinesspracticeswithoutunderstandingtheprofoundunderlyingconnectionwithZen.
Atthesametime,IhavecometofeelthattheworkplaceinAmericacanalsobenefitfromthespiritualityofZentopromotethedisciplineandself-controlthatcontributetomutuallybeneficialproductivity.
ThisisnotabookaboutZen;itdoesnotprovidehistoricalanalysisorguidanceinmeditationormonasticritual.
IdonotdescribetheformationoftheinstitutionorliteratureoftheZenBuddhistsectinEastAsia;nordoIgiveinstructionsonhowtomeditate.
Therearemanyexcellentscholarlyworksaswellasnotablepopularbooksthatdothesethings.
Instead,thisbookisfromZen.
Itadaptstraditionalidealsandstylesoftrainingtothegoalofimprovinginterpersonalrelationsintheprofessionalsphere.
Itexplainshowtopresentyourselfmoreeffectivelytotheoutsideworldbyunifyingyouremotionsandthoughts,cultivatingalucid,insightful,andpowerfulwayofself-developmentandexpression.
IhavespentmanyyearsofstudyandhaveadeepappreciationfortheZenBuddhisttradition.
Myaimhere,however,istoapplysomeideasderivedfromZenprin-ciplesandrelatedteachingsinapracticalwaytorealsituationsthatallofusencounteronaregularbasis.
TheaimistomakeuseofaZen-basedexperienceofintuitiveinsight,whichisnotathoughtprocessbutastateofexistence.
Intherecordsoftheclassicalmasters,theZenmindisexpressedinseeminglyeccentric,irreverent,orunconventionalbehavior.
Theheroesofthesetalesareknownforslappingeachotherorper-formingotheroutrageousacts,suchasleapingfrompolesorcut-tingofffingers,inflagrantdisregardofstrictmonasticdiscipline.
Theydidnotbreakconventionalsocialrulesasananarchicspiri-tualrebellionbut,rather,toenhanceandstrengtheninstitutionalstructurebyexercisingadistinctivebrandofcreativitythatIrefertoasanti-structure(derivedfromanthropologistVictorTurner).
Zencanhelpwithpersonalinteractionsaswellasbusinessre-lationships.
However,WhiteCollarZendrawsacleardistinctionIntroduction:ApplyingZen5betweentheprivateworld,whichisbasedontheintimacyofanemotionalexchangebetweenindividuals,andtheprofessionalrealm,inwhichpersonalfeelingsmustbesetasidetoavoidbiasorfavoritisminthepursuitofcommonworkplacegoals.
ThebenefitofWhiteCollarZenisthatithelpsdealwithsitua-tionsthatchallengeyourpositionorstatusatwork,likethecasesofapromotiondeniedordelayedoranunwantedassignment.
In-steadoflettingobstaclesbecomeasourceofconflictorconfronta-tionthroughpetty,turf-hungryreactions,bymaintainingclarityandfocusyoutransformanimpasseintoachancefordevelopment.
CanZeninsightreallybeappliedtothehumdrumactivityofmodernsocietyDoesnotapracticalunderstandingofZenBud-dhismrequiremeditatinginaJapanesetemple,trekkinginre-motemountains,orbreathingthealpineairwhilerefininganaestheticappreciationofnatureThereareindeedhistoricalandculturalbarrierstoappropriatingthephilosophyrootedinme-dievalEastAsianhermitictraditions.
Icontend,however,thatinspirationcanbegarneredfromZenwithneitherformalstudythatfollowstherulesofmonasticlifenorreclusivewanderingoutsidetheordinarysocialorder.
AccordingtoanoldChinesesayingalludedtoinZenwritings,Smallhermitsconcealthemselvesinhillsandthickets,Greathermitsconcealthemselvesinpalacesandtowns.
Zeninsighthighlightsfamiliarspiritualtendenciesthatareal-readyatleastpartiallydevelopedbyallofusandcanbeattainedinavarietyofways.
Inordinarylife,accordingtoZen,wetendtoactandreactineitheramechanicalorchaoticmannergovernedbyinstinctsandreflexes,andthentrytoovercomeinappropriatefeelingsarisingfromattachmentsorpartialityofperspectivebytheapplicationoflogic.
Weattempttobe"objective.
"However,whenreasonisunabletoresolvecrisesininterpersonalrelations,itisnecessarytostepbackandexperienceasenseofquietudebe-yondthedroneofordinarylife.
6MountainsAreMountainsTheZenpracticeofzazen(sittingmeditation)leadstoastateofcalmcomposurewhetherperformedathomeorataBuddhistcenterwithasamgha(assemblyofpractitioners).
Theaimistolearntoheartheinnervoicethatdrawsustoadeeper,morein-clusivesenseofperceptionandunderstanding.
AnotherZentech-niqueistocontemplateparadoxicalorabsurdkoans(quixoticutteranceorpedagogicalriddle),suchas"Whatisthesoundofonehandclapping"or"DoesadoghaveBuddha-nature(orin-natequalityofenlightenment)"Manypeoplehavefoundtheirownmethodsforaccessingtheinnervoicenotnecessarilyassociatedwithaparticulartradition.
Thismayinvolvewithdrawingfromthecacophonyofworldlyaffairsandquietingthespiritinsolitude,awayfromthecrowd,orlisteningtomusic,goingforwalks,orspendingthedayinthewoodsoratthebeach.
Forothersquietudeisattainedthroughanactivityordisciplinesuchasrunning,exercise,playingasport,prac-ticinganartformormusic,ortraininginyoga.
Participatingincommunityserviceorritualconductareotherwaysofhelpingtocastasidethecaresofeverydayexistencethatgetinthewayofspiri-tualreflection.
AscholarofcontemporaryreligionshaspointedoutthatthedeclineinAmerica'sorganizedmainstreamritualprac-ticedoesnotnecessarilyindicateawaningofspirituality:PeopletodaysaytheycanfindGodsittingonthebeach,atnight,underthesky,intheirrelationships,ortheirservicework.
Doingzazenorstudyingkoansinadditiontothesortsofac-tivitiesmentionedabovecanbeunderstoodasusefultoolsormeanstotheendofturningontheinteriorlightswitch,ratherthanasgoalsinthemselves.
Justasusefulareshamanisticvisionquesttechniquessuchassensorydeprivationorwalkingaboutinthewilderness,alsoafavoriteactivityofclassicalZenmasters.
However,theessenceofZenisnotaparticularstyleofprac-ticebutawayofbeingbasedonunderstandingthenatureoftheinnerselfinrelationtoouterreality.
Unlikemoststylesofspiri-Introduction:ApplyingZen7tuality,Zendoesnotlookfortruthbeyondthehumanrealm.
Inofferingaconcentratedandcomprehensiveapproachtodevel-opingthepowerofIntuition,itshowstheimportanceofself-controlinallaspectsofexistence.
Zenpromotesexperiencesofclaritythatusuallypassusbyinthemuddledbusynessofourdailylives.
Ithighlightsthetwofoldnatureofreality.
Nothingisblackorwhite.
Victoriesaresnatchedfromthejawsofdefeatandviceversa.
Wehavedefeatsthatteachlessonsaswellastriumphsthatneedtobesustained,allcondi-tionedbyourabilityorinabilitytoadjusttotheshiftingtide.
InZensayings,monkswhoconvincethemselvestheyareonthevergeofabreakthroughare"nothingbutwildfoxspirits,"andthosewhoatonepointseemutterlydefeatedare"oneswhocomebacktolifeinthemidstofdeath.
"FindingYourOwnZenDuringavisittothemagnificentshrineatNikko,locateddeepinthemountainsnorthofTokyo,Iwaswalkingupfromthestationtothemainhallandstoppedbythe"sacredbridge"(shinkyo)thatcrossesarushingstream.
Thecascadingsoundofthewaterover-whelmedanydistraction.
Atfirst,itdrownedouteveryotherphysicalormentalphenomenonthatmightbe"heard.
"Thesi-lencemadeitsownkindofdeafeningroar.
ItspontaneouslyledtoastateofcontemplationthatallowedmetoconcentrateonseveralissuesIwasconsidering.
IthoughtoftheZensaying,ThesoundsofthevalleystreamsaretheBuddha'stongue,Thecolorsoftheleavesonthemountainsarehisbody.
Aftersittingforawhile,IfoundIcouldcontrolthelevelandtrans-formthesoundofthewaterthroughthepowerofthemind,turn-ingitupordownasifwiththedialofaradio.
Thisexperience,whichbeganwitharaw,immediatesensation,taughtmeanim-portantlessonintheabilitytoexerciseself-discipline.
8MountainsAreMountainsReflectingontheexperience,IrealizedhowZen-likeitwas,andalsothatZenissomethingevolvinganddeeplypersonal.
Eveninitsclassicalperiod,ZenBuddhismwasnotasingle,simpleide-ologyorapure,pristine,autonomousreligiousinstitutionbutwasinextricablyweddedtoitsculturalcontext.
Zenisacomplexhistoricalphenomenon,partandparcelofvariousreligiousandsocialtrends,absorbingandassimilatingamyriadofinfluences.
Today,Zenremainsasyncretisticamalgamationthatcombinesandintertwinesvariouselementsdevelopedoverthecenturies.
ZenisZeninthatithasadistinctiveflavorandstyle,yetZenisalsonotZeninthatitisdiverseanddiffused.
Thinkofacomputer-imagingfilethatistransferredfromsys-temtosystem.
Eachtimeitismoved,itlooksabitblurrieraroundtheedges.
ThisislikethehistoryofZen,firstspreadinginEastAsiancountriesandnowsplashingontotheshoresofAmerica.
However,theblurrinessshouldnotbeunderstoodasadeclineinquality.
Intheprocessoftransmission,muchisgainedandstrength-ened,liketheabilitytoenhanceandmanipulatethefile.
Themove-mentthatmayappeartobeadeclineisactuallyarenewal.
ZenstartedcomingtoAmericaattheendofthenineteenthcentury.
Ithasnotbeentransmittedasauniformentitywithasingleessence,buthasarrivedinafragmented,specialized,andidiosyncraticmanner.
Formany,Zenfunctionsasanethnicreli-gionofJapaneseimmigrantcommunities,especiallyinHawaii,California,andBrazil.
AsinJapan,oneofthemainrolesoftheZeninstitutionforthesecommunitiesistheprovisionofafuner-aryriteforcommemoratingdeadancestorsduringmortuarycer-emonies,memorialservices,andtheannualObonorGhostFestival.
ButthetraditionalinstitutionalstructuresofZeninJapanhavenotbeencarriedoverwithoutundergoingsignificantchange.
AsethniccommunitiesgotincreasinglyassimilatedintoAmericansociety,thepatternofrituallifewasrefashioned.
Zenhasalsobeentransmittedasan"alternativealtar"forAmericansseekingsolaceinmysticalspiritualityoutsidetheIntroduction:ApplyingZen9Judeo-Christianmainstream.
TherearenowdozensofthrivingZencenters,somefoundedbymonksfromChina,Japan,Korea,orVietnam,andothersbyWesternseekerswhohavestudiedortraveledextensivelyinpursuitofanauthenticheritageorlineage.
Newcentersarelocatedinbothurbanandruralareas,notonlyontheWestCoastbutthroughoutthecountry.
Nomatterhowmuchtheymayfollowatraditionalmodel,theirstylesofpracticeareconditionedbyWesternculturalattitudes,especiallyconcern-inggenderroles,individualrights,andenvironmentalandtech-nologyissues.
ThereisalsoanotherbroadercomponentofAmericanZen.
Manyintellectualsandmystics,whohavebeeninfluencedbydi-versetrendsinpsychotherapy,literature,NewAgespiritualityandhealing,havesoughttoachievepeaceofmindbyusingZentech-niques.
TheZenpromiseofrealizationthroughenhancedself-awarenesshasbecomeanobjectoffascinationandlonging.
ParticularlyintriguingisthewayZenintraditionalChinaandJapandevelopedarichvarietyofartforms.
Theserangefromtheliteraryandfinearts(poetry,painting,calligraphy)tothemar-tialarts(karate,swordfighting,andarchery)andthepracticalarts(gardening,flowerarranging,andteaceremony).
Artisticskillisanaccomplishmentattainedinthepresentmoment,unaffectedbyattachmenttopeopleorthings,notanegoisticpursuitofrec-ognitionforitsownsake.
AnotherimportantfactorinthetransmissionofZentoAmericaarethetacticsandstrategiesexpressedinTheBookofFiveRingsbytheinvincibleswordmasterMiyamotoMusashi.
Theseworkshavebeenappropriatedbytheworldsofbusinessandmanage-mentandusedastextbooksforoperatingcontemporarycom-mercialaffairs.
TheZenapproachtodisciplinehasbeendistilledinbookslikeZenandtheArtofMotorcycleMaintenancebyRobertPirsig,whichisasend-upoftheoriginalZenintheArtofArcherybyEugenHerrigelanditscountlessimitators.
Pirsig'sworkusestheimage10MountainsAreMountainsofthemotorcycleasasymbolofinteriordevelopment.
Itopenswiththeepigram,Therealcycleyou'reworkingonisacyclecalled"yourself.
"Thepartsofthemotorcyclearedispensableandreplaceablebuttheintuitivedimensionoftheinnerself,whichZenreferstoastheUnmovingMind,remainsunperturbedinspiteofconstantshiftsandchanges.
TheimageofthemotorcyclealsocallstomindthewayinwhichZenhasbeenassociatedanddisseminatedthroughJapanesepopculture,suchasManga(comics)andMartialArts.
Theseculturalphenomena,alongwiththesteadystreamofbookssuchasTheZenofOz,Tao-Jones,andTheTaoofPooh,havehelpedZeninfil-tratethecommonconsciousness.
Therefore,therearemanypossibilitiesforyoutodiscoveryourownwayofappropriatingBuddhismorof"beingZen.
"Irememberplanningformyfirsttriptospendayeardoingre-searchinJapan.
Ihadheardsomanydifferentcommentsthatwerecontradictory—TokyoisthemostexcitingcityonearthorTokyoisovercrowdedandugly;theJapanesepeopleareopenandsincereortheJapanesewillnevertrustforeigners.
IaskedmyJapa-neseteacherwhattoexpect.
Shesaid,ExpecttofindyourownJapan.
Recentlymyson,takinganadvancedwritingclassinmiddleschool,wasrequiredpracticallyeverydaytocomposeadifferentstyleofpoemthatreflectedhispersonalexperiencesorattitudes.
Attheendofthereportperiodhewastocollectseveraldozenpoemshehadwrittenandorganizethemintoabook.
Mywifepointedoutthatonepoemsaidthathewastalkativeandoutgo-ing,butanotheronewrittenafewweekslatermentionedsome-thingaboutbeingshyandwithdrawn.
Sheaskedwhatwouldhappenifthiscontradictionwasnoticed.
Iadvisedmysonthatinthatcaseheshouldspeakupandsaytotheteacher,Introduction:ApplyingZen11Hey,don'tboxmein.
ThissameadviceappliestoZenintheworkplace.
Whatitcanofferwillvarybypersonandcircumstance.
Zenhasahistoryofproposinginsightsandattitudesthatcansounddownrightcon-tradictoryyetaresensibleandcompellingwhenappliedtocon-cretehumanexperience.
Asyoureadthisbookandthinkaboutyourownprofessionallife,donotbelockedintoanyassump-tion.
FindingyourownbrandofZenisamatterofinternalde-velopmentthatcanhelpyoutakecontrolbyovercomingstress,makingthemostofdisappointment,andconqueringdisillusion-ingsituationscreatedbyexternalfactors.
AccordingtoaZensay-ing,itistimeto,Grabthetigerbythewhiskers.
12MountainsAreMountains12chapteroneZenandProfessionalLeadershipEJapaneseBusinessandSocialValuesVERYONEINTHEWORKPLACEthesedaysislookingforwaystocreateopportunitiesforadvancementandgrowthwhileminimizingtheconditionsthatproducetheirritabilityandlackofproductivitythatcharacterizeburnout.
Thetimesarefastfadingwhenadomineeringbosscanrelatetoemployeesbymak-ingtyrannicaldemandsoractoutasanautocratwhoruleswithanironfistandorderspeoplearoundwithoutanyattempttoenlisttheircooperation.
Accordingtoanarticleon"MonsterManagers"inAmericanWay,Weallknowthem.
Someofushaveevenworkedforthem.
Butlikethedinosaur,theirdaysarenumbered.
Managerstodayareexpectedtobeleadersandtomotivateandinspirebycreatingacohesiveatmosphereforthesakeofachiev-ingcommonaims.
Asuccessfulleaderfostersteamworktosup-portindividualcreativityandforgealliances.
TheEconomistrecentlyrananadseekinganexecutive,whowouldfitthefollow-ingdescription,ZenandProfessionalLeadership13Withgreatcommunication,negotiationandinfluencingskills,youcommandrespectandcredibilityandbuildeffectivepart-nerships,motivatingstaffandpromotinginclusiveness.
However,thehierarchicalstructureofprofessionalandbusi-nessorganizationsensuresthatthecontestsexperiencedonadailybasistendtothwartcollaborativeeffortsandleadtotensionandconflict.
Therefore,manyprofessionalsarenowturningtoalter-nativesourcesofvaluesinordertoalleviatethecausesofstrife,whilehoningtalentsthatkeepthemcompetitive.
"SoulProvid-ers,"anotherarticleinAmericanWaystates,Agrowingnumberofcompaniestendtothespiritsoftheirworkers—andwatchtheiremployeesblossom.
Accordingtotheauthor'ssurvey,80percentofCEOs"intendedtoutilizetheirspiritualvaluesinallfuturestrategies.
"White-collarmanagersandemployeesalikeareinvestigatingvariousformsofmysticism,rangingfromKabbalaandQuaker-ismtoYogaandZenBuddhism,andreadingbookslikeJesus,CEOandWhatWouldBuddhaDoatWorkSpiritualityprovidesacom-mon,upliftingperspectivethatofferspeaceandclarityofmind.
TheMiamiHeraldreported,"FromTorahtoyogaclasses,profes-sionalsmaketimeforquietcontemplation,"andcitednumerouscasesofpeoplefeelingsharperandmorerelaxedasaresult.
Oneparticipantinmeditation,anaccountant,commented,Icentermyself.
Ithelpsmeachieveabalancewithin.
WhiteCollarZenincorporatestraditionalZentechniquesthatcanhelpyoubecomepersuasiveandeffectiveinhandlingeverydayaffairsofthebusinessworld.
GreatmastersfromthegoldenageofZeninChinaandJapan(especiallytheninththroughthirteenthcenturies)perfectedtechniquesfortransformativeself-awarenessinattainingtheUnmovingMind,whichischaracterizedbysteadi-nessandfirmconvictionaccompaniedbyflexibilityandtheabil-itytomaneuverthroughdifficultcircumstances.
Tocultivatethis14MountainsAreMountainsstateonapermanentbasis,Zenmasterssetupmonastictrainingsystemsthatwereasseriousandrigorousasanyformsofdisci-plineinthehistoryofcivilization.
Butthesehighlydisciplinedmasterscouldalsobeeccentricandirreverenttoadegreevergingonblasphemy.
Theydisplayedaskeenasenseofironyandabsurdityasyouwilleverfind.
Theirwordsandactionsexpressedecstaticfreedom,breakingthegripofallconventionalformsofstructure.
Acreativeapproachtopro-fessionalinterpersonalrelationscanpreservethatincrediblypro-ductivetensionbetweentheelementsofdisciplineorstructureandtheopposingforcesofirreverenceoranti-structure.
SomeoftherecentinterestinZenBuddhismhasbeensparkedbyalargerfascinationwithJapanesesocialvalues,whichhaveZenandProfessionalLeadership15beenasourceofinspirationforbusinessleadersseekingwaystomaximizeefficiencyandteamwork.
However,admirationforJapa-nesevaluesandtheirimpactonbusinesspractices,understand-ably,haswaxedandwanedwiththevicissitudesofthemarketplace.
DuringtheEastAsianeconomic"miracle"ofthe1970sand1980s,featuringJapanastheGreatTiger(orDragon)alongwiththeFourCubs(S.
Korea,Taiwan,HongKong,Singapore),corpo-rateAmericasoughttolearnasmuchaspossible,bothfromandabout,thesecretsofthesuccessesoftheleadingtradepartneroftheglobaleconomy,JapanInc.
ThebestsellerlistsfeaturedbookslikeJapanisNumberOne,AGuideforWesternerstotheMindofModernJapan,andTheFourLittleDragons.
EffortstoimporttheKaizenmethodologyofqualitycontrolandcontinuousimprovementtechniquesspawnedapublicationboom.
Japanesebusiness,itwassaid,masteredlong-termplan-ningandguaranteedcustomersatisfactionthroughastandard-izedsystemofteamworkmanagementandsharedresponsibilities.
Atypicalevaluationwas,JapanesecompaniesarethinkingaquartercenturyaheadwhileAmericancompaniesarethinkingonlyofthenextquarter.
Acorollaryassumptionwasthattheeconomicboomrestedonexceptionallyworthwhilesocialvalues.
Theeconomicboomreflectedauniqueconvergenceoftraditionalspiritualityandcon-temporarymethodsofproduction.
ReligiousprinciplesderivedfromConfucianandZenBuddhistpracticesofself-sacrificingloyaltyandunstintingcommitmenttodisciplinedactivitywerethoughttorepresentanenhancedEasternversionoftheshop-wornProtestantworkethicthatwashighlyadaptabletothemod-ernworkplace.
AccordingtoaJapaneseexecutive,whoduringthebubbleeconomyheadedMitsukoshi,thelargestdepartmentstoreinJapan,16MountainsAreMountainsWesucceedbecausewecombinethepragmaticmanagementtechniquesoftheWestwiththespiritual,intuitiveaspectsoftheEast.
Iftherewasanyuneasinessinthoseyears,itwasbecauseJapanseemedtobeassuminganoverlydominantandalmostdefiantroleintheglobalmarketplace.
Americansfearedthattheonce-defeatedmilitaryenemywasactuallywinningtheneweconomicwar.
"FromPearlHarbortoWallStreet"wasasayingoftheday,alongwithimagesoftheStatueofLibertywearingakimonoandJapan-bashingdittieslike,"Ifyourchildrensneezeandthedoghasfleas,blameitontheJapanese.
"Moviesfromthe1980sand1990satoncereveredandreviledtheJapaneseethic.
AmongthemwereGungHo!
,whichdepictedaJapanesecompanytakingoverafailedautoplantintheUnitedStates;BlackRain,afilmaboutYakuza(Japanesemob)controlofeconomicforces,RisingSun,whichhintedatmultinationalcor-porateconspiraciesbasedonJapanesesuperiority;andMr.
Base-ball,chroniclingtheweaknessesofanAmericansportsstarinadjustingtotherigorouslifestyleinJapan.
Withtheburstingoftheeconomicbubble,especiallysincethe1997marketcrash,Japannowseemssodiminishedthatitcanbereferredtoasa"beleagueredbackwater.
"ThenewtrendistodeconstructtheJapanesecorporateworld.
Numerousbooksfo-cusonthecauseofJapan'seconomicdoldrums.
SomehighlightthedeficienciesofKaisha,ortheJapanesecorporatestructure,exposinghowitsfundamentalinflexibilityresultsinstagnation,cronyism,andinefficiencyratherthandynamicchangeandgrowth.
Atonetime,Japanesecompanieswerecreditedwithin-crediblelong-termplanning.
Nowitissaidthatthesecompanies,protectedbystate-runpoliciesfavoringthemonopolistictrendsthatcharacterizedpre-warzaibatsu(conglomerates),havepur-suedashortsightedpolicyofbadloansandinvestments.
UndertitlessuchasLostJapan,TheSystemthatSoured,andDemystifyingZenandProfessionalLeadership17Japan,thecultureofherdmentalityandblindobediencetotheiemoto(companypatriarch)hasbecomeamodelforhowyourcompanyshouldnotbehave.
TheWarriorandtheHermitDoesthischangedperceptionmeanthatJapanesesocialvaluesarenowsuddenlyirrelevanttoAmericanbusiness,orarethereprin-ciplesthatcontinuetobeinspirationalandusefulOnthelevelofpopularculture,theenduringappealofthe"3N's"ofNinjas,Nintendo,andaNime(animation)testifiestoacontinuedappre-ciationoftraditionalJapanesefolkloreabouttheexploitsofsaintsandwarriorsinteractingwithghosts,ghouls,anddemonsinnovativelypresentedwiththelatesthi-techspecialeffects.
ManypeoplearelookingbeyondtheupsanddownsoftheeconomytolearnlessonsfromtheapparentlytimelesswisdomofAsianmysticalthought.
Zencombinessomeofthebestele-mentsoftwoideal,yetseeminglycontradictory,formsofbehav-iorinmedievalJapan,theWarriorandtheHermit,whichcanbeeffectivelyappliedtocontemporaryaffairs.
TheArtofWar,anancientChinesetext,andtheJapanesework,TheBookofFiveRings,havebeenrequiredreadinginbusiness(aswellasmilitary)schoolsformanyyears.
"StrikingWhereTheyLeastExpectIt"and"MovingSwiftlytoOvercomeYourCom-petitors"aretwoofthesixprinciplesrecommendedformanag-ersinMarkMcNeilly'sSunTzuandtheArtofBusiness.
InTheArtoftheAdvantage,KaihanKrippendorffsuggeststhatinsomeofthemajorbattlesbetweenCocaColaandPepsiorWalMartver-susSearsorKirinversusAsahibeer,thecompaniesthatprevailedowedtheirsuccesstotheirapplication,forthemostpartunwit-ting,ofsomeofthebasicArtofWarstrategies.
ArtofWarteachingshelpacorporationseizeadvantageofanadversary'sinabilitytoadjusttochangingconditions.
Inopenbattlebetweencorporations,themethodsofmedievalJapanese18MountainsAreMountainswarriorscaninstillstrategiesbasedonsuchprinciplesas"luringthetigerfromthehills.
"Methodsusedtocreateambushsitua-tionsbymeansofdecoysanddisguisesthatdisarmanddefeattherivalprovideareadilyavailabletemplateforstrategizing.
Thesetechniquesaredesignedtomaskone'sownweaknessesandmini-mizelosseswhilerelentlesslyexposingandattackingtheareasofvulnerabilityintheopponent.
Forexample,ifyourcompany'smainrivalisknownforitsdistributioninadowntownmarket,thenitisnecessarytolurethemtocompeteinyoursuburbanstrongholdandwatchastheyoverextendtheirresourcesandvergeoncollapse.
Stayingwed-dedtoaspecificstrategymayproveineffectivewithanotherri-val,anditwillbenecessarytoshiftassoonasyourcompetitorcompensates.
AhallmarkofArtofWaristhisopen-endedun-derstandingofmultipleoptions,avoidingthetrapofbeinglockedorfixedonanyparticularoutlookthatmayquicklybecomeob-soleteorproducediminishingreturns.
Theruthless,manipulative,winner-takes-allstrategiesoftheArtofWar,withitsuseofdeception,deviousness,andduplicity,aresuitedtocontestsbetweencompanies.
Thisparadigmworkswellwhenvictoryisthegoal,asinthesayingevokedinboththebookandfilmversionsofRisingSun,Businessiswar.
Butwhendealingwithcolleaguesandpeerswithinthecom-pany,withwhomitisimportanttocooperateandsharetheglory,ArtofWarmustbemodifiedandcomplementedwiththeidealsandmethodsoftheHermitwayforachievingacalmcomposurethroughawithdrawalandrenunciationofpettyconflicts.
TheHermitisthearchetypeofdedicationtoprinciplesandwhole-heartedcommitmenttoidealism.
InintegratingtheWarriorandHermitapproaches,ZenBud-dhisttrainingprovidesatimelynewparadigmforbeingclearinthoughtsanddisciplinedinactionstoestablishharmoniousin-ZenandProfessionalLeadership19terpersonalrelationsandattainmutuallybeneficialgoals.
Theintracorporateworldiscompetitive,aspeoplevieforpromotions,raises,bonuses,andresourcesinanenvironmentthatislimitedandconstrained.
Thepiecanbecutintojustsomanypiecesandmoneycannotbeprinted.
Tosucceedinthisrealm,itisnecessarytodevelopKaizenorqualitycontrolmethodsforinsuringcustomersatisfactionwhilereducingtheexcessesofanunreconstructedKaishaorinflexibleapproachthroughtraditionaltechniquesforcultivatingcontemplationandconcentration.
LikeArtofWardiscourse,WhiteCollarZenfeaturesflexibilityandagilityinkeepingothersguessingwhilenotgettingcaughtoffguardyourself,aswellastheabilitytoadjusttoshiftingcir-cumstances.
Itseekstoweedoutflawsandmakethemostoflimi-tationsinone'sownsituation,whiletransformingimpassesandobstaclesintoprogressiveopportunities.
SomeobserversarguethatthisfacilityisenablingJapanInc.
toreformitsglobalout-reachandrecoverfromtimesofeconomichardship.
Thisapproachisexpressedinthemartialartssayingthatallyourenergycanbesummonedinadecisivemoment:Putalifetimeofeffortintoasingleshotofthebow.
DoingthiscanonlybeachievedbyevokingtheHermitwaytore-leasefromapartialoutlookbasedonintuitionbeyondordinarythinking.
Theaimistobespontaneousyetdecisiveandstrategicinhan-dlingcrisesbyactingandreactingfullyinthehereandnow,with-outthehesitationthatletsopportunitiesslipaway.
Comparedtomanyavenuestoself-growththatrelyonanotherworldlysourceoftruth,Zendevelopsthepotentialforpracticalaccomplishmentspossessedbyeachpersonbutperhapsnotyetrealized.
Itdevelopstheskillofthoughtfulyetcompellingspeakingaswellassilence—usingbothwordsandno-words—tocommunicatepersuasivelywiththosewhomightotherwiseproveuncooperativeinordertobringaboutpositivechangeineverydayinteractions.
20MountainsAreMountainsArtofWarsuggestshowtomanipulatethroughdelayandde-terrenceandbyheighteningconflict,whereasWhiteCollarZen'ssimplicityandharmonyworktoovercomechallengesandachievecommongoals.
Thisexpandsthesizeofthepieordistributesitequitablyfortheadvantageofallco-workers,replacingtheArtofWarsaying,"Knowyourselfandknowyourenemy,andwin100battles,"with,Knowyourselfandknowyourcolleagues,andaccomplish100goalstogether.
TheUnmovingMind—andHowtoGetItTheUnmovingMindischaracterizedbyafirmnessandlackofvacillationthatderivesfromconfidenceandinnerstrength.
Inthefaceofdisruption,theMindremainssureandstable,undis-turbedbydistractionsandobstructions.
Foundedonaninalter-ablecertitude,itremainssteadyinthemidstofconstantchange.
Facinghighstakesandgreatdoubts,thereisnoforcethatcanbudgeitscommitmenttoprinciples.
However,theUnmovingMindisbynomeansrigid.
TheMindisreflectiveandneutral.
Itadaptsthereclusive,transcendentalpathoftheHermitthatrootsouttheweedsofbiasbyremovingpersonalinterestorgain.
TheHermit,orsolitaryartist,ascetic,orpilgrimwhorenouncesworldlyattachmentsinsearchofspiri-tualtruth,iswillingtogiveupallpursuitsbasedondesireandattachment.
Standingbackanddetachedfromemotions,helooksobjectivelyattheworldfromathoroughlyimpartialstandpoint.
Atthesametime,theZenMindisalertandresponsive,subdu-ingandresolvingconflictswiththefearlessnessoftheactivepathoftheWarriororsamurai.
Ascelebratedincountlesslegends,theWarriorfollowedtheBushidocodeofhonor,relinquishinghisowninterestsoutoffierceloyaltytoahigherauthority.
Ifhismasterwaskilled,theRonin,leaderlesssamurai,literallya"waveZenandProfessionalLeadership21person"floatingaimlesslyoutsideofanystructure)livedonlytoavengehisdeathandthencommitsuicide.
TheWarrior'stough-mindedstrategiesarebasedontheassumptions:Theweakaremeat,thestrongeat;andThenailthatstandsupgetshammeredintoplace.
Strictdisciplinemustbeenforced.
TheWarriorideal,whichisgrouporientedandresultsbased,seemsatoddswiththeHermit,whostrivesforuninvolvedde-tachmentandcommunionwithnature.
Yetbothapproachesemphasizededicationandself-relianceandarecommittedtogiv-inguppersonalinterestforabroaderrealmofbenefits.
WhiteCollarZenseekstosynthesizetheWarrior,whoremainscom-mittedtoenactingchangeandswoopsdownintoproductivene-gotiationinthevalleyofeverydayaffairs,withtheHermit,whostandsbeyondworldlyturmoilbydwellingonthepeak.
Bothar-chetypes,oneappearingactiveandtheotherinactive,shareadeterminationandperseverancetocompleteamission,leavingnostoneunturned.
Noobstacleistoogreat,nosacrificetoosevere.
TheUnmovingMinddoesnotremaindetachedandaloof,butiseminentlyactiveinconcreteaffairsinexertingasenseofauthoritythatbreaksdownbarrierstoresolveimpassesconstructively.
Atypicallyironic,double-edgedZensayingaddressestheis-sueofstressbyaskingrhetorically,What'sthefussEverydayisagoodday!
Thismightbetakenasanaiveaffirmationofthestatusquo,see-ingnoneedforspiritualdevelopment,restructuringofpriori-ties,ortechniquesforenhancement.
Butitreallymeansthateachdaycanbemadegoodthroughyourcapacityforself-control.
Youlearntogazebeyondtheworldofordinarytrialsandtribulationsbeyondjoyandsorrow,optimismandpessimism,andotherarti-ficialoppositions.
22MountainsAreMountainsTheZenMindorUnmovingMindcontributestothesuccess-fulprofessional'sleadershipskillsbyatoncesharpeningtheabil-itytonegotiatetheintricaciesofthechannelsofhierarchyandstimulatingcharismaorfree-flowingcreativitythatisunboundedbyrulesandprotocol.
Theprofessionaladministrator,liketheZenmaster,knowswhentodiscloseortowithholdwhileweigh-ingtherelativestrengthsofproposalsinanimperfectworld.
Bothkindsofleadershaveaknackforhandlingthedetailsofprojectsandpersonnelinacarefulyetforcefulfashion,whetherusingsoft/tenderorharsh/toughmethodsoftraining.
Seeinganemployeeortraineeoverworkedandunderpaid,theycanrectifythiswithasoothingandindulgentapproachasexpressedintheZensaying,Dowhateverittakestostopthebabyfromcrying.
But,theycanalsoevaluateacolleagueorsubordinateswiftlyandeffectivelyifthatiswhatittakestocreatefar-reachingremedies.
Accordingtoanothertypicalepigram,Youhavetobecrueltobekind.
Ihadaseniorcolleaguewhowasaninspiringmentorformanydifferentkindsofstudentsandjuniorcolleagues,arolecalledSenpaiinJapanese(thesame"sen,"meaningformer,asinSenseiorteacher).
Senpaialwayswentoutofhiswaytolendahelpinghand.
Hehadseveralprizedpupilsonwhomhelavishedpraiseandopeneddoors.
Asaresult,wewerestunnedtohearofhisbrusquetreatmentofabrilliantdisciple,whohadlefthistutelageandmovedontoanotherposition.
Senpaiwasproudofhisdisciple'saccomplishments.
Whenshecalledthefirsttimeforadvice,hewashappytoaccommodate.
Butwhenshecalledhimasecondtimeinthemidstofacrisis,hetoldherhedidnothavetimeforherandhungupthephone.
Herinitialreactionwasthathewasabandoningherbecausehecouldnothandlethefactthatshewasmakingitonherown.
Ittookthediscipleseveralmonthstogetoverthehurt.
WhensheZenandProfessionalLeadership23laterrealizedthathisaimhadbeentoforcehertoreachahigherdegreeofself-reliance,sheeventuallywasabletolookbackandappreciatewhatatthetimehadseemedlikenothingotherthanaslapintheface.
Fromthisnewvantagepoint,sheunderstoodthatunderneaththegruffexteriortherewasakind,gentletouchonSenpai'spart.
Hehadnotatallturnedhisbackonher.
Shemadeapointofshakinghishandwhenshesawhimsometimeafter.
ThislessonresonateswiththeConfucianadmonition,IfIshowyouonecorneroftheroom,Idonotwanttohavetoshowyoutheotherthree.
SosaithConfucius,CEO.
AccordingtotraditionalZenteachingtheimperturbableMindcannotbeswayed,nomatterthetemptation.
Thirteenth-centurymasterDogen,founderofSotoZen,oneofthetwomainZensectsinJapan,wastravelingfromhissecludedmonasteryintheremotemountainsofnorthernJapantothenewcapitalcityinKamakura.
ThecapitalhadbeeninKyotoforcenturies(andwouldsoonbemovedback).
Butanewshogun(generalisimo)wantedtoestablishhisbaseofpowerintheeast,andwaseagertobuildtemplesinKamakuraonagrandscalemodeledafterChina.
IntriguedbytherecentrapidgrowthoftheZensect,theshogunsummonedDogen,andofferedtomakehimabbotofoneoftheimpressivenewtemples,Kenchoji,whichstillstandstoday.
Disil-lusionedbythecorruptionandworldlinessoftheshogun'sap-proachtoZen,Dogenunceremoniouslydeclinedtheofferandreturnedtohismountainretreatandalifededicatedtoreligioustraining.
Hepennedthefollowingverse,MoonlightframingAsmallboatDriftinginthesea—TossednotbythewavesNorswayedbythebreeze.
24MountainsAreMountainsSoonafterthisepisode,Dogenheardthatoneofhisdiscipleshadsaidhewouldconsideracceptingtheshogun'soffer.
Dogenhadthediscipleexpelledfromthetemple.
Hisseatwasdugupandthrownaway,andnooneelsewaseverallowedtooccupythatspot.
Dogen,CEO,integratedtheHermit'sloftinessandtran-scendenceofordinaryprocedureswiththeWarrior'sdaringanddedication.
HeeliminatedKaisha-likedeficienciesinhismonas-ticsystemandshowedhowtomaintainKaizen-basedqualitycon-trol,beginningbyrejectingcorruptedrelationsandovercomingconflictsinorganizationalstructure.
25chaptertwoThePowerofZenPPowerUsed,Abused,andSoMisusedROFESSIONALRELATIONSaspartofahierarchicalstructurere-flectastruggleforpower.
Contestandcompetitionsareusefulandnecessarytotestandcultivateabilities.
Indelib-erationsandnegotiations,youmaywanttoseizecontrol.
Youhavetotreadcarefully,however,becausethetoesyoustepontodaymaybeconnectedtothefeetyouwillhavetoworshiptomorrow.
HowcanyouachievepowerthatbecomespartofyourcharacterratherthansomethingthatcanbetakenawayorlostWhiteCol-larZenseekstoclarifythenotion,Power,useitorloseit—butdon'tabuseit.
InthepopularTVseriesDallas,JockEwingusuallyleftcon-trolofthefamilyoilbusinessinthehandsofthecold-blooded,Machiavellianson,J.
R.
,acharacterallAmericalovedtohate.
J.
R.
explainedhisrecipeforsuccess:"Thefirststepistogiveupinteg-rity.
Afterthat,it'sapieceofcake.
"Inoneepisode,J.
R.
gotinhotwaterandJockhandedoverthereinstotheidealisticsonBobby.
Notusedtohavingpower,Bobbyquicklymanagedtooverstep26MountainsAreMountainshisboundsandhewascalledonthecarpet.
WhenBobbyde-fendedhimselfonthegroundsthathe'dbeengiventhepowertomakedecisions,Jockgrabbedhimbythecollarandsaid,IgaveyouthepowerThenyouain'tgotnothin',boy.
Power'snotsomethingyou'regiven.
It'ssomethingyoutake.
InZen,however,powerisneithergivennortaken.
Nordoesitrepresenttheaccumulationofassets.
Powerisnotamatterofaddingupyearsofexperience,educationcredentials,rankorsta-tus.
Itshouldnotbecapturedbyintimidation.
Realandendur-ingpowercomesthroughstrengthofcharacterandgenuineself-confidencestemmingfromanunpremeditateddisplayofdignityandeagernesstoacceptresponsibility.
Thelessyoudemandpower,becauseyouhaverisenabovetheconcernsofego,themoreyoucommandtherespectandadmira-tionofcolleagues,whorecognizetheimpactofyourwordsanddeeds.
Themoreyoutranscendthemundaneworld,themoreeffectivelyyouareabletooperatewithinit.
Thehiddenspiritualside,liketherootsofatreethatareconcealedfromview,isessen-tialforthetrunksandbranchesofprofessionallifetothrive.
Ratherthanholdingswayoverothers,obstaclesareovercomeandmomentumbuiltthroughthemutualbenefitsofconstructiveinterpersonalengagement.
WhiteCollarZenattainspowerbycultivatingtheinnerselfanditssenseofmasteryovertheflowofeventstofostercoopera-tionandpositivechange.
InJapan,insteadofsaying,"Goodluck,"peopletelleachother,"Workhard!
"implyingthatopportunitiesarecreatedfromwithin.
However,truepowerinZenisnotde-rivedfromyouraccomplishmentsalone.
Youmustlookbeyondyourownvantagepointtotakeinthegreaterwell-beingofthecommunity.
Neitherdefeatnorvictoryisseenaspersonal,sofail-ureandsuccessalikecanbetakeninstride.
Anorganizationisavehicleforcreativeexpression,whichcanbringgoalstofruition.
EnteringintoanorganizationalstructureThePowerofZen27isinvigoratingbecauseitprovidesavenuesofcommandthaten-ableyoutocreateandfulfillavision.
Butalltoooften,thestruc-turepresentsalabyrinthinepathleadingonlytofrustration.
ItfostersaKafkaesquefeelingofhelplessnessbygeneratingexpec-tationsthatcannotbemet,givenlimitationsinresourcesorob-structionsthatoftenseemsenseless.
Whenaproblemarisesinyourbailiwickthatseemstobecausedbyinefficiencyorconfusioninthesystem,furtherimpedimentsareoftenthrowninyourpathbythebureaucraticstructure,whichseemshellbenttofrustrateattemptstofindaremedy.
ThisistheCatch-22oftheprofessionalsphere.
Oncedisturbed,themachin-eryofredtapeandtriplicateformsappearsdetermined,asifithadamindofitsown,topreservethestatusquo.
Itgivesnosup-portorsolacetothosewhomightdisturbitsinertia,even—orespecially—whentheiraimiscorrectionandreform.
ThiskindofinflexibilityandresistancetochangeisthoughttobepartofthereasonforthedownfalloftheJapanesecorporatesystem,butitisfoundineveryorganization.
Theverystructurethatrepresentsfreedominvariablybecomesasourceofconstraint,evenakindofprison.
Youseektotravelapathtowardgreateraccomplishmentsandrewardsandenduptrudgingalongtoandfromthedungeonofdespair.
Procedures,routines,andrulesofetiquetteandprotocolcanbedauntingforthenovice.
Hierarchybasedoncredentials,background,experi-ence,service,seniority,salary,rank,andconnectionsblocksup-wardmobility.
Castingaboutforsolutions,youknowthattheclockistickingandthatyouwillbetheoneheldresponsibleforanyfail-ureordeclineinproductivity,orlossofprestigeandmomentum.
Reactingfromemotionmeansthatyoumaybedoomedtoalienatepossiblesupportersandcreateaviciouscycleofdisillusionanddefeat.
Yetlogicalonedoesnotprovideeffectivesolutions.
Senpaihadafriendwhowasnamedsupervisorofaspecialaccountinafinancialmanagementfirm.
Thiswasasubstantialpromotionshehadbeenseekingforalongtime,withanewtitle,28MountainsAreMountainsofficespace,personnel,andadditionalperksandresources.
ShefeltthatshehadbeenelevatedtoDaimyostatus,inthatshewasnowakindofmidlevelsamuraioverseeingunderlingsthoughstillsubservienttothesupremecommanderorShogun.
Shesoonlearned,however,thattheaccountwasfashionedbyearmarksandclaims,contingenciesandhiddensubdivisions,andheldthepotentialforconsiderableshortfall.
Moreover,shefoundherselfunderpressurefromvariouscolleagues,whosoughtmorecon-sultationbeforeshemadecommitmentsoncertainsegmentsoftheaccountthataffectedtheoverallbudget.
Shortlyaftertakingover,her"Ronincomplex"begantokickin.
Lookingatthecomputerscreenonefinemorning,shereal-izedthebudgetwasminusXthousandsofdollarsthatweretherethedaybefore.
Severalinitiativesmighthavetobedelayedorter-minated,eventhoughthefundsexistedinprinciple.
OrdidtheyWasthisaclericaloraccountingerrorthatcouldbeeasilycor-rected,orevidenceofsignificantmiscommunicationordisagree-mentHadshebeenmisledastotheextentofherauthorityWhensheinquired,shereceivednoclearanswer.
Theaccountantscouldonlytellherwhatwasinornotinthebudget.
Othersconsultedindicatedthatthejurisdictionwasinfacthers.
Aroundofin-quirieswentnowherefast.
Feelingpowerless,shewonderedabouttheintentionsofthosewhoseemedtostandinherpathandob-structaresolution.
Promotedtoaspotattheheartoftheorgani-zation,shenonethelessfeltthatshehadbeencutofffromorabandonedbytheverystructurethatwassustainingher.
ToexplainhumanmotivesZendrawsontraditionalChineseandJapanesefolktales.
Thecausesoffrustrationandfailureareillustratedwithfablesaboutmagicalshape-shiftingfoxes.
InAsia,themythicalFoxistheprimarysymbolofhowyoucanbecomeentangledinawebofmisunderstanding.
TheFox,whichappearstoitsunwittingvictiminhumanform,representsthemiasmaofdeceptionandduplicitythatbringswithitself-doubtandfrus-ThePowerofZen29tratesthepursuitofaspirations.
Itgenerallycomestosomeonewhoisvulnerablebecauseofaflawofcharacter,suchasaway-wardmate,errantpriestordisloyalwarrior,allofwhombetrayacodeofhonorablebehavior.
TheFoxisasymbolofundesirabletendencies,suchaschasingafterunattainableaimswhileleavingimportantpartsoflifeunattended.
AlongwithFoxeswhodeceive,however,therearealwaysBud-dhaswhoareeagertosupport,notbecauseofpersonaltiesorloyalty,butbecausetheyobjectivelyevaluatethemeritsandde-meritsofasituation.
YetBuddhasmayremainobscureandun-recognized.
BoththeFoxandtheBuddhaareoftendisguisedandeachtriestopassastheotherforstrategicpurposes.
Distinguish-ingbetweenthemisavaluableskill.
Asdecisionshanginthebal-ance,theUnmovingMindisatooltoseparatetruthorauthenticityfromillusionoruntruth.
Illusionrendersyouvulnerabletoanxi-etyandconfusionandunabletoreacttocriticalsituationswithclarityandlucidity.
WhatisuniqueaboutfolkloreinEastAsiaisthatgoodandevilarealwaysintertwinedsothatitisimportanttoseeonesidemani-festedinthemidstofthereversetendency.
TheFox'sfunctionsneednotbeentirelynegative.
Theexperienceofillusioncanalsohaveapositiveside,representingachallengethatcaninspire.
Learn-ingtounlearnbadhabitsisessentialforsuccess.
WhentheFoxistransformedfromasignofinnerweaknessorvulnerability,theBuddhaemergesasapositiveimagethatrepresentstherestorationofcharacterthroughthediscoveryofstrengths.
Incontrasttowhatisportrayedintypicalmythandlegend,theZenstandpointisthatexternalfactorsarenotreallyoutsideofyoubutaretobeconsideredareflectionofinteriorlevelsofunderstanding,whetherdelusoryorenlightened.
SinceallpeopleharborthepotentialtodisplaytheFox-sideortheBuddha-sideoftheirinnermostnature,theseimagesintheexteriorworldareinseparablefrominnercharacter.
30MountainsAreMountainsDarkNightoftheSoulMyfriend'sdoubtaboutwhethershewasfoxedinmanagingthecomplexaccountcouldbedebilitatingifitcausedhertohesitateandlosethechancetoregainpower.
Doubtgenerallyinhibitsyourabilitytoact-reactspontaneously.
Aninstantofuncertainty,forexample,causesanathletetomissachancetoscoreoraper-formertoloseanopportunitytodemonstrategreatmastery.
Butdoubtneednotbejustasourceofnervousanxiety.
Rather,itcanleadtoaprofoundreflectionthatservestoelevateself-understanding.
Anexperiencethatisinstrumentalinspiritualat-tainmentisknowninZenastheGreatDoubt,whichexaminesinathoroughgoingwayallassumptionsandpresuppositions.
ThisresembleswhatmedievalChristianmysticscalledthe"DarkNightoftheSoul,"throughwhichyoumustpassfromthedarkabyssofignoranceandself-deceptiontotheheightsandbrightlightofgenuineinsight.
TheGreatDoubttakesnothingforgrantedandquestionseveryoutlook,andwhenappliedtopersonaldevelop-mentithelpsyouact-reactfullywithin—ratherthanhalfastepbehind—thispresentmoment.
Incontrast,unproductivedoubtispreoccupiedwithsecond-guessingandrevelsinuncertainty.
AnUnmovingMindisexpertatturningproverbialswordsintotheplowsharesofcooperationandharmony.
Whenyoudonotfavoryourownpositionbutdevelopusefultrade-offsandcon-structivecompromises,theresultisthatyoufeelincontroloftimingandplacement.
Throughyieldingandnonaggression,youcangainacceptanceforyouragendaandprioritiesaswellasar-ticulatescheduleandresourceneeds.
AccordingtotheZentraditioneventhemostsacredandre-veredobjectsaremereconventionsthatcanbetreatedwithblas-phemyandcontempt.
AfamoussayingofmasterLin-chi(RinzaiinJapanese,founderoftheRinzaiZensect)highlightstheneedtostripawaytheveneerofconventionality,IfyouseetheBuddhaontheroad,killtheBuddha!
ThePowerofZen31Lin-chiinsistsontranscendingassumptionsandattachments,eventhoseconcerningtheultimatemodelofenlightenment.
Theimportanceofovercomingattachmentishighlightedsomewhatironicallybyevokingtheflipsideofthisenlighten-ment,akindofsuddennonrealization,asexpressedinatypicallyabsurdZenBuddhistkoan.
Amonkispushinganoxthroughawindow.
Heisabletogetthehead,body,andlegsthroughtheopening,butthetaildoesnotpass.
Paradoxically,thelargepartsthatlogicallyoughtnottofitareabletomakeit,buttheonepartthatshouldgothrougheasilycannot.
ThisrecallsthebiblicalparablethatitiseasiertothreadacamelthroughtheeyeofaneedlethanforarichpersontoentertheKing-domofGod.
Thetailsymbolizesego,ignorance,orgrasping,whichattheeleventhhourpreventsyoufromrealizingyouraims.
Justonesingleelementofobstructionmanifestedinatinyinstantoftimeisenoughtoblockalltheprogressthathasbeenmade.
Abreak-throughmustbeaccomplishedwith100percenteffortandskill.
Anyslightobstaclecanleaveyouhopelesslyfrustrated.
TheprocessofElevation-Purification-Activation(EPA)cul-tivatesfourbasiclevelsofhumanconsciousness:feelingoremo-tion,speakingorcommunication,thinkingorlogic,andknowingorintuitiveawareness.
Accordingtothisapproach,ifyouallowyourselftobecontrolledbyemotions,uncheckedbyintrospec-tion,inappropriatespeechisthelikelyresult.
Feelingunsettled,disturbed,panicky,oranxiousmaycauseyoutosaythewrongthingtothewrongpersonatthewrongtime.
Theremedyistoelevateandpurifypersonalfeelings.
WhenyouattaintheHermit'sobjective,impersonalstandpoint,youcanarticulateahighervi-sionthatiseffectiveinbringingaboutconstructivechange.
Youremotionsaretamedandtransmutedintothefoundationofaproductiveandcooperativeunderstanding,whichenablesyoutoactwiththeWarrior'seffortlesscreativity.
ThegoalofEPAistoresolveconflictandtensionbymeansofaZenEncounter.
TheEncounterrevealsthatpowercomesfrom32MountainsAreMountainstheunderstandingthatallpartiesbenefitfromasteadyfocusonproductivityandgoodwill.
ToavoidaConfrontationinthework-place,whichheightensconflictandoftenendsinano-winsitua-tionordismayforatleastoneoftheparties,theEncounterusesthoughtandspeechinaconstructiveandcooperativewaytoachieveanopportunityformutuallyenhancingdialogueandex-changeofideas.
TheEncounterisbasedontheingenuityandcalmcomposureoftheUnmovingMind.
TheMindexhibitsanaloofandunbiasedperspectivealignedwithprinciplesoffair-ness,reasonableness,andimpartialitygainedthroughcontem-plativeinsightandintegratedwithcreativeenergy.
TocreateadeepsenseofreconciliationandresolutionthroughanEncounter,onemustrecognizeandcometotermswiththerootsofconflictbyidentifyingthecauseofblockagewithoutfear-ingtheresultoftheinquiryorthepossibilitiesofrejection.
Sup-poseyouarewaitingtohearnewsofanexpectedraise,bonus,promotion,contract,orsomeotherkindofawardorrewardforproductiveactivities.
Anticipatingapayoffforhardworkandajobwelldone,youlearnthattherearedelaysanduncertaintiesastowhetheryouwillreceivethebenefit.
Toovercometheimpasse,itisnecessarytounderstandthegapbetweenwhatyoudeserveandwhatyoureceive,orbetweensomeunattainableidealandactualconditions.
Keepexpectationsrealisticandreasonableandmethodsflexibleandfairincarryingoutnegotiations.
ForZen,theinternaldimensionisdecisiveindefiningyourdegreeofinsightandaccomplishment.
TheaimoftheEncountermodalityistodevelopconstantlytheinteriorlevelthroughinter-actionwithanexteriorelement.
Youcannotrestonyourlaurelsorbesatisfieduntilyoutestandcontestyourabilitiesthroughinteractionwithcolleaguesandcounterparts.
WhenIwasakidandheardthatmyfather,adoctor,hada"practice,"Iwonderedwhyheneededtokeeppracticingsincehehadalreadyearnedhiscredentials.
Later,Icametounderstandthatexpertsandprofes-ThePowerofZen33sionalsofallsortsneedtomakecontinuousprogressintraininginordertorefinetheirskills.
Eachnewsituationisatestthatdetermineswhoholdsgenuinepower.
Nopersonisanisland,andtruthisdeterminedonlythroughaprocessofpolishingyourskillsinordertofostermutualdevelopment.
Whenyoulookoutforthegeneralgood,enhancementinvariablycomesbacktoyouasinitiator.
ThereareFourStepstocompleteaZenEncounter,whichwillbeexplainedindetailinthelasttwochapters.
Thestepsarenotasequencetobememorizedandblindlyfollowed,butrepresentaflexibleguidelinethatallowsforcreativemovementfromspeechtosilenceandfromstructuretoanti-structure,andback(andforth).
Theprocessbeginswhenyouareabletodistinguishandrec-ognizealegitimatecrisisincurrentstructure.
Thestepscontinuewithacreativeapproachtospeaking(StepTwo)aswellastheuseofsilencewhenwordsfallshortofthemark(StepThree).
Theguidingquestionforthesecondandthirdstepsis,whenchal-lenged,doyouspeakyourmindorforeverholdyourpeaceZendisciplinecontributestoprofessionalisminbalancingtheuseofspeechandsilence.
TheUnmovingMindadjuststheuseofwordsandofno-wordstofitaspecificsituationandrearrangeorescapealtogetherfromaframeworkthatbecomesconstrainingandasourceofoppression.
Whetheryouarebeingexpressiveorreticentatanyparticulartimeshouldnotbedeterminedbypres-suresfromoutsideforcesbutbyself-controlinselectingformsofexpressionconducivetopositivechange.
Itisyourchoice.
Whenbothwordsandno-wordsfail,amoreinventiveformofWhiteCollarZenisrequired,whichisfoundinthefourthstep,thepathofanti-structure.
AwakeningtheUnmovingMindem-powersyoutocrossoverinvisiblelinesofhierarchyanddivision.
Oneknowswhento—andwhennotto—gobeyondrulesofpro-tocolandprocedurethroughunconventionalactions.
Structurecreatesastandardframeworkthatinstructspeoplehowtobehaveinawaythatleadstocooperationandharmony.
34MountainsAreMountainsThiscanbemotivatingandliberating,asinthestrictdisciplineoftheZenmonasticlifestyle,yetitalsohasthepotentialtobeconstrainingandleadtoregimentationandrigidity.
Truepowerisbasedontheauthorityofideasandideals.
Youareenabled,withsufficientpreparation,toleapoutofthecookie-cuttermold.
Zenmastersareknownintraditionalaccountsfortossingorkickingawayimportantsymbols,aswellasscoldingandslappingtheirrivalsandstudents.
Theyareevenseencom-mittingorinstructingfollowerstocommitdestructiveacts,likecuttingoffpeople'slimbsorslicingcatsinhalf,tomakeapointaboutquestioningauthoritythatisimposedarbitrarilyorwith-outgenuineaccordamongallparties.
Cuttingthroughstructureinvolvestakingrisksbutcanbeap-propriateandconducivetoprogressiveinteractionandgrowth.
Thisistruesolongasyouarenottakingadvantageorrevealingcontempt,butdisplayinggenuinehumilityandwillingnesstoundergoself-scrutinyandself-criticism.
Sincetheanti-structuralapproachisunpredictableandhasanedgeofdefiance,itmayresultinexcessesandabuseorbeperceivedasanarchicorarbi-trary.
WhiteCollarZen,inbringingtheUnmovingMindintothenewfrontierofthecontemporaryworkplace,strivesforabal-ancedattitudethatstrengthensratherthandefeatsstructurebasedondisciplinethatinspirescreativity.
EntranceThroughTwoGatesThedelicatebalancebetweenstructureandanti-structureisex-pressedinclassicalaswellasmodernteachings.
Insixth-centuryChina,thefirstpatriarchofZen,amonknamedBodhidharma,wrotethattherearetwogatesforenteringtheDharma(Buddhisttruthofenlightenment).
Onegateisthepatientuseofreasonandthestudyofscripturesinaformalmonasticsetting.
Theothergateisthepracticeofindividualmeditation,ofteninsolitudeorThePowerofZen35retreat,totriggerasuddenawakening.
Eventually,theactofmedi-tationcametobeassociatedwiththestudyofkoans.
Enigmatic,thought-provokingkoansepitomizetheingenuityofclassicalZenBuddhisminsharpeningtheMindandbringingoutitsmaxi-mumutility.
AtahighpointintheappropriationofZeninAmericainthe1950s,AlanWattsintheessay,"BeatZen,SquareZen,andZen"describedtwonew,contemporaryapproachesthatechoedthisdistinctionbetweengradualandsuddenenlightenment.
First,BeatZenisassociatedwithaspontaneousspiritualawakeningasevi-dencedinthecreativityofpoets,musicians,andperformers.
BeatwriterslikeJackKerouacandGarySnyderspenttheirsummersasfirelookoutsonlonely,lostpeaksofthegreatNorthwest,rep-licatingthesolitudeofmountainpilgrimsintraditionalChinaandJapan.
TheBeatapproachintegratesaZenconsciousnessfeaturingir-reverent,anti-authoritarianattitudesandlifestylewithdeliberatelyenigmaticexpressionsofanexperienceofawakening.
AccordingtoAllenGinsberg'sseminalprose-poem(or"proem"),Howl:Isawthebestmindsofmygenerationdestroyedbymadness,starvinghystericalnaked…angelheadedhipstersburningfortheancientheavenlyconnectiontothestarrydynamointhemachineryofnight…WhileadmiringthewayBeatZencapturesthedefianceofstruc-ture,Wattsfindsthisapproachisashadetooself-conscious,sub-jectiveandstridenttohavetheflavorofrealZen.
AccordingtoWatts,Ifyouwishtospendsometimehoppingfreightcarsanddig-gingCharlieParkermusic,itisafterallafreecountry.
ButherecommendsthatyoucanlearnmoreabouttheclassicalteachingofZenbytraininginanauthenticJapanesemonastery.
36MountainsAreMountainsThesecondcategoryisSquareZen,whichdoesitsbesttoemu-latetraditionalrituals,givenmodernchangesingenderrolesandsocialvalues.
SquareZenispracticedbothbytheimmigrant,Japa-neseethniccommunityandbynon-Asiansexploringvarietiesofmysticism.
However,instrivingforintellectualauthenticityandauthority,SquareZen,accordingtoWatts,oftenmissesthecre-ativeinspirationandinsightoftheUnmovingMind.
The"how"orstyleofdoingthingsisjustasimportantasthe"what"orsub-stanceofactivity.
InKabbala,theJewishmysticaltradition,thereisasayingthatadisciplecanlearnmorefromwatchingateachertiehisshoesthanreadingallthescripturesandcommentariesintheTalmud.
KnowingthatboththeBeatoranti-structuralandtheSquareorstructuralapproachesarecapableofcreatingfreedomorbond-age,WhiteCollarZentriestoavoidextremesbydemonstratingagilityinchoosingwhethertofunctionwithinstructureorout-sideit.
Itmaneuversflexiblybetweenthemostcompellingas-pectsofthecomplementarypaths,workingwithintherulesyetalsobendingbutnotfloutingorviolatingthem.
"ClassicalZen"TraditionalCombinationofAusterityandIrreverenceinMonasticPracticeandKoanRecordsWHITECOLLARZENContemporaryCombinationforProfessionalLeadershipSquareZenStructureWarriorWayRulesandDisciplineBeatZenAnti-StructureHermitWayInnerExperienceKOANSEncounterDialogues↓↑←→ThePowerofZen37ThekeytounderstandingthecalmcomposurecoupledwithspontaneousflexibilityoftheUnmovingMindisthekoan.
Koans,orrecordsof"Encounterdialogues,"werefirstpreservedinChinaandJapanindozensofcollectionscreatedfromtheelevenththroughthefourteenthcenturies.
Atthattime,manybrilliantthougheccentricandunpredictableZenmastersemergedalong-sidewidespreadbeliefinthepowerofsupernaturalentities,likemagicalanimalsandghosts,tocontrolsacreddomains.
Thispe-riodalsosawtheproliferationofArtofWarstrategiesforwar-riorsbasedonthevirtuesofattentivenessderivedfromheightenedspiritualawareness.
ZenmastersusedthefolkloreandmilitaryimageryembeddedinChineseculturetomakeapointaboutthestruggletoprovetheirspiritualabilitythroughcompetitionsor"Dharmacombats.
"Theseareaspecialformofdialogue,basedontheEncountermodel,whichtakesplacebetweenteachersanddisciplesaswellasotherkindsofrivalsandtrainees.
TheaimoftheEncounterdialogueistopitMindagainstMind,withnoholdsbarredandmaythebestpersonwin!
Themainexampleswereoftencom-posedtoresembleritualcontestsbetweenshamansorwizardsandgodsanddemons.
Theyalsooftencreateanatmosphereofmilitaryintrigue,asZenmasterswerecomparedtogeneralsmap-pingtheirplansofbattle.
Koanrecordscaptureconversationsandnonverbalexchangesthatshowhowmasterssoughttobreakthroughbarriersoflan-guageandhierarchyimposedbysocialandreligiousstructures.
TheEncounterdialogueevokeswhatZencalls,Strangedeedsandextraordinarywords.
Genuinecreativitythatderivesfromintuitiveawarenessbeyondlogiccannotbecontainedwithintheregulateduseofwordsthatreflectsmainstreamorganizationalstructures.
Originalityexplodesinwaysthattransgressanddisrupttheconventionalandordinary.
38MountainsAreMountainsInafascinatingexample,masterPai-changrequireshistwolead-ingfollowers,theheadmonkandanupstartnamedKuei-shan,tocompete.
Thewinnerofthecontestwillbeawardedtheprizeoftheabbacyofhisownmountaintemple.
MasterPai-changputshisdisciplesinadoublebindbyaskingthemtodescribeanobject,Withoutcallingitapitcherandwithoutnotcallingitapitcher.
Thistypeofabsurdcommandcompelsthosechallengedtogobeyondordinarywordsandyetcommunicateinaspontaneousandconvincingfashion.
Onemustreactimmediatelyandwith-outhesitation,lettingnothinginterferewithaninstinctivere-sponse.
Generally,noonebeatsthemaster,yetheisthefirsttoadmitdefeatifandwhenbested.
Theheadmonk'sanswertothequestionaboutthepitcheris,"Itcan'tbecalledawoodenclog.
"Heattemptstofightfirewithfirebygivingaresponsethatisjustasabsurdasthequery,yethisrelianceonlanguagemissesthemark.
TheupstartKuei-shan'sresponseistokickoverthepitcherandsimplywalkawayfromthescene.
Hisdemonstrativegestureprevailsandhegoesontoleadthenewmonastery.
Kuei-shankickingoverthewaterpitcher.
ThePowerofZen39Kuei-shan'sgestureisoneofthemostrenownedcasesofananti-structuralexpressioninZenannals.
Itshowsawillingnesstobreakawayfromconventionalhierarchyandpatternsofdis-course.
Ifyouwanttostandoutyoucannotdothesameasevery-oneelse.
Youneedtohavethecouragetotrynewapproachesthatmightbeperceivedasoffbeator"crazy.
"Thisistherisktakentobeinnovative.
Failuretoseizetheopportunitytobeuniquelyin-ventivewillintheendstymiecommunalachievements.
Takingtheriskisnotanendinitselfandiseffectiveonlyaslongasitintegratesindividualityandeccentricitywithacommitmenttoteamworkandthecompletionofgroupgoals.
ThekoannarrativeshowsthepointofthefourthstepofanEncounter.
Whenbothwordsandno-wordsfallshortofcom-municating,agenuinesenseofself-confidenceandcreativitybe-yondspeakingandsilence,basedonintegrityandinnerdiscipline,allowsfordeftnessandinnovationinbreakingthemoldofhier-archicalstructure.
Beforedoingthingsthisway,itisnecessarytohaveexhaustedotheravenuesandtobecertainaboutthemeritsandreasonablenessofyourapproach.
Kuei-shan'sactofbreak-ingdownstructures,whichgainshimaleadershiproleinthemonasticsystem,worksbecauseittakesplaceattheappropriatetimeandcontext,withoutseemingarbitraryorrenegade.
Dilemmaanddistressoftenarisefromtheimmediateenvi-ronmentandstructurethatsurroundus.
Witheverythingontheline,onemustbeabletoboxhisorherwayoutofacorneratanymoment.
Conventionalhierarchicalstructureisshiftedtoputanemphasisonawarenessratherthanstatus.
Alinefromthefilm,TrainingDay,describeshowfreewheelingself-confidencerequiresyoutoplayamorecomplicatedgamethatcallsforagreatergraspofstrategy,Thisischess.
Itain'tcheckers.
Inrespondingtothechallenge,itisimportantnottostayfixedonaparticularstyle.
Everysituationisuniqueanddemandsa40MountainsAreMountainsreactionsuitedtothosecircumstances.
Noonewayofdoingthingsisstrictlyincorrectorcorrect.
Eachapproachmustbeevaluatedinrelativeterms.
UnconventionalityfunctionsinwhatTaoistphilosopherChuangTzucallsthe,HingeoftheWay.
Inoperatingatthishinge,youcanmovebackandforthatwillinresponsetoshiftingtides.
ThatiswhyLin-chireferstotheover-comingofobstructionsasbecomingthe,TruePersonWithoutRank.
Therefore,Zenteachingsyieldseveralimportantlessonsforde-velopingmanagementandmotivationalskillsbyshowinghowto:1.
Transformdysfunctionalconflictsbasedonpettyturfbattlesandego-inducedconfrontationsintomutuallybeneficialne-gotiationscharacterizedbysharedpurposesandcooperation.
2.
Developanatmospherethatpromotesandsustainscreativ-ityandspontaneitywhilealsoprovidingorderandregular-ityasinthetraditionalZenmonasticsystem,whichisoneofthemosthighlystructuredsettingsintheworldyetal-lowsfororrequiresoutrageous,irreverent,evenblasphe-mousbehaviorasfoundamongthecreativegeniusesofclassicalZenmasters.
3.
Recognizewhenitisusefulornecessarytobreaktherules,anddemonstratedistinctivelyinnovativeunconventionalbehaviororanti-structure.
4.
Createappropriateconditionssothatfollowersareinspiredtochallengeandsurpasstheirleaders,whodonotjustrestontheirlaurelsasmodelsofauthoritybutarewillingtoacknowledgethemeritofdiscipleswhosurpassthem.
Yet,itmayseemunrealisticorevensillytothinkofmodelingyourbehaviorinacontemporaryprofessionalcontextontheout-ThePowerofZen41rageous,seeminglydisrespectfulactionofamedievalZenmaster.
Professionalismdoesnotnecessarilyleaveroomfor,andindeedgenerallydisallowsanddisqualifies,theanti-structuraldimension.
HowabouttherebelliousMarlonBrando'smotorcycle-ridingchar-acterinthefilm,TheWildOneWhenaskedwhathewasrebellingagainst,Brandoreplied,WhaddyagotIsthattheattitudetoemulateYoumaythinktoyourself,letmetrythatandseehowfarIget.
Maybetheywouldmakeyouheadofanewdivision(ormonastery)!
Ontheotherhand,withoutmakingtheefforttobeinnovative,howmuchwouldyoubelikelytoachieveThispageintentionallyleftblankparttwoMountainsAreNotMountains:TransformingConflictintoOpportunityFirstthereisamountain,Thenthereisnomountain,Thenthereis…DonovanThispageintentionallyleftblank45chapterthreeEverybodyMustGetFoxedAPromotionCommotionCCORDINGTOTHETEACHINGSofclassicalBuddhism,lifeischaracterizedbysufferingorafundamentalsenseofdis-satisfactionsimilartotheanxiety(orAngst)ofmodernpsychologyandphilosophy.
Dukkha,thetermforsuffering,lit-erallymeansbeingoutofjointoroffbalanceas,forexample,whenawheelisoutofalignmentandthrowsoffthemovementofthevehicleitcarries.
TheBuddhistviewisnotpessimistic,butreflectsadeepunderstandingoftheebbandflowoflife.
Runninglate,missingadeadline,orbeingheldupbysomedelay—thesemundaneexperiencesarenotonlyfrustratinginthemselves,butrevealtheinstabilityandfragilitythatunderlieourordinaryex-istenceandcanbemanifestedatanytime.
Therootofanxietyisself-interestinthepejorativesense:at-tachmentorgraspingforwhatwecannotattainandpushingawaythatwhichwedonotdesire.
Buddhismteachesthatanxietyisgenerallyexperiencedinoneoftwoways:AsAbsence—somethingisnotintheworldthatyoufeelshouldbethere,oraperson,position,orpossessionthatyoudesireremainsanelusivegoal.
46MountainsAreNotMountainsAsPresence—somethingisintheworldthatyoufeelshouldnotbethere,oryouarefacedwithanunwanteditemorob-staclethatisdifficulttoeliminate.
Intheprofessionalsphere,aprimeexampleofanxietybasedonabsenceoccurswhenanexpectedpromotionisdeniedorde-layed.
Anunwantedorburdensomeassignmentexemplifiesanxi-etycreatedbypresence.
Inthefirstcase,youfeelthatsomethingyoudeserveandhavebeenanticipatingorcountingonhasbeentakenaway.
Inthesecondcase,somethingundesirableorover-whelminghasbeenfoistedonyou.
Eitheryourshiphasnotyetcomeinoryouhavemissedtheboat.
AccordingtoBuddhism,whetheryoureceivesomethingyoudonotwantorarethwartedinclaimingwhatyouexpect,youshouldresistthefutilityanddespairofendlessgrasping.
Recog-nizingthatnomatterhowhardyoutry,thelongarmofYama,thelordofdecay,decline,anddeath,canneverbeevaded.
Youcan,however,alteryourattitudetowardtheconstantfluxbyap-plyingZenstrategiesofmaintainingequilibriumandconcentra-tionwhilebeingactiveandassertiveeachspontaneousmoment.
Understandingthesyndromesofabsenceandpresencecanhelptransformpettyturfbattlesintoopportunitiesforconstructivenegotiation.
Gettingpastdenialandacceptingtherealityofpres-enceorofabsenceisthenecessaryfirststepforgainingcontrolofyourstateofmind.
Considertheproblemofsufferingthroughabsence.
Supposeyouarebeingactivelyconsideredforapromotiontothepositionofdirectorofadynamic,expandingdivision,anoutstandingjobthatcouldalsobeasteppingstoneforfutureadvancement.
Yourmaincompetitorisanadmiredcolleaguewhoisalreadyacutaboveyouonthecorporateladder.
Itlookslikeawin-winsitua-tion.
Youhavearecenttrackrecordoffirst-rateaccomplishmentsandtheapparentrespectofthevicepresidentandherboardofadvisors.
IfyourcolleaguegetsthejobthenyouinalllikelihoodEverybodyMustGetFoxed47willbepromotedintohispresentposition.
Eitherway,youfeelyouaredestinedanddeterminedtomoveup.
Theinterviewsforthepositionarefinished.
Thetimehascomeandnothingcanstopthetrainpullingintothestation,rightButthenapostponementinthepromotionprocessisannounced.
Noonegetsthenod.
Everythingisbeingreevaluated.
Areyoureallysurprisedandshocked,ordidyouknowallalongtoexpecttheunexpected,ornottoexpectanythingatallInthenovelLostHorizon,thehero'sillusionsgoupinsmokewhenhesuddenlyrealizesthathehadbeendeceivedintobelievinginafalseutopia,Itcametohimthatadreamhaddissolved,likealltoolovelythings,atthefirsttouchofreality.
Conditionsleadingtotheannouncementundoubtedlyweredevelopingoveralongtime.
Youfailedtoperceivethisbecausethedominantfactorshadnotyetcoalesced.
Awakeningsareof-tenrude.
Perhapsyouhavebeenworkingonaprojectbyplan-ning,brainstorming,networking,andresearching,allthewhilefeelingavagueuneasinessorafaintawarenessthatsomethingmaybewrong,butwithouttakingtimetopinpointthecause.
Oncetheproblemappears,oversights,discrepancies,andmis-guidedeffortslongneglectedcometolightwithavengeance.
ButwhyhasthebossactedthiswayHasshelostconfidenceinyouandyourcolleague,orisshetryingtosetupadifferentwaytoassessthecandidatesthatmay(ormaynot)workfor(oragainst)yourinterestsHassomeunsuspecteddeficiencyinyourcredentialsbeendiscoveredWereyoumisledorbetrayedbysome-bodywhoinflatedyourhopesorundercutyourcauseOrhasanattractiveoutsidecandidatesuddenlyemergedfromthewingsYoureflectontheFirstLawofEmploymentDynamics:Whenyouaretheoutsiderthereisaninsidecandidatewhohasthedealsewedupbeforeyouevergettheinterview.
Buttheoppositeisalsothecase.
Whenyouareontheinside,thereinevitablyseemstobeahighly48MountainsAreNotMountainsqualifiedoutsiderwho,peoplesay,offerseverythingyoucanandpossiblymore.
TheSecondLawstatesthateagerlywaitingthedesiredresultissuretokillthedeal,butthemomentyourmindrelinquishesthethoughtofwhatcouldbe,thengoodnewscomestoyou(atleastsomeofthetime).
InJapan,thisisknownasrelyingonOtherPower(apathofdevotion)—recognizingthattherearetimeswhenyouletthingshappenoftheirownaccord.
ThisattitudecomplementstheZenapproachofSelfPower,accordingtowhichyouandyoualonearetheforcethatiscausingthechange.
Combiningthetwoapproaches,youknowwhentoletgoandwhentopushfurther,anddonotgetcaughtupinthetrapofnotknowingwhatyouwantornotwantingwhatyouknow.
Byexaminingallthepossi-bilitiesofhopeanddisappointmenttoarriveatabalancedviewofpotentialoutcomes,youcanavoidgettingcaughtoffguardbyasurprisefromeitherdirectionifyoustayrootedfirmlyinper-petualplanningthatisflexibleenoughtotakeintoaccountun-foreseensetbacks.
Whenthenewshits,however,thefirstthoughtistogodirectlytothevicepresidentastoinquireaboutthedelayandrequestclarificationofthestatusofthesearch.
Thisapproachisunlikelytoyieldusefulinformation.
Asupervisorprobablywon'trespondtoadirectquestionunlessthereisaparticularreasontokeepcandidatesinformed.
Inappearinginterestedsolelyinthepro-motionforyourself,youfailtodemonstratetheprofessionalismthatmeritstheupgradeorthe"rightstuff"—afocusonqualityofworkcompleted,withindifferencetowardpersonaloutcome.
Theparadoxis:Themoreyouclaimthegoalthelesslikelyyouaretoim-press.
Thelessyouassertyourrightthebetteryourchances.
Youmightalsoreactbygoingoverthesupervisor'shead,noti-fyingthepresidentofagrievanceaboutproceduresifyoudis-coverthatthesearchwashandledinawaythatmaynothaveEverybodyMustGetFoxed49followedcompanyguidelinesorprecedents.
Whilethismightsucceedingainingattention,bynotgoingthroughchannelsyoufailtogivethetopbrassthechanceeithertodeclaretheirinten-tionsorremedyanybreachofprotocol.
Youriskappearingpetty,vindictive,jealous,orpronetomakingunproductivecomplaintsthatupsettheorganizationatseverallevels.
Aforcedmeetingwiththehighestadministratormaysimplysealyourfate.
Therealissueisnotirregularitiesinprotocolbuthowthevicepresidentevaluatesperformances.
Youcannoteffectivelyaddressthematterofhowandwhytheassessmentwasmadebyraisingaquestionaboutprocess,unlessthisisfirmlysupportedbyobjec-tive,quantitativecriteria.
Ifyouaresellingyourhouse,aprospec-tivebuyermaytrytobackoutofthedealbyfindingloopholesinthecontract.
Itisnotverylikelythatyoucouldsuccessfullysueareluctantbuyertoforcehimtocompletethesale.
Similarly,itisnotusuallyprudenttocomplainaboutamanagerwhomyouwouldliketopromoteyousomeday.
Althoughitisagoodideatospeakupforyourself,doingitthiswaycanjeopardizefuturesupport.
Anotheralternativeistoremainsilentandseehowthingsun-fold.
Theriskisthatpatiencewithoutthefirmnessandsteadi-nessofaclearpurposeanddirectionmayendinpassivityorparalysis.
Thisallowsthestatusquotopreserveitselfandprevailoveryourinitiative.
Seemingoverlyphilosophicalandresignedratherthanloftyandtranscendentwillprovecounterproductiveifyouendupstandingbyidly.
Comparethisscenariowithonethatisbasednotontheab-senceofwhatisdesiredbutthepresenceofsomethingunwanted.
Yoursupervisorwalksintoyouroffice,closesthedoor,sitsdown,andasksaboutyourfamily.
Hethenhandsyouanassignmentportfolioforanewprojectthatrequiresashiftinprioritiesandcarrieshighexpectationsfordeliverableresultsunderatightdead-linedespitelimitedresources.
Hehasdecidedthathewantsyoutooverseeasmallunitthatisindifficulty.
Theunithassome50MountainsAreNotMountainshighlyqualifiedplayersbuthaslackedleadershipanddirection.
Themissionistorefashionthetroubledgroupunderyourre-ceivership,whichisexpectedtoendthefractiousnessandleadtoimprovedproductivity.
Eventhoughyouwillcontinuetobeevaluatedprimarilyforthemaintasksinyourjobdescription,youwillnowberequiredtostretchyourowntimeandyourstaff'senergiestosolveasetofproblemsthatyoudidnotcreate.
Itwillbeuptoyoutoeasetheirpain,andinattendingtoasituationthatrequiresdiligenteffortwithlittlechanceforabigpayoffyoumayhavetoneglecttheprojectsandprioritiesthatyoucareabout.
Asinthecaseofthepromotion,youhaveprobablyseenthisassignmentcomingforsometime.
Theunit'sstrifewasapparent,anditwaslikelythattheorganizationwouldturntoyou.
Nowthatpremonitionhasbecomerealityandthesenseofanxietyispalpable,youmustbeabletoshowsomereactiononthespotwithoutachancetode-liberate.
Ifyourequesttimetothinkthingsover,thiswillbecon-sideredapartofyourresponse.
Theclockstartedtickingandtheassessmentofyourperformancegotunderwaythemomentthesupervisorsteppedintotheroom.
Thethoughtsrunningthroughyourmindveerandswerve.
IsthesupervisorhelpingorhurtingyouYouhopethisassignmentisavoteofconfidenceandagrandopportunitytoexpandyourbaseofpower,andspeculatethatitmaybeatesttoseeifyouarereadyforbiggerandbetterthings.
Yetyoualsowonderwhetheritrepre-sentssomekindofpunishmentoragreasingoftheskids.
Asenseofoptimismcanseemnaveandcaneasilyturntopessimismwhenhopesaredashed.
Typically,youwantincreasedsupportwhilesu-pervisorswanttoseeyoumakingdowithfewerresources.
Wheninstitutionalstructureimposesitsweight,themessageseemsloudandclear:donotspeakuporupsettheapplecart.
Butthismaybecomeanexcusetoremainspeechless,notduetothoughtfulreflection,butsimplybecauseyoufeelnooneislis-tening.
Atsuchacriticalmoment,theupsanddownsofordinaryEverybodyMustGetFoxed51lifegivewaytoamoreprofoundawarenessofsuffering.
Inthiscaseanxietyiscausedbythepresenceofsomethingunwanted,butaswiththepromotionexamplethealternativeresponsesseemrootedeitherinpassivityoraggressiveaction.
Onepossibilityisanodofacceptancetodemonstrateanabil-itytotakethingsinstrideandmakethebestofanycircumstance,Sure,I'lldoit;or,Great,I'llseewhatIcandowiththis.
But,ifthisaffirmationreflectsintimidationandtrepidationratherthanchoiceandself-determination,theshowofcooperationmayprovehollow.
Afriendoncetoldthestorythat,putinasimilarsituationandasked,"Canyouhandlethis"Thewords"Ofcourse,sir,"wereoutofmymouthbeforeIhadevenamoment'sreflection.
Anotheraspectoftheaffirmativeapproachistorespondquicklyandaggressively,askingjusthowyouwillbeexpectedtoundertaketheassignmentsuccessfullyandstillbeabletocom-pleteyourotherprojects.
Yetthisresponsemayappeartoshowresistancetotheworkload.
Ifithasatraceofinsincerityoriswordedwrongly,youbetrayalackofconfidencethatproducesfrictionorconflict.
Ifyouprojectthatyouarenotcapableofdo-ingthework,thesupervisormaybegintoscrutinizeyourregularjobperformancemoreskeptically.
Or,youcantrynottocommityourselfrightoff,inordertobuytimetothinkoverthefullsignificanceoftheassignmentaf-tertheheatofthemomentpasses.
Thenyouwillbeabletocraftadetailedresponsethatexpressesquestionsandconcernsorar-ticulatesaplanofactionreflectingyourowninterestswhilesat-isfyingthedemandsofyoursupervisorandhissuperiors.
However,bydelaying,youmayendupstuckwithsomecondi-tionorcontingencythatisunacceptableyetirrevocable.
Bythetimeyouraiseanobjection,thesupervisor'sreplymaybe,52MountainsAreNotMountainsToolatenow.
Whydidn'tyoubringthatupbeforeSenpaihadafriendwhowascalledtointerviewforanentry-levelpositionhedesperatelywanted.
Theemployer'sexplanationofthescheduleseemedoverlycasualandsomewhatconfusing.
Thefriendtriedtolightentheatmosphereandgetthingsbackontrackwithaquip,"Couldyoupossiblybealittlevaguerthanthat"Thiswasaninappropriateandineffectiveuseofanti-structurebecausehehadnotyetenteredthegateofstructure.
Needlesstosay,hedidn'tgetthejobandthegatewayremainedclosed.
Thealternativeresponsestotheassignmentexamplehavepo-tentialstrengths;oneassertsadegreeofindependenceandspon-taneity,whiletheotherbuystimeforreflectionandshowsflexibility.
Theyalsohavethedrawbackofeitherfailingtomakechangesorantagonizingtheboss,respectively.
Bothrevealanin-abilitytoseizethechallengeasanopportunityratherthananobstacleorproblem.
Ifyoutreattheofferoftheassignmentasaroutinematterwithoutpayingsufficientattentionorexaggerateitsdifficulty,youfindyourselftrappedinano-winsituation.
Byfailingtounderstandthereasonswhyyoulackleverageinthissituation,youareunabletogainauthoritythroughconstructivedialogueandnegotiation.
Thinkabouttheinterplayoftheseresponses.
Onereactionseemsquickandforceful,whiletheotherseemsslowerandmorepassive.
Inonecase,youmaycomplaintoomuch,andintheotheryoudonotappeartoexpressyourselfatall.
Butinbothinstancesthereisaninstantofhesitationandalackofresiliency.
Inthatsinglemomentoftimeinwhichyouweighandevaluatealloftheimplicationsofyourattitudestowardtheassignment,proandcon,asubtlebutwide-as-a-highwaygaphasopenedupbetweentheactiontakentowardyouandyourinabilitytorespondimme-diately,whichimperilsthechancetoinfluencewhathappensnext.
Mullingthingsoverandthinkingcarefullybeforeactingisnotnecessarilydetrimental.
YounaturallywanttobeconsultedandEverybodyMustGetFoxed53havethetimeandfreedomtodiscussmatterswithcolleaguesandstaff.
Butifyoudonothaveaknackfortheabilitytoreactwithspontaneitythatencompassesacarefulassessmentminusdelays,youcansay"sayonara"tochancesforaneffectiveresponse.
HowdoyoustopforfeitingopportunitiesandinsteadactivatethemhereandnowThegoalofZenistodevelopapreemptiveap-proach,inwhichtheabilitytoactfirstbecomessecondnature.
Rainy-DayReflectionsFacedwithdisappointment,itisalltooeasytofallintoapatternofnegativity.
Thedayafterreceivingtroublingnewsaboutapro-motion,youmaywalkintoaplanningsessionandrealizethatyourvoiceisnotbeingheard,yourideasarenotgivencredence,andyourstateofawarenessisdimmed.
Youarepreoccupiedwiththequestion,WhatwentwrongLookaroundyou.
Itiswrittenallovertheirfaces,isn'titMaybenot.
Maybeyouarejustimaginingthis,retreatingintoashellofparanoia.
Ifyouthinkpeoplereactsolelyonthebasisofyourmostrecentsuccessesorfailures,thiswillfeedanxiety,creatingaviciouscycleofinnerturmoilandoutwardmisunderstanding.
HowdidyouendupsooutoftunewithyourselfandunalignedwithyourcommunityofpeerswhohelpdetermineyourreputationandtherecognitionyoureceiveWhydoesitseemthatthemoreyoutrytoachieveagoalthroughdirectmeans,themoreelusiveandevasiveitbecomesInthewordsofaPaulSimonsong,Youknowtheneareryourdestination,themoreyou'reslip,slidin'away.
Youseektounderstandwhysuchagaphasopenedupbetweenwhatyouexpectandwhatoccurs.
WereyoutryingtoattaintoomuchorundersellingyourselfandstrivingforfarlessthanyoucouldachieveYoumightlookforthesourceoftheproblemina54MountainsAreNotMountainsparticularpersonorgroup.
Amidtheconstraintsandconcernsofinterpersonalrelations,youmayfeelthatyouarebeingde-ceivedorbetrayedbyforcesonahigheroralowerleveloftheorganizationalchart.
Therearepeoplewho,Buddha-like,helpbecausetheybelieveinyourcauseandotherswhobecomealliesonlybecausetheyfeeltheyhavesomethingtogain.
Furthermore,theremaybethosewhoappeartoworkagainstyou,withonlytheirowninterestatheart.
Anapparentsupportermayturnouttotakeadvantageandwoundyoursenseofdignity.
Orasupervisor,whoseemsextremelypositivesolongasyouareproducingresultsfromwhichhecanbenefit,suddenlyturnscold.
Sometimestheverypeopleyouhavethemostfaithin,orwhoappearunquestionablytrustworthy,maysuddenlyseemculpableorresponsibleforyourdecline.
Whentheirbehaviorisexamined,however,itoftenbecomesclearthattheyarewellmeaningyetsimplyhaveadifferentagendaorsenseoftiming.
DetractorsmayalsoberevealedashiddenBuddhaswhoonlyseemstandoffishbecausetheyarecommittedtorecog-nizingandrewardingmeritwithoutregardforpersonalinterest.
Senpaihadanassociatewhoappearedbright,cheerful,andcooperativejustuptothepointwheretheyachievedwhattheywanted.
Thenthey,ortheelusive,intangiblesenseofresolveandcommitmenttoaprojecttheyrepresented,vanishedintothinair,nevertobeseenorheardfromagain.
Thefaucetwasturnedoffandnothingflowedfromit.
ThisfailurespokepoorlyofSenpai,whowouldfindhimselfinadoublebindofbeingleftinthelurchwithresponsibilityformakinguptheassociate'sworkloadwhilealsocoveringfortheirlackoffollow-through.
Visualizeasmallboxsittingonyourdesk.
Ifyoulookdown,youcanseethetopclearly.
Youalsoseeatleastasignificantpartofthreeofthebox'ssides.
Thefourthsidecanbeseenifyourotatetheboxorifyougetupandwalkaroundtoviewtheotherside.
Itisaccessiblebutonlyifeitheryouroritspositionischanged.
Whatyoucannotseeatallisthebottomofthebox,wheretheEverybodyMustGetFoxed55sunnevershines,whosehiddennessmaygiveitamysteriousal-lure.
Whenyoufinallyareabletoturntheboxoverandseetheundersideforwhatitis,youmaybeaghasttodiscoverthatitisdarkandcorroded.
Itisasifyousuddenlyrealizethattermitesaredevouringthefoundationofyourhome.
Byreconcilingtothisdiscovery,youcanbegintoexterminatethescourge.
InZenfolklore,spiritpossessionortheinvasionofyourpsy-chicspacebyamagical,shape-shiftingFoxthatpassesitselfoffashumanisaninfalliblesignofdelusion.
Thisusuallyafflictssome-onewhohasatendencytostrayfromthestraight-and-narrowpath.
TheFoxisgreatatpretendingtobereal.
Althoughthereareboundtobetelltalesignalsofitstruenature,astheensnarementunfoldsthevictimrejectswarningsignals,includingthoseof-feredbyaneutraloutsider.
LikethechorusinaGreektragedy,thereisusuallyanobserverpresent,whoisunaffectedbytheFox'sguileandguisesandoffersawordofcautionthatgoesunheeded.
ObserversmaybesupportivealthoughtheirpowertobringaboutchangeismuchmorelimitedthanthatofaBuddha.
Yet,thevic-timusuallyimaginesthattheobserverismerelyjealous,andig-noresthesignsofillusionanddeceptionswirlingabout.
Intraditionalfolklore,awarningtobewareistheverylastthingtheentrancedpersonwantstohearwhileinthethrallofillusion.
Nevertheless,theobserver'sclarityandinsightbasedontheabil-itytoseeallsidesevenhandedlyoffersacruciallessoninspiritualawareness.
Eventually,thepersonundergoinganinfatuationorbewitch-mentcomestoamomentofdiscovery.
Whenanall-too-obviousbetrayalbecomesimpossibletoignore,thisunwelcomeinsightliberatesthemindfromtheholdofignoranceandattachment.
Infolklore,thishappenswhenthefox'staillyingjustbeneaththekimonoorrobeisexposedandtheshape-shifterrevertstoitsoriginalvulpineornonhumanstatus.
Therevelatorymomentleavesthevictimtostrugglewiththerealizationthattheyhavebeenhamperedbysomuchdeception.
56MountainsAreNotMountainsInthecaseofthedelayedpromotionortheunwantedassign-ment,isthereaFoxbehindthedisturbanceWhydidthesuper-visorchangehermindPerhapsananonymouscolleaguespokeagainstyoutothecommitteewhilepushinghisorherownagendaWillyoueverlearntheidentityofacolleaguewhohasaknackforseizingonthevulnerabilityandweaknessofothersSensingaFox,however,isactuallyasignthatyouhavefallenintoastateofdisappointment,discouragement,anddisillusion.
AfriendofSenpaiwasdevastatedwhenacolleaguewithwhomshehadbeencloselyassociatedseemedtoundercuther.
Thetwoofthemwerepreparingforabreakthroughproject.
Shehadtheexpertiseandwoulddothelion'sshareoftheresearch,whereashehadtheinfluenceanddidthenetworking,especiallyinpre-sentingtheirfiletotheappropriatesupervisor.
Thedaycamewhentheirprojectwastogetthehearingtheyhadbeenhopingfor.
Shewaitedforhimtoreturnfromthemeet-ingtocallherat4:00PMwiththeresults.
ThephonerangatFoxshrineatToyokawaInaritempleinTokyo.
EverybodyMustGetFoxed57exactly4:00butitturnedouttobesomeoneelse.
Thisseemedlikeanoddcoincidence.
By5:30therewasstillnocallfromthecolleague.
Senpai'sfriendsuspectedhercolleaguehadclaimedallthecredit.
ToparaphraseDylan,They'llfoxyou,andthenthey'llsay"goodluck,"They'llfoxyou,whenyougethitbyatruck.
TheFox'scasualindifferencetoyourplightresembles,butisfun-damentallydifferentfrom,thatofaloftyHermitwhoisbeyondthecaresoftheworld.
ButitturnedoutthecolleaguehadlearnedofanewlevelofcomplexityinplanningandwasbusyconsultingwithotherpartiesbeforehedideventuallygetbacktoSenpai'sfriend.
InCasablanca,leadcharacterRickplayedbyHumphreyBogartisdevastatedwhenbysurpriseheseeshisformerlover(IngridBergman),whohadjiltedhiminParis.
Reminiscing,whiletheirfavoritesongisbeingplayedonthepiano,heuttersthewordsofthesinglemostfamoussceneinthehistoryoffilm,Playit,Sam.
Playitagain.
Astheplotthickens,RicklearnsthatBergman'scharacterhaddesertedhimoutofloyaltytoherhusband,aleaderoftheNaziresistancemovement,whowasfreedfromprison.
Bytheendofthestory,however,neitherRicknorthevieweriscompletelyclearaboutherintentionsorwhethershehasbeenmanipulatinghisfeelingsforulteriormotives,whethernobleornot.
WassheFoxorBuddhaTouseasimplemetaphor,perhapsyouhavereachedforachocolatechipcookiewithoutreallypayingattentionandpickeduparaisincookiebymistake.
Solongasthecookieisjustsittingthereitsrealqualityisunknown.
Youcannottellwhatacookietasteslikefromtouching,lookingat,orevensmellingit.
Whetheritisappealingorrepellentcannotbedetermineduntilthemo-mentyoubiteintoit.
Onceyoutakeabiteitistoolatetoavoidanunpleasanttaste.
IntheimmortalwordsofForestGump,58MountainsAreNotMountainsLifeislikeaboxofchocolates;youneverknowwhatyou'regoingtoget.
TheinseparabilityofFoxandBuddhaishighlightedinZentales,whichshowthattheFoxandtheBuddhaoftenmanifestinsimilarguisesanddis-guises.
Forstrategicpurposes,theyconcealtheirmotivesandappearassomethingtheyarenot.
Therealin-tentionofalliesandadversariesalikeliesbeneaththesurface.
TheFoxposesasasupportertogetwhatshewants.
ThegreatertheFox'sambition,themoreshetriestoappearlikeahelpfulBuddha.
FoolingyouiswhatbeingaFox,whodoesnotwantitsmischieftoldoritsmethodsdivulged,isallabout.
However,anobserverwithnothingtolosecanlookatthesituationobjectivelyandmayhavebeenawareoftheFoxallalong.
BorrowingfromtheFox'srepertoireofduplicitoustechniques,theBuddhaposesasneutralorimpartialsoasnottoappeartoplayfavorites.
TheBuddhadependsonparablesandallegories,butcannotalwaysensurethetransmittingofhismessageisdoneproperlyortothedesiredeffect.
SelfasFrenemyInthetypicalpossessionstory,whentheFoxisdiscoveredapriestorshamaniscalledupontobanishthedemonicspiritbychant-ingamantraorcopyingapassagefromascripture.
Followingtheexorcism,afoxcorpseisfoundinthebasementofthehouse,orapackoffoxescanbeseenscurryingbehindthetempleortothesideofthebattlefield.
Thisservesastangibleevidenceintherealmofphysicalrealityoftheeliminationofthemischievousspiritintheinvisiblerealm.
FoxfolkloregivesZenBuddhistliteratureandritualamytho-logicaldimension.
Shiftsandchangesinhumanaffairsareex-plainedbytheactionsofsupernaturalbeings:ghostsandgoblins,spiritsandsprites,divinitiesanddemons.
Ifacceptedatfacevalue,EverybodyMustGetFoxed59thisplaysintothehumantendencytolookoutsideforthecauseofsufferingratherthanscrutinizingyourownactions.
However,thedesiretoblameexternalfactorsforone'swoesisthesignofaweakspiritandanobstacletoprogress.
Inthefaceofdifficulties,delays,anddefeats,itiscrucialnottobecomestub-bornandinflexible,fixatedontheimpossibilityofsuccessoronrevengeforapparentwrongs.
Ittakesskilltobeabletotellapartthepossibilities,toexposetheFoxwhileuncoveringtheBuddha.
Ontheonehand,know-ingwhoisandwhoisnotaFoxrequirestheabilitythatonlyaFoxcanhave,asintheZensaying,IttakesaFoxtoknowaFox.
But,theaimofZenisnottoleavethingsstandinginthemidstofdeception.
ZenrecognizesthattheappearanceoftheFoxsym-bolizesgivingintotemptation,whichisduetoalackofself-control.
Theovercomingoftemptationisalsoduetotheself,whichhastheabilitytoregaincontrol.
SeeingtheFoxforwhatitreallyisrequiresthewisdomofaBuddha.
Therefore,itmustalsobethecasethat,IttakesaBuddhatoknowaBuddha.
Thisissomethingonlyyoucandoforyourself.
AccordingtoasayingfromtheHinduscripture,theBhagavadGita,abouttheroleof"frenemy,"Selfisthefriendofself,andselfistheenemyofself.
Youcannotcontrolorpredicthowotherswillactorreact.
But,whetheryourresponseisswiftanddecisiveorslowandobser-vant,youhavetheabilitytomasteryourownactionsandreac-tions.
Yourattitudesanddeedswillearnareputationeitherforimpeccabilitythatwinsadvancementandacclaimorforinca-pacityleadingtostagnationandfrustration.
Youareyourown60MountainsAreNotMountainsbestfriendwhenyoucultivateandperfectyourstrengthstocon-tinuallysurpassexpectations.
AstheBuddhainstructedhisdis-ciplesnearthetimeofhisdeath,Belampsuntoyourselves.
ThefreedomoftheUnmovingMindisadormantpotentialthatisactivatedthroughyourowneffortsandnooneelse's.
InaZenverse,Thereisnothinglackinginyou,YouarenodifferentfromtheBuddha.
Inthenineteenthcentury,WaltWhitmanwasawareofearlyEnglishtranslationsofAsianmysticalwritingswhenhewrotethefollowing:Stopthisdayandnightwithmeandyoushallpossesstheoriginofallpoems,Youshallpossessthegoodoftheearthandsun.
.
.
therearemillionsofsunsleft,Youshallnolongertakethingsatsecondorthirdhand.
.
.
.
norlookthroughtheeyesofthedead,norfeedonthespectresinbooks,Youshallnotlookthroughmyeyeseither,nortakethingsfromme,Youshalllistentoallsidesandfilterthemfromyourself.
Developingtheabilitytoserveasa"filter,"theselftakesinallsidesandrapidlyevaluatesprosandconsinafairandreasonableway.
Thisgivesyoutheequilibriumandfortitudetocontrolreac-tionstothevicissitudesoflife.
Selfasfilterreactstounpredict-ableandunstablecircumstanceswithswiftandeffectivejudgmentsordecisions.
Youandyoualonecanchoosewhethertogiveintodespon-dencyandoverrelianceonothersortodevelopflexibility,nimble-ness,andperspicacity.
Donottakeanyoneelse'sword.
AccordingtoaZensaying,EverybodyMustGetFoxed61AwakeningtothetrueSelfisself-awakening,notawaken-ingcausedbysomethingoutsidetheself.
TheFoxfolkloreofZenshouldnotbetakentomeanthattheworldofexternalforcesisanentirelyseparate,autonomousrealmwithwhichweinteract.
Rather,itservesasametaphorforaninnerstateofmind.
AsmodernWesternthinkersandwritersfromCarlJungtoJamesJoyce,FranzKafka,andEugeneO'Neillrecog-nize,howthingsappearontheoutsidecannotbeseparatedfromourinnerthoughtsandfears.
Weprojectourstateofmindontoexternalreality.
TheFoxisaverypowerfulfigmentoftheimagina-tionthatarisesontheborderlinebetweenperceptionandfantasy—inarealmwecalltheTwilightZone.
Ourtaskonbothexternalandinternalplanesistoovercomedeceptionandfalsehoodbyrealizingclarityandtruth.
AlfredHitchcock'sfilmVertigo,ahauntingmasterpieceofin-trigueandobsession,depictstheintertwiningplanesofreality.
Thetragicantihero,Scottie,playedbyJimmyStewart,mustfacehisfearofheightsoverandoveragaininthemostagonizingways.
Intheclimacticscene,helooksdownfromthechurchtower,notknowingwhetherheisbeingsavedorbetrayedbyoneoftwomaddeninglyattractivewomen,bothplayedbyKimNovak.
ThecamerashowsaspiralstaircaseextendingeverdownwardasScottie'sanxietymounts.
TheposterforthefilmdepictsScottiecaughtinalabyrinthinespiralthatevokestheimageofaneye.
TheeyesymbolizesthewayothersarejudgingScottie'spsycho-logicaldescent.
Forthefilmgoer,whoisasperplexedasScottiebythemysteriousunfoldingofeventsandcharacters,thisimagesym-bolizeshisorherownmind'seyefollowingandrecoilingfromwhatishappeningtotheantihero.
Thespiralimageseeninthestaircaseisnotthedepictionofanexternalobjectbuttheillumi-nationofthestateofmindofScottie'sinnerturmoil.
IntheJapanesefilmUgetsu,anothereminentmoviefromthe1950s,exorcismasanexternalritualsymbolizesrepentanceas62MountainsAreNotMountainsinternalself-reflection.
Duringwartime,Genjuro,ahumblecrafts-man,abandonshiswifeandtakesupresidencewithabeautiful,seductiveFoxinahugemansionontheoutskirtsoftownaftershebuyssomeofhispottery.
Apriestspotshimwalkingdown-townwhileheisshoppingforagiftand,sensingthatsomethingiswrong,offerstoprovidehimwithspiritualprotectionbypaint-ingsacredlettersonhisbody.
Afterretuningtothehousetocon-fronttheghostandaccidentallysettingitablaze,thehusbandstumblesoutsideandishorrifiedtoseethatthemansionwherehethinkshehasbeendwellingisinrealityaburnt-outhovel,whilethesheriffisreadytoarresthimforvagrancy.
Repentant,here-solvestoreturntohisrealhomeandmakeamendswithhiswife,whomhefindswaitingtheretoreceivehim.
Butitisonlyanotherghost.
Shehasdiedintheinterim.
Followingthisdoubledoseofdisillusionment,intheendGenjurofindsanawakeningandachievespeaceofmindbycommunicatingwiththespiritofhislostwifeashegoesaboutraisingtheirson.
Myrespectedseniorcolleague,Senpai,oncemanagedoneofthemainunitsthatwaspreparingforamajorexternalaudit.
Mostemployeesweretoolowonthetotempoletobemuchinvolvedinthisprocess,butwereawarethatintensepressurewasbuildingforseveralweeksleadinguptothedayoftheevaluation.
Senpaisawthatthechiefofoneoftheotherunitslookedtotheoccasionasagrandopportunityforhisownpersonaladvancement.
Thisunitleaderwasplayinganimportantroleinpreparationsandplanning,andsawhimselfcompetingwithSenpaifortheatten-tionandkudosoftheirsupervisor.
Senpaiknewwhatwascomingamileaway.
Therivalassociatewasfocusingsolelyontheeffortsofhisownunitanddisregard-ingavenuesforteamworkandconsensusbuildingwiththeotherleaders.
Senpai,ontheotherhand,wasconstructingbridgesandalliances.
Thesupervisorandhisaidessensedtheassociate'sself-indulgenceandbegantolethimdriftaway,leavinghimoutofEverybodyMustGetFoxed63importantmeetingsand,worse,repressingoff-the-cuffinsiderremarkswhenhewasaround.
Therefore,hewasnotawareofsomelast-minutemaneuveringsthatwouldbecriticalduringthemostheatedmomentswhentheevaluatorswerepresent.
Otherswhowerewatchingcloselycouldfeelthatsomethingwasabouttogowrongbuthadnowayofanticipatingwhatitwouldbeandlittlerecourseorleveragetospeakupwithawarning.
D-Dayarrived.
Thetenleadersinthegrouplineduptheirfiles,buttherewasalsoan"eleventhfile.
"Thesupervisor'sideawasthatthisspecialfilewouldbethere,readyandwaiting,butwasnottobecitedunlessacertainkindofquestioningcameup,thatis,untilthepropersignalwasgiven.
RefrainingfromgoingtothisfileatalmostanycostwasoneofthelittlemessagesthatSenpai'srivalassociatehadnotreceived,andhewentaheadandopenedupthatfileataninopportunemoment.
Formonthsafterwardshewasreeling,swear-ingthathe'dbeenframed.
Hesuspectedthatotherleadersben-efitedfromhisblunder,andwaswaryofthesupervisorwhohadlefthimoutoftheloopaswellasunderlingswhomighthavegivenhimsomewarning.
ButSenpaifeltheshouldhavetakenhiscuefromtheJimmyBuffetlyric(paraphrased):Somepeoplesaythere'sanothertoblame,ButIknow,it'smyowndamnfault.
Zensuggeststhatyouareyourownworstenemywhenyoufailtoexhibityourstrengthsforreasonsofconvenience,ignorance,fatigue,ordesperation.
Thisstateisreferredtoinkoancommen-tariesas,Pullingthebowafterthethiefhasfled.
Thisreferstoanunproductiveanddelayedreactionthroughwhichopportunitiesarelostorsquandered.
YetSenpaiassuredhisteamthattheassociate'sworkwasascreativeandinnovativeasanyone'sandsomedaythiswouldshinethrough.
Todevelopconfidence,64MountainsAreNotMountainsitisnecessarytoriseabovepersonalconcernsandpreventthemfromcausingyoutobecomepettyorvindictive.
InZentheknackformakingthingshappeneffortlesslyisknownas,Settingstrategyinmotionwhileremaininginthetent.
Thecontrastisoftensharplydrawn.
Itisnotthecase,however,thateachofusfollowsonlyoneofthesepathsconsistentlyandmissestheotheroneentirely.
Rather,eachofusasatotalSelfstrugglestonavigateandnegotiatebetweenthetwoconditionsandcanemergeasawinnerorloserdependingonthecircum-stances.
Therearemanythievesrepresentingourdeficienciesthatcontinuetogetaway,buttherearealsopricelessgemssymboliz-inggreatpossibilitieswaitingtobediscovered.
Youcauseyourownsufferingandareresponsibleforliberatingyourself.
TheTitanicSailsatDawnSomehow,SenpaimissedseeingTitanicinthetheater.
Whenitarrivedoncable,everytimeheturnedontheTV,therewasthesamesceneofLeonardoDiCaprioextendinghisarmtopullbackKateWinslet,whohadstartedtothrowherselfoverthebowoftheship.
SenpaiwasworkingverylateonenightandabouttoSelfasFriendSelfasEnemySelfAsFrenemyREPENTANCESettingStrategyinMotionWhileInsidetheTentEXORCISMPuttingtheBowAftertheThiefFleesEverybodyMustGetFoxed65sendane-mailmessagethatheknewhewouldregretinretro-spect.
TurningontheTV,heencounteredthesceneonceagainandrealizeditwasaperfectrepresentationoftheselfhelpingtheselfwhileontheedgeofharmingtheself,orgoingfrompullingthebowtoolatetosettingstrategyinmotion.
Inthemythicalworldview,anexorcismisnecessarytounmasktheFox,butmetaphorically,itrepresentsaprocessbywhichanewlevelofself-awarenessisattained.
Thereisnoneedforaninterme-diarytotaketheroleofexorcist,becausetheSelfbearsfullrespon-sibilityforundertakingintrospectionandrepentance.
Ratherthanfeelingblindsidedandfocusingontheactionsofothers,investi-gatethehiddencausesofyourownbehavior.
ScottishpoetRobertBurnswrotethatweneedto"seeourselvesasothersseeus":OwadsomePowerthegiftiegieusToseeourselsasithersseeus!
Itwadfraemonyablunderfreeus,An'foolishnotion…Seeingyourselfobjectivelyenablesaprofoundsenseofself-criticismthatwillpreventyoufrommakingthesamemistakesoverandoveragain.
Tochangebadhabitsorfaultypatternsofbehavior,Zenad-visesthatrepentanceupliftsandelevatesbyexaminingthedepthsoftheproblemfromalofty,transcendentalview.
Throughre-pentance,intentionsarepurifiedandrelationshipsbecomefreeofmisunderstandingsbasedonself-centeredmotives.
Manypeoplewhohavenarrowlyescapeddeathreportexperiencingacrucialturningpointinwhichtheirwholelifeflashesbeforethem.
Inasingleinstantofrepentance,theyrecallepisodesandconver-sationsthatwouldotherwiseremainlostforever.
Thisisabitlikecleaningoutyouroldcarinpreparationtotradeitinforanewone.
Youstartfindingallkindsofcoins,papers,andotheroddobjectsineverynookandcrannywheretheyhadlainforgotten.
66MountainsAreNotMountainsTheTibetanBookoftheDeaddescribesinextremelygraphicandgruesomeimagerytheprocessofrepentanceduringpurgatory:Atthistimeyouwillbeveryfrightenedandterrified,andyouwilltrembleandlie,saying,"Ihavenotsinned.
"ThentheLordofDeathwillsay,"Iwilllookinthemirrorofkarma,"andwhenhelooksinthemirrorallyoursinsandvirtueswillsuddenlyappearinitclearlyanddistinctly,soalthoughyouhavelieditisofnouse.
ThentheLordofDeathwilldragyoubyaropetiedroundyourneck,andcutoffyourhead,tearoutyourheart,pulloutyourentrails,lickyourbrains,drinkyourblood,eatyourfleshandgnawyourbones.
Similarly,inCharlesDickens'AChristmasCarol,Scroogeisforcedtofaceinamomentaryflashacomprehensiveoverviewofhiswholelifeinitspast,present,andfuturemanifestations,andtorealizehowhecouldhaveavoidedandcorrectedtheerrorsofhiswaysallalong.
AreyouabletotellaBuddhafromaFoxYes,accordingtoZen,throughthepowerofself-reflection.
Youseizetheopportu-nitytostandoutsideofyourselfandseeallthevariousflawsandfoiblesintheirmultiplemanifestationsandimplications:Theendeavortoawakentoselfwithoutawakeningothersisselfish,whereastheattempttoawakenotherswithoutawak-eningtoselfispowerless.
AccordingtoaZensaying,"Theswordthatgiveslifeistheswordthatkills,"andtheoppositeisalsotrue.
Inthatvein,therearefolktalesaboutBuddhaswhotaketheformoffoxesinordertoteachamorallesson.
Forexample,aBuddha-cum-Foxsavesaprincefromfallinginaditch.
Theroyalpersonagethenthinkstohimself,Ifevenafoxbehavedwithsuchcompassion,Imustdothesameinthetreatmentofmysubjects.
ItissaidthattheBuddhaattainedenlightenmentwhilesittingunderatree,inadeepmeditativetrance.
HestayedinthisstateEverybodyMustGetFoxed67foranumberofweeksanddidnotmove.
ANaga(serpentordragonlikeentitywithmagical,shape-shiftingpowerslikethoseoftheFox)cameandhelditsheadovertheBuddhalikeanum-brella,toshelterhimfromtherain.
Variouscreatureshelpednour-ishtheBuddhasothathewasabletowithstandthetauntsofMara,theDemon.
Hewasofferedseveraltemptations,butre-mainedsteady.
TheactionsoftheNagashowthatchaoticenergyandrogueelementscanbeelevatedandpurifiedintoaforcethatisthenactivatedasanagencyofprotection.
Zenliteratureusestheepithet"WildFoxSpirit!
"tocriticizeinauthenticmonkswhoostensiblysoughtastateofegolessnessbutdemonstratedarroganceandconceit.
Atthesametime,Zentemplesoftencontainiconsoffoxesthatserveasfertilitysym-bols.
Inmanyfolktales,theFoxistransformedbyapriestintoanallyandprotectorofthespiritoftheBuddha;theFoxisnolongerFoxbutaformofBuddha.
AFoxappearinginaZentemplesig-nifiesthatthedevioustendenciesaretameandnowresonatewiththeforcesofwisdom.
Therefore,referringtoamonkasa"wildfoxspirit"canbeafoxy,tongue-in-cheekwayofcallinghimaBuddha.
Nowgetbacktowork,youWildFox!
68MountainsAreNotMountains68chapterfourTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenmentSWhatComesDownMustGoUpSENPAITOLDASTORYabouthisownexperienceonthepathtoenlightenment.
Asayoungresearcher,hewaslookedonasoneofthebestinhisfieldandaleadingcandidateforanannualprize,withjustoneprimarycompetitor.
Orsohethought.
Althoughhewasconsideredtheinsiderwhohadthebackingofthejudgesandhebelievedhimselftobethefrontrunner,there-sultwasacrushingdefeat.
ItturnedoutthatSenpaiwasnotevenafinalist;anothercandidatehethoughtofasadarkhorsecap-turedtheaward.
Indefeathewasleftonlywithsuspicion,speculation,andlin-geringself-doubt.
Senpaineverlearnedwhathadtakenplacebe-hindthescenes.
Hetriedtobeclearinhisownmindabouttheborderlinebetweenwhatheknewforsureandwhathecouldonlyguessat,whilerealizingthatsoonenoughhewouldbefac-ingsomeofthesamerivalsinothercompetitions.
Asluckwouldhaveit,Senpaiwascalledontoserveasanex-ternalevaluatorofaprojectledbytherecipientoftheaward.
Heexaminedthecasecarefullyandobjectively,andafterextensiveTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment69deliberationhandedinapositivethoughconstructivelycriticalanalysis.
ReadersofthisevaluationwhowereawareoftherivalrywereimpressedbySenpai'shandlingoftheassessmentprocess,whichfocusedonthemeritsoftheprojectanddidnotrevealanysenseofspite.
Eventheerstwhilerivalacknowledgedhisindebt-ednessforSenpai'srecommendations.
Sometimelater,Senpaigottoknowthepersonwhowonthecompetition.
Lookingback,herealizedthattheevaluationhadbeenadefiningmomentonhisowncareerpath.
Itwasachal-lengethatenabledhimtoprovehisvalue.
Hehadclimbedoutofthecaveofdejectionandintothefreshalpineairofprofessionaldignitybyrealizingthatpositivedeedswithlong-rangebenefitswouldamplycompensateforthedefeathehadsuffered.
Senpai'sinnerodysseyexemplifiesthethreestagesofEleva-tion,Purification,andActivation(EPA):(a)Elevatefeelings—riseaboveconflictandconfrontationthroughexperiencingtheGreatDoubt.
(b)Purifyintentions—freeyourselffrompersonalagendasbyadoptingtheHermit'swayoftranscendencetobeclear,objective,andimpartial.
(c)ActivatetheMind—emergefromthequietandsolitudeofcontemplationandembracetheWarrior'swayofinci-siveaction.
Herealizedthatanexperienceofdoubtcouldcallintoquestionandreleaseyoufromthestrangleholdofassumptionsandexpec-tations.
However,thereisonekindofdoubtthatfeedshopeless-nessandamoreprofoundkindthatupliftsandtransforms.
Itiscrucialtodistinguishonekindfromtheother,toactivatethelattercategorywhiledissipatingtheeffectsofthedeficientkindofdoubt.
Senpaiadmittedthatwhennewsoftheawardfirstbrokehefeltinhisgutanall-consuminganxietyandlackofconfidencein70MountainsAreNotMountainshisabilitiesandrelationswithcolleagues.
Herecalledthatasaboy,hisolderbrotherandfriendswenttoahorrormoviecalledThem,inwhichgiantantscreatedbynuclearfalloutweredevour-ingpeople,andthekidsallcamehomefeverishwithterror.
Be-causehismomconsideredhimtooyoungtoseetheflick,hehadstayedhomewherehewatchedaTVshowinwhichanadven-turerinsomefar-offlandgotstuckinquicksand.
Thisgavehimnightmaresforweeks.
The1950sblack-and-whitespecialeffectsusedforboththemonstersandtheexoticlandscapewereprimi-tive.
Butnothingwasscarierthantheideaofbeingslowlybutsurelysuckeddownbyquicksand,andtheagonizingfinalmo-mentsasyouseeyourendapproachingandthereisnothingyoucandotostopit.
InZen,thesituationofbeingpulledeverdownwardbyyouremotionsisknownasordinarydoubt,whichvacillatesbetweenshame-filledself-loathingandhostility.
Accordingtoakoancommentary,Lettingitallgo,ortakingitallinAtfirsttoohighandthentoolow.
Whenyourealizetheerrorofyourways,youshouldtrytocorrectthem.
Buthowmanypeoplearecapableofdo-ingthisOrdinarydoubtleadstoasenseofdespair.
Throwingupyourhandsindisgustanddisdain,youmakenoefforttoinvestigatethesourceorextentoftheproblem.
Withoutsuchadiscovery,therecanbenorecovery.
Ifadvancementiswithheld,ordinarydoubtleavesyoufeelingunsurewhetheryouarecapableofmovingaheadorwhetheryouareevenabletoassessyourownqualifications.
Youarelikelytoswinginanunbalancedwaybetweenastoicacceptancethatrestsonpassivedenialandtheotherextremeofavolatile,perhapsex-plosiveandmisdirectedangerthatleadstogreaterconfusion.
AsubservientpostureisineffectivebecauseonlyasqueakywheelTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment71getsoiled,andopencomplaintoraneruptionofintenseemotioncansometimesresultinashort-termgain.
Oftenyoumustspeakupforyourself,butthiscaneasilybeperceivedasself-aggrandizingifyougivevoicetopersonalagendasratherthanpromotingtheval-uesandinterestsofothers.
Peoplemayendupgivingyouwhatyouwant,inparttokeepthingsundercontrol.
Butshowingalackofpatienceandpoisewhilebreakingunwrittenrulesofhierarchicalprotocolisamisuseofanti-structurethatbetraysinnerconflictandcantriggeraConfrontation.
Evenifthecasehasmerit,yousquanderchancesforsuccessbyalienatingcolleagueswhomighthavesupportedyou.
Instead,cultivatewaystocallattentiontoyourworkwithoutappearingdefensiveorhostile.
Unfulfilledgoalsorunwantedresultscreatefeelingsofinsta-bilityandinadequacy.
ThesuspicionthatyourdisappointmentmayhavebeencausedbyaFox,whetherintheformofasupervi-sororacompetitor,makesyouhesitateandloseopportunitiesonebyone.
Atfirst,yougiveothersthebenefitofthedoubt.
Thenyouturnintheotherdirection,butaretroubledfordistrustingthem.
Youmayevenfindthatanobserver,whohaswarnedyoutobecautious,isnotaltogetheruninvolvedandfreeofbias,soyoubecomesuspiciousofhisoutlookaswell.
WhatdoothershavetogainfromcastingaspersiononyouAretheythemselvesimmunefromblameOnceexpectationshavebeendashed,youbecomepreytoun-certaintyastowhetheryoucouldreallyhandleapromotion,yetyouarealsouncomfortablesettlingforyourpreviousposition.
Youcontinuetoperformyourjobwell,butthisismainlyinthehopeoflandinganotherposition,evenifitmeansmakingalat-eralmovetosalvageatleasttheillusionofupwardmobility.
Ifyouareinsales,youwanttoavoiddealingwithcustomersandmoveintomanagement.
Ateacherwishestoescapetheclassroomtofocusonresearchoradministration,andamanagerwantstomovefromanadvisorytoapolicy-makingrole.
Ifyoufinallydo72MountainsAreNotMountainsgainanewposition,thereisafearthatyoumayfallvictimtothe"PeterPrinciple"(accordingtowhichtherewardforhavingper-fectedonesetofskillsispromotiontoadifferentroleforwhichyoulacktheexperienceorability).
WhenSenpaiwrotetheevaluationofhisrival'sperformance,heknewthatjustashewasexamininganother'scredentials,therivalandhissupporterswerealsoscrutinizinghim.
Therewerealsothird-partyobserverssizingupthewaySenpaiassessedthings.
Inthisprocess,flawsareexposedifyourevaluationrevealseithertoomuchemotionorputsagreaterthannecessaryemphasisonabstractionandtheory.
Theknowledgethatyouarebeingobservedshouldnotinduceparalysisorpanic,butrathershouldsupplythemotivationtoenhancetheclarityandlucidityofanalysis.
Atraditionalfolksongthatevokesanendlessseriesofexternalobserverscanalsobeusedtodescribeaninteriorstateofmind:Iwonderwho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'meAndIwonderwho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'me,Who'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'theonewho'swatchin'meThesituationofbeingcaughtinaninfiniteregressofdoubt-ingandquestioningthebasisofdoubtisliketheoldJackieMa-sonschtick.
Heusedtobesouptightthatwhenhesatinthestandsatafootballgameandsawtheplayersgointoahuddleheas-sumedtheyweretalkingabouthim.
Butthenheconvincedhim-selfthatwasagoodthing.
Atthetimehewasfeelingtheutmostfrustration,Senpaicametotherealizationthathewasbehavingasacocksureloner,cer-tainthateveryonemustinevitablyrecognizehisvalue.
Partofhisproblemwasanimpulsetowardcomplacency,whichreflectsadeep-rootedunwillingnesstoundertakefundamentalchange.
TheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment73Overconfidenceisactuallyaformofself-doubt,inwhichanar-rogantattitudeisasymptomofunderlyinganxiety.
AsHeraclituswrote,Thereisagreaterneedtoextinguisharrogancethanablaz-ingfire.
Restingcomfortablywiththestatusquoandallowingthingstostandpat,complacencyprevailsbecauseitistheleastamountofbother.
WilliamOsler,aleaderintheearlydaysofmodernmedi-cineandscientificexperimentation,oncesaid,Peopledonotmaketheefforttodisprovewhattheysuspectiswrongwiththesamevigoraswhentheytrytoprovewhattheyhopeisright.
ThisisatendencysotypicalofhumannaturethatitinfectsFoxandBuddhaalike.
Akoancommentaryscoffsatacertainkindofmonkwhosearroganceleadstoanutterlackofself-awareness,Hedoesn'tevenknowhisshitstinks.
Whensupervisorsassignalowprioritytoanimportantprojectonwhichyouhavebeenlaboring,seekoutthereasonsforthissetbackbymeansofself-criticismratherthanappointingblame.
Insteadofdenyingwhathadalreadyhappenedorrefusingtoac-ceptwhatcouldnotbehelped,Senpaiacknowledgedthesenseofbeingbackedintoacornerwithnooneandnowheretoturn.
Devastatedanddisillusioned,heknewhewasatanimpassewithnowayoutandnomeansofstoppingtheworld.
Afirewasburn-ingandthealarmwasblaringbutthedoorsandwindowswereshuttight,thestairwaywasblocked,andtheelevatorbroken.
ThisistheexperienceoftheGreatDoubt,whichfreesfromentanglementandprovidessteadinessandfortitudebycomingtotermswithhow—ratherthanwhy—hewasfeelingboxedin.
74MountainsAreNotMountainsAccordingtoNatsumeSoseki'snovel,TheThree-CorneredWorld(KusaMakura),Thereisnoescapefromthisworld.
AsinJean-PaulSartre'splay,thereisNoExit.
Thereisnoartificialorarbitrarycushiontosoftentheimpactofanegativefeeling.
ThisZensayingcapturestheexperienceoffacingharshrealityforwhatitis,"Youcan'tmoveforward,youcan'tturnback,andyoucan'tstandstill.
Wheredoyougo"Thebottomingoutofdistressanddespairthatallowsyoutolearnthenecessarylessonsandreboundfromthedepthsoftheabyssisknownas:Bangingyourheadagainstastonepillar;orTakingachiselandjabbingyourselfoverandover.
Acceptingrealityforwhatitis,thegoodandthebadwithallthewartsandimperfections,leadsyoutotakefullresponsibilityforyouractions.
AccordingtotheinjunctionofSmokeytheBear,OnlyYOUcanpreventforestfires!
Inanoldaftershavecommercial,amanwithatoughbeardgetsslappedinthefacewiththelotionandresponds,"Thanks.
Ineededthat!
"InordertoreboundfromsufferinganddiscovertheBud-dhawithinandwithoutonemustreconcilewithandacceptfrus-trationasafundamentalconditionofexistence.
Weareusedtothinkingofadvanceanddeclinenotintermsofself-development,butofexternalstandardsandprocedures,rulesandregulations,conventionsandappearances.
Whenthesere-sourcesfallshortorfailtodelivertheexpectedresults,ratherthanapportioningblameorrelyingonothers,thebestoptionforpro-ducingchangeistoturnwithin.
Thiscangeneratemomentumforprojectsandpriorities,suchasnewfundingsources,alternativecollaborations,ordiversifiedoptionsforpurchaseordistribution.
TheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment75Confrontedwithsurpriseannouncements,ordinarydoubtleavesyourheadspinning.
Youfindyourselfswimminginaseaofrumors,impressions,speculation,hearsay,wishlists,andpipedreams,withabitofinnuendotossedin.
Thereisnothingtobegainedfromlookingbackorplayingtheblamegame.
Itdoesn'thelptoaskthebossdirectly,inawaythatmayseemchallenging,threatening,orintimidating,whenorwhythepromotiongotdelayedoratwhatpointthedecisiontohandovertheassign-mentwasmade.
Broodingoverthepastwillnotunlockthecom-plexityofwhatreallyhappened,andwillprobablynotyieldusefulinformation.
Tryingtodiscoverthespecificcauseforyourdisap-pointmentbylogicalthinkingquicklyreachesadeadend.
Instead,considerfromthestandpointofintuitionwhatcannowbedone.
Shikataganai!
isaJapanesesayingthatliterallymeans"there'snothingyoucandoaboutit.
"AsJohnHerseydescribesinHiro-shima,thisidiombecameatouchstoneformanyofthesurvivorsdealingwiththeaftermathofradiationsickness.
Shikataganai!
canimplythrowingupyourhandsindisgusteddefeat,asin"youcan'tfightCityHall,"butitcanalsoexpressacreativeresignationthatacceptswhatcannotbechangedwhilerefusingtocapitulatetowhatcanstillbecorrected.
AccordingtoZen,followingthecoldestwintersnowcomesthefloweringofearlyspringblossoms.
Gettinglostinthe"coulda',woulda',shoulda'"syndromeendsinignoringordenyingwhatactuallyexists.
APeanutscomicstripoffersahumorousillustrationofthefutilityofindulginginmis-guidedprotest.
CharlieBrownoffers,"Somepeoplewouldratherlightacandlethancursethedarkness,"butinthelastframethereisLucystandingoutsideinthemiddleofthenightscreaming,"Youstupiddarkness!
"Whenyoureachthemedianbetweenac-ceptance,ornotresistingwhatcannotbechanged,andnonac-ceptance,whichcontinuallypressesforreform,yourealizethat,Thegreaterthedoubt,thegreatertheenlightenment.
76MountainsAreNotMountainsTryin'toGettoHeavenAlthoughZenspeaksofan"instantofawakening,"itisnotsome-thingthathappensquicklyasmeasuredbythetickingofaclock.
Itisnotreallyapointintime,butthe"allofasudden"qualitythatoccursatthecompletionofalongstandingprocessofdevel-opment.
AccordingtotheanonymousauthorofthemedievalChristianmysticaltextknownasTheCloudofUnknowing,Inonetinymoment,heavenmaybegainedorlost.
Sometimeswhatyouknowisboundtochangeatanymomentneverdoes,forcingyoutoadjustyourthinking.
Onotherocca-sions,outofnowhere,anexcitingpossibilityoraterrifyingdan-geremergeswithclarityandforcefulness.
Atanymomentadifficultsituationcanbeturnedintoawinningopportunity,yetitonlytakestheblinkofaneyeforagreatopportunitytovanishintothinair,orwhatyouthoughtwasatriumphdissolvesintojustanotheridlespeculationandunfulfilledexpectation.
Perhapsthesensethatsomethingsignificantseemsonthewayevaporatesinthecoldlightofobjectivereality.
Tellingthevictoriesfromthedefeatsischallengingastheygetintertwinedintrade-offs,compromises,andpartialperspectives.
Itallgoesbysofast.
Eitherwetendtostopandthinkabouthowtoreact,sufferingfromthehesitationblues,orwerushinlikefoolsandrespondwithoutthinkingatall.
Thisisnotjustthehec-ticpaceofmodernindustrializedsociety.
Ordinarily,weperceivetimeasanaturalforcethatcarriesusalonginexorablylikeariverinflood.
St.
Augustinepointsout,Timetakesnoholiday.
Ontheotherhand,theHatterinAlice'sAdventuresinWonder-land,whooccupiesarealmwheretimeseemstobestandingstill,saysthattheproblemformostpeopleisthattheythinkoftimeasTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment77somethingimpersonalandsuggestssomewhatparadoxicallythatyoushouldnot"talkaboutwastingit.
It'shim.
"Accordingtoanadvertisingslogan,"ManinventedtimeandSeikoperfectedit.
"Augustine,whosaidthatifhewasn'taskedabouttimeheunderstoodit,butwhenaskedhecouldnotfathomit—thatis,it'sfareasiertotellthetimethantotellwhattimeis—showsthatthesloganismisleading.
WhatmaninventedandSeikoperfectedistimekeeping,nottime.
Mandidnotcreatetime.
Thesolar,lunar,andseasonalcyclesalloccurwhetherornotmanevenexists.
Therefore,theslogancouldbewrittentosay,Godcreatedtime,anditisuptomantoperfectit.
ZenteachesthatheavencanbegainedthroughasuddenflashofinsightreferredtobytheJapanesetermSatori.
Triggeredbyaninsignificantcommentorobservation,anintenseinstantofin-spirationhitshomelikeatonofbricks.
Youshedattachmentsanddistractionsasthecloudsofignorancedisperseandthelightofdayshinesthrough,revealingaclearviewofthemountainpeak.
AnecdotesaboutZenmasterswhoattainenlightenmentthroughthesuddenpathdescribeavarietyofseeminglyordinaryexperi-ences:hearingthesoundofabamboostickstrikinganobject;seeingthepetalsofafloweropenuporbegintofall;listeningtothesongofabirdorthethunderofawaterfall.
Satorimayalsocomefromobservingateacher'senigmaticgesture,suchassmil-ingsilentlywhileholdingupaflower,turningonalampinthemiddleofthenight,orlightingafireinbroaddaylight.
Insteadofregrettingthepastorfearingthefutureandlettingthetickingclockbecomeatyrant,youdiscoverwaystomastertimebyregulatingtheperceptionofflux.
UnderstandingtimeshouldbebasedonexperiencingthefullMomentofactivityinthepresent.
Anoft-citedZensayingabouttheessenceofspiritualrealizationsimplyaffirms,WhenhungryIeat,whentiredIsleep.
78MountainsAreNotMountainsAccordingtotraditionalmasters,livingwithoutdisturbancemeansyoumustnotneglectyourcurrentchosentask,whateveritmaybe,sothatifitishardtofallasleepyoudonotcompensatebyeating.
Wheneating,performthatfunctiononly(anddonotletyourmindwanderorgetcaughtupinworry),andwhensleep-ingdothatandonlythat(anddonotletagitationkeepyouawake).
Thewrongapproachisportrayedinoneofthemostfamouskoans,whichcouldbedubbedtheparableof"TheEagerMonk.
"Anovicewhocannotwaittoachieveenlightenmentcomestothemonasterytotrainwiththemaster,butisturnedawaybytheguard.
Hestaysoutsideintherain,sittinginzazen,untilthegatekeeperfinallygrantshimentrance.
Onceinside,heconfrontsanimpasseateachstepashetriestofitintothemonasticsystem.
Butthisonlymakeshimmoreeageranddeterminedtoattainhisgoalwithoutdelay.
IfonlyhecouldgetaninterviewwithChao-chou,themasterofthetemple,hethinkshisproblemswouldbesolved.
Earlyonemorning,hefinallygainspermissiontomeetthegreatteacher,arareprivilegeforanoviceinthehighlystratifiedmonas-tichierarchy.
Chao-chousensesthathehasan"eagerbeaver"onhishands.
Heaskstheyoungmonkifhehastakenhismorningmeal(whichinthemonasteryconsistsofricegruel).
Whenthenoviceanswers,"Yes,ofcourse,"Chao-chouinstructshim,Gobackandwashthebreakfastbowls.
Themonkisdismissedandthemeetingendsabruptly.
Chao-choutellstheeagermonkthatheneedstobemorehumbleandmorepatient,andthatthequestforenlightenmentmusthappeninasequentialfashion.
Youcan'tbypassthenextlogicalstepinthepathbytryingtoleapaheadbeforeyouareprepared.
Insomecases,itseemsthatheaveniswonandlostattheverysametime.
Positiveandnegativeelementsaresoentangledthatitmaybeimpossibletodistinguishthem,fortheystrengthenaswellasdiminishoneanother.
InanepisodeoftheoldSupermanTVshow,JimmyOlsenandLoisLanestumbleontoacacheofTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment79stolenmoney.
Butthentheygetstuckintheatticofahousewithasuitcasefullofhundreddollarbillsandnowayoutofthepre-dicament,excepttoburnthemoneyinafireplacetosendasmokesignaltoSuperman.
UrgedonbyLois,Jimmyreluctantlyconsignseverylastbilltotheflamestoensureastrongsignal.
Attheheightofthefantasyaboutwhatcouldbegained,circumstancesshiftedandtheposi-tionofstrengthwasundercut.
Thequestionturnedinaninstantfrom,"WhatcanIdowithwhatIwillacquire"to"HowcanImakethemostofwhatIhavebeforeitisgone"Justastheheavenofrescueandsafetyiswonthegoalofgainingfameandfortuneislost.
WhenIwasakid,myfavoritesportsteamwasthefootballsquadatthecollegewheremyfatherandotherfamilymembershadgonetoschool.
Wewouldgoouttothegamesnearlyeveryweekend.
However,myteamwasinlousyshape.
Justafewyearsbeforetheyhadbeenarealpowerhouse,butthentheschooljoinedanewconferencethatplacedapolicyofde-emphasisonsportsdevelopment.
Theteamwasstuckplayingnationallyrankedri-valswithoutsummertrainingcamporhigh-levelrecruitingandlosteverygameforthreeseasonsstraight.
Then,theverynextyear,thecoachwhohadlivedthroughthehumiliationfinallyfoundhimselfplayingmoreevenlymatchedteamsonthesched-uleandwasonthevergeofwinningtheleaguechampionship.
IwenttothefinalgameoftheyearonebrilliantSaturdayaf-ternoon,andIstillrememberhowthestarquarterbackthrewfourtouchdownpassesthatdayandthedefenseshutouttheop-ponents.
Thefinalscorewas28–0,andwewerechampions.
ForthatdayofjoyinMudville,myexcitementknewnobounds.
ThenextmorningIopenedthesportssectionoftheSundaypaperandexpectedtoreadallaboutit.
Instead,thebigstorywasthatthecoachwasfired.
Infact,hehadbeeninformedjustbeforekickoff,andprobablythequarterbackknewthisduringthegame.
WhenIaskedmyfatherhowthiscouldpossiblybethecase,hemadeacommentabouttherighthandofaninstitutionoftennot80MountainsAreNotMountainsknowingwhatthelefthandisdoing.
Thinkingaboutthismorecarefully,Iwonderedifmaybetheironyhadoccurredpreciselybecausethetwohandsdidknowwhattheotherwasupto.
WhichwaywasitThisquestionbecametheconundrumIhavegrappledwithformanyamoon,apersonalpuzzle,mykoan.
Inadeterminativemoment,winningandlosing,heavenandhell,areneverdistinct,separate,either/orpossibilities,butoftenrepresentstatesofmindthatareinterwovenateverylevel.
ThereisaZensayingthatamonkwhogainedarealization,whilebeingoutsmartedbyarivalmaster,"camebacktolifewhileinthemidstofdeath.
"Inasingleinstant,truthmaybediscoveredinthemidstofuntruth.
Theerrorofyourwaysmayleadyouontherightpath,butitcanalsohappenthatwhenyoufeelboundtoreachagoalthereisafatalmisstepattheeleventhhour.
Japanesepoetseulogizethefallingcherryblossomsbecausetheyevokethefleeting,uncertainnatureofexistence.
Partingissuchsweetsorrow.
AsShakespeareknew,joyistingedwithpoignantsadness,andsor-rowhasitssweetness.
Eventragedymaybearasilverliningfromwhichnewoptimismspringsforth.
Thefragilityofliferevealedinasinglemomentcancontainatonceexhilarationandregret.
WallpaperSatoriSenpaioncefeltaShakespeareanmomentwhentroublingcir-cumstancesledhimtoarealizationofthepowerfulroleoftheUnmovingMind.
Hewasoftenaskedtoleadworkshopsforstu-dentsandtraineesoncreativeapproachestoacquirefunding,includinggainingfinancialsupportfromagovernmentagencyorfoundation.
UsuallySenpaibegantheworkshopbyrecallingthatyearsagohewasanoviceattendingthesamekindofactivityduringadeepeconomicrecession.
HardtimesmeantthattheparticipantsinTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment81thetrainingweremanyandvaried.
Therewereanumberofpeoplewhosecareershadbeencutoffinmidstreambycutbacksandrestructuring,andwhonowsoughttoretooltheirskills.
Manyotherparticipantswereweighingoptionsandcontemplatingpos-sibilitiesorfallbackplansthattheywouldneverhavehadtothinkaboutinfattertimes.
Inconsideringtheseworst-casescenarios,everyoneintheroomwasprobablythinkingthatitmightbenecessarytothrowawayyearsofpreparation,planning,anddreaming.
Intheharshlightofreality,youareforcedtoconsiderdrastic,dramaticchangebyassessingpossibilitiesratherthandesiresandanalyzingexactlywhatyourskillsareandmightbecomeasopposedtowhatyourcredentialsandinterestshavebeen.
Whatabilitieshaveyoude-veloped,irrespectiveofcontextorsubstance,thatcouldpossiblyberefashionedandappliedtoawholenewtypeofpursuitWrit-ingandwordprocessingskillsmaybereroutedintotechnicaled-itingorjournalism.
Knowledgeofhistoryorworldculturescouldbeusefulinworkingforamuseum,atravelagency,orconsultingforinternationalmarketingormanagementfirms.
Facedwiththeprospectoffindingimaginativewaystoenhanceorrevamptheirexistingskills,theworkshopparticipantsseemedgrippedwithanxiety.
Astheteamleaderwentaroundtheroomfortheusualself-introductions,Senpaifeltasifhehadlandedinagrouptherapysession.
Somewereeagertopourouttheirtalesofwoeandbaretheirsoulstotheentiregroup.
Theatmosphereintheroombecametensewithexpectationastheywaitedforthelastofthefeaturedspeakers,afamedconsultantrenownedforhisabil-itytonavigatethehighwaysandbywaysofagencyfunding.
SenpaifelltothinkingthatherehewasinaroomfullofRonin,orleaderlesssamurai,whowerealllookingforastructure,aframe-work,orbedrockofsupporttoleanon.
Thegoalofmajorgrantfundinghadslippedthroughhisfingersjustthreeweeksbeforewhenhewastoldthathisproposalhadbeenrejected.
Lookingbackatallthenegotiationsanddealsbrokeredthathadputhim82MountainsAreNotMountainsinapositiontosubmitacompetitiveproposal,hetriedtofindaZenMindamidhismisfortunes.
Sittingintheworkshop,Senpairealizedthattimewasgettingshortwhentheconsultantfinallyarrived.
Theroomwasover-takenbyahush.
Fromtheoutset,thespeakerwasextremelyknowl-edgeableandofferedallkindsofvaluablesuggestionsandhelpfultips.
Buthisoffhandmannerseemedoverlycasualtomany.
Themoreemotionaltheparticipants,themoreindependentheap-peared,andthisincreasedtheiragitation.
Theconsultant'slackofengagementwasobviouslybecomingasourceoffrustrationforoneparticularlyvocalmemberofthegroup.
Shefeltshewasalreadyveryfamiliarwiththeoptionsbe-ingdiscussed,andshestartedtoexhibitachipontheshoulder,"Whatelsecanyoushowme"attitude.
Theothersappreciatedthehealthydoseofskepticisminjectedbyherlineofquestion-ing.
Buttheyalsobecameuneasyastheeagerlyanticipatedchancetobenefitfromtheworkshopwasrapidlyslippingaway.
Thentheskepticalparticipantstoodupandannouncedthatshehadgonethroughroundsofrejectionfromsomeofthesameagenciestheconsultantwasrecommendingasgoodprospects.
Shewantedtoknowhowhisrecommendationswouldleadhertoapositiveresultthistime.
Shefinallyblurtedout,WhyshouldIwastemytimefollowingyoursuggestionsHaven'tIreceivedenoughrejectionsalreadyThespeakersatbackinhischair,unfazedandunflustered.
Withacalmindifferencereflectingyearsofexperienceandmanyroundsofsuccessesandfailures,hereplied,Iwouldnotfeelaloneinthis.
Everybodygetsrejectionslips.
Icouldpapermywallswithrejectionslips.
Withawrygrin,hepickedupapieceofpaperthatmighthavebeenoneofthefamedrejectionslips,andceremoniouslycrumpleditupandthrewitinSenpai'sdirection.
ForSenpai,thisTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment83remarkandgesture,aswellasthespeaker'sknowingglanceto-wardshimproducedagenuineflashofinsight.
Hedidnotre-memberwhatelsewassaidthatday.
Everythingelseseemedirrelevant,asdidthequestionaskedontheevaluationformaboutwhetherthespeakerhaddonehisjobwellinlightofthepartici-pants'expectations.
WhatwaspowerfulaboutthespeakerwasevidenceofanUn-movingMindthatshowedacaringkindofindifference,beyonddoubting—ormaybeitwasanindifferentformofcompassion.
YukioMishima,whowasquitecriticaloftheroleofZeninmod-ernJapan,neverthelessdepictedanauthenticZenmasterinhisnovel,TempleoftheGoldenPavilion:Therewasagentlenessinhisthunderingvoicethatfoundanechoinmyheart.
Itwasnotausualsortofgentleness,butthegentlenessoftheharshrootsofsomegreattreethatgrowsoutsideavillageandgivessheltertothepassingtraveler.
Thespeakerhadshownanti-structureinaction.
Hisanswerwasaboldstrokethatbrokeoutofthebox.
Therewasapparentharshness,butitwasclearthisdidnotreveallackofconcernorconsiderationtowardsthequestionerortheotherparticipants.
Rather,hisresponseembodiedatypicalZenparadox,thatinor-dertoshowthatyoureallycareyouhavetoshowthatyoudonotcare.
Thiswasexactlythelessontheyneededtolearnintheirsearchforjobsandfunding—tohavetheconfidenceandSansomstrengththatdemonstratestoprospectiveemployersorsupervi-sorsthatyouarenotdesperateand,infact,canwalkawayfromanysituation.
Thiskindofindifferenceapproachdoesnotreflectstubbornnessoramaverickmentalitybutadegreeofresolvethatmaynotbecontainedwithinordinarystructure.
ForSenpai,thestressofbeingconstrainedinhisprofessionalchoiceshadbeenlifted.
Hecouldagainstraightenhisshouldersandshakeoffthatdebilitatinganxiety.
Leavingtheworkshop,Senpaihadgainedatremendousresolvetopursuehisgoalsand84MountainsAreNotMountainsmusterwhateverhecouldtobesuccessful.
Thealienationofbe-ingaRoninturnedouttobeagrowingexperienceforSenpaibecauseitprovidedanopportunitytostandoutsideeverysys-teminordertobethatmuchmoreproductiveoncehefoundhiswaybackinside.
Afewmonthslater,afterrepeatedlycheckingandinquiring,hereceivednotificationthatafellowshipcandidacy,whichhadbeenstalledonawaitinglist,wasaccepted.
Anothergoodpros-pectalsoopenedupasafallback.
Thefellowshipledtoacoupleofyearsofresearchinthefield,whichwasclearlythegreatestturningpointinhiscareerpath,andPlanBalsoeventuallycamethroughwithveryproductiveresults.
Winningthefellowshipwastheresultofactiveself-direction,andthefallbackplanreflectedapurposefuluseofdoubt.
Byrealizingthatthepotentialtoman-agefutureadvancementaswellastoencounterdisappointmentwerebothharboredwithin,Senpaiwasabletokeepmomentumgoingduringdifficulttimes.
InWesternreligion,aspontaneousbreakthroughtoanewlevelofunderstandingthatistriggeredbyaseeminglyminoreventisknownasanepiphany.
ASatoriorepiphanyusuallycomeswhenyouhavebeenstrugglingtosolveaproblemwithoutbudgingpasttheinitialimpasse.
Then,whenyouarejustatthepointofgivinguphope,theanswersuddenlybecomesobvious.
Thisisnotthesameasaquickandimpulsiveidea,orameresurprise.
Instead,itreflectsanongoingprocessofbuildinganddevelopingthatcre-atestheopportunityforinsight.
Theflashofinsightinvariablyfeelsunexpectedandunsought.
AccordingtoaZensaying,Donotengageinuselessseeking.
Onlywhenyouhavenothinginyourmindandarevacantandopentothespiritualmysterywillyoudiscoverthemarvelousnatureoftruereality.
Satorioccursinaninstantbutisthefruitionofalong-termde-velopment.
Youarelikeacupthatisfilledtothebrim.
WhatdoesTheGreatertheDoubt,theGreatertheEnlightenment85ittaketomakeitoverflowTheadditionofjustasingledropofwater.
Aweightcomesoffyourshouldersandtheburdenofanxietyisremovedwhenyougainclarityaboutaproblemyouhavebeenstrugglingwith.
Frustrationandfutilityfadelikethemorningdewasyounolongerfeellostortrappedbycircumstance,butcanactdecisivelytoseizearipeopportunity.
Thefleetingyetlife-alteringinsightsparkedbyacasual,offhandcommentleadstoarenewedsenseofresolve,asinBobDylan'swords,Castingoffonemorelayerofskin,Keepingonestepaheadofthepersecutorwithin.
BillEvans,apianistinthelate1950s,comparedimprovisa-tionaljazztoZen.
HislinernotesforthealbumKindofBlueper-formedbytheMilesDavissextet(includingEvansaswellasJohnColtraneonsax)capturetherelationbetweenimprovisation(oranti-structure)andthecontinuityofform(orstructure)neededtomakethemomentaryexperienceendure:ThereisaJapanesevisualartinwhichtheartistisforcedtobespontaneous.
Hemustpaintonathin-stretchedparch-mentwithaspecialbrushandblackwaterpaintinsuchawaythatanunnaturalorinterruptedstrokewilldestroythelineorbreakthroughtheparchment.
Erasuresorchangesareimpossible.
Theseartistsmustpracticeinaparticulardiscipline,thatofallowingtheideatoexpressitselfincom-municationwiththeirhandsinsuchadirectwaythatdelib-erationcannotinterfere.
Thedisciplineofpracticeandtheunderstandingoftheformalpropertiesofthecompositionfreethejazzmusiciantoimpro-viseinaneffectiveandspontaneousfashion.
Inmuchthesameway,cultivatingtheUnmovingMindenablesitspossessortore-acttoeventsastheyoccuraroundher.
Jazz,likeZen,doesnothaveroomforsecondthoughtsoritemsleftonthecuttingroom86MountainsAreNotMountainsfloor,sotospeak,anditmanifeststhe"convictionthatdirectdeedisthemostmeaningfulreflection,"accordingtoEvans.
Zenteachesusnottoletthemomentpass.
AstheancientJew-ishphilosopherHillelsimilarlyasked,Ifnotnow,whenTheexperienceoftheMoment,whichencompassesthepastthroughmemoryandrecollectionandreachesintothefutureinanticipation,stillsanxieties.
Standingrootedin"now"meansbe-ingopenandreadyfor"then"toweighyourstrengthsandweak-nesses,potentialandconstraintsforgrowth,andtogaugehowthesecanbebalancedintheappropriateway.
Youmaywanttotrytocutyourlossesbyrespondingswiftlyandappropriatelyortoremainpatientdespiteoddsandobstacles.
Supposeaproblemoflimitedresourcesinfunding,person-nel,orequipment—abudgetcut,aco-workerwhotakesanotherjob,orabrokencomputer—isrevealedtoday—andyouforeseethattheproblemislikelytogetworse,whetherintwomonthsortwoyears.
Ontheonehand,youdonotwanttogetaheadofyourselfandbecomepreoccupiedwiththiscontingencytothedetrimentofyourfocusoncurrentactivities.
Butyoualsorealizeyoumustbeginplanningrightnow,handlingallyouraffairsinawaythateitheroffsetspotentialproblemsorputsfallbackstrate-giesinmotion.
YouneedtodevelopaLongViewthatlooksaheadtoscenariosthatwillplayoutoverdays,weeks,months,oryears,butwithoutsacrificingconcentrationnow.
ThisisexpressedinalinefromtheMelBrooksmovie,TheTwelveChairs:Hopeforthebest,expecttheworst.
Lifeisaplay.
Weareun-rehearsed.
87chapterfiveSeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTreesIFourLevelsofConsciousnessNCONSTRUCTINGANEVALUATIONofhisrival'sproject,Senpaireal-izedthattherebuildingofcharacterisnotsomethingsimplytobethoughtabout.
Itmustbedemonstratedthroughappro-priatespeech.
Howyougetyourmessageacrossdeterminesthebalancebetweengainingandlosingheaveninthattinymoment.
AssuggestedbytheopeningofSoseki'snovel,TheThreeCor-neredWorld,peopleoftenfindthemselvestiedupinknotsandhavedifficultyexpressingtheirattitudesandaimsbecausetheycannotproperlycoordinatethevariouscognitiveelementsin-volvedinpersuasivecommunication.
Theirspeechismisguidedwhenbeingproducedundertheswayofordinaryfeelingsorthoughtsthatarechokedbythetenaciousweedsofassumptionsandpresumptions:Approacheverythingrationally,andyoubecomeharsh.
Polealonginthestreamofemotions,andyouwillbesweptawaybythecurrent.
Givefreereintoyourdesires,andyoube-comeuncomfortablyconfined.
Itisnotaveryagreeableplacetolive,thisworldofours.
88MountainsAreNotMountainsForSoseki,feelingsanddesireofferonlytheillusionoffreedom,butreasondoesnotnecessarilyprovidetheanswer.
Itcanbe-comejustanotherconstraintthatkeepsyourigidandinflexible,andthusstillnotincontrolofyourreactions.
Inalaterpassage,Sosekiproposesasolutiontothecommuni-cationimpassebymeansofwhichyoucan,Enteratwillaworldofundefiledpurity,andthrowingofftheyokeofavariceandselfinterest,areabletobuildupapeerlessandunequaleduniverse.
Thetransitionfromself-interesttoself-controlhingesoncul-tivatingthroughEPAthefourbasiclevelsofconsciousness.
Thefirstlevelisfeelingoremotion,whichincludesyourimmediategutresponsestopeopleorevents.
Gettingfoxedhitshomehere,producingdismayanddejection.
Thisistherealmwhereexter-nalstimuliaffectyoufirst,forbetterorworse,butyoucanel-evateandtransformemotionsbyachievingadepersonalizedperspective.
Thesecondlevelisspeaking,whichcanbecalmandconstruc-tiveifguidedbyhigherstatesofconsciousness,oritcanbedrivenbyemotionsinawaythatincreasesconflict.
Thislevelofcon-sciousnessencompassesstyleaswellascontent.
Speakingdoesnotreferonlytotheactofutteringwords,butthestateofmindingivingvoiceorexpressiontofeelingsandideas.
Thewayyoucommunicateisacrucialfactorinwhether,intheend,youareabletomakeyourcase.
Thenextlevelisthinking,orrational,logicalcalculation.
Rea-sonprovidesacarefulsystematicanalysisbyofferingacheck-and-balancethatpreventsfeelingsfromgettingoutofcontrolorbeingexpressedasanextremeformofreaction.
Unlessfreedofbiasstemmingfromemotions,thinkingwillproduceadistortedanalysisandinturntaintspeaking,revealingtheanxietyassociatedwithuncertainorunstableconclusions.
Butwhenempoweredbylogicthatenablesacareful,objectiveex-SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees89amination,thinkingkeepsemotionsinlineandallowsyourspeechtobeeloquentandconvincing.
However,speakingbasedsolelyonrationalitymaycomeacrossasrigidandnotverycompelling.
Think-ing,asthethirdlevelofconsciousness,canbeone-dimensionalifyouarelockedintoapatternofeither/or,yes-or-noconceptualiza-tion,anddonottakeadvantageofthefullerrangeofoptions.
Therefore,logicisnotthehighestlevel,accordingtoZen.
Ananalyticmodeofthoughtmaybeinadequatewhenfacedwithacrisisorconflictinvolvinginterpersonalrelationsandcomplexnegotiations.
Suchtimesdemandnotonlyarationalexamina-tionoftheexternalworld,butadeepinternal,subjectiveunder-standinginordertoresultindecisiveaction.
Forexample,whendeniedabonus,raise,orpromotion,yourgutreactionistoquestionthedecision.
Ifyouexpressyourfrus-trationhistrionically,asupervisorwilllikelysimplyturnyouaway.
Amoremeasuredandobjectivetoneindicatesthatyouhavethoughtthingsthroughandarepreparedtoaccepttheoutcome.
However,inrelyingonlogicalone,youmayhaveanunderstand-ingthatdoesnothavethepowertochangetheresults.
Atthispoint,thecapacitiesofthefirstthreelevelsofconsciousnessrunintoadeadendandyoumayfindyourselfblindsidedbyanevenmoreunexpectedordauntingdistraction.
AZenkoaninstructs,Itisnotamatterofthinking,whichistooanalytic,orofnot-thinking,whichisablankstateofconsciousness.
HowdoyouthinkbeyondthinkingWhatismissingisaloftywisdomorsenseofbalancethatsyn-thesizesandmoderatesemotionandreasontoadjustagendasinresponsetotheperpetuallyshiftingtideofcircumstances.
TheGreektermfor"word"islogos,whichistherootof"logic"inmodernEnglish.
InancientGreek,logoshadlesstodowithac-tualspeakingthanthecollectingofthoughtsbehindthewordsanditimplied"light"inthesenseofthesourceofinspiration.
90MountainsAreNotMountainsThefourthlevel,knowingorintuitiveawareness,isessentialforintegratingtheotherstates.
Itisthecohesiveorbindingfactorthatenablestheentireprocessofcommunicationtofunctionsmoothly.
Intuitionsharpensbutisnotboundbytherulesoflogic,sothatitissometimesreferredtoas"unknowing"inChris-tianmysticism,justastheMindisoftencalledNo-MindbysomeZenmasters.
Theimportanceofopeningupintuitionisunder-stoodinmanymysticaltraditions,butZenspecializesinrefiningitscapacitieswhilediminishingitsperils.
Intuitiveawarenessal-lowsyoutoact-and-reactspontaneously,whichiscrucialformakingthetransitionfromstructuretoanti-structurethatcanturnaconflictiveConfrontationintoaproductiveEncounter.
Thefourthlevelisastateofbeingorwayofacting.
Whereasthinkinganalyzesthepriorcauseandsubsequenteffectofanyevent,knowingunderstandsrealityintermsofinterrelatedrootsandbranchesunfoldingsimultaneously.
Thisinsightenablesyoutosummonstrengthofcharacteranddemonstrateinacreativeandresourcefulwaythatyoudeservetoachieveyourgoals.
Pic-tureyourselfatacrossroads,whetheranactualintersectionorametaphoricalone,suchasachoiceofcareer.
ThetermTaoinChi-nese,whichliterallydenotesroad,originallymeant"waymak-ing"orcarvingoutaroute.
Atatimewhentherewerefewhuman-madethoroughfaresyouhadtofindyourownwaythroughthewildernessoneachandeveryjourney.
Eventuallyyoucametorecognizelandmarksandsignsleftbyyouaswellasotherpassersbyandanew,morelong-lastingpathwascreated.
Choicesmadeatajunctureareneverbasedsimplyonbinaryoppositionslikestoporgo,slowdownorspeedup,turnleftorturnright.
Foronething,severalofthesedecisionscanbemadesimultaneouslyandmaycomplementorcontradictoneanother.
Newelementsariseandothers'reactionsinfluenceyourpercep-tionsorcauseideastodawn.
Therearesomanyfluctuatingop-portunitiesandobstaclesthatyouvacillatebetweenlogicandinstinct.
Eachtimeadecisionisbeingmade,logicalanalysisdis-SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees91sectsalternativesintopatternsofdichotomyandexpansivein-tuitiveawarenesstriestosteerinstinctivelytowardstheoverrid-inggoalsortargetsofoperation.
Switchingfromthelevelofthinkingtointuitionoftenhap-penswhenyouareinjeopardyorwalkingatightropeandneedtomakealeapoffaith.
IlearnedthislessonduringmyfirsttriptoJapan.
Iwasgoingtoattendaconferenceinanout-of-the-wayneighborhoodinTokyo.
Tokyoisaveryconfusingplacetotrytogetaround.
Notonlyisitavastandlabyrinthinemetropolis,butalsothesystemofstreetaddressesisrootedinamedievaltech-niquefordeceivingwould-beattackers.
Thecustomforlocalsandoutsidersalikeistoaskdirectionsfromapoliceofficer,whoislikelytodrawyouamap.
WhenIgotoffatthesubwaystationandrealizedIwasrun-ninglate,IsawatallWesterneremergefromthecrowd.
IknewthattheconferencewasgoingtodrawbothforeignandJapaneseresearchersandthataprominentprofessorfromtheUnitedStateswouldbethekeynotespeaker.
Ihadneverseentheprofessorbe-forebutsomethinginsidemesaidthatfollowingthisgentlemanwouldleadmesafelytoshore.
Inasplitsecond,Ihadtodecidewhethertoquicklypursuethebobbingfigureasitwasdisappear-inginaseaofbodiesascendingthestairstogroundlevelorlookforapolicestationwhereIwouldaskfordirectionsinJapanese.
Thesecondoptionwouldbealittletediousandtimeconsumingbutmorelikelytoyieldaccurateresults.
Ofcourse,Iinstinctivelytrailedbehindtheforeignerandsureenough,hewasthekeynotespeaker.
Reactingbasedonfeelingscouldhaveledmetopanic,butIdidnothavethetimetositbackandthinkitthroughrationally.
Instead,Ireliedonknowing,whichisaself-regulatingmecha-nismthatsynthesizestheotherlevelsofconsciousnesswhilemain-tainingafocusontheultimatepurposeofanyproject.
Thefourthlevelpreventsfeelingsfrombeingviolentorindifferent,keepsspeakingfromrevealinghostilityordecliningintoidlechatter,92MountainsAreNotMountainsandcutsoffthinkingfrombeingledaroundbythearbitraryrulesofreasonasiftheseweretherulersofSelf.
Therearethreemainaspectsofthefourlevelsofconsciousness.
Thefirstaspectisthattheseelementsofhumanbehaviorhaveaninnatefunctionalunityasindicatedinthefollowingdiagram.
Feelingislikethewheelsofachariot,whichconstantlycomesincontactwiththeoutsideworld.
Speakingisthehorses,whichpro-pelusforward,andthinkingisthereinsthatguidethehorses.
Butitisthecharioteer,whoiscontinuallymakingdecisionsaboutspeedanddirectionbykeepinginMindthegoalofreachingthefinaldestination,whocontrolsallthesefactors.
Thesecondaspectisthateachofthelevelsisatwo-edgedsword.
ItcanbringenhancementwhenalignedandbalancedthroughcontemplationandconcentrationfollowingtheGreatDoubt.
Whenuntamedandseparatefromtheotherlevels,however,itcanbeadestructiveforcebymanipulatingcircumstances.
SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees93AccordingtoBuddhistteaching,animbalancearisesinthefirstthreelevelsofconsciousnesswhenfeelingsrespondreflexivelytoexternalstimulationandimmediatelybecomeentangledinself-interestedmotivesandintentions.
Caughtupinthedesireforwhatisabsentorrevulsionatwhatispresent,feelingseasilyleadtoan"us-versus-them"mentality.
Emotionsarepolarizedintoafundamentaloppositionbetweenlikingortryingtoacquiremoreandmoreofwhatfeelspleasantanddislikingortryingtoelimi-natemoreandmoreofwhatfeelsunpleasant.
Actingontheseunconsciousimpulsescanbecomelockedintoafixedpatternofbehaviorsodeeplyingrainedthatitseemsimpossibletobreakoutofit.
Accordingtomanyaccountsinsocialpsychology,whichlendsupporttoBuddhistteachings,employersmakeuptheirmindsaboutjobcandidatesalmostatfirstsight.
Oncetheinitialim-pressionhasregistered,itisnearlyirreversible.
Inthecaseoftheunwantedassignment,forexample,youarebeingevaluatedfromthemomentthesupervisorwalksthroughthedoor.
Aninstantofdelaymaycreateanimpressionthatwillworkagainstyouforsometimetocome.
TheUnmovingMinddevelopsasyouareabletorestructureaninitialinstantofperception—thattinymoment—sothatinyourfirstimpressionsyoudonotmakejudgmentsinstinctively,givingrisetopolarization,butratherremainopenandobjective.
Insteadofsayingtoyourself,"Ilikethisandwantmoreofit"or"Idonotlikethisandwantless,"youremaincalmandcomposed.
Speakingstandsinamiddlegroundbetweenfeelingsandthoughts.
Whendrivenbyexcessiveemotionsandinnerturmoil,wordsexpressaggressionandpromotedisharmony.
Anoverlyemotionalspeechprovokedbyafeelingofpowerlessnesscanearnoneareputationastemperamentalandcapricious,alabelthatmaybetoughabletoshake.
Ifbalancedandinharmonywiththeotherlevelsofconsciousness,speakingisaconstructivemeansofpersuasionthatmakeseffectiveuseofmultiplefactorssuchas94MountainsAreNotMountainstoneanddictionthataffecttheimpactofcommunication.
Ontheotherhand,thealignedstateofthislevelofconsciousnesscanalsoyieldanoverrelianceondiscourseattheexpenseoffol-lowingthrough.
Actionsspeaklouder.
Partofconstructivecommunicationistodepersonalizebothcriticismandpraise.
RatherthanreferringtoaparticularpersoninformallyasJohn,whichmayindicatedisrespect,orformallyasMr.
Brown,whichseemsstilted,refertohisrole:"Thedirectorhasindicatedsuchandsuch,"isenunciatedeithertodistancefromthefunctionofcriticismortoevokethepowerofauthority.
Tak-ingtheprogressionastepfurthermeansreferringnottotheper-sonorthepositionbuttotheoffice,asinthe"managementofficehasannounced…"Thepathofneutralityrefrainsfrommakingmountainsoutofmolehillsorviceversa,becausemountainsaremountainsandmolehillsaremolehills.
Ofcourse,thistechniquecanbemisusedasawayoftreatingcolleagueswithlessofasenseofindividualityandintegritythanisdeserved.
Knowingcandeteriorateintopartialityandone-sidednessifitisguidedbyunproductiveorevendestructiveemotionsthathavenotbeenfullyextirpated.
Senpaionceknewavisionarycol-leaguewhohadideassproutingallovertheplacebutdifficultyintranslatingthemintoactionbecausehedidn'tunderstandtheimportanceofengagingothersinthenecessaryplanning.
Hewasseducedbythethrillofthekillinchasingdowntheconceptorcontact,notrealizingthatanideaexpressedatthewrongtime,howeverilluminating,caneasilybackfireiffullsupportisnotinplacetomakethingshappen.
Thecolleaguehadparticulardiffi-cultyincoordinatingexternalresourceswithinternalsupport.
Onetimehehadobtainedoutsidebackingforaplanbutwasflummoxedwhentoldthattherewasnothingtosustainitontheinside.
Anothertime,insiderswereattractedtoaprojectheenvi-sionedbutwhenhecouldnotdelivertheexternalfactors,itwassaidthatinsteadoflininguphisduckshehadtakenoutashot-gunandfiredatthem.
SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees95ThethirdaspectofthefourlevelsofconsciousnessisthattheMomentofconvergenceofintuitionandlogic,orunconsciousimpulseandconsciousstriving,istheSatori'sinstantaneousflashofinsight.
Itisthelightbulbgoingonoralightningboltfromtheblue,theliftingoftheveiltorevealarealmofclarity.
Senpaiexperiencedthepositivesideofintuitionwhenhewasbeingreviewedforacompetitiontoearnanimportantcreden-tial.
Hehadtogothroughaseriesoforalexams,eachconductedbyadifferentinterviewer.
Hefelthewasdoingwelluntilhegottothefinalinterviewofthedayandthereviewerpressedhimontheoreticalissuesdespitethefactthathisexpertisewasinappli-cations.
ThefirsttwoquestionsweresoperplexingthatSenpaievokedanobscurerulethatallowedyoutoturnawaythreeque-ries.
Heknewthateventhoughonemorepasswastechnicallypermissible,itmightwellsinkhischances.
Soheleaptintothediscussion,showingtheinterviewerawaytorefashionthesec-ondquestionsothatintheprocesshecouldpulloutwhatheknewratherthanexposewhathedidnot.
Hepassedthetest.
LearningUnlearningTheabilitytorespondimmediatelytocomplexsituationsmeansthatyoucanfreeyourselffrompreconceptionsandunlearncounter-productivehabits,suchasbuildingupdemandsandexpectations.
LevelsUnalignedAlignedKnowingPartialBoundless(Intuition)ThinkingManipulativeObjective(Logic)SpeakingAttackingPersuasive(Communication)FeelingPolarizedDepersonalized(Emotion)96MountainsAreNotMountainsThroughtheinsightoftheHermit,whobelieveseachpersonisaBuddhawaitingtobediscovered,feelingsaretamedandclearedofattachmentsandnegativity,andthisenablespersuasivecom-munication.
TheZenpathwasgreatlyinfluencedbythephiloso-phyofLaoTzu,thefounderofTaoism,whosuggests,Tosucceedintheworldyoumustlearnmoreandmore,ButtoaccomplishintherealmoftheTaoyoumustunlearn.
ChuangTzu,anotherearlyTaoistthinkerwhosewritingsinflu-encedZen,talkedaboutthepathof"forgetting"orcastingasideself-defeatinghabitsalongwiththeweedsofmundaneattachments.
Thisstageisfollowedbya"fastingofthemind,"whichblockstheinfluxofcontaminatingthoughtsinordertomaintainastateofnimblenessandagility.
JustasthebodydoesnotpartakeoffoodafterthemiddaymealintraditionalBuddhistmonasticismorduringholydayssuchasYomKippur,Lent,orRamadaninotherreligions,sothemindrefrainsfromtheintakeofpollut-ants.
Yet,accordingtoabiblicalpassage(Matthew15:11),inges-tionisnotthemainissue:Itisnotwhatgoesintoyourmouththatdefilesaperson,butitiswhatcomesoutofthemouththatdefiles.
Inmanyreligioustraditions,acelebratoryfeastfollowsafastmarkingrepentance.
InTaoistmysticism,spiritualfeastingisknownasthepathof"freeandeasywandering,"whichexploresallperspectiveswithoutfixation:LearnandunlearnLearntounlearn,forTounlearnistolearn.
Unlearningtobepreoccupiedwiththepolaritiesofwinningandlosingenablesyoutolookcarefullyatotherpointsofview.
SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees97Youanalyzeeachpersonandsituationonacase-by-casebasistodeterminewhatyouknowforsureandwhatyoudonotknowandareonlyguessingorconjecturing.
AsConfuciussays,Knowledgemeanswhenyouknowathingtorecognizethatyouknowit,andwhenyoudonotknowathingtorecognizethatyoudonotknowit.
Thatisknowledge.
DetectiveJoeFridayontheoldDragnetTVseriescautionedwit-nessesnottoofferhearsay,guesswork,rumor,orinnuendo,Justthefacts,Ma'am.
Anyhintoffavoritismmaybedetrimentaltoareputationforgoodjudgment,aswellastheabilitytorecommendreforms.
PhysicistJulianBarboursaysofthegreatestofmodernscientists,who"havedeep-rootedbutfalseideasaboutthenatureofspace,time,andthings,"Preconceptionsobscurethetruenatureoftheworld.
WhatisneededistheattitudeofGalileo,whoindebatingwiththosewhoexhibitedamulishadherencetoGreekcosmologyswore,IfAristotlehimselfwerebroughtbacktolifeandshownthesightsnowseen,thegreatphilosopherwouldquicklyalterhisopinion.
Inreachingastateofdisinteresteddetachment,orwhatFrenchthinkerscalldesinteressement,theHermitrealizesthat,iftakentoanextreme,everyemotionwithoutexceptiontotherule,nomat-terhowworthyitseemsinitself,willbecomeproblematic.
Lovebecomesanobsessionorjoyturnsintoapreoccupationwhentheseseeminglypositiveemotionsbecomefixedonasingleob-ject.
However,moderationasanendinitselfisnobetterifitcutsoffalternativesarbitrarilyandpreventsyoufromexploringandexperiencingeverypossiblevantagepoint.
Whenintegratedandharmonizedwiththehigherlevels,however,emotionsbecome98MountainsAreNotMountainsstillanddepersonalized,andnolongerinterfere.
Butthealignedorawakenedaspectoffeelingscanalsobeproblematicifitistoodetachedandcreatestheappearanceofmereindifferenceorisuncriticalinawaythatleavesyouvulnerabletogettingfoxed.
ApaintingdepictsanancientChinesehermitescapingpoliti-calintriguebyretreatingtothecountryside.
InastateofDwell-ingonthePeak,hedipshishandintoawaterfalltowashhisearsofthecontaminatedwordsherecentlyheardinthecapital,re-flectingabalancedperspectivethatperpetuallyrisesabovestrifeanddiscord.
Inassessinghisrival,forexample,Senpaididnotlookbackatthepossiblereasonswhyhelostthecompetitionbutstayedfo-cusedontheevaluationinfrontofhim.
ThroughthepathofNeutrality(oropenendedness)andEquanimity(orevenhand-edness),theHermitwayovercomestheviciouscycleofseekingtoacquirewhatisdesiredandeliminatewhatisundesired.
In-steadofreactingoutofunbridledfeeling,youstepawayfromthescene,climbtotheproverbialmountaintopofcomprehensiveawareness,andgainabird's-eyeviewofthesituation.
Neutralityisnotadeadenedstate,withdrawnfromengage-ment.
TheHermitattainsaunifiedvisionthattranscendsyetatthesametimestaysactivelyinvolvedintherealmofdivisionandvariationinthevalleybelow.
Hisspeakingdoesnotavoidcon-flictorcompetitionbutturnsconfrontationalsituationsintoav-enuesforconstructiveinteraction.
Asagenuinemiddlepathbetweentheextremesofpassivityandaggressiveness,neutralityisfullyaliveandawareofaboundlessarrayofopportunities.
Therefore,Withdrawal(orsilence)doesnotdisableactivity(orspeak-ing),butultimatelyempowersit.
TheHermitwayculminatesinthecomprehensiveawarenessthatTaoismcallsthe"equalityofallthings,"whichisusefulinsolvingdilemmasinthemundanerealmwhereeverythingseemsSeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees99unequalanddivisive.
Pictureamanagerwhosestaffisevercom-plainingaboutthesystemofrewards.
Themanageroffersthoseemployeeswhoachieveahighlevelofproductivityfourbonusesinthefirstquarterandthreeinthesecondquarter.
Thestaffisnotsatisfiedandthreatenstorebel.
Themanagerthenreverseshimselfandoffersthreebonusesinthefirstquarterandfourinthesecond.
Noweveryoneiscontent.
Nothinghaschanged.
Real-itystaysthesameandcomesoutintheendtotheidenticalstate;however,thenewwayofdivvyinguptherewardsgivesthework-ersapsychologicalboost.
Theoverseertriestoinstructtheworkersthatunderstandingequalityprovidespeaceofmind.
Whenyouacceptthatopportu-nitiesarelimited,youfreeyourselffromtheconstraintsofmis-leadingexpectationsanddemands.
ThisinsightgaveSenpaiachancetostopcountinghiswinsandlossesonaspreadsheet,orcalculatingplusesandminusesashegazedattherecordoftherival.
Insteadhecouldfocusontheprocessofevaluation,leavingpersonalgoals(hisortherival's)offameandfortune,orreputa-tionandrecognitiontoemerge,ornot,asby-productsratherthanprimaryaims.
Imagineyouarearguingwithyourspouseaboutwhichcartobuy,domesticorforeign,SUVorvan,sedanorwagon,brightcolorordarkcolor,automaticormanual.
Thedebatequicklyes-calatesintoafeudthatinfiltrateseveryaspectofyourrelation-ship.
Inthemidstofthemostheatedstageoftheargument,youtaketheelevatortothetopfloorofahighrise.
Youlookdownandthecarsbelowappearliketiny,featurelessspecks.
Atthatmoment,youcanlaughatyourselfforhavingsuccumbedtosuchapettyobsessionandyouandyourpartnerquicklyareabletocometoterms.
Consideraturfbattleoversomethinglikeaspecificitem,suchasaproposal,report,submission,orrequest.
Steppingbacktoapositionofloftyobjectivityallowsyouclearlyandunemotionally100MountainsAreNotMountainstosurveytheprosandconsofeachandeveryperson,item,oreventinitsappropriateproportionality.
ToparaphraseanotherConfucianproverb,Donottreatwhatissignificantasnotsignificantorwhatisnotsignificantassignificant.
Thenyoucanfilterproposalsandmakeresoluteyetflexibledeci-sionsacceptabletotherespectiveparties.
Followingthespiritualparadoxthatservingandhumilityarepreferabletobeingservedandboasting,Zenteachesthatcom-pleteobjectivityinexaminingotherperspectivesfreesyouforgreaterself-reflectionandintrospection.
Nomatterwhatyourpersonalfeelings,youmustbeeminentlyfairandreasonableinyourassessmentofoverallandindividualstrengthsandweak-nesses,needsandgoals.
Donotpigeonholeanyoneexclusivelyasanallyoranadversary,butratherbeawareofsubtleshiftsinattitudesandbehavior.
Treatingemployeeswellencouragesyouremployerstodothesame,accordingtokarmiclawof"dountoothers.
.
.
"Ifsomeoneunderyoursupervisionisdoinganoutstandingjob,letpeopleknowhowmuchyouvaluetheircontribution,whichmayhelplifttheirperformancetothenextlevel.
Shouldtheyreceiveanofferfromanotherfirm,besurethereisasolidcounteroffer.
Whileyoustayvigilantforerrorsandlapses,yourcritiquewillbemorecredibleifyouareonrecordasbeingunbiased.
AMountainbyAnyOtherNameEPAiscompletedbyintegratingthewayoftheHermit,whichawakenstheintuitiveawarenessthatpurifiesintentionsbymak-ingallthingsequal,withthewayoftheWarrior,whichactivatesandappliesthefirstthreelevelsofconsciousness,nowfreeofbiasandopentopossibilitiesinconcreteactivitiesoftheevery-SeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees101dayworld.
Despitetheirfundamentaldifferencesinoutlook,thebestofHermitandWarriorwayscombinedinspiresthesteadi-nessandspontaneityneededtofaceoffwithadifficultchallenge.
TheHermitrepresentsthepossibilityofsteppingbackfromcomplicatedemotionalreactionsandremovingegotoseethingsclearlyfromanelevatedperspective.
TheHermit'spracticeofwithholdingemotionsisadisciplinenecessarytotheoutlookoftheWarrior,whocompeteswithutmosteffortontheinstitutional"battlefield.
"TheHermitwaybyitselfmayleadtopassivityandrenunciationandendinwithdrawalandcapitulation.
TheWar-riorwaybyitselfmayleadtocold-bloodedandmanipulativebehaviorthatisalsoexcessivelyself-sacrificingandendincon-flictandconfrontation.
TocreateanEncounter,theHermitadoptstechniquesoftheWarriortocomeoutofisolationandbecomesalertandpreparedforaninterpersonalexchange.
TobeagreatWarrioronthelevelofdynamicactivityistobeagreatHermitonthelevelofcalmcontemplation,andviceversa.
Thisintegrationmaximizestheimpactofwordsanddeedswhilereducingoreliminatingrisk.
WhiteCollarZenseekstobalancethetwoapproaches,sothatproductiveresultsareobtainedandthepotentialforextremesandexcessesislessened.
Takingthepathofcontemplativeaction,theWarrior,whohearstheclashingofswordsandarmorandattimesthecryoftheagonyofdefeatanddeath,representsthefulfillmentoftheHermit'sre-entryintomainstreamsociety.
Inthefinalillustrationofthese-riesofZenillustrations,theTenOxherdingPictures,"ReturningtotheMarketplace,"theherdergoesbeyondtheabstracttran-scendencerepresentedbytheemptycircleoftheeighthpicture.
AfrequentlycitedproverblaysoutthreemainstagesinthedevelopmentofZenintuitiveinsight:1.
BeforestudyingZen,mountainsaremountainsandriversarerivers;102MountainsAreNotMountains2.
WhilestudyingZen,mountainsarenolongermountainsandriversarenolongerrivers;3.
AfterstudyingZen,mountainsaremountainsandriversarerivers,again.
Accordingtoatraditionalexplanation,thefirststagereflectstheviewofachildwhosmellsaflowerorseesitsbrightcolorsandfeelsprofoundadmiration.
Butthechildisnotcapableofobjec-tiveexaminationorinterpretationofthesignificanceofthenatu-ralobject.
Thechildonlyhasunexaminedimpressionsmixedwithwhatheorshehasheardorbeentaught.
Thesecondstageisthatofthescientist,whomaylosesightofthebigpicturewhileinves-tigatingdetails,categorizingrealityintermsofcauseandeffect,divisionsandsubdivisions.
Relyingonthinkingorreason,thescientistlookstoocarefullyatparticularsandisblindtotheover-view.
YetsometimesthescientisthasaflashofintuitiveinsightandcriesoutinSatori-likefashion,Eureka!
Thethirdstageisthatofthepoet,whoseintegrativeintuitionsynthesizesthefirsttwostandpointswhiletranscendingtheirlimi-tations.
Thepoet'sapproachisatonceanalyticorobjective,likethescientist,andexperientialorsubjective,likethechild.
Thepoetsoundsidenticaltothechild,buthasattainedamorepro-foundlevelofunderstandingasaresultofhavingpassedthroughthestageofthescientist.
TellingthedifferencesbetweenthefirstandsecondperceptionofmountainsasmountainsisacrucialZenskill.
Considerthewayinexperiencedworkersapproachprofessionalassociations.
Alongwayfrommasteringtheirrole,juniorcol-leaguesmayfeelanxiousandintimidatedbytheirsuperiors.
ButtosucceedyouneedalwaystobeshootingforsomethinghigherbecausesomedayyouwillwanttobeabletofilltheshoesoftheSeeingtheForest,ButNotMissingtheTrees103peopleofwhomyouarenowsomuchinawe.
Toarriveattheinnercircleofleadershipyoumustbecomejustlikeyourpresentsuperiors.
Senpaioftentolddisciplestheydidnotneedtoattendsemi-narsandpanelsatmajorconferencesbecauseitisanadvantagetobeperceivedasbeingtoobusytobebothered.
But,andthiswasacrucialqualifier,thatadviceheldonlyforthosewhoal-readyparticipatedinorledtheseminars,andwasnotdirectedatsomeonetooscaredorinexperiencedtotakepart.
Thereisafun-damentaldifferencebetweenapreliminaryviewofthemoun-tainsandseeingthemattheendofthedevelopmentalprocess.
Inthesecondstage,youadvancebygoingthroughtheproperchannels,suchasproposingapresentationandhavingitacceptedandnextbeingelectedtoareviewcommitteeandtakingonarolewhereyouarecountedasoneofthefewtoppeoplewhosejudgmentisrespected.
Bythethirdstage,havingmasteredtheprocess,youcantranscendit.
Ultimately,whenyourprimeispast,youarewillingtostandbackandlettheleadershiprolepasstonewblood.
Youarenotbeingpushedaside,buthaveoutgrowntheroleandcanletgoofanyattachmenttoit.
Aspartofanaturalprocessofgrowth,youreturntobeinganobserver/participant.
Becomingasenioradvisor,youareabletoacceptitevenwhenyourworkisoverlookedorseeminglydisrespected.
Thefinalstageofthedevelopmentalprocessatonceduplicatesandsurpassesthefirststage.
Toreachthatgoalrequiresanalyzing,examining,learning,andthenunlearning.
AtthispointyourealizethatmountainsareoncemoremountainsbecauseYOUhavemadethechoicesthatallowthemtoappearthatway.
Zenisabout,Makingmountainsmountains,again.
ThispageintentionallyleftblankpartthreeMountainsAreMountainsAgain:FromStructuretoAnti-StructureIfthepresidentisfearlessandthegeneralisfearless,thenthetroopswillalsobefearless.
ShaquilleO'NealThispageintentionallyleftblank107chaptersixReturningtotheMarketplaceYTurningThingsUpsideDown,Zigzag,andTopsy-TurvyOUHAVEPROBABLYHEARDthefollowingadviceattimeswhenyouwerebeingheadstrong,stubborn,orprovocative,evenifyourpointwasbasicallycorrect:Becautious.
Chooseyourbattleswisely.
Thismeansthatyouareonlygoingtowinacertainnumberofbattlesandyoudon'twanttowasteyourenergybyfightingforthingsthatareofsubsidiaryimportance.
Forexample,ifyourcolleaguesareunenthusiasticaboutaprojectyouwouldliketopursue,youshouldonlypushbackhardifitisveryimportanttoyoupersonally.
Evenifitmightbeaworthwhileprojectthatwouldprovesuccessful,ifyouinsistongettingyourwayonallormostofthesecasesyoumayforfeitcredibilityandclout.
Yourcolleaguesshouldknowthatifyoufightforaprojecttheremustbesome-thingspecialaboutit.
Otherwise,remainunemotional(objectiveandneutral)inpresentation,andwaitforatimewhenyouareabletocoordinatestyleandsubstancetoattainsuccess.
108MountainsAreMountainsAgainTheZenversionofthissayingintheprofessionalsphereis,CreateyourEncounters!
ThepathofneutralityandequanimityiscriticaltoyourabilitytotransformasituationofcompetitionfromaConfrontation,whichisone-dimensionalandstatic,toanEncounter,whichismultifunctionalandfluid.
InaConfrontation,wordsdonoteasetensionsorproducethedesiredchange.
Instead,theycausearigidstructuretobecomeevenmoreinflexible.
AConfrontationcom-poundsthesenseoffutilityandmayleadtofurtherconflictwith-outcreatingafallbacksystem,whereasanEncounterisacreativeformofnegotiationwithmutuallybeneficialconsequences.
AsHeraclitussaysoftheuseofinteractionforpositiveresults,Thatwhichopposesproducesabenefit.
Encouragingcolleaguesinaconstructivewayandbeingpreparedtoacknowledgewhatyoulearnfromthemearnsrespectwhileupliftingcompetitorsandunalliedforces.
IntheirEncounterdialogues,Zenmastersgenerallyexpressachallengetoconventionalauthority,andadecisivemomentde-termineswhoholdsgenuinepower(asaBuddha)andwhohaslittlebutpretenseandfakery(asaFox).
TheJapanesetermforEncounterdialogue,kien-mondo,referstoan"auspicious,dy-namicopportunity"(kien)foraspecialmeetingbetweenpartieswhoaredestinedtocontestyetcooperateina"question-answer"(mondo)processordialoguethatleadstothediscoveryoftruth.
Thetermkiensuggeststhatfateleadsyoutomeetingswithpeoplethatmayappeartobecoincidentalbutintheendprovemean-ingfulanddecisive.
ThisstandsincontrasttoanotherJapaneseterm,guzen,whichindicatesaccidentalorarbitraryincidentsthatarenotpartofapattern,aswellasfatalistnotionsthatleavenoroomforfreewillandpersonalchoice.
Therealizationthatjusttherightpersonorcircumstancehascrossedyourpathmarkstheexperienceof"gooden.
"ThesecanReturningtotheMarketplace109becompetitorsorchallengersif,intheend,youlearnorbenefitfromtheinteraction.
The"en"of"kien"isaproductivemeetingpointofnecessityandchance.
Encounterdialogueisawayoftestingandcontestinginagameofoneupmanshipwithnoclear,finalvictor,sinceeventhosewhoareseeminglydefeatedalsogainrewards.
ThepatternsandlessonsofZendialoguesarebrilliantlyillus-tratedbyakoanknownas"Te-shanCarryingHisBundle,"whichprovidesaparadigmfortheaccomplishmentofprofessionallead-ershipgoals.
(Acompletetranslationwithcommentariesisin-cludedintheAppendix).
Te-shancametoseeKuei-shan.
HecarriedhisbundleintotheDharmaHall.
Thenhecrossedfromeastsidetowestside,andagainfromwestsidetoeastside.
Helookedaroundandsaid,"Nooneishere.
There'snothinghere,"andthenheleft.
ButwhenTe-shangottothegatesofthetemplehethoughttohimself,"Ireallyshouldnotbesocrude.
"SoheenteredtheDharmaHallonceagain,withfullceremony,togreetthemas-ter.
Kuei-shanjustsatthere.
Te-shanhelduphistrainingmatandsaid,"Teacher.
"Kuei-shanreachedforhisfly-whisk.
Te-shancriedout,shookhissleeves,andabruptlyleft.
Te-shanturnedfromtheDharmaHall,putonhisstrawsandals,anddeparted.
ThateveningKuei-shanaskedthemonkinchargeoftheMonksHall,"Whereisthenewcomerwhowaswithmeearliertoday"Theheadmonksaid,"AtthattimeheturnedawayfromtheDharmaHall,putonhisstrawsandals,anddeparted.
"Kuei-shansaid,"Afterthishewilldwellonthesummitofapeakallbyhimself,andbuildahutwherehescoldstheBuddhasandrevilesthePatriarchs.
"Thekoantellsthestoryofanimpromptumeetingoftwomas-ters.
Ayoung,aspiringmonkwalksunannouncedintothecentraltemplebuilding,theDharmaHall,andchallengesanestablished110MountainsAreMountainsAgainmaster,Kuei-shan,whowasknownforkickingoverawaterpitchertowintherighttostarthisownmonasteryinthekoandiscussedpreviouslyinchaptertwo.
AftermeetingwithTe-shan,Kuei-shanatonceclaimsvictoryandacknowledgesdefeat.
WhichofthetwomastershastheUnmovingMindWhoistheonewhosemindiseasilyswayedIntheirexchange,whichseemslikeacontestbe-tweenBeatZenoranti-structure(representedbyTe-shan)andSquareZenorstructure(Kuei-shan),muchisleftambiguousandmysterious.
Noclearwinneremerges,ormorelikely,botharevic-toriousandenhancedthroughthecompetition.
ThestorybeginswithTe-shanarrivingatthetempleunex-pectedanddisturbingKuei-shan'sclaimtoauthority.
"Carryinghisbundle"meansthatTe-shanarriveswithacasefullofsutras(orscriptures)onhisback,sincehewasknownas"KingoftheSutras,"alongwithsuchthingsasabeggingbowlandhealingherbs.
Italsoconveysthecontemporaryideaofcarrying"bag-gage"inthesenseofbeingweigheddownbycounterproductiveattitudesandanxieties.
Therearetimeswhenyouneedtocheckyourbaggageattheentrancewayandbeopentoafreshexperi-ence,butitisclearfromtheoutsetthatTe-shanisunableorun-willingtodothis.
Hisstrategyistocarryhisportfolio,asasymbolofhisindependence,straightintothecorridorsofpower.
TheDharmaHallisthemainbuildinginthecompoundoftraditionalZentemples.
InotherformsofBuddhism,themostimportantfacilityistheBuddhaHall,whichhousesstatuesasobjectsofworship.
BecauseZenbelievesthatthetempleabbotisa"livingBuddha"andthereisnoneedfortraditionaldevotion,itsubstitutedtheDharmaHallfortheBuddhaHallasthemainchamberofthecompound.
Thisiswherethemastersitsonhisthronelikehighseatandholdsforthwithadailyroundofser-mons.
Te-shanseemstocomefromnowhereandisatfirstabletoassertpowerbywalkingaround.
Bygoingdirectlyintothemainhallandskippingformalities,Te-shanmakesaboldstatementthatheissuperiorandnotboundbytherulesandroutineoftheReturningtotheMarketplace111monasticinstitutionalstructure.
Heproclaimsvictoryinsaying,"Nooneishere"—inotherwords,"Iwin!
"Withthatovertlyanti-structuralapproach,Te-shanislikelytogethiscomeuppance.
Acommentaryonthekoandescribeshimwithadoubleinsult,Nothingbutawildfoxspiritcarryingaboardacrosshisshoulder.
ThecommentatorsaysthathavingthepowerofZendoesTe-shanlittlegood.
Hecomesoffasarrogant,lettingindividualitygetthebestofhimwhileneglectingthemostbasicdisplayofman-nersinaformalritualsetting.
Te-shan'sinitialventureintoanti-structuredoesnotworkbe-causeitcomestoosoon.
Ithasnotbeensetupproperly.
WhenearlierinhiscareerKuei-shankickedoverthewaterpitcher,hewassuccessfulindeclaringhisindependenceandintegrity.
Hisactionwasmoreeffectivethansubmittingtocustomsofprotocolbecauseitwasnotbasedonegobutratherwasdesignedtoex-pressadeeperandmorecomprehensiveunderstandingthanhisrival(whoalsotriedbutdidnotsucceedatdoingsomethinganti-structural).
ThefactthatKuei-shanwasawardedtheestablish-mentofhisownmonasterywastheby-productratherthanthepurposeofhisactions.
Te-shan,however,merelyappearsdisre-spectful.
Heneedstogobacktobasicsandfollowproperchan-nelsbeforebreakingoutofthem.
Te-shanrealizesthathehasbeen"toocrude,"acommoninsultinZendialogues,andmustreturntotheDharmaHall.
Hisself-proclaimedvictoryishollowwithoutaface-to-facemeetingwithKuei-shan,whoperhapshasheardofTe-shan'sreputationandiswaryofthisguest.
Withoutsuchameeting,Te-shan'svisittothetempleisafailure.
Hehasneitherfoundamentornorhasdem-onstratedhissuperiority.
Onhisreturn,hisstyleisceremonialandpolite.
112MountainsAreMountainsAgainAsfortheabbot,atfirstitseemsthatKuei-shandoesnotreact.
HewithholdswordswhenTe-shanstandsbeforehimandseemsoblivioustotherival'scomingsandgoings.
Inotherkoans,mastersleavethetempletotesthermitsincavesorhutswhoaregainingareputationthatthreatenstheauthorityoftheinstitutionalleader.
Thiswouldbelikeanexecutiveormanageremergingoutofhissuiteonefinedaytoexamineawhitecollarwho,hehasheard,maybesurpassinghislevelofproductivity.
Buttheexecutivealsoreal-izesthatheistheonebeingtestedbytheupstart.
AnotherimageisWildWestheroBillytheKidcomingfromhishideouttochallengeayoungergunslinger.
ItalsocallstomindasamuraiWarriortest-inghissword-fightingskillsashetriestobaptizehisweapon.
Kuei-shanappearsinactive,butheisnotjustsittingstillwhiletherivalattacks.
Neitherdoeshelethimselfbesurprisedintoastateofpanicwhenthreatenedbythenewcomer.
Thecommen-tarysays,He'swatchingthatfellowwithsteelyeyes.
Ittakessomeonelikethistograbatigerbythewhiskers.
Calmlyobservingeventsunfold,heletsTe-shanrevealhistruecolorsbeforeissuingaresponse.
Kuei-shan'sdemeanorcreatesaninvisibleshield.
Hedoesnotlethimselfbeforcedintoaquickreactionhewouldlaterregret.
AccordingtoaZensaying,Themindisacitadelthatneedstobeprotectedbythesol-diers(senses).
Kuei-shanisdefendingnotonlyhistempleandhisauthority,butalsotheintegrityanddignityoftheMindthatstandsbehindthem.
Inthefirstsegmentofthekoan,Te-shanhasaninnerdialoguebuttheconversationwiththemasterisaone-word,one-waymono-logue.
Holdingupthemat,headdressestheabbotas"Teacher,"whichisquiteacontrastwithhispreviousbehavior.
ThismaybeintendedtoserveasanapologyortofurtherprovokeKuei-shanReturningtotheMarketplace113Pai-changholdingthefly-whiskwhilesittingonthehighseat.
114MountainsAreMountainsAgainbyseemingtopatronizehim.
Kuei-shanremainsimpassiveandreactsbyreachingforhisfly-whisk.
Thisritualimplement,ahold-overfrompre-BuddhistshamanisminChinawhereitwasusedinpurificationandexorcismrites,isthemainsymbolofauthoritywieldedbyaZenmasterashesitsonathroneintheDharmaHall.
Thefly-whisknotonlyrepresentsstatusbutoftenservesasateachinginstrumentwhenmastersuseittodrawcirclesintheairortossitdownontheground.
Itisalsoinstilledwithmagicalpowers,changingintoadragonorflyinguptotheheavens.
Here,thefly-whiskisKuei-shan'sinstrumentofnonverbalcommunicationbywhichheassertshiscontrolinthefaceofamightychallengefromthenewcomer.
Heispullingrank.
BoththearrogantandthesubmissiveutterancesofTe-shanhavetestedhispatience,andheresortstoasymbolthatconveyspower.
Thisdevicehasitslimits.
Ultimately,accordingtoZen,allsymbolsaremerelyphysicalobjectsthatcannotembodygenuineauthority.
Ifusedinaholloworarbitraryway,theyarejustasuselessaswords,whichcannotactuallybethethingtheyreferto.
Te-shanisapparentlyflusteredbytheshowofKuei-shan'spower.
Theactofshakinghissleevesisawayofexpressingdis-dainandreassertinghisownclaim.
Atthispointinthenarrative,thereaderisuncertainaboutTe-shan'sstatus.
Hashefailedmis-erablyorsucceededspectacularlyThecommentaryagaincallshimawildfox,butalsosaysheisuniquelyskilledat"graspingthecloudymist,"orknowingultimatereality.
Withsymbolsclashing,Te-shanshowsheiswillingtodisregardKuei-shan'ssuperiorstatus.
Byresortingtotheritualdevice,theabbothasnotdemonstratedhissuperioritybutconfirmedTe-shan'sself-imageasuniqueandautonomous.
Nolongerbrashorarro-gant,Te-shansummonsthetruemeaningofanti-structurebymusteringthecouragetowalkawayfromthescene.
Herealizesatthatmomentheisprobablyseenasalonerandloserbythemem-bersofKuei-shan'scommunity.
YetthewaypeopleperceivethingsReturningtotheMarketplace115canchangeifheisabletoestablishauthorityandhasthepatiencetowaitforresults.
AversecommentarycomparesTe-shantoawarriorwho,cap-turedwhilemakingadaringraidbehindenemylines,isabletoescapethroughasurprisemaneuver:Likethefamedgeneralenteringbehindenemylines,Thenmakinganarrowescape,Te-shansetsoffonamaddash,Butisnotleftalone.
Sittingamidtheweedsonthesummitofthesolitarymountainpeak—Lordhavemercy!
ThisalsoshowsthatTe-shan'svictoryisnotcomplete.
"Sittingamidtheweeds,"suggeststhathisaccomplishmentsremainpar-tialandthathisvisionisstillobstructed.
Kuei-shanmighthavecausetobeupsetbyTe-shan'sslight,butheendsbyremarkingthatTe-shanwillsurpassalltheBud-dhasandPatriarchs.
Thissuggeststhatbyusingoutrageousanti-structuralbehaviororBeatZeninaneffectiveway,heisgivenduerespectbytheleadingrepresentativeoftheinstitutionalstruc-tureorSquareZen.
BeatZentrumpsSquareZen,althoughtherearetimeswhen,aswithKuei-shanholdingthefly-whisk,youmayhavetodrawanimaginarysquarewithyourfingersasawayofholdingthelineagainsttheintrusionofanti-structure.
Intheend,however,yourealizethat,asquareintheairisnotreallythere.
Kuei-shanisusingapedagogicalmethodfoundinmanyme-dievaltraditionsworldwideandbasedontheapprenticeshipmodel.
Theteacheralmostneveroffersapositiveevaluationofanydiscipleinfrontofotherstudents.
Thesilenttreatmentisanindirectmethodofteachingthatinspiresimprovementinagroupcontextandmitigatestheegotismthatcanresultinconflict.
Thisisnotbecausetheteacheristurninghisbackononeofthetroupe116MountainsAreMountainsAgainwhohasjustgivenagreatperformance.
Rather,silencehelpsthemembersofthegroupdevelopanabilitytosenseintuitivelywhatthereactionsofothersreallyare,beyondarelianceonwordsandno-words.
ThehierarchicalpatternofTe-shanasunderlingandKuei-shanasoverlordhasparallelsintoday'sprofessionalenvironment.
ImagineyouareKuei-shansupervisingajuniorcolleaguewhosetalentsandskillshaveprobablydeservedmoresupportandrec-ognitionthanhehasactuallyreceived.
Oneday,infrustrationandwithashowofbravado,hecomesmarchingintoyouroffice,crossingfromeasttowestandfromwesttoeast.
Doyourespondbyevokingasymbolofauthoritycomparabletothefly-whisk,forexample,bypickingupadocumentThekoannarrativeindicatesthattherearethreekeyprinciples.
ThefirstisthenecessityandunavoidabilityoftheEncountertodeterminetruthininterpersonalinteraction.
LikeTe-shan,thejuniorcolleaguewillnotbeinapositiontofeelconfidentuntilhehasgonethroughanexchange.
Thesecondprincipleisthatyoumusttakeastep-by-stepapproachinbuildingtowardanEncounter.
Skippingastep,asTe-shandoesatfirst,canbeadeadlymistakethatwilldoomlaterstrategies.
Beforebreakingfreefromstructure,itmustbeclearthatyouhavetriedalltheotherre-coursesandremediessuppliedbythesystem.
Thethirdprincipleisthatbeneaththesurfaceconflict,inwhichtheyaretheworstofrivals,Te-shanandKuei-shanaretheclosestofallies.
Accordingtothekoancommentary,Te-shan,whohasafalsestartbutislegitimatedintheend,andKuei-shan,whoseemschallengedbutholdshisown,arebothexemplaryofpullingthebowtoolateincommittingtacticalerrorsaswellassettingstrat-egyinmotionbydemonstratingauthenticity.
Asneitheroneissimplycorrectorincorrect,theyareleadingeachothertowardtruth.
FollowinganotedChinesesaying,Teachingandlearninggrowtogether.
ReturningtotheMarketplace117OnlytheContestantsKnowforSureBothConfrontationandEncounterinvolvesomekindofshow-down,buttheformerisdirectandone-dimensional,whereastheEncountermobilizesandintegratesdiverseaspectsofconstruc-tiveengagement.
InthemodeofConfrontation,someonewhomaybevacillatingorinconclusiveisquestionedinstraightfor-wardlanguage,Didyouordidn'tyou…[fillintheblank,e.
g.
,givemeanunfairassignment;orfavorsomeoneelseforthepromotion]Onepossibilityisthatyouwillgetquickandhelpfulclarificationofathornytopiconwhichtherehasbeenamisunderstandingorlackofinformation.
Thiscanservetocleartheair.
Butitismorelikelythatthepersonchallengedwillbeputonthedefensiveandprovideanunclearorelusiveresponse.
Atthepointthattheattempttogainaresolutionthroughdi-rectquestioningprovesineffective,theConfrontationbecomesunsatisfactory.
Whilethereisalwaysachancethatitwillendinvictory,itoftenleadstodefeatorstalemate.
YearsagoafootballENCOUNTERversusCONFRONTATIONCompetitionasBird's-eyeviewPersonalgainFlexibilityInsistenceOpenendednessIntimidationMutualityoverDemandsNegotiationVictoryvs.
DefeatResultsinIndirectmethodstooverDirectchallengebasedreachgoalsbycreatingonaggressiveorpassivereconciliationattitudesCooperationandConflictandDiscordOngoingTeamworkDivisiveness118MountainsAreMountainsAgaincoachexplainedthathewasreluctanttoutilizethenewlyinventedforwardpassbecause,Threethingscanhappen[completion,incompletion,orin-terception],andtwoofthemarebad.
Ofcourse,theforwardpasseventuallyprevailed,butonlybydrasticallychangingtheformationandgameplanofthewholeteam.
Therunninggameisstillusedbutnolongerexclusively.
OnetimeSenpaiwasapproachedbyseveraljuniorcolleagueswhoweredoinghigh-qualityworkbutfeltthattheinstitutionalstructurehadthemtrappedinamarginal,vulnerableposition.
Theirunitwasnotrecognizedaspartofanyofthemaindivi-sions,sotheywerelefthanging,unprotectedbyanumbrellaor-ganization.
Theydidnothave,butweretryingtorecruitastrongleaderwhocouldlookoutfortheirinterestsandprovideaclearchanneltoexpresstheirconcernsorsolicitsupport.
Thisnewleadercouldbenefitfromtheworktheyproduced.
ThemembersofthisunittoldSenpaithattheyfeltlikeRoninwithoutaseniorcolleaguetotakethemunderhiswing.
Buttheywerealittlenave.
Theydidnotrealizethattoachievethis,theyneedednotonlythesupportofoneparticularcolleague,butalsotheapprovalofahigh-leveladministrator.
Theadministratorwouldhavetotakeresponsibilityforrearrangingtheorganiza-tionalstructureinordertoprovidenewresourceseitherdirectlytothisgrouportoadivisionwithoversightoverthem.
Hewouldhavetobeconvincedthatitwasworthwhiletoexpandhisscopeofoperationsandgotobatforthischange.
Senpaigavethemaheadsupabouttheneedtoinvolveanad-ministrator.
Outofacombinationoffrustrationandovereager-ness,theytookthelibertyofcallinguponapowerfulvicepresident,whoagreedtomeetwiththem.
Atfirst,theVPseemedintriguedandinterested.
Butitturnedoutthatthejuniorswereunpreparedforthismeeting.
WhentheVPaskedtoughquestionsaboutwhattheybroughttothetableandwhyheshouldinvestReturningtotheMarketplace119histimeandfunds,theyrealizedtheydidnothaveenoughevi-dencetosupporttheircause.
Theygavetheimpressionofbeingabitdesperateandunreasonablydemanding.
Theywereunableei-thertostepbacktoahigherlevelofintuitiveawarenessandpro-videanoverviewortoofferconcessionsoutofapositionofstrengththatwouldhavebuiltasenseoftrustandcooperation.
ThedifferencebetweenConfrontationandEncountercanbeseenbycomparingtheterms"pressure"and"leverage.
"Theformerimpliestryingtousesomeformofthreat,coercion,orintimida-tionfromtheoutsidethatwillcompelarecalcitrantcolleagueortempestuousrivaltodoyourbidding.
Leverage,however,sug-geststhatwithagilityandaplombyouapplythegentlebutper-sistentandeffectiveactionofaleverfromwithinthesystemtobringaboutanew,moreelevatedlevelofunderstandingbeyondintrigueandcontestation.
LikeTe-shanatthebeginningofthekoan,theseRoninhadapproachedthecorridorsofpowertooquicklywhilelackingtheleveragewithwhichtomaneuverinthenegotiation.
Thediscus-sionwasclearlyleadingtoaConfrontation,inwhichtheycouldonlyaskdefensively,"Whyaren'tyouwillingtohelpusout"TheywereunabletorecoverandturnthemeetingintoanEncounterinwhichtherewouldbeconstructivegive-and-take,sotheyqui-etlywithdrewtheirrequestandeventuallyeachmemberhadtogoaseparateway.
AnalternativetothemodalitiesofConfrontationandEncoun-teristheGreatCompromise,whichinmanyinstancesisausefulapproachtoachievingharmony.
However,whencompromiseendsinvacillationorambiguityitislessthaneffective.
UnlikeCon-frontation,whichpushestoohardtoofast,compromisemaynottryatall.
Thejuniorcolleaguescouldhavechosentowaitpas-sivelyforoptionstounfoldbutintheendthiswouldnothavehadbetterresultsthanforcingtheissue.
Zencallsforamiddlewaybetweenaggressiveandpassiveattitudes,whichisoftenachievedthroughanti-structuralbehavior.
120MountainsAreMountainsAgainConsiderthecaseofKingSolomon,whorefusedtocompro-misewiththetwowomenwhobothclaimedtobeababy'smother.
Byutilizinganti-structuralelementstocreateanEncounterindemandingthattheinfantbecutinhalf,Solomondevisedawaythroughwhichtherealmotherwasidentifiedbecauseshewouldrathergivethebabyupthanseeitharmed.
Inananecdoteaboutmonkswhowerearguingabouttheownershipofacat,Zenmas-terNan-chuanone-upsSolomon,actuallycuttingthecatinhalf!
Inasequeltothiskoan,Chao-chou,uponhearingofwhathappenedtothecat,putshisshoesonhisheadbackwardsandwalksawayinanti-structuralfashionthatoutdoesNan-chuan.
ThemastercallsoutthatifonlyChao-chou,whoshowshimselfindifferenttoargumentation,hadbeenthereduringthedispute,thecatwouldhavebeensaved.
InthestrategiesofSolomonandNan-chuan,compromisebasedondirectinquiryisconsideredinsufficienttouncoverthetruthandbringanendtoanimpasse.
Instead,thesetwofigurestesttheMindfromthestandpointofintuitionatthebrinkofanti-structure.
Exposingtheattitudesandintentionsofthecontestantsbeneaththeirartificeorpre-tenseisacreativewaytoresolveacrisis.
SwitchingHeadsandChangingFacesPrevailinginanEncountermeansbeingreadyforanall-stops-pulled-out,eyeball-to-eyeballmeeting,inwhichself-disciplineandself-controlaretestedinthefaceofstrenuouschallengestoanabilitytoassertauthority.
Nothingstandsbetweenyouandyourcompetitororpartner.
Allotherfactorsandconsiderationsdissolveintothebackgroundofwhatisspokenandunspoken.
TheEncounterisnotaspecificmeeting,asingleevent,orsetofexchanges.
Ordinarytimestops,theclockisthrownoutthewindow,andthereisanopportunity,howeverlongorshortitmaylast,tocreatearesolution.
ThesenseofhowlongsomethingReturningtotheMarketplace121takestohappenisrelativetotheinnerexperienceoftimingen-compassingbothrecollectionsandanticipation.
AccordingtoacommentontheTe-shankoan,Switchingheadsandchangingfaces,hestirsupwaveseventhoughthereisnowind.
Boldmovesandmaneuversarerequiredwhencrossingoverin-visiblelinesintoanopenarenawhereintegrityandcommitment,ratherthanhierarchyandstatus,determineworthandpower.
Genuineauthorityisnotrevealedbythisorthatword,thought,symbol,ordeed,butineverythingaboutthewayapersonspeaks,thinks,andacts.
Whenmeetingwiththesupervisorinthecaseoftheunwantedassignment,forexample,havingpreparedasetspeechorcom-posedamemoinyourmindmaywellinhibittheabilitytoreactandrespondeffectivelyandpersuasivelytowhatheissayingonthespot.
Itispreferabletoexudeasenseofauthorityaboutyourabilitiesandclarityaboutwhatitisyouwantandneedthatiscompatiblewithhisrequirementsandexpectations.
Ifyouarewellpreparedandconfidentthatyouhavecreatedthenecessaryadvantage,noone,singlestrategyisparamount.
BecausetheUnmovingMindisabletoreactinvariousways,tra-ditionalZenmastersarethoroughlyunpredictableyetunflap-pable,keepingcontestantsandrivalswonderingwhatisgoingtocomenext.
Thiscallsforaflexibilitythatconstantlyadjustsmeth-odsandmovementsinresponsetodifferentpeopleandcircum-stancesthatcanbecharacterizedasthe"strategyofnostrategy.
"AccordingtoaZenkoan,Ifyouhaveastaff,Iwillgiveyouastaff.
Ifyouhavenostaff,Iwilltakeawayyourstaff.
Strategicambiguityandsurprise,feintingandreversalaresomeoftheindirecttechniquesutilizedbytheMind,accordingtoac-countsinkoansandArtofWarwritings.
Thesemethods,which122MountainsAreMountainsAgainborrowFoxtechniquesforBuddhaintentions,calltomindtheworldofhigh-stakespoker,whichrequiresskillsthattakeadvan-tageoftheuncertaintyandvulnerabilityofopponents.
Thecardplayertakesgreatriskswhileusingavarietyofdecoys,bluffs,anddiversewaysofambushingortrappingtheotherplayers—allthewhileconcealingthestrengthofhisownhandbykeepinga"pokerface.
"Indirecttechniquesareparticularlyeffectivewhenrootedinanattitudeofneutrality,whichholdsbackemotionandletstheintentionsofpeersandrivalsberevealed.
TheUnmovingMindmaximizesstrengthsandminimizesweak-nessesbyexertingtheleasteffortandconservingsourcesofpower.
DuringtheEncounter,itmaybenecessarytoshiftpositionsorretreatfrompreconceivednotions.
ThatiswhyTe-shanisdescribedas"afamedgeneralenteringthroughenemylines.
"WhenaWar-riorseesanopponent'sweaknessorvulnerability,thatisnotwhereheattacks.
Everyoneelsewillseizethechancetogoafteraweak-ness.
Thereisnothingtobegainedbycompetingwithsomanyothers.
Instead,theWarriorattacksthestrength,whichhasbeenleftuntendedbytheopponentwhoconcentrateshisdefensewhereheisweak.
Thistacticisexpressedbythekoan'scomment,Nothingcanstophimfromcuttingoffthetonguesofevery-oneintheworld.
AccordingtoArtofWar,beingambiguousmeansthatifsome-oneisalittletooeagerforabreakthroughtohappen,makethemwaitalittlelongerthandesired.
Or,ifsomeoneputsuptoomuchresistance,trytopushitonthemmorequickly.
Therearealsotimesforundertakingtheexactoppositestrategiesbyforcingthingsontheimpatientorwithholdingfromthereluctant.
Anystrategywillbackfireifitbecomesstaleandpredictable,soyoumustbepreparedtoreversethepattern.
Zenmasters,knowingthattheyareboundtoencountersurprisesandinconsistencies,welcomeorunwelcome,needtobereadytohandleallcontin-genciesastheyunfold.
Therefore,ReturningtotheMarketplace123Thestrategyofnostrategyisstillastrategy.
ReactingintheMomentislikebeingatyourbestinathletics.
Sportscontestsdemandthespontaneity,discipline,andmutu-allytransformationalqualityoftheEncounter.
One'sperformancecanonlybedeterminedandevaluatedthroughinteractionwithanopponent.
Practicingatennisserve,abaseballpitch,orasoc-cerkickforendlesshourswithaninanimatebackstopcanbeausefultraining.
Ultimately,however,thequalityoftheserve,pitch,orkickistobejudgedbytheresponse,orlackofit,intheoppos-ingplayerattheheightofthecontest.
Althoughtheeventmaytakeplaceinapublicforumundertheeyesofspectatorsandwiththesupportofteammates,theresultcomesdowntoone-on-one,whoeverflinchesorblinksfirstloses.
Theysaythepitcher'smoundinYankeeStadiumisthelone-liestplaceintheworld.
Yet,theopponentscanhelpbringeachothertohigherlevelsofperformance.
Intheend,whoisthewin-nerandwhoistheloserHoldinguphisgoldmedal,OlympicdecathlonchampionBruceJennersaid,Ilovemycompetitor;hebringsoutthebestinme.
ThisremindsusofrivalrybetweenboxersMohammedAliandJoeFrazier,whowereoftensaidtobringoutthebestineachotherinthering(thoughunfortunatelytheworstoutsideofit).
Justasinslammingahomerunorstrokingawinnerintennis,forasuccessfulEncounterwhatisneededisanactioncompletedinanartless,spontaneous,effortlesswaywithouttakingtimefortheuseofreason.
Despitethoughtfulandcalculatedpreparation,theMomentofimplementationitselfmusthavetheimmediacyofaninstinctorareflexfreedfromtheproblemsofanautomatic,conditionedresponse.
Itsefficacydependsonanintuitiveaware-nessthatisintegratedwithconscious,deliberatethinking.
Theswingofthebatcannotbeadividedeffortinwhichcalculationandactionstruggleagainstoneanother.
AsTomKasulisexplains124MountainsAreMountainsAgainit,theaimofZenistomakereactiontimeinstantaneous.
Itistechnicallyaccuratetosay,"Ihitthebaseball,"but,Atthemomentoftheoriginalevent,thereisonlyanunbro-kenhitting-of-the-baseball.
ForthisMoment,thereisnoegoor"I"tostopyoufromactingspontaneously:Thebatterbestperformsbynotthinkingabouthitting—thatis,notbyreflectingonwhatwaslearnedoronwhatmustbedone,butratherbysimplybeingalert.
Anunconditionalandfearlesssenseofself-worthleadstosuc-cessinhittingtheballunderthepressureofhighstakes.
AccordingtotheswordmasterTakuanSoho,knowingwhattodoandwhatnottodoisthekeytoself-control:Theaccomplishedmanusesthesword…Whenitisneces-sarytokill,hekills.
Whenitisnecessarytogivelife,hegiveslife.
Whenkilling,hekillsincompleteconcentration;whengivinglife,hegiveslifeincompleteconcentration.
Withoutlookingatrightandwrong,heisabletoseerightandwrong;withoutattemptingtodiscriminate,heisabletodiscrimi-natewell.
Whentheballneedstobehitthebatterstrikesitandwhenthebatterwantstowaitoutthepitchherefrainsfromstrikingit.
Imagineanexecutiverespondingonacase-by-casebasistoeachandeveryemployee.
Heexplorespersonnelissuesfromavarietyofangleswithoutcomingtoafixedconclusionthatwouldcutoffthepossibilityforconstructivechange.
Ifcircumstancesrequireusingthesword(orMind)tokill(orcriticizescathingly),heusestheswordthatway.
Iftheyrequirehimtogivelife(orpraiseeffusively)heusestheswordforthatpurpose.
Hecanchangepathsorreversehisdirectioninmidstream,ifthatiswhatiscalledfor,becausetheUnmovingMindprovidesanunderlyingconstancy.
ReturningtotheMarketplace125ActingoffersanotherusefulanalogytotheEncounter,notsomuchactinginfilmswhereyougetthechancetohave"do-overs,"butinlivetheatricalperformanceinwhicheverythingisimme-diateandnothingisleftonthecuttingroomfloor.
TheZenviewisepitomizedbythedirectorwhoatthedressrehearsalbeforetheopeningnightofaplayonwhichalltheirhopeswereriding,exhortedhisanxioustroupe,Stopacting,and…Act!
Iftheactormissesacueorisunpreparedorineffectualinanywaythereisnofiltertopreventthisfromcomingthroughtotheaudienceandcritics.
ThatiswhysomeHollywoodactorshonetheircraftbyreturningtotherigorsofBroadwaybetweenfilms.
Whensomethinggoesawry,improvisationcaninsomespecialcasesbejustaseffectiveasthescript.
IfyourMindissteady,thentakingariskbydeliveringalineinanovelwaycanturnoutwellintheend.
ATaleofTwo"Greats"Theinitialmomentwhenthesupervisorofferstheunwantedas-signmentdemonstratesEncounterinteraction.
Inthattinyin-stant,themosteffectivereactioncanbeassimpleyetasconvincingas,"Great,I'lldoit.
"Furthermore,youcanadd,Infact,Ihavesomeideasonhowtomaketheprojectmoreambitious,andifgiventhenecessaryresourcesIcanmoti-vateandintegratethewholeunit.
StepOneistointerviewandanalyze,andwriteanassessmentreport.
Thenextstepisimplementation.
Byacceptingthenewunitasapositiveopportunityforexpan-sionratherthanasanimpedimenttopersonalsuccess,youworkwiththesupervisortodevelopabaseofmutualsupport.
126MountainsAreMountainsAgainYoumayfindinthecomingdaysthatyourbudgetandstaffareincreased,andyourprestigeelevated.
HowdidyougetthisfarsosoonHowcanthissuccessbeunderstoodandreplicatedinotherinstancesThefirstquestionis,Whyisthis"Great,I'lldoit"sodistinctandsuperiortothe"Great,I'lldoit"thatwasdiscussedinchapter2asanexampleofadeficientresponsebasedonpassivityandlackofchoiceIfyoujustlookatthewordsthemselves,theresponsesseemidentical.
However,persuasivecommunicationisnotonlyaboutwordsbuttheintentionthatliesbehindthewayyouspeak.
Thefirst"Great,I'lldoit"reallymeanstheopposite.
Youfeeltrappedandcannotthinkofanythingtodobutacquiesce.
Thesecond"Great,I'lldoit"reflectsthepowerofspeakingtogainwhatisfairandreasonable,andtransmutesaconflictivesitu-ationintoconstructivedialogueandnegotiation.
Wordsflowingnotfromintimidationorpressurebutfromfreewillandcompo-sureattheborderlineofanti-structurealtereveryone'sperceptionofthestructureoftheworkplaceenvironment.
Thekeypointaboutthesecond"Great"isthatyoucouldhavechosennottosaythisortosayitinacompletelydifferentway.
Whilethisphrasingisnotradicallyanti-structuralonthescaleofkickingoverawaterpitcherorcuttingoffalimb,assertingyourconfidenceandclouthelpover-cometheimpasseandattainanticipatedresults.
Themovefromapreoccupationwiththepasttoafocusonthepresenthelpsputanendtodelaysandrealizegoalsthatwerestartingtoseemoutofreach.
WhatneedstobedoneFirst,createareportthatassessesthestatusoftheunitassignedtoyou;thenholdaseriesofindividualandgroupmeetingstoculminateinasetofrecommendationsaboutrestructuring.
Thesupportyouwillneedfromyourpeerscanbegarneredonlythroughmeet-ingsinwhichallsidesaregivenachancetoairtheirviewsandsuggestsolutions.
Everyonemustcometotermswiththerecom-mendationsbeforetheyareimplemented.
Bytreatingeachmem-beroftheunitwiththesamerespectyouwouldliketoreceiveReturningtotheMarketplace127fromyoursupervisor,youserveasanexample.
Youshowyourcolleagueshowtocontributetooverallunityandproductivityforthesakeofcompletingaprojectasanendinitself,ratherthanjustforthebenefitofaparticulargroupofindividuals.
Itisacaseofsharingtheownershipwhiletakingfullresponsibility.
ThewayofEncounterissimilarlyusefulinstrikingabalancebetweenbeingaggressiveandsuccumbingtoexternalpressuressothatyouareabletotransformthedelayedpromotionintoagrandopportunity.
Insteadofgoingovertheheadofthevicepresi-dent,thepartyresponsibleforthedecision,onasideissuecon-cerningprocedures,yourequestameetingtodiscussthesubstanceandvisionofcurrentprojects.
Althoughyoucaredeeplyandarepreparedforthetopicofthepromotiontoberaised,youdonotasktheVPwherethingsstandwiththesearch,whichwouldre-flectapreoccupationwithgainingstatusoverdemonstratingstat-ureandintegrity.
Thelesssaidthebetter.
Instead,showingthatyouarecommittedtocontinuingyoureffortsconscientiouslyandwholeheartedly,undistractedbypettyconcernsaboutincomeoroutcome,makesitclearthatyoudeservetheelevationinstatus.
Meanwhile,youhaveachancetogetabetterideaofwhatthevicepresidentislookingforinacandidateandtheresponsibili-tiesthenewpositionentails.
Asexpected,thisfailstolandyouthenewjobrightaway,butyouhavedemonstratedthatyouareateamplayer,reasonableandself-assured.
Bydemonstratingrestraintandself-discipline,youencourageotherstorallyandcommunicatetherightmessageonyourbe-half.
Apositive,productiveattitudemobilizessympathyandsup-portamongcolleaguesatalllevels,andthevicepresidentisprimedtogiveyouareceptivehearingthenexttimeyouproposeanex-citingproject.
Sheisimpressedwhensheseesthatinsteadoflet-tingyourselfgetstuckinadeadendwithnooutletyoutakea"don'tgeteven,gettowork"approach.
Influencedbysupportforyourcausefrombothadministratorsandrank-and-file,thevicepresidentispersuadedtoreopenthesearchandyoueventuallysucceedingainingthepromotion.
128MountainsAreMountainsAgain128chaptersevenAll'sWellthatEndsWellSENPAIOUTLINEDFOURSTEPSthatbuildtoasuccessfulEncoun-ter.
Thestepsareatemplateforspontaneousyetdeliberatebehaviorthatintegratesandcoordinatesinnerreality,orthelevelsofconsciousness,byusingwordsandsilenceeffectivelytorefashionintractableinstitutionalstructure.
Withineachofthefoursteps,thereisatimetoletgoofconventionaswellasatimeStep4.
(Knowing)ENTERINGTHEREALMOFANTI-STRUCTUREFull-CourtGameasTheWayofTeamworkStep3.
(Thinking)SILENCEASATOOLFORSTRATEGICPLANNINGHoldingtheFly-WhiskwhileFacingthePointofNoReturnStep2.
(Speaking)USINGWORDSCREATIVELYWITHINSTRUCTURECreatingaBuzzaboutaBuzzaboutaBuzzStep1.
(Feeling)RECKONINGWITHACRISISINSTRUCTUREOHector,WhereArtThouWhenChannelsFailAll'sWellthatEndsWell129UnmovingWhattosay:MindSpeakingactivatedinthePresentMoment(StepTwo)choosesWhatnottosay:ThinkingpoisedforAnticipation(StepThree)tostaywithinstructure.
AccordingtotheopeningcommentsintheTe-shankoan,thebottomlineistobeableto"administermedicineappropriatetotheconditions,"yetthequestionremains,Nowtellme,isitbettertoreleaseortoholdfirmTrappedinacrisisatthebeginningofStepOnebutbeforeleapingtoStepFourandtherealmofanti-structure,youtrytobringaboutchangewithinthestandpointofacceptingthecon-ditionsofconventionalstructurebyjugglingandchoosingtheappropriateuseofspeechandsilence:Speakingconcealsevenasitrevealsandsilencerevealswhileconcealing.
Thereareopportunitiesforspeakingandforrefrain-ingfromspeech.
Themasteryofbothisessentialforpersuasivecommunicationandconstructivenegotiation.
Whentheavenuesofspeakingandnotspeakinghavebeentriedbutfailtoobtainresultsinthefirstthreesteps,itmaybeusefultobreakfreeandcultivate"strangedeeds"ofanti-structureinthefinalstep.
AtthemostintensemomentoftheEncounter,bothpartieswillhavecrossedoveraninvisiblelineofhierarchythatpreviouslyseparatedthem.
Theystandinanopenrealmofim-mediacy,inwhichtherearenodistinctionsordistractions.
Eachoftheparticipantsinthedialoguehasthechancetoconveyhisorherdepthofunderstandingwithaboldandcompellingstate-ment.
Linesofauthorityandrelianceonsecurityandsafetynetsaresetasideforthesakeofaleapintoanunknownworldwherechangeandingenuityprevail,aswhenKuei-shankickedoverthewaterpitcherorTe-shanstompedoutoftheDharmaHall.
Howdoyougetthere130MountainsAreMountainsAgainStepOneRECKONINGWITHACRISISINSTRUCTURE(Feeling)Youbeginbyrecognizingandinvestigatingthecausesofabreak-downinstructureandseekinganeffectiveremedy.
Whenaprob-lemarisesthatobstructsyouragenda,firstdeterminewhetherwhatseemslikeasetbackisalegitimatecrisistobeovercomeorrepresentsthetemporarydominanceofavaluablealternativeviewthatmustbeappreciateddespitecontradictingyourperspective.
AccordingtoatraditionalBuddhistparablefromtheLotusSutraknownas"TheParableoftheBurningHouse,"afatherre-turnshometofindthehouseablaze,withhischildrentrappedonthesecondfloorplayingwiththeirtoysandoblivioustotheflames.
Asheseesthecrisisthatthechildrendonotrecognize,hemustdesignastrategytofreethemfromdangerjustintime.
Inthatvein,thefirststepcanbereferredtoas"SeeingtheFire.
"Tomaintaincredibility,however,youmustavoidthe"skyisfalling"syndromeofdistortion,exaggeration,andhyperbole.
Itiscrucialtobeabletoknowthatwhenthereissmokethereisfire,butitisalsoprohibitedtocry"fire"inacrowdedtheater.
Onceyouidentifyanobstacletoachievementandbegintry-ingtodealwithit,yourealizethattheorganizationalstatusquotendstoproducedelaysorarbitraryandcounterproductiveal-terationsthatstandinthewayoffindingasolution.
Everythingnegotiatedortransactedisatrade-offatbest.
AstheTe-shankoansuggests,Hekeptthehatcoveringhishead,butlosttheshoescoveringhisfeet.
Ifyougiveintoyouremotionsandexpressfrustrationandfutilityorpassivityandcompliance,youaredrawingthebowaf-terthethiefhasfledbytradingoffonesetofproblemswroughtAll'sWellthatEndsWell131byextraneouscircumstancesforanothersetinternallygenerated.
Instead,holdasteadycourseandgothroughproperchannels,allowingeveryoneinthechainofcommandanopportunitytodevelopawaytoresolvethecrisis,evenifthistestsyourpatience.
Whileawaitingresultsthatarebeingprocessedthroughinves-tigatingexternalmechanismsandmeasures,suchasbudgetac-counts,distributiondata,salesreports,andotherindicatorsofproductivity,theUnmovingMindavoidsgettingdistracted.
Itmaintainsabalanceofcomposureandspontaneity,neithergiv-ingintoimpatiencenorlettingtheagonyofuncertaintydragonindefinitely.
Stayfocusedonthedetailsofaconstructiveprojectwhileanticipatinghowtofollowthrough,dependingonthesuc-cessorfailureofcurrentactivities.
Insomecases,channelsthemselvescanofferprotectionandsupport.
OneofSenpai'sassistantswhohadbeenquietlydoingaveryeffectivejoballalongsuddenlymadeaspectaculareffortthatwasdeservingofapromotionandotherrewards.
Senpaidouble-checkedproceduresandbudget.
HehadeverythinginorderandsubmittedarequestintimeforaThursdaydeadline.
BytheendofthedayonFriday,hereceivednotificationfromthedivisiondirectorofafreezeinpersonnelactions.
FirstthingonMondaymorning,SenpaigotaphonecallfromHumanResourcesthatmadehimlookprettysillyforhavingputinarequestforapromotionthatwentagainstthedirective.
WhenSenpaiputdownthephonehethoughttohimself,"WhatdidIdowrongandhowcanIcompensate"andthenscratchedhisheadforawhiletryingtosortoutthevariousstrandsofthere-voltingdevelopment.
Thenherealizedthatthesequenceofeventsmadethecaseforhim.
HecalledHRbackandexplainedthatwhenhisrequestwasputthroughtherewasnoindicationthatafreezewasabouttobeannounced.
Therequestshouldthereforebehonored.
HRwasnotinapositiontoapprovethehirebuttheycouldreopentheprocess.
Sign-offwouldberequiredfromupstairs.
Thiswould132MountainsAreMountainsAgainmeaneventuallyhavingtonegotiatewiththepartiesresponsibleforthedirective.
CitingtheunfairnessofwhathadhappenedattheinitialstageofgoingthroughroutinechannelswouldbecomeaweaponSenpaicoulduseashemovedtothenextstepsinthesequencetotheEncounter.
OHECTOR,WHEREARTTHOUWHENCHANNELSFAILOrganizationalstructurecanbeliberatingandexpansivebutitalsocanbecomeclaustrophobicandconstrainingwhenpeoplearecrudelyindifferentratherthanactingwithloftyneutrality.
AsGeorgeHarrisonsaysofthe"Taxman,"theSystemcanbeharshandunforgiving:Ifyoudriveyourcar,I'lltaxthestreet,Ifyoutrytowalk,I'lltaxthestreet.
Channelsarenotoriouslycloggedarteries.
Often,thereisjustonepersonwhoisinchargeorwhoknowsaboutaparticularproce-dureoractivity.
Ifyoucanfindoutwhotherightsomeoneis,youhavetohopethattheyarenotawayfromtheirdeskorouttolunchorotherwiseunresponsive.
Acolleaguetoldmethefollowingstory:Shehadplacedanim-portantorderbutitgotbackedupforweeks,whileherdeadlineforspendingthefundswasrapidlyrunningout.
Shewouldsoonbeindefaultandwouldhavetoreturnunspentmoniestothefundingagencybecausethemostordinaryprocedurehadnotbeencom-pletedbythebureaucracyinherfirm.
Everytimeshecomplained,partiesindifferentdepartmentsallsaidthatsheshouldnotworrybecausetheyhad"e-mailedHector.
"WhoeverHectorwas,hemusthavehadanimportantroleandwouldsurelybetheonetoresolvetheproblem,shewastold.
Timewentbyandtherewasstillnodefinitiveresponse.
Acrisiswaslooming.
Shedecidedtomakeacoupleofwell-placedphonecallstopushmattersalong.
All'sWellthatEndsWell133Finally,aseniorassociatewhowasinapositiontoknowthescene(andwhomshehadonlyreluctantlyapproached)phonedbacktoassureherhehadgottentothebottomoftheproblem.
Hesaidhewasabletoofferadvicethatwouldstraightenthesitu-ationout.
Shewaitedbreathlesslyandthensighedwhenheproudlyannouncedthesolution:E-mailHector…WhatwouldhernextstepbeApparentlylockedin,shewasnotabletomoveforwardbutcouldalsonotstayputanddidnotwanttofallback.
Ratherthangoingdirectlytothedivisionhead,shestillneededtoexhaustintermediateefforts,beginningwithexploringalternativesandexplainingtosupporterstheneedtoreformthesystem.
StepTwoUSINGWORDSCREATIVELYWITHINSTRUCTURE(Speaking)Whenchannelsfail,creativespeakingcangeneratepositivechangebyusingthetremendouspowerofwordstoloosentherigidityofcurrentstructure.
ThroughtheprocessofEPA,whichovercomesreactionsbasedonbiasorself-doubt,thevoicebecomesausefultoolforarticulatingavisionthatbuildsallianceswhilealsooffer-ingcriticismsinacompelling,cogent,andconstructiveway.
Atthemomentofexperiencingdoubt,youfeelagapaswideastheGrandCanyonbetweenwhatyourroleissupposedtobeandthewaythingsarebeingtreated.
Itisthisshockthatcausesyoutohesitateandsecond-guess.
Butstructureisnotsomethingfixedandstatic.
Understandingthatstructureisnotimmutableenablesyoutoputasidethatlost,dazed,andconfusedfeeling.
Wordsuttered,aswellasthoseheldback,arenotjustarbitrary134MountainsAreMountainsAgainsymbols.
Rather,theyareatoolofeffectivecommunicationthatcanclosethegapbetweenhopeandrealitybyconveyingtopart-nersinnegotiationwhatitisyouaretryingtoachieve.
Becauseoftheinfiltrationofunpurifiedfeelings,speakingof-tenhasanegative,"poisonpen"impact.
Confuciuscautionsaboutthedestructivepowerofwords,Agentlemankillswiththepen,anaveragemanwithspokenwords,andalessermanwithstones.
Similarly,accordingtoaDylanlyric,Now,averygreatmanoncesaidThatsomepeoplerobyouwithafountainpen.
Itdidn'ttaketoolongtofindoutJustwhathewastalkin'about.
Alotofpeopledon'thavemuchfoodontheirtable,Buttheygotalotofforksn'knives,Andtheygottacutsomethin'.
Constructivecriticismcanbevaluable,butifwordsaredeliv-eredinawaythatcausesembarrassmentorhumiliation,theycanhaveaboomerangeffect.
Therearealimitlessarrayofphrasestoselectfrom,rangingfrom"thisworkisnogood"to"let'sseealittleimprovement.
"Insomecasesitisnotthecontentbutthestyleofspeakingthatcounts.
Thewordsthemselvesaresuitablebuttheirimpactisunderminedordiminishediftheyaredeliv-eredinamockingorcondescendingtone.
Theideasmaybeap-propriatebuthaveaminimaleffectifthepersonleavesmuttering,Ididn'tmindwhatwassaid,butwhycouldn'ttheyhavefoundadifferentwaytosayitThewordsformedinyourmindoftencomeoutofyourmouthdifferentlythanyouintended,whetheryourealizeitornot.
DoAll'sWellthatEndsWell135youfindthatyoualteryourtoneandinflectionbasedonwhether,underneathitall,youlikeordislike,careaboutordisregardthepersonAcolleaguewhohasmadeknownhiscomplaints,which,thoughlegitimate,aretooforcefullyexpressedmaybedismissedbyhissupervisorasa"whiner.
"Yet,itistheadministratorwhohasgivenupthepositionofmoralauthorityinfailingtotaketheopportunitytosay,Iappreciateyourinterestsandwouldliketoaddressthem,buttheymustbeconsideredinlightofthegroup.
Sometimeswhatissaidsoundsconvincingbutis,atbottom,disingenuousandinsincere.
TheFoxcanmimicaspeechpatternthatpleasesandsoothesthesoul,despiteitsfalseness.
ThemythoftheravishingsongoftheSirensillustratesthepowertodeceiveanddeterthatisembeddedinallformsofcommunication.
Theoppositeofthisoccurswhenthewordsseemtooreveal-ingdespiteattemptstocoverone'sfeelings.
OnetimeonILoveLucy,Mrs.
LucyRicardo,aftertellingcountlessfibs,tookavowthatfromthenonshewouldspeakonlythetruth.
ThenLucyandEthelvisitedafriendwhoseapartmentwasdecoratedwithbric-a-bracfromChina.
WhenthehostesswentintoanotherroomLucyremarkedtoEthelthattheplace"lookedlikeanightmareaftereatingbadChinesefood.
"ThefriendreturnedandEthelaskedLucytotellherhowshefeltabouttheapartment.
Shere-sponded,truetohervow,thatitwas"likeadream.
"ThisfoilworkedmomentarilyuntilEthelsaid,Tellherwhatkindofdreamitwas,Lucy.
Speakingwithhonestytoafaultmaywinthemomentandlosetheday.
RonaldReaganwasknownasthetax-cuttingpresidentbutactuallyoversawsomeofthebiggesttaxincreasesinhistory.
Hejustknewnottotalktoomuchaboutit.
Atthe1984Democratic136MountainsAreMountainsAgainconvention,hischallenger,WalterMondale,wholostinaland-slide,saidinhisacceptancespeechthatbecauseofbudgetdeficitshewouldraisetaxes.
Infact,heremarked,"Bothofuswillraisetaxes.
Thedifferenceisthatmyopponentwon'ttellyou.
Ijustdid.
"Hewasright.
Therest,astheysay,ishistory.
Wordscanbeusedtosoothethesoulortormentit.
Mymen-tor,whowasChinese,wouldalwaysprefacehiscriticismwithpraise.
Theprincipleseemedtobe,Thegreaterthepraise,thegreaterthecriticism.
So,whenhecalledmeinforameeting,ifthelaudatoryprefatorycomplimentslastedmorethanafewminutes,IknewIwasindeeptrouble.
CREATINGABUZZABOUTABUZZABOUTABUZZOnthepositiveside,theword,whetherspokenorwritten,issaidtohavetheremarkableabilitytoawakendivineenergy.
Thisisrec-ognizedbyreligioustraditionsaroundtheworld,whichempha-sizevariousformsofprayer,chanting,andsingingasmethodsofpetitioningpowersforbenefitsorforgiveness.
InMahayanaBud-dhism,forexample,themeritsoftheLotusSutraareevokedbyreadingorcopying,orevenjustrecitingthetitleorchantingkeypassagesofthescripture.
ThishasamysteriousefficacyakintoZenmeditationfordevelopingconcentrationandcontemplation.
Accordingtolegend,theprayersofKuyaShonin,aJapaneseBuddhistsaint,communicatedspiritualtruthsoeffectivelythatinafamousiconheisdepictedwithBuddhasappearingonthetipofhistongue.
Confucianismsuggeststhatwordshave"magical"powersifweusethisterminaverypractical,down-to-earthratherthansuper-naturalsense.
Pictureyourselfseatedatalongdinnertable.
YouAll'sWellthatEndsWell137BuddhistsaintKuyaShoninchantingprayers.
138MountainsAreMountainsAgainneedtosaltyourfood,butthesaltshakerisattheoppositeendofthetable.
Askforitpolitelybyjustsayingtheoneword,"please,"andthesaltseemstoappearinstantlywithoutyourhavingtogetuporliftafinger.
Thisisanexampleofchangingstructurethroughthecreativeuseofspeaking.
Skipthepoliteness,andyoumaynevergettheshakerunlessyougooveryourselfandpickitup.
Ifsomethingunpleasantwouldhappenatthemeal,likeasneeze,belch,orhiccup,an"excuseme"wouldcleartheair,meta-phoricallyspeaking.
However,althoughsimpleeverydayexpres-sionslike"please"and"thanks"canhaveasignificantimpact,theycanalsocauseabacklashifusedinsincerely,aswhenacustomerservicerepresentativewhohasbeencompletelyunhelpfulclosesbytellingyoumechanicallyto"Haveaniceday.
"TheuseofwordstorearrangestructurecanbereferredtoasDaijobuDiplomacy—daijobuisaJapanesetermmeaning"alliswell.
"Thisistheusefultechniqueofexpressingapositive,upbeatmessage,whichalleviatesconstraintsandelevatesallpartieswith-outbeingPollyannaishorunrealistic.
Daijobuisamatterof"FightingFirewithFire.
"Inthe"ParableoftheBurningHouse,"inordertolurethechildrenawayfromdangerasquicklyaspos-sible,thefathercallsoutthathecanofferthemfinechariots,inotherwords,betterplaythingsthantheyalreadyhave.
Thisisasuccessfulmethodforavertingthedisasteroflosingthechildrentotheconflagration.
AtraditionalChineseArtofWarsayingcapturesthegoalofDaijobuDiplomacy,Makeflowersbloominthetree.
Evenifthetreeisdyingandthebranchesarebare,peoplearemadetofeelthatblossomsareflourishing.
Thistechniqueworkslikejujitsu.
Theobstacleofingrainedinstitutionalindifferenceornega-tivityisturnedtoyouradvantagewhenhiddenBuddhasaremoti-vatedtosupportyourefforts.
ItisimportanttonotethataBuddhaAll'sWellthatEndsWell139isonewhoisgenuinelyappreciativeandconvincedofthemeritsofyourwork,whereasanallyneedstofeelthereissomethingtogain,aswellasnothingtolose,inadvancingyourcause.
ABuddhaisindifferentinthepositivesenseofevaluatingqualityalonewith-outregardtothedistractionsofstatusandhierarchy.
Inusingspeechtobringaboutconcretechangesintheworld,theunderlyingprincipleis,Perceptionisreality.
Somepeoplecantalkyourearsoffandothersshootfromthelip,butZendevelopsfinessewithwordsgreatandsmall.
AsexpressedbyatraditionalZenverse,theaimofDaijobuDiplomacyistoalterperceptionpurposefullybyputtinganappropriatespinonthesituation:Hundredsofflowersinspring,themooninautumn,Acoolbreezeinsummer,andsnowinwinter.
Ifyourmindisnotcloudedbyvanity,Thenforyoueverysingledayisagoodtimeoftheyear.
DaijobuDiplomacymeansthatwhenconfusedaboutanother'smotives—forexample,iftheirresponsetoyourqueriesorinitia-tivesisvagueorunclear—youcontinuetoactinacalmandsteadymannerthatshowsconfidenceinyouragenda.
Daijobuproceeds"asif,"inthesenseoftheKantiancategoricalimperative,thereisalreadyasenseofcertaintyandinevitabilitytoyourplans.
Thisdrawsyourerstwhilechallengerawayfromobstructiveintentionsandtowardsafocusonaccomplishingresultsforthecommongood.
Senpaihadaninterestingexperiencewithacolleaguewhowasquietlysupportinghiseffortsonapotentialbreakthroughproject.
Thecolleaguewassomeonewhoknewtheinsandoutsoftheap-provalprocess,havingbeenbothacandidateandajudgeofthecompetition,andwentoutofhiswaytomakehimselfavailableto140MountainsAreMountainsAgaingiveadvice.
Asthewaitingdraggedonforweeks,thecolleaguepolitelyaskedSenpaieverycoupleofdaysifhehadheardanynews,lendinghopeandsupportwithoutmakinghimfeelanx-ious.
Then,whenthegoodnewsfinallycame,thecolleaguewasmysteriouslymissinginaction.
Wasitthe"Jword"—jealousy—thatintervenedJustashorttimelater,thesamecolleaguereceivedencourag-ingnewsaboutsomethinghewasworkingon.
Senpaimadeapointofbeingfirstinlinetocongratulatehim.
Althoughhewastemptedbytitfortat,Senpaididnotwanttobeguiltyofthesameflawasthecolleague.
Inthelongrunthepayoffwouldbecontinuedcollaborationwithavaluableassociate.
Senpai'sthesisisthatAll'sWellthatEndsWell.
Theroughspotsalongthewayaresimplyduesthathavetobepaid.
TheeffectivenessofDaijobuDiplomacydependsonthreemainfeatures.
First,itopensupdialoguebyavoidinginsistence,threats,ordemandsandoffersaboundlesssetofoptions.
Ifyouwantasupervisortoreverseanegativeevaluationofyourwork,donotcomplainorblameothersorforcetheissueataninopportunetime.
Speakingupinawaythatwon'tbeseenaspettyorvindic-tivewinstheday.
Thisdoesfarmoretoimpressthosewhoseopin-ioncountsthanthekindofbehaviorthatfeedsconflictandpreventstheproverbialox'stailfromgettingthroughthewin-dow.
Colleagueswillnotfeelthreatenedorseeachallengetotheirownagendasbutwillwelcomethechancetoparticipateinre-solvingacrisis.
WithDaijobu,allthosewhodeserveitcanclaimatleastsomeofthecreditforreachingamutualunderstanding.
ThesecondfeatureisthatDaijobuDiplomacystimulatesthoughtsthatmaynototherwisecometofruition,andyieldsideasthatareasbeautifulyetfragileasflowersswayinginthespringbreeze.
AkeymaneuverisCreatingaBuzzaboutaBuzz.
Ifyourealizethatpeoplearegenerallynotenthusiasticaboutyourplan-ningandthereisnobuzzsuggestingthattheprojectistakingAll'sWellthatEndsWell141hold,youmayseektocreateanatmospherethatmakesothersfeelthereisgreatinterest.
Theymaythengetexcitedabouttheexcitement.
Eventuallythiscanleadpeopletoembraceyourcon-ceptandpromotethestrengthsofapreviouslyoverlookedproject.
You'veheard,"Ifyoubuildit,theywillcome.
"Inthiscase,Talkaboutbuildingandsomeonewillhelpyoubuildit.
Thentheywillcome.
SenpaihadaJapanesefriend,whoearlyinhiscareerwasstrug-glingtosucceedintheverydifficultJapaneseuniversitysystem.
AdoctorateisawardedrelativelylateinyourcareerinJapan,es-peciallyininstitutionsthatstillfollowtheoldersystem,andyougenerallyhavetowaitforsomeonetoretirebeforeyoucangetapermanentjob.
AsinAmerica,themainrequirementforgoodstandingisthepublicationofamajorresearchvolume,buttheproductioncostsoftheelegant,boxedJapanesepublicationsaresohighthatbookssellforacoupleofhundreddollarspercopy.
TheyoungprofessordecidedtocreateabuzzabouthimselfthatwouldlaunchhiscareerbysendingacomplimentarycopyofhisbooktohundredsofhiscolleaguesinJapanandabroad.
Thismeantaninvestment(andbankloan)ofcloseto$100K,whichultimatelywasworthgoingintodebtforthelong-termpayoffofgettingthegoodwordoutandenhancinghisstatus.
Inanotherexample,Senpailedaninitiativethateveryoneliked.
Butnobodysupporteditinameaningfulwaybyprovidingre-sourcesneededtocarryitout.
Itwouldhavebeenaneasychoicetorolloverandplaydead.
Instead,helookedforeveryscrapofinterestorenthusiasmthatanybodyexpressedandcommuni-catedtoeveryoneelsewhateachofthesepeoplehadsaid.
Timewentbywithoutmuchpromiseforsuccess.
Onedayavisitorcametotheofficesayinghersupervisorhadheardabouttheprojectandwantedtobeonboardbeforethetrainleftthestation.
Thiswassufficientsupporttogettheinitiativegoingandeventually142MountainsAreMountainsAgainthenecessaryresourceswerefound.
Bynotgivingintotherealityofdeadtreesandtheapparentlyunchangeablequalityofstruc-ture,Senpaiwasabletomakeflowersbloomandachieveagreatinnovation.
ThethirdfeatureofDaijobuDiplomacyinvolvesholdingyourcreativesideincheck.
Itisimportanttostayrealisticandprag-maticandrefrainfromspinningfantasies.
Sticktothefacts,donotviolatethebasictruths.
Besurethatyouarenotaloneinyourinterpretationandthatyouaretakingintoaccountallotherpos-sibleperspectives,withoutlettingmisguidedassumptionscropuplikeweedsassupposed"facts,"whichintheendwillleadtoalossofcredibility.
Inonecase,SenpaihadacolleaguewhoviolatedtherulesofDaijobubyoversteppingtheboundsofappropriatediscourse.
Thisgentlemanknewalotaboutalotofthings,butlikemostofus,hereallyonlyknewawholelotaboutjustacoupleofthings.
Inhismind,therewasabasicconfusionaboutwhatheknewalotaboutandwhathereallyknewawholelotabout.
Theconfusionwasexposedwheneverhetalkedtoomuchaboutwhatheonlyknewalotaboutinfrontofsomeonewhoknewawholelotmoreaboutthesamething.
HeshouldhaveheededthecautionarynoteofphilosopherMartinHeidegger,whosaidinabookcalledWhatisThisThingWeCallThinkingAthinkerthinksonlyonethought.
Thenegativebuzzstartedupthatthisindividualdidnotknowwhathewastalkingaboutbecausehehadtoomanythoughts.
ThepoetVerlaineoncesaidthatsomeideasarelikevermin.
Theymustbestompedonsothatonlytheworthythoughtssurviveanddevelopintoarticulatedexpression.
Becarefulaboutwhatyouproject.
Lossofcredibilityononeissuecanhaveadevastat-ingeffectonthewayyouarereceivedacrosstheboard.
All'sWellthatEndsWell143StepThreeSILENCEASATOOLFORSTRATEGICPLANNING(Thinking)TheaimofDaijobuDiplomacyistousespeakingtohelppreventmisperceptionsandgainattentionforyourcreativeefforts.
Butinthefinalanalysiswordsarealwaysabitdeceptive,asareallsymbols.
AccordingtoaZensaying,Apaintedricecakedoesnotsatisfyhunger.
Youcanpaintabeautifulpictureoreloquentlydescribeascrump-tiouscookietosetthestageandinspire,butwhathappenswhenyouwanttotakeabiteApicturemaybeworthathousandwords.
But,areathousandpicturesworthwhileiftheydonotcorrespondtorealityEventhemostexquisitewordsgrowflatandstaleifnotbackedupbytheauthoritythatonlybottom-lineresultscanbring.
Fe-licitousspeakingmaycreateagoodfeelingaboutaproposalbutitdoesnotnecessarilybringaboutthedesiredalterationofstruc-ture.
Nothingissadderthaneloquencereducedtomererepeti-tion,inconsistency,orincongruity.
Ioncehadasupervisorwhommanypeopledescribedasa"Southerngentleman.
"Hewasalwaysverywelldressedandwellspoken.
Helikedtosaythathecould,Charmthespotsoffofacow.
ButIneverdidseethemspotsgoanywhere.
Talkischeap,aswecanseefromthefailureofTe-shan'sproclaiming,ineffect,"Iwin,"atthebeginningofthekoannarrative.
Hethenrealizedthatac-tionsspeaklouderthanwordsandaremoreeffectivethanpic-tures.
Youcantalkthetalk,butatsomepoint,itismeaninglessunlessyoualsowalkthewalk.
AcommentatorwhointerviewedleadingrepresentativesoftheZentraditioninJapankepthearingthemdiscusswhethersomeone144MountainsAreMountainsAgainhadattainedastateofenlightenmentorenteredintoNirvana.
Hestartedtoponderthedifferencebetweenthisstateandanordinary,unenlightenedcondition.
HowcanyoureallysaywhichiswhichRidingonthebullettrainfromTokyotoKyotoandhurdlingpastthedistant,snow-cappedpeakofMt.
Fuji,aswellasover-builturbanandsuburbanneighborhoods,hereflectedonwhatitmeanstosay,IaminNirvana.
IsNirvanaastateofblissthatcanbeexperiencedatanymomentthereisaSatoriOr,perhapsSatoriisaninstantaneousbreak-through,whileNirvanaisamoreenduringlevelofrealizationWonderingwhetherperhapshewasinNirvanaherealized,I'mnotinNirvana.
I'm"in"atrain.
Itdoesn'tdoanygoodtokeeptalkingaboutNirvana.
Youhaveeithergotitornot.
Debatingwhatitmeansprobablyonlyhigh-lightsthatyouain'tthereyet.
AnotherlimitationoftheDaijobuapproachisthatthereareboundtobetimeswhenyouconvinceyourselfthatyouareintherightbecauseyougoovertheconversationinyourownmindorwithpeoplewhoarefamiliarwithyourviewpointandhaveanulteriormotiveforsoundingsympathetic.
Butwhenanideaisdiscussedwiththerelevantparties,thecompellingqualityoftheargumentgoesupinsmoke.
Asimilarproblemiswhenjustabittoomuchissaidthatexposesaweaknessoropensupaflanktoattack,creatingtheperceptionofvulnerability.
Thisisthetimetostandbackandreassess.
Similarly,CreatingaBuzzisnotenoughinitselftoachieveeffectivechange.
Wordsafterallareemptycontainers.
Theymustbeaccompaniedandcomplementedbyothermethodsandtech-niquesforbringingtheEncountertofruition.
TheattitudeofAll'sWellthatEndsWellrecognizesthelimitsofspeechandleadsbackAll'sWellthatEndsWell145tothepatientreadinessofno-wordsthatwaitsandwatches.
Whentheeffectivenessofverbalcommunicationhasrunitscourse,embracethepathofremainingsilent,whichisaformofthinkingthatdoesnotrelyonthecrutchofwords.
Sometimesitisbetterto"FightFireWithoutFire.
"NAVIGATINGTHECROSSROADSStandingatthebrinkofconflict,youoccupyacrossroads.
Yourealizethatyouhaveaccomplishedeverythingpossiblebyspeak-ingandthatcontinuingtopushinthesamedirectionwillonlybackfire.
Whenonemoree-mailtoHectorprovesuselessandyouknowinyourheartofheartsthatanotherattempttoCreateaBuzzwillnotproducefruitbutonlyblossomsthatwillquicklyfadeandscatter,awarenessofreachingadeadenddrivesyoutomoveontodiscoverotherpathways.
Theprincipleofprogression,ofexhaustingthepossibilitiesinonestagebeforeattemptingtomoveontothenextstage,ispar-ticularlyimportantinthetransitionfromtheroleofspeakinginStepTwototheuseofsilenceinStepThree.
TheZencritiqueofthefatherintheparableoftheburninghousewho,inordertoavertcatastrophe,callsoutapromisetothechildrenthathemaynotbeabletodeliveristhatfalsehopeandillusioneasilybe-comesacrutch.
Whilespeakingmayofferawonderfulreprievethatisnecessaryinsomecases,theoppositeuseofsilenceisatoolthatforcestheotherpartytodevelopagreaterdegreeofself-relianceandself-control.
Usingwordsandusingno-wordsmayseemlikeopposites,how-evertheyareverycloselyconnected.
Silencedoesnotreversebutratherextendstheapproachofspeaking.
InStepTwo,speakingworksinthepresenttoattempttocreatechange.
Whenthisprovesinconsequential,theUnmovingMindchoosestoholdbackwords.
Thetransitionfromspeechtosilence,frompresenttofuture,and146MountainsAreMountainsAgainfromactiontoanticipationtransfersmomentumfromtheWarrior'sspontaneousactivitytotheHermit'spostureofacceptancebasedonimpartialityandequality.
ReticencehelpsbuytimeasyouassesstheimpactofchallengesandallowforaremedyalreadyinitiatedbyDaijobutobeen-acted.
Duringahiatusinspeaking,youcanjudgethecauseofamiscommunication.
Withoutseeminguncooperativeorresistant,youcanwaituntilyouarepreparedtoresponddecisively.
Silencealsoprovidesachancetoaccumulateknowledgeandbuildsup-portforyourcause.
AccordingtoanArtofWarstratagemthatisoftencitedinZenwritings,Lurethetigerfromthehills.
Donottrytoenterintoarival'sbastionofstrength.
Bymaintain-ingsilence,youcompelthemtocomeoutofthelairandintotheopenrealmonanevenplayingfieldwheretitlesandstatusarecastaside.
Sometimesthewisestchoiceistostayput.
EverydayonmywaytoworkIhavetodrivethroughacomplexintersection.
Exit-ingthehighway,Imustimmediatelycutacrosstwolanesoftraf-ficthatareconvergingontoanentrancetothesamehighwaythatisjustaquartermilepasttheexit.
Thereisanaturalimpulsetomakeforthefarlanerightthroughtherush-hourtrafficwithoutwaitingforthelighttostoptheoncomingcars.
Thereareacci-dentssmallandlargenearlyeveryweekbecausesomeonewasunabletowaititout.
Ihavehadtodevelopaninstinctthatre-strainsthereflextosuccumbtoimpatienceortothewaitingcarshonkingbehindme.
That'sanexampleofmaintainingabalancedandcircumspectoutlook.
ThekindofwaitinginStepThreebasedonself-controlisfun-damentallydifferentfromthe"waittoseeifchannelswillwork"approachoutlinedinStepOne,whichemphasizesexternalmecha-nisms.
Thatisbecausesilencedoesnotsimplymeannotspeak-All'sWellthatEndsWell147ing,justasyieldingdoesnotmeaninactivity.
ThisthirdstageoftheEncountersequencebuildsontheparadoxthatretreatisat-tackandlosingiswinning.
TheUnmovingMindaccomplishesmorebydoingandsayingless.
AsLaoTzusaysofthedoctrineof"non-action"intheTaoTeChing,TheWaydoesnottakeaction,yetnothingisleftundone.
Cryptic,ambiguousorparadoxicalexpressionsmayconveyvol-umes.
AnoracularorSphinx-likeposturegivesothersachancetousetheirimagination.
AccordingtoanotherTaoistsaying,Imagesarebasedonideas,andwhenyougettheideayoucanforgetabouttheimage.
Wordsexpressimages,andwhenyoupicturetheimageyoucanforgetaboutthewords.
Theinspirationforspeakingcomesfromthoughts.
Howevermuchisspokenwillneverbeabletoconveyeverythingyouthinkandfeel.
Butsomeformofcommunicationisalwaystakingplaceevenwhenyouarenotspeaking.
Likemimeorsignlanguage,si-lencecommunicatesthroughmovementsandotheractions.
Youcannothelpbuttelegraphattitudesthroughgesturesandbodylan-guage.
ComposerJohnCagesaidthereisnosuchthingastruesi-lencebecauseyoucanalwayshearyourheartbeatorthehumoftheheaterorthetickofaclock.
Amessageisperpetuallycomingacross.
Anexampleofbodylanguagethatcommunicatedmoreeffec-tivelythanspeakingisseeninJohnKennedy'sperformanceinthefirst-ever,televisedpresidentialdebatewithRichardNixonin1960.
RadiolistenersgaveaslightedgetoNixon,buttheTVau-diencewasoverwhelminglysurethatKennedywonthedebate.
Incontrasttohisnervous,sicklylookingopponent,Kennedyap-pearedsupremelyconfident.
Noquestionsorbarbscouldshakehisappearanceofcomposure.
Thatwasthefirstoffourdebates,andwhileeveryoneremembersvividlytheoutcome,nobodyhasanyrecollectionofthenextthreesessionsthattookplaceaftertheinitialimpressionwasset.
148MountainsAreMountainsAgainAsimilarillustrationappearsinthefilmTheHustler,inwhichMinnesotaFats,playedbyJackieGleason,defeatsthebrashyoungpoolsharkplayedbyPaulNewman.
AtfirstNewmanisbeatingthepantsoffofFats.
Hetakesabreak,relaxinganddrinking,whileFatsspendsthetimecleaningupandpreparinghimselfmentallyforthecontest.
Fatsreturnsfresh,focused,andfightingstrong.
Hequicklyregainsmomentumandwhipsthefatiguedchallenger,despiteNewman'semptytaunts.
Once,Senpaiwascountingontwojuniorcolleaguesformajorassistancewithaproject.
Bothofthemwerealreadystretchedthinintheirschedules.
Theirabilitiesweresimilar,buttheyhadnearlyoppositewaysofdealingwithhim.
Onegaveassurancesthathewouldalwaysbeavailabletohelpuntiltheprojectreachedcompletion.
Intheend,however,hehadverylittletimetospare,althoughSenpaifeltclearthatthecolleague'sintentionwasnotimpure.
Theotherneversaidawordaboutprospectsandseemedaloof,butintheenddidcomethroughtoagreaterextent.
Itwasacaseofactionspeakinglouderthanwords.
Yet,therewasnosimpledichotomyherebetweenhelpfulnessanduselessness.
Thefirstcolleague'squietassuranceswereacomfortandpsychologi-calboostthatkeptthebuzzgoinginSenpai'smind,atleast,attimeswhenthesecondpersonwasnotforthcoming.
Eachofthecolleaguescontributedintheirownuniquewaytotheeventualaccomplishmentofthetask.
Onanyparticularoccasion,youmustseektodiscernwhethersilencereflectsmuteunknowingnessorisalion'sroarreadytoexpressafullawarenessthatisbeingheldbackuntilthetimeisrighttohavemaximumeffect.
Sometimesreticencemayappeardisingenuousorduplicitouswheneludinganinquiry,avoidingacommitment,orpunishingsomeonewiththe"silenttreatment.
"Awithdrawnsilencemayreflectemotionalagitation.
Therearetimeswhenyoumayrefuseorbeunabletospeak,notoutofempty-headednessbutbecauseyouhavetoomuchtosayorhaveatape-looprunninginyourmindrepeatingwordsAll'sWellthatEndsWell149thatwouldnotbeappropriate.
Forexample,ifyouareanxiousandyourfriendsensessomethingbythelookonyourfaceandaskswhatiswrong,youarelikelytosaysimply,Nothing.
Thismeansthereisnoonesinglethingwrongbuttoomuchtoevenbegintryingtoexplainit.
Isthiskindofnothingnessmean-ingfulThisislikethejokeinwhichagirlcomplainsthatshedoesn'tlikeSwisscheesebecauseoftheholesandhermothertellsher,"Leavetheholesontheplateandjusteatthecheese.
"SomeformsofpurposefulsilencearemoreexpressivethanwordsbecausetheystemfromtheinnerwisdomoftheHermit.
IoncesawthegreatbluesguitaristB.
B.
Kingfireoffanincredibleriffthenstopinmidstreamtoplay"airguitar.
"Thesilenceofthismomentmadeathunderousroarthat,judgingfromtheaudience'sresponse,seemedtooutshinetheaudiblenotesplayedbeforeandafter.
PerhapsthatiswhyBillEvanssaidthatthemagicofJohnColtrane'smusicwasmorethanamatterofmusicalnotescoaxedfromaphysicalinstrument.
Themusicspokerighttotheheartonanunmediatedlevelbeyondthedistinctionbetweensoundandsilence.
TheZennotionof"intuitivecommunicationfrommindtomind"isnotthesupernaturalabilitytoreadmindsortransmitthoughtsbutrathertheachievementofinsightbasedonmutualunderstanding.
Accordingtoaparable,theBuddhagoestospreadtheDharmaonadistantplanetwheretheinhabitantshavesuchanadvanceddegreeofspiritualinsightthathedoesn'tneedtoutterasoundwhileteaching.
Eyecontactandgesturesalonearesufficienttoconveydoctrines.
WhenhereturnstoplanetEarth,theBuddharealizesthathumansfailtoheedtheteachingbecausetheyarepig-headedandstubbornintheirattachments.
Hemustcontinuallyadjustandadaptbothwordsandsilenceindifferentwaystailoredtotheunderstandingofhisfollowers,evenifthisinvolvesambigu-ityorcontradiction.
AstheZenpoetRyokansays,150MountainsAreMountainsAgainWhenyourealizethatmypoemsarenotreallypoems,thenwecansitdownanddiscusspoetry.
Asopposedtoreticencethatistheresultoffeelingstuckandnotknowingwhattosay,silencebasedonchoiceletsyouremainambiguousinacreativewayuntilyouseehowcircumstancesunfold.
Thebuildingofbridges,alliances,andconsensuswithhelpfulcolleaguesmustgirdunderbeingsilent,sothattheover-allforceofwhatissaidandleftunsaidismaximized.
Thisactu-allyenhancestheeffectivenessofDaijobuDiplomacybecausewhatotherssayinyourabsencecandomoretoadvancethecausethanwhatyousayaboutyourself.
Theintegrityofideassupportedbyanetworkofcultivatedallianceswinstheday.
Itcanbebetterforawell-positionedcolleaguetoserveasyouradvocatethanforyoutopressyourowncase.
Truesilencereflectsmasteryofknowingwhenandwhattosayandnottosay.
Senpaiwastryingtosellaprojectandtheclientaskedforareportonproductivityfiguresuptothatpoint.
Hepre-sentedadetailed,itemizedaccount,demonstratingthathewasfullypreparedforthequery.
Buteventhoughtheoverallpicturewasontherosyside,whenthespecswerescrutinized,asubtlepatternofdecliningproductivitywasexposed.
Theclient'searlyenthusiasmfadedlikethedewonalatesummerblossomandhequicklyandquietlybackedoff.
Whenpressedforanexplanation,theclientgavethisadvice:showtherosypicturebutdonotdisclosedetailsthatmayundermineprospects.
Thestructureofnegotiationsisfluidandisbeingdeterminedbywhatisorisnotexpressed.
HOLDINGTHEFLY-WHISKWHILEFACINGTHEPOINTOFNORETURNWhathappenswhenbothspeakingandsilencefailtochallengethestatusquoortobringaboutanappropriatechangeinstruc-tureThelastrefugeofahierarchicalorganizationistoassertAll'sWellthatEndsWell151dominancebyevokingpowerthroughasymbolofauthority(ratherthanverbiage).
Kuei-shanraisingthefly-whiskisaclassicexampleoftheinvocationofsuchasymbol,whichhastheeffectofpullingrankontheupstartTe-shan.
Inanotherkoancase,amasterofoneschoolofZenholdsuphisfly-whiskbeforeavisi-torwhorepresentsadifferentsectandasks,DotheyhaveanythinglikethiswhereyoucomefromHowever,inthefinalanalysis,allsymbols,likewordsinStepTwo,provethemselvestobehollowshellswhoseclaimtocommandingrespectdependsentirelyontheintegrityofthepersonusingthem.
Atacommitteemeetingwhereyouarescheduledtopresentareportsummarizingyourideasforlaunchinganimportantproject,achallengeislikelytocomefrombothsides.
Itstemsfromthosewhohavebeenwaitingforeverforinnovationandfeelthatthechangesrecommendedareinadequateandfromthosewhowillresistanydeparturefromwhatisconsideredthenorm.
Theonethingbothsidesagreeonistoquestionyourroleandchallengethebasisofyourauthority.
Yourealizeyourpositioncouldbeunderminedatanymomentdependingonwhetheryouhandleacrisisofuncertaintyasanopportunityforgrowthoratimetogetrigid.
Whenyoustretcharubberband,theopeningwidensbuteventuallyitwillbreak.
Onepersonemergesasspokesmanforthechallengeandwavesacopyofyourreportinfrontofthewholegroupwhilesaying,"Isn'tthisoldwineinnewbottles"Thequestionisnotsomuchaboutthedocumentintheirhandsasitisaboutwhoreallyholdspower,andwhetheryoucandriveyourpointhomedespitetheobjectionscomingfromoppositeangles.
Atthisstage,youturntoamemberofthecommitteemanagingthebudget,andaskhowmuchofthefundscouldbecommittedtotheproject.
Hehasbeensittingbackandwatching,andnowretorts,"Whatifthere152MountainsAreMountainsAgainwasnothingCan'tweaccomplishalmostallofyourproposalswithoutcommittingnewresources"Youcouldthentrytogiveyourapproachevenmoreofabuzzbyvolunteeringtotakeonadditionalresponsibilitytogeneratefundsorjustputaratherabruptendtoyourportionofthemeetingwithashrugandthecomment,"We'llsee.
"Ideally,thisshrugisdonenottoshowoffhandedindifferencebuttoHoldtheThought,orrefrainfromstatingwhatiscleartoeveryoneandneednotbespoken,thatifthecommitteeisbroughtdownbyturfbattlesandfailstoaccomplishitsgoals,therewillbemoreofaproblemthananyonewantstosee.
Atthisjuncture,youmightconsiderleapingintoanti-structurebygrabbingthepapersthathavebeenusedtotaunt,whichareaproductofyourworkafterall,orsimplywalkingawayfromthetable.
However,thegroundworkforsuchadramatic,irreverentgestureneedstobelaidbyonemorepreliminarystep,soyouhavecomepreparedwithanupdated,morecomprehensiveandfullydocumentedver-sionofthereportthatyoupulloutofyourbriefcase.
Thishasallthefactsandfiguresrequiredtoproveanddisprovethecontestedpoints,andjawsdropinanadmiringsilence.
Atthedecisivemoment,thissymbolfunctionslikeayellowlightthatsignalsforalltoslowdownthepaceofthemeeting.
Thispauseinactivityhasadynamicqualityinallowingforare-channelingoftheenergycirculatingintheroom.
However,thesymbol,orcounter-symbol,isusefulandproductiveonlysolongasitpromotesdialogueandleadstoamutuallybeneficialresult.
Ifthespokespersonfortheobjectionshasoneiteminhishands(evenifitmeansdefacingasymbolyougenerated)whileyouhaveanother,youareleftwithaclashofemptysymbolswavedbackandforth.
Thisexchangefeaturingtwouselesssetsofphysicalmaterialsleavesbasicissuesunexaminedandunresolved.
ThefutilityofusingiconsofauthorityisrevealedinthelimitationofsymbolsAll'sWellthatEndsWell153representingpowerthatisinturnbasedontheemptinessattherootofallstructures.
Inrecognizingthis,youwillbeledtopur-suegenuinepowerbytakingtheleapinStepFourintotherealmofanti-structure.
Often,somethingthatissupposedtoconveyagreatersenseofpowerthanwhatactuallyistherebyfunctioningasameaningfulsymbolofauthorityisexposedasnothingmorethanathree-dimensionalobject.
ThephilosopherKierkegaardtellsastoryofaman,feelingdistraughtanddesperate,whoprowlsthestreetslateatnightanddiscoverstohisdelightashopwithasignan-nouncing,"PhilosophyDoneHere.
"Hegoestowardtheentranceandtheninthedarkseesthatitismerelyastoresellingsigns.
Thisdemonstratesthelessonthatsometimeswhatyoutaketobeatoolofcommunicationturnsouttobesimplyonemoremean-inglessobject.
OnetimeSenpaistartedmanagingaunitthathadalowlevelofproductivityinanimportantsector.
Thequotientwasactuallyinsingledigits,andheworkedhardtodoublethefigurewithinsixmonths.
Hisimmediatesupervisorwasproudoftheteam'sefforts.
Thentheydiscoveredthatwhiletheywerereportingatotalfigureof17,theofficialrecordshadthemdownforonly12.
ItwasexplainedthattheVP'sofficehadastrictermethodofac-counting.
ButwhenSenpairecalculatedusingthisothermethodhestillcameupwiththeseeminglyimpressivenumberof15.
Senpaipreparedabeautifuldocumentwithallthebellsandwhistlesandmadeanappointmentupstairs.
Asheandhissuper-visorstartedtomaketheirargument,theyfoundtheVPwasastepaheadandcaughtthemoffguardbysaying,Whetheryouhaveaquotientof17or12or15doesn'treallymattermuch,becauseweareonlypayingattentiontounitswiththepotentialtoreach50.
Therefore,thebeautifullydesignedreportwasyetanotherdis-154MountainsAreMountainsAgainpensablesymbolinaworldofcast-asidesandthrowaways.
BabeRuthcouldhavewavedhisfingerallhewantedthatfamousday,butifhehadnotactuallyhitahomerunstraightouttodeadcenteritwouldhavebeenamockery.
ThiswasatimewhenSenpaishouldhavebeenbetterprepared,basedondynamicactivityandgenuineaccomplishment,tomakeadramaticstatementthatthrewawaythenumbersandwipedtheslateclean.
AstheWesleySnipescharacterinRisingSunsaysinfrustrationtofellowdetectiveSeanConnery,whohasbeenmentoringwhathecallshisKohai(juniorcolleague)onhowto"negotiate"withtheJapaneseduringahomicideinvestigation,Senpai.
Applepie.
Orwhateveryouwantmetocallyou.
155chaptereightComingfromNowheretoSomewhereTStep4ENTERINGTHEREALMOFANTI-STRUCTURE(Knowing)HEAIMOFSILENCEinStepThreeistoreflectlogicallyonemo-tionalreactionsbeforeputtingforthaview.
Silencehelpscontainthefireandletsitburnslowlytohelpdiscoverwhatisrealandwhatisillusory.
Bringingacrisistoaheadclarifieswherethingsstandanddetermineswhetherastrongerresponseisneeded.
Butwhathappenswhentheunstoppabledriveofambi-tionmeetsheadonwiththeimmovablestrengthofthefly-whiskLogicprovidesacheckandbalanceforemotion,butreasonhasitsownshortcomingsandwhentherationalmindrunsitscourseitisnecessarytoturntointuition.
Oncethefullresourcesofspeakingandnotspeaking,aswellassymbolsofauthority,haveallbeentriedwithoutsuccess,thenandonlythendoyoubringintoplaythelastresortofanti-structuralbehaviordemon-stratingtypicalZenqualitiesofspontaneity,irreverence,andcon-tradiction.
Anti-structuredoesnotrelyonspeakingbutisalso156MountainsAreMountainsAgainnotjustamatterofstayingsilent.
Theconventionsofhierarchyandorganizationalproceduresarecastasidebutarebynomeansdisdainedordisrespected.
Thistransformstheconventionalin-junctionof"thinkbeforeyouspeak"into,BeforethinkingorspeakingawakentheUnmovingMind,andthenyoucaneitherthinkorspeakmoreeffectively.
WhenSenpaiwasaskedtogive"onewordofZen,"atradi-tionalphrasereferringtoadistillationofthepath,hewouldof-tensay,Jump!
Quotingfromakoancaseinwhichthistersecommandisgivenastheanswertothequestion,"Whatdoyoudoafteryouclimbtothetopofa100-footpole"Onetimehewaspressedforafurtherexplanationandhegrunted,Don'tjump!
WasSenpaibeingdeliberatelyarbitraryormerelyjocularThefearwasthathemightbestartingtoresembleoneofthoseun-helpfulZenteachersdescribedbyYukioMishima:Then,ofcourse,thereisthetypeofZenpriestwhowillin-stantlyhanddownhisarbitrarydecisiononanythingthatisdiscussed,butwhowillbecarefultophrasehisreplyinsuchawaythatitcanbetakentomeantwooppositethings.
Senpai'sobliquestyleofdiscoursemeantthattherecomesapointwhenneithermorecommunicationnorturningawaywillsolvetheproblem,orwhenconventionalbehaviorhasexhausteditspathyetanyalternativerisksalienatingfriendandfoealike.
Atthatmoment,youmustmakeasplit-seconddecisionwhethertojumpornottojump.
Itisimpossibletodecidebeforehandwhichoptionwillbepreferable,asbothhaveprosandconsrelativetoComingfromNowheretoSomewhere157theparticularcontext,butyourchoicedetermineswhetheryougainorloseheaven.
Theleapfromstructuretoanti-structureisatechniqueforsolvingotherwiseintractableproblems.
Thisdelicatemaneuvermustbeapproachedcarefully.
Anti-structuralwordsordeedsareonlyeffectiveincreatingauthorityandfieldingachallengewhenyoustayalignedwiththeprincipleoffairness.
Outrageousbe-haviorisusefulifitisbasedonsubstanceanditisclearyouhavedoneeverythingpossiblebeforeresortingtostrangeness.
Imper-missiblemotivesincludewantingtodenigrateothersorlookingforindividualcreditratherthangivingprioritytoteamworkandself-sacrifice.
Thereareseveralessentialelementsofanti-structure.
First,theprogressionofthefourstepshasadialecticalquality.
Thestepsallhavethecapacitytosolvetheproblem.
Butifastepplaysoutandeventuallycollapsesonitsown,thissignalsthattheissueismoredeepseatedandleadstothenextstage.
Eachstagecorrectsitspredecessor,yetalsorevealsashortcomingorflawthatcon-tainstheseedsofitsremedialsuccessor.
Onceyourecognizeadifficultyorobstacleasasourceofsuf-fering,itisnecessarytotrytocorrecttheconditionbyfirstgoingthroughprocedures.
Startbyreturningtotherootconditionandbeginningtheremedialprocessfromthatvantagepoint,withoutskippingoverstages.
Becarefulnottojumparoundinanundis-ciplinedwaywithoutregardtosequence—forexample,keepingsilentbeforespeakingorexperimentingwithanti-structurepriortoworkingwithinstructure—asthiswillcompoundratherthanalleviatethecoredifficulty.
Donottrytopushaheadbyforcinganewstagebeforeitisnecessaryorunlessyouarereadyforit,butdon'tclingtoastageafterithasclearlybecomeadeadissue.
AsecondelementexhibitedbyTe-shan'sreenteringtheDharmaHallistheneedforaface-to-facemeetingtocompletetheEn-counter.
Irememberhavingacarthatwasalwaysonthefritzandcallingmyfriend,whowasamechanic,withendlessquestions,158MountainsAreMountainsAgainbutIalwaysactedlikeIwastoobusytobringitin,partlytoben-efitfromthefreeadvice.
Finally,outoffrustration,heasked,"Whenyou'resick,doyoutalkendlesslytothedoctoronthephone,ordoyougointohisoffice"Senpaioncehadadisciplewhoseemedtobeavoidinghim.
Onapreviousproject,shehaddoneabrilliantjobthatearnedhisadmiration.
Buthehadbeendisappointedinherrecentper-formance.
WhenshesawthatSenpaiwastryingtopromoteacolleaguewhohadlessexperience,thedisciplewantedtomakeherowncaseknown.
However,shecomplainedtoeveryoneelsebutSenpai.
Heunderstoodthatonsomelevelshewasawarethatshehadnomoralauthoritytoinsistonaraiseorclaimunfairtreat-ment.
Ifshehadshownupinhisofficetoconfronthim,hewouldhavebeenhappytoexplainthatherrecentworkhadbeenfarfromeffective.
SheknewshewasnotreadyfortheEncounter.
HerrealizationthatshedidnotwanttohearthismessageturnedintoapenitentmomentthatmotivatedhertogobacktoSenpaiandhaveanin-depthdiscussiononhowtoimproveproductivitywithoutregardforreward.
Intheendherrenewedeffortswerenotedandtheraisewasgranted.
Athirdelementofanti-structureisthattheintuitionofZenmastersisgenerallyexpressedinunpredictablebehavior,suchasbyreactingtothesamesituationinoppositewaysortooppositesituationsinthesameway.
Atothertimes,thiscallsforrolerever-sals,inwhichdisciplesstrikeorslaptheirmasters.
Othertech-niquesincludeabsurdityandhumor,paradoxesandnonsequiturs,aswellasnonverbalordemonstrativegestures,suchasjumpingfrompoles,cuttingofflimbs,burningsutras,ortossingawaysa-credobjects.
Thesemethodsareinvokednotasashowofeccen-tricityasanendinitself,butwithaparticulareffectinmind,andshouldbecastasideabruptlyassoonasthedesiredresulthasbeenachieved.
Insomekoancases,themasterdisplayscontradictoryorever-shiftingresponsestothesamebehavior,forexample,answeringComingfromNowheretoSomewhere159variouslyyes,no,ormaybetothesamequestion.
Sometimes,thepatternisreversed,aswhenChao-chourespondswith"Gohaveacupoftea"toallthediversequerieshereceives.
Whenhewasaskedwhyhealwaysinstructedinthesameway,Chao-chousmil-inglytoldtheinquirer,Gohaveacupoftea.
SayingGoodbyetoWaterPitchers,EverywhereZenmastersrepeatedlyshowthathumorandirony,whenusedwithoutsarcasmorcondescension,candisarmpossiblerivalsandadversariesandcreatecompromisebyallowingyoutosaythingsyoucouldnotexpressotherwise.
Inacontemporarynon-Zenexample,JudgeGriffenBell,whowasnotusedtothepoliticalscene,wasasurpriseappointeetothepostofattorneygeneralintheCarteradministration.
HewasanoutsideratatimewhentheFBI,nowunderhisjurisdiction,wasincreasinglycomingunderscrutinyandattackforbeingtoopoliticized.
Atapressconfer-ence,thenewAG-designatewasbombardedwithquestionsfromreporters.
WashedepressedoverthelackofmoraleattheBu-reau,orimpressedwiththemagnitudeofhisauthorityDidheknowifanyevidenceimplicatingmembersoftheFBIhadbeensuppressedbythepreviousadministrationWerethefedsguiltyoftherepressionofhumanrights,asmanyclaimedThenomi-neestoodtherecalmlyandsaid,DepressedImpressedSuppressedRepressedLet'sjustsay,I'mpressed!
Ofcourse,theslyhumorshowedthathewasn'tgoingtobedraggeddownbythelegacyhehadinherited(althoughhewouldsoonbedrivenfromofficeforotherreasons,provingagain,thattalkischeapandactionsdospeaklouder).
160MountainsAreMountainsAgainAmeetingbetweenSenpaiandseveralmiddle-aged,middle-levelmanagersprovidesanotherexampleofspontaneoushumor.
Thingshadbecomequitetense.
Hangingintheairwastheimpli-cationthatSenpaiwasthestubborn,incorrigibleone.
He,ontheotherhand,feltconfidentthatwhilestickingtoprinciples,whenthetimecame,hewouldbeabletoshowthathewaswillingtoyield.
Still,hewaspushingmaybetoohardforaclearresolutionbytheendoftheday,whichwaswhathissupervisorwasexpect-ing.
Somehowtheconversationturnedtoaseniorcolleaguewho,thoughlongretired,wasstillactiveincertainaffairs.
Onepersonsaidhowremarkableitwasthat"shewas80butlookedandactednotadayover50.
"Senpaishotback,Andwe'reall50,yetwelookandactnotadayyoungerthan80.
Thisratheroutrageousremarkmighthaveupsetsomeone,butitturnedouttobejusttherightkindoficebreaker.
Itdrewattentiontothefactthattheyweren'tgettinganywhere.
Theconversationcouldthenopenupandmoveforwardtoaproductiveconclusion.
OnetimeafriendtoldSenpaithathersupervisorsactedveryenthusiasticaboutherprojectsbutneverreallycamethroughwiththesupportpromised.
Shewasn'tsurewhethertheysimplylackedresourcesandweredoingtheirbestwithsmokeandmirrors.
HowcouldshebesuretheyreallystoodbehindhertotheextenttheyledhertobelieveDuringanegotiationsession,thesupervisorsonceagainpromisedadditionalsupport,butwhensheanalyzedthetrade-offsinvolved,ithardlyseemedworththetrouble.
Thentheyinvokedtheideathatitwouldbeamatterof"robbingfromPetertopayPaul.
"Senpai'sfriendtriedtostayfocusedonthequestion,WeretheysincereordisingenuousShesaid,"Thisisthefirsttimeyou'vetalkedaboutplayingthePeter-Paulgame,"towhichtheyreplied,"Wealwaystalkaboutit.
"Shetoldthem,MaybethisisthefirsttimeI'veheardyouadmittoit.
ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere161Beingopenaboutwhatisnormallyconcealedhadtheeffectofput-tingeveryoneateaseandopeningupthepursestringsjustenoughthatshecameawayfromthemeetingsatisfiedwiththeresponse.
InacourtroomshowonTV,anunorthodoxlawyerplayedbyayoungPeterFalkcameintoaboardroommeeting.
Hispeerswereconductingareviewoftheeccentricbehaviorthataccom-paniedhistremendouslyeffectivethoughunconventionalandidiosyncraticlegalcounsel.
WasheamenacetotheprofessionTheFalkcharacterwasofcoursedisheveledandworeaveryloudtieloosenedatanopencollar.
Whentheheadoftheinquirycom-mentedfacetiously,"Ilikeyourtie,"Falkrespondedbytakingthetieoffandtossingitacrossontheconferencetableandsaying,Youlikeit…Here,it'syours.
Takeitorleaveitwasthemessageoftheday.
UnravelingScrollsandTwirlingBatsTheUnmovingMinddealswithshiftingalliancesandsurprisingdevelopmentsbyseeingclearlyandobjectivelytheunfoldingofthingsastheyareandgivingprioritytothemostproductivetasks.
Newsthatthereisaproblemintheworkplacemaycreateanop-portunityforactionandadvancement.
Ifyoucanhelpsolveprob-lemsthatotherscause,youbuildupcredentialsthathelpprepareforatimewhenyoumusttakeabolder,StepFour-typeofmoveby"Creatingaproblemtosolveaproblem.
"ThefirststageofSenpai'strainingofjuniorcolleaguestoprimethemforthismaneuverwasbasedonElevation.
Heexplainedhowtocastasideegoandascendbysteppingbackfromtheworldofdiscordandabandonthoughtsofwinningorlosing,livingordying,aswellasthe"nothingtofearbutfearitself"syndrome.
Becauseyoushowyourselfwillingtoacceptdefeatanddeath,adversariesaredisarmedandthedesiredresultsofvictoryandlifearegained.
162MountainsAreMountainsAgainSenpai'smentoringwastestedwhenheassignedoneofhistraineestomakeanall-importantpresentationbeforeanuncom-promising,"alwaysdemandthebest,"advisoryboard.
Thispre-sentationwoulddeterminethefateofaprojectthatwascrucialtotheadvancementofthewholeunit.
Hedecided,somewhatcontroversially,thatthiswasanopportunetimetoputthespot-lightonhismaindisciple.
Shehadbeenassistinghimformonthsinreadyingthereportandknewthematerialbetterthanhe.
Shewaseagertoproveherself,butweallknewofapotentiallyfatalweakness.
Itseemedproblematictopushherforward,butSenpai'splanwaspreciselytoheightenthechallengeinordertoleadtoamorecompleteresult.
Thedisciplehadcometothegroupafterbeingtrainedinamethodologybasedonstatisticalanalysisofquantifiabledata.
Whileshedidanoutstandingjobwithsubtleanalyticwork,thiswasverymuchatoddswiththehumanistmethodfavoredbyapowerfulmemberoftheboard.
Theboardmemberfeltthatnum-berscouldnevertellthewholestoryandwhengiventhechancesermonizedeloquentlyabouttheimportanceofrecognizingqual-ityoverthequantifiable.
Thetwomethodsofinterpretationworkedwithdataacquiredduringextensiveinterviewsinthefield.
Oncethisrawdataistakenbacktotheofficeforexamination,itcouldbeinterpretedinmuchthesamewaybybothapproaches.
Thestatisticalmethodfavoredaspreadsheet-generatingmath-ematicalmodel,andthehumanistapproachhighlightedanec-dotesevokinghumaninterest.
Atacriticaljunctureinananalysis,theresultsoftherespectivemethodsmightappeartopartwaysandleadtodifferentconclu-sions.
Senpaiwasskilledatbridgingthatgap,callingupanec-dotesfromhismentalarchivestofleshoutthenumbersandharmonizetherespectiveconclusions.
Heknewhowtofindcom-monground,howtomakeleftwingandrightwingflytogether.
Forhisdisciple,thechallengewastoavoidgettingtrappedbytheclassicdichotomybetweennumbercrunchingandconcepts.
ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere163Shewaspronetogetflustereddownthestretchofagruelingin-terrogation,especiallyifhostilequestionskeptcomingathighspeed.
Forcedtostepoutofhernormalstyle,shemightnotbeabletoresisttheopportunitytospeaktoomuchandundermineherselfwithherownwords.
Therestoftheteam,itwasfeared,wouldbeforcedtositidlybywhilethefortunesoftheunitwentdownthetubes.
WhoeverpresentedthereportwouldhavetofieldquestionswithoutallowingmethodologicaldiscrepanciestoemergeasanAchillesheel.
Thedebateaboutmethodologycouldtakeonalifeofitsownandobscuretheunderlyingstrengthinthecontentofthereport.
Senpaihimselfhadatonofexperienceandworkedcomfortablyinbothmethodologicalworlds.
Wefullyexpectedthatintheendhewouldcometohissensesandgrabthereinsforthepresentation.
Therewastoomuchatstakegoingintothismeet-ing,andtheonlywaytofendofftheskepticalboardmemberandavoidafiascowouldbetohaveSenpaionthefiringline.
Butthatwouldnotbeaverygoodexampleof"Creatingaproblemtosolveaproblem.
"Priortothebigevent,Senpaiheldaprivatemeetingandreas-suredthedisciplethathehadfullconfidenceinherability,whichliftedherspirits.
Hepreparedhertoexpecttheinterviewwiththeboardtocomedowntoasingleall-encompassingMomentwheneverybitofplanningwouldhavetobethrownoutthewin-dowasthelightofthesunpouredbrilliantlyin.
SenpaiexplainedthattheUnmovingMindisbothactiveinarticulatingavisionforchangeandyieldinginacceptingtheneedforopen-endeddecisionmaking.
TheHermit'swaygivesyoutheassurednesstobeimmunetoattackandindifferenttoanyunfairorunfoundedcritique,sothatyoucanwalkawayfromconflictwithanindifferentattitude.
TheuncaringqualityoftheMindisemptyofinsistenceorexpectation.
Uncaring,unlikeordinarydoubt,isnotamatterofgivingupoutoffatigue,exhaustion,orfeelingdemoralizedbecausethesituationishopelessandcannot164MountainsAreMountainsAgainberemedied.
Itmeansunlearningbadhabitstoallowanewkindofinstincttoopenup.
Ajazzconductoroncetoldhismusicianstostudythescoretilltheykneweverynotebackwardsandforwardsandthen,Justforgetthechartandplay!
Senpai'sdiscipleneededtocastasidethedistractionsoffearandinflatedhopesandallowtheUnmovingMindtoflowfreelyasaunityofthinkingandspeakinginanewformofimprovisation.
AtthecrucialMomentshewould"playhermusic"freely.
Butshehadtoexercisesupremepatiencewhilewaitingforthattinyin-stanttoarrive.
UnravelingtheScrollorShakingouttheQuiltisanexercisethatintegratestheHermit'soverview,whichyieldstotheinterconnectednessofallperspectives,withtheWarrior'sabilitytoengageappropriatelyatthepreciseMoment.
Supposeyouhaveascrollthatisrolleduporaquiltthathasbeenthrowninthecornerofthecloset.
Youtrytodecipherthescrollfromstarttofinish.
Thewayascrollisordinarilyread,youonlyseeonepor-tionatatimeandyouhavetotaketheunusualandsomewhatcumbersomeorarduousstepofunrollingitallthewaytoseethebigpicture.
Ifyouopenthescrollpartwayyoucanonlyreadaportionofthenarrativewithoutseeingwhatcomesbeforeoraf-ter.
Pickinguptherumpledquilt,itseemstooshort.
Butwhenyouallowthescrolltounfoldorthequilttobeflattenedout,everythingthatwasthereallalongbecomesapparentandyoucandecipherorutilizeeachandeveryminutedetail.
Senpai'sdiscipleneededtoreadfromthemetaphoricalscrolllaidoutproperly,sothatshecouldseethewholepicturefromthebeginningtotheend.
Shewouldbepreparedandbracednottooverreacttothequestioner'sprodding,whichwouldbeoneofthescroll'swrinklesthatneededtobeunraveled.
Senpaiinstructedhertolettheboardmembersdotheirthing,andwhennecessary—andonlythen—hewouldbesuretodeflecttheattackandsaveComingfromNowheretoSomewhere165thepresentation.
Butatfirsthehadtoappearaloofandindiffer-ent,asifhewereonlyaspectatorsittingonthesidelines,soastoenhancehisobjectivityandclarity.
Thesuccessofhisinvolve-mentdependedonhowwellthedisciplekeptherpoiseandbal-anceduringtheroughspots,whichweresuretocome.
Thiswouldenablehimtoidentifytheflawinthequestioner'sstrategyandjudgetherighttimeforleapingintothefray.
TakuanSohodescribeshowtheZenoutlookfunctionswhenitreenterstheworldofeverydayactivity:Wheretosetthemind…Ifyousetyourmindonanopponent'sactions,youhaveyourmindtakenupbytheopponent'sactions….
Ifyousetyourmindonyourownsword,youhaveyourmindtakenupbyyourownsword.
Thepointisthatthereisnowhereatalltosetthemind,whichiswhatgivesyouthefreedomtoact…Bynotallowingitselftobecomefixed,theUnmovingMindmas-terstheartofanticipatingthenextmoveinordertoselectappro-priateactionorinaction.
Somepeopletalkaboutforeseeingthefuturethroughvisual-izingeventsthatmaytakeplace.
Therearethosewholookforlightningtostrike,whileothersconsultsoothsayersoranalyzetheirdreams.
Zenteachesthattimingisastateofmind.
Iremem-bersittinginaparkwithsomefriends.
Anothermemberofourgroupwalkedby,slowasmolasses,steppingverydeliberately,firstonefootandthentheother.
Wecalledoutforhimtocomeoverandjoinourchat:"Can'tdoit,"heshookhishead,"I'mintoomuchofahurry.
"Whiletheworldoftenputspressureonyouto,Hurryupandwastetime,themessageofZenistoseizethemomentby,Strikingquicklyandthenwaiting(orviceversa).
166MountainsAreMountainsAgainTheZenMindintuitivelytracksdevelopmentsbasedonpastexperienceinordertostaystepsaheadofthecompetition.
Aheightenedsenseofanticipationmakesyouawarethateverypro-cessisboundbyanendpointordeadline.
BecauseZenspontane-ityallowsyoutobeawareofhoweventsoccurringmidwaythroughaprocessmayhelpdeterminetheoutcome,youcancon-tinuouslyrethinkandadjustplansbasedonlessonsbeinglearned.
Youplayagamewithoneeyeontheclock,calculatingwhatshouldbetheinfluenceoncurrentstrategiesofthefinalmomentsyettocome,andhowwhatisdoneornotdonenowwilllikelyturnout.
Sometimesyouadopttheroleofthetortoiseinundertakingmethodicalplanning,andatothertimes,thehareinyouisbound-ingforwardonthespurofthemoment.
Eitherway,youwillneverknowforsurehowwhatyoudidnotdowouldhaveturnedoutifonlyyouhaddoneit.
ThentherearetheSilkySullivanopportunities.
SilkySullivan,oneofthemostbelovedracehorsesinhistory,wonseveralcon-testsin1958,includingtheSantaAnitaDerby.
Atfirstheconcededahugeleadtohisrivalsashehungattheveryendofthepack,asmuchas30lengthsbehindtheotherhorses.
Then,readytomakehismove,hebeganaferociouschargethatwasvictoriousatthefinishline.
Thatday,thehorsewonaraceandacornerinZenheaven.
(Intheinterestoffulldisclosure,ImustadmitthatthetechniquefailedSilkyintheall-importantKentuckyDerby.
TVcoverageoftheDerbythatyearfeaturedasplitimage,withSilkySullivanthefavoriteshowninacornerofthescreenbecausehewasnotevencloseenoughforthecameratocapturehiminthesameshotwiththepack.
Inthatrace,hedidnotshow,finishing20lengthsbehindthewinner,TimTan.
ThereisaZenlessonhereaswell,inthatyoucan'texpectthesameapproachtowineverytime.
)SenpaipreparedhisdiscipleforhittingtheSilkySullivanstrideattherightinstant.
Timingwouldmeaneverything.
Hetoldherthat,atthemeeting,aMomentwouldcomewhentheskepticwoulddisparagethestatisticalmethodandthroughaseriesofComingfromNowheretoSomewhere167Aclose-upofSilkySullivanabove,andashotofhislatedashatSantaAnitabelow168MountainsAreMountainsAgainprobingquestionswouldtempthertocommittoaparticularviewshewouldnotbecomfortablewith.
Thiswouldleaveherwithoutroomforretreat,andwouldlikelydoomtheentireproject.
Headvisedthediscipletomaintainutmostcontrolandpa-tience.
Whenchallenged,donottakeitpersonally.
Respondwiththeassumptionthatwhenthedustsettlesandthelimitsofego-tisticalmethodsareexposed,itisthemostgenuinelyconstruc-tiveagendathatwillprevail.
Sheshouldresistthequestioner'sefforttocornerher,butwithoutclammingupandappearingun-preparedoroverreactingandsayingthingsthatmightrevealafatalweakness.
Senpaiassuredherthatbystayingcomposedshewouldbuyhimthetimetofigureouthowbesttoaddressanddisarmtheboardmember.
Themeetingunfoldedasexpected.
Theadversaryhadpro-ceededunswervinglydownapathoflogicalandpenetratingque-ries.
Thedisciplebecameabitunsettledandstartedtoloseherbalance.
Senpai'sopportunitycamewhentheoverconfidentad-versaryaskedjustonetoomanyquestions,saying,Whydoesn'tyourmodeleverdealwiththeactualconcernsofrealpeopleSenpaileaptin,I'vebeenfollowingyourlineofreasoningandamleftwon-dering,areyoumoreinterestedintheactualconcernsofrealpeopleorinarguingovermethodsfordealingwiththemThenhebrieflybuteloquentlyexplainedhowthedisciple'snum-bersaddressedmorethansatisfactorilyalloftheissuestheboardmemberhadraised.
Caseclosed.
Anewsuiteofofficesandalltheperksyoucouldwantwereontheway.
ThecharacterplayedbyRickyJayinthefilmHeistmighthavebeentalkingaboutSenpaiwhenhesaidoftheGeneHackmanrole,Mym—f—issocool,whensheepcan'tsleep,theycounthim.
ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere169ThestoryofSenpai'sfinessecallstomindthesavvyandskillofWillieStargell,thestarhitterwholedthePittsburghPiratestoWorldSeriesvictoryin1979.
Stargellwasabigguyandtheyusedtosaythebatlookedlikeatoothpickinhishands.
Duringakeyat-batlateinagameattheheightofthepennantracetheradioannouncerwouldsay,"Stargell'stwirlingthetoothpick.
"Iftheannouncersaiditonetimeitwasnobigdeal,butwhentheyrepeateditasecondorthirdtimeyouknewitwasgoingtobeahomerunderby.
Stargellwasseeinghispitchcomingdownthepike.
ConsiderwhythebatbecamelikeatoothpickforWillieStargell.
Thesizeorshapeofthewoodinthebatter'shandneverchangedabit.
WhatdidchangewasStargell'sdemeanor,which,withthegameontheline,expressedanewpowerandauthority.
Heap-pearedtobetwirlingatoothpickbecausethebathadbecomeatoolinhishandsthathecompletelycontrolled.
Hewasthemas-terofthebatasaninstrument,ratherthanviceversa.
Andwhenheslammedahomerun(likeanybatter),hedroppedthetoolofhittingashecircledthebases.
Accordingtoanancientlegend,ZenBuddhismoriginatedwhenSakyamuniBuddhapreachedanonverbalsermonsimplybytwirl-ingaflowerinhishandsandsmiling.
Onepersonintheassem-bly,thevenerableMahakasyapa,understoodthemeaningandgainedanawakeningthatwastransmittedtolatergenerations.
WhatinsightdidMahakasyapareceivethatdaybyseeingagleaminSakyamuni'seyeManyinterpretationsfocusontheroleofsilenceaskeytothisprimalevent,butothersemphasizetheactoftwirlingtheflower.
Theterm"twirling"cametobeusedinZentorefertoamasterreflectingonakoancasebyturningitoverinhismindandexam-iningitssignificancefromeverypossibleangle.
Eachinterpreta-tionisconsideredcarefullyandthereisnocommitmenttoorinsistenceonaparticularview,leavingthistobedecidedbythereaderordisciple.
However,therecordsofZenkoansgenerallydonottranscribethefullsetofdeliberationsbutinsteadcapturebrief,170MountainsAreMountainsAgaindramatic,andenigmaticcommentsprofferedbythemasters.
ThisheightensthesenseofmysteryofZensayings.
Thepointisthatyougaincontrolbymakinguseofthekoan.
Thekoandoesnotcontrolyou.
ThesameruleappliestotheelementsofZendiscipline.
ThewaysoftheHermitandWarriorseenintermsoftheprocessofEPAhelpdevelopself-controlaswellasaconfidentandcoopera-tiveattitude.
Oncethetaskiscompleted,itisimportanttodis-pensewiththemeansthatwereusedtoachievethepurpose.
Youorderusingamenubuttheneatthefoodandsetthemenuaside.
Yougatherthefishandcastasidethenet.
Oncethelightison,youforgetabouttheswitch.
ToparaphraseaZensaying,AMindthatisenlightenedturnsthewheelofthelaw,andtheMindthatisnotenlightenedisturnedbythewheel.
OrasTaoistphilosopherChuangtzusays,Therearethosewhousemanywordsandthosewhousenowords.
Letmemeetamanofnowords,sothatIcansitdownoveracupofteaandhaveafewwordswithhim.
FULL-COURTGAMEASTHEWAYOFTEAMWORKWhiteCollarZencanbesummedupastheunityoftwoforces.
OneforceassociatedwithBeatZenisSingularity,oralltheuniquecreativitythatyoucansummon,evenifseeminglyeccentricandanomalous,toexpressyourindividualtalent.
Eachsnowflakehasadistinctivedesign.
Thesecondforce,associatedwithSquareZen,isSolidarity.
Inspiringteamworkbringsoutthetalentincolleagueswhomayotherwiseremainrecalcitrantandmiredinmediocrity.
MorethanindividualeffortisneededtoprevailinanEncounter.
PhilJackson'sSacredHoops:SpiritualLessonsofaHardwoodWarriorappliesthisZenprincipletotheprofessionalbasketballarenawithComingfromNowheretoSomewhere171thedistinctivestrategyofa"Full-CourtGame,"whichhecallsthe"Taoofbasketball,"or"five-mantai-chi.
"Jackson,oneofthemostsuccessfulcoachesinthehistoryofthesport,whoisconsis-tentlyreferredtoasthe"Zenmasterofbasketball"bythemedia,coachedsuperstarMichaelJordanatthepeakofhiscareer.
Sports-castersusedtosayofJordan,Hecontrolsthewholecourtbyhavingtheknackofcomingfromnowheretosomewhere.
Hestartsawayfromtheballonthefarsideofthecourtandspon-taneously,almostwithoutbeingnoticed,surfacesintheheatoftheactionforacrucialpass,score,orreboundthatturnsthetideofthegame.
JacksonusedZeninsighttodeveloptechniquesthatutilizedthebestskillsofalltheplayersandkepttheballmovingaroundtheentirecourt.
Teamwork,basedondynamic,interactiveoffen-siveanddefensivestrategies,leadstovictory.
Hismethodenabledhisplayerstodefeatbothconventionalman-to-manandzonecoveragesbycatchingopponentsflatfootedandunprepared.
WithJordanonhisside,Jacksonmighthavewonchampionshipswith-outZen.
ButitwouldhavebeeneasyforJordan'sdominancetoeclipsethetalentsofhisteammates.
ItisfascinatingtoseehowstrategiesbasedontheUnmovingMindsetthestageforthesu-perstartodisplayexceptionalmasterywhileintegratinghisstrengthswiththoseoftherestoftheteam.
TheFull-CourtGameisacomprehensiveandintegrativeap-proachthatvaluescooperationandmutualityoverindividual-ism,whichmeansplayingwithallyourwitsandskillsateachstageandoneverylevel,perpetuallysettingstrategyinmotionwithoutanyapparenteffort.
Allparticipantsareenabledtorisetotheoccasionwiththeirbestperformance.
TheFull-CourtGameisdifferentfromthemorecustomary"full-courtpress,"atech-niquethatguardsopponentsinthebackcourtastheyarebring-inguptheball.
Thisstrenuousandfatiguingmaneuvercanbe172MountainsAreMountainsAgaineffectiveinbreakingthemomentumofthegame,butshouldbeheldinreserveasatechniqueoflastresortusedonlyinatimeofdesperation.
TwolevelsofEncounteraretakingplaceinaFull-CourtGame.
Inthefirst,withintheinnergroup—betweenJordanandteammates—astaractsasasupportiveBuddha,bringingoutthebestinplay-erswhonormallyexhibitmorepedestrianskills.
ThefiveplayersyieldHermit-liketotheirrespectivepotentialsandlimitsandfindharmonyandanewsenseofconfidencealongwiththecouragetoact.
BillWalton,anoutstandingbasketballplayerofthe1970s,wasthesuperstarwhosingle-handedlycarriedthedarkhorsePortlandTrailblazerstoachampionship.
ThekeytotheTrail-blazers'successwasWalton'sthoroughlyselfless,"We,notme"teamwork.
WhenaskedhowWaltonaccomplishedsomuch,acommentatorsaid,Byneverlettingmediocrityenterintohisgame,evenforasingleplay,hebringsoutgreatnessinteammatesandelevatesplayerswhootherwisewouldprobablyremainmediocre.
ThesecondlevelofEncountertakesplacebetweenthetwoteams.
Jackson'sstrategiesleavetheoppositiondefenseless.
IftheotherteamputsmultipledefendersonJordan,hespontaneouslydishesoffforanassist.
Iftheygotoman-to-mancoverage,heexploitstheweaknessofthedefender,whethertallorshort,swiftorplodding.
Inbothcases,Jordan&Co.
effectivelyutilizetheconceptualspaceofthecourt,whichcomplementsandenhancestheplayers'individualtalentsandteamwork.
Intheearlydaysofprofootball,thegreatquarterbackSammyBaughoncesaidthatifhisteamwasprotectingthepasserproperlyhecouldplayhisposition"wearingatuxedo.
"ThisislikeChuangTzu'scommentthataTaoistbutcherneverneedstosharpenhisknifebecauseheknowshowtocutthroughthematerial.
Theprocessofattaininggreatnessinselfandothersbycombin-ingtheforcesofSingularityandSolidarityisaddressedinaConfu-ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere173cianparable.
Amanstealsthesheepofhisneighbor,anditishiseldestsonwholearnsofthecrimeandhelpshisfatherrectifythewronghehasdone.
Acontemporaryanalogymightbeasupervi-sorwhohasneglectedtocompletethefinalreportofanimportantprojectwhileajuniorassociate,whohasbeencollectingandorga-nizingthedata,becomesawareoftheomission.
Thiscreatesaquan-daryforthejuniorperson,whohasbeendoinghisjobwell,eventhoughthesupervisoristheoneatfault.
Howdoyougetthesu-pervisortoacknowledgehisfailureandpromptlycorrectitIftheassociateweretoreportthelapsetosomeonehigherintheorgani-zationitwouldbeabreachofbasicprotocol,butdoingnothingatallmaycausetheunit,includinghisownposition,tocollapse.
Therearetwootheroptions.
Oneistospeakbehindthesceneswithamoreseniorfigure,whowouldbeabletoapplypressuretothesupervisor.
Butthismustbedonewithoutappearingtogobehindthesupervisor'sback.
Theotherchoiceisforthejuniorpersontotakeituponhimselftocompletethereport,therebysettinganexamplethesupervisorwilleventuallyfollow.
Thechal-lengeistodothisinanupliftingratherthanhumiliatingway.
Bytakingthesecondoption(onlyafterhavingexploredthesequenceoffoursteps),theassociatehasbrokenthroughthefor-midableinvisiblebarriersofhierarchicalstatusandrank.
Thisisdonewithoutgoingagainstthegrain,butratherbyelevatingtheidealsofinstitutionalstructure.
Ifgreatnessisgenuine,thenithasitsowneffectandthereisnoneedtotalkaboutorproclaimitforpersonalcredit.
Inordertoinduceotherstobegreat,youhavetoberespon-sibleforbecominggreatyourself,showingthemtheway.
AsConfuciussays,thereisareciprocalprocessofestablishingmerit:Thewaytobegreatistomakeothersgreat.
Itisthegreat-nessofothersthatmakeseachofusgreat.
Leadingbyexampleinaworldinwhichallrelationsareinterde-pendentandinteractiveestablishesaspiritually"authoritative"174MountainsAreMountainsAgainpositionthatadvancestheoverallgoodratherthanan"authoritar-ian"attitudethatusescoercionorintimidation.
AccordingtoaTaoisttext,Whenthewrongpersonusestherightmeansthemeansareusedincorrectly,butwhentherightpersonusesthewrongmeansthemeansareusedcorrectly.
Everyoneisbornwiththepotentialtobecomealeader,buttobeelevatedintothestatusofauthorityonthebureaucraticlad-deryouneedtobesupportedbythoseonhigherrungswhodem-onstrateleadershipqualities.
Whoeverhasareputationforexcellentaccomplishments,soundjudgment,reasonableargu-ments,andimpeccableintegrity,willbelistenedtoattentively.
Ifyouarenotoccupyingapositionofgreatness,thenextbestthingistoidentifyandinspirethesupportofthosewhowillspeakuponyourbehalf,behindthescenes,inawaythatcarriesmuchmoreweightthananyamountofself-promotion.
AsConfuciusrecommends,ThepracticeofgovernmentleadershipbymeansofvirtuemaybecomparedwiththeNorthStar,aroundwhichthemultitudinousheavenlybodiesrevolvewhileitstaysinitsplace.
Agenuineleaderisthefirsttocritiqueanddismisstheinad-equateandtoadmireandpraisejuniorcolleagueswhosurpassyouraccomplishments:Whenitisnecessarytoleadheleads,andwhenitisnecessarytocooperatehecooperates;Whenitisnecessarytousesofttrainingmethodsheusessofttrainingmethods,andwhenitisnecessarytobeharshheisharsh.
AttheMomentofcompletinganEncounter,orwhenyouhavemademountainsmountainsonceagain,Zenteacherssay:ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere175Thesunrisesintheeastandsetsinthewest;Theroostercrowsatthebreakofdawn,andAleapyearcomeseveryoneinfour.
AnotherZenphraseevokestheserenityofnaturalbeauty,ofper-ceivingrealityinallitsdiversemanifestationsblissfullyfreeofbiasorpartialjudgment:Willowsaregreen,flowersarered.
Epilogue:GuaranteedSuccess,ButWhattodowithFailureAsuccessfulEncounterisintendedtohaveacontinuallyrenew-able,long-termeffect,transformingapersonwhoislockedintoapositionofconflictintoareliableallyandpillarofsupport.
SenpaiwouldbethelasttoclaimthatanEncountercouldsolveeveryproblemandthefirsttoadmitthisapproachdidnothavealltheanswers.
HeunderstoodtheDylanlyric,"There'snosuccesslikefailure.
"Anytimeyousucceedyoualsofallshort.
Afteramajorachievement,youmayexpectarewardofcomparablepropor-tionsbutitwillbelimitedbecausesuccessesarenotpermanentandtherewillalwaysbechallenges.
Healsorealizedtheinverseisoftenthecase:thereisnofailurelikesuccessifyoucannotseebeyondtemporaryupsanddownsandfindalessonthatcanin-spireyouinfutureendeavors.
TherewasthetimeSenpaiwonasignificantcontractfromanagencyandfelthedeservedanewoffice.
Thefarsideofthebuild-inghadfloor-to-ceilingwindowsandagorgeousriverview.
Senpaistartedreferringtotheofficeslocatedthereasthe"GlassSuite.
"Hemaynothavecoinedthisusage,buthiscontributionwastousetheGlassSuiteasametaphorformorethananattractivespacegainedasarewardformakingaslamdunk.
Itmeantawhole176MountainsAreMountainsAgainpackageofperksandresourcesputatyourcreativedisposal,in-cludingstaff,budget,equipment,etc.
Itdidnotjustimplystatusandprestige,butconcreteacquisitionsthatwouldbevitalinachievingadditionalgoals.
Senpai'srequestwasgreetedwitharesoundingthudofsilencefromsupervisors,whowouldnotsayyes,no,ormaybe.
Astimepassedandthesystemwouldnotbudge,hewasenteringthestagewhenheneededtoproduceresultswhilelaboringonwiththesamelimitedresourceshehadbeforethecontract,whichhethoughtwouldbringhimNirvanaonearth.
Senpaiwasstymied.
Hecouldnottellifthesilencereflectedresistancebyhigherlevelsofman-agementorthereluctanceofanindividualwhowasutterlynon-committalwhentheyexchangedgreetingsbrieflyatameetingonanunrelatedmatter.
Wasnonewsinthiscasegoodnews,andtherewardscouldbeexpectedtobeforthcomingOrhadtherequestrunintoacomplicationthatwouldnotsoonberesolvedMaybethematterhadnotyetbeenbroughtbeforeanadvisoryunit.
Orperhapsitwassimplyconsideredoutofthequestionandoffthetable,butnobodyhadthegutstotellhimso.
Senpai,apparentlyatapeak,wasremindedofthesarcasticcommentthatconcludestheTe-shankoan,Sittingamidtheweedsonthesummitofthesolitarymoun-tainpeak.
Inthemidstofresolvingaproblem,theseedsofanotherarerootedandstragglyweedsbegintosprout.
Writingoftheexperienceofenlightenment,Dogensays,Nevertheless,flowerscontinuetofalltoourdismayandweedsstillspringuptoourchagrin.
Noonecanguesseveryforkintheroad.
ZenagreeswithNietzschethatfromignoranceorarroganceweare,Human,alltoohuman.
ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere177AsadvancedininsightandenlightenmentasaSatorimaybe,therearestilllimitationsandconstraints:EvenaBuddhacarriesawoodenboardoverhisshoulder.
Ifthereisaboardacrosstherightshoulderandyouarecalledonfromthefront,leftorrear,youcaneasilyseewhoisthere,al-thoughyoumayneedtoturnyourheadoruppertorsoabit.
Butifthecallcomesfromtherightside,whileyoumayhaveapartialviewablindspotremainsunlessyoushiftyourwholebody,ormoveorremovetheboard.
Nomatterhowgoodyourperipheralvision,therearenoex-ceptionstotheruleofobstruction.
Thereisalwaysananglenotunderstood,asideofthestorynotheard,orastrandnotthreadedthroughtheneedle.
Somethingismissingineveryapproach,askillremainsunlearnedandapotentialunfulfilled,orsomeoneisletdown.
ThesilenceSenpainowfaced,likethemysterysur-roundingthecompetitionwhenhewasayoungresearcher,washiddensomewhereontheothersideoftheBuddha'sboard.
Dogenfurtherexplainsthatinherentconstraintscannotbeseparatedfromenlightenment.
Afullunderstandingofsightsandsoundsoraclearperceptionofeachsensationisnotomniscience:Whenonesideisillumined,theothersideisdark.
Youremainboundbythelimitsofhumanknowledge,whicharelikeahorizonthatcreatesanaturalbarrier.
Beyondthisnot-so-imaginaryline,youcannotsee.
AccordingtotheimageofShangri-lainLostHorizon,thehorizonis"lost"inthatyoudonotseeitbecauseyouaretoobusythinkingyoucanseebeyondit.
Theaimistoillumineasmanysidesorperspectivesashu-manlypossible.
Zenrecognizes,however,thatatanygiventimetheproverbialboardblocksatleastapartofyourview.
IntheTempleoftheGoldenPavilion,themaincharacterMizoguchihastwoclosefriendsfromseparateareasofhislife.
Oneistriedandtestedandtrueblue.
Theotherisnotnearlysotrustworthybut178MountainsAreMountainsAgainsomeonehehashadtorelyonoutofnecessity.
InMizoguchi'smindtheyareworldsapartand"neverthetwainshallmeet.
"Butonedayhediscoversthatthetwofriendsbehindthesceneswerelongcloselyconnectedwithanunsuspectedbondthatwasveryunsettling.
Whensucharevelationcomes,isitbettertopickandchooseorabandonbothThelessonoftheBuddha'sboardisnottoletyourselfbeparalyzedbythetendencytopolarize,remainingoblivioustopatternsofbehavior,whetherselflessorself-serving,thatmaychangedependingoncircumstancesandperspective.
StickingwithlabelsfailstoseethetransitionsandalternationsbetweenFoxandBuddha,thatsomeonemayseemdeceptiveinonecontextandsupportiveinanother.
Assoonasyougetlockedintoasetview,flexibilityandagilityarelost.
TheJapanesetermfor"supple,"(junan)isawordwhosemeaningcanrangefromcompliancethatvergesontheobsequioustoakindofdynamicagility.
Ithasthesamerootasjudo,whichisliterallythe"wayofcotton"orthesoftandelastic,"bendbutdon'tbreak"wayofover-comingbarriers.
TheZenviewisevokedinthefamousfilm,Rashomon,directedbyAkiraKurosawa.
ThefilmissetinmedievalJapanandrevolvesaroundthemurderofanoblemanandtheallegedrapeofhiswifebyabanditwhoaccoststhemonadesertedforestroad.
Thestoryistoldfromfourdifferentviewpoints.
Thewife,thebandit,awoodcutterwhowasanunseenwitnesstotheincident,andtheghostofthemurderedhusbandallpresenttheirversionsoftheevents.
Asthesefourverydifferentversionsofthetaleunfold,itbecomesclearthatthereisnocoreof"truth"withrespecttowhathappened.
Instead,asacharacterinthefilmsuggests,weareleftwithasuccessionof"lies.
"Alloftheversionshaveacommonstrandandadegreeofcredibility,yeteachhaselementsthataremisleadingorfalse,whetherintentionallyorbecauseofunin-tendedbiasorfaultyperception.
ThefilmpresentsanarrativeComingfromNowheretoSomewhere179structurethatisfragmentedanddistorted.
Thereisnosinglestandpointorframeofreferencetorelyupon.
Itisuptotheviewertodeterminewhererealitylies.
TheBuddha'sboardcannothelpbutobstructandimpede.
FortheHermit,whorealizesthattherearesomanyperspectivesthatintheendeveryviewpointisrelativeandambiguous,theBuddha'sboardhinderstheabilitytodiscernandjudge.
Similarly,theWar-riorcannotactifperceptioniscloudedbyuncertainty.
YetanyattempttoforceanEncounterwithouthavingdrawntherightcardsorknowinghowtoplaythoseyouhavebeendealtwillhavemixedorunsatisfactoryresults,ordeclineintoaConfrontation,asinthehometruth:Leverageisnotsomethingyoureallyhaveuntilyoureallyhaveit.
FourthSideoftheHouseIntraditionalBuddhistlore,anaccomplishedmastergainscer-tainsupranormalpowerssuchasreadingminds,seeingpastandfuturekarma,andovercomingbodilyconstraintstopassthroughwallsorlevitate.
AlthoughthereisalegendaboutanenlightenedpersonwhogainedsomuchwisdomthathesproutedanEyeontheTopofHisHead,Zenhasgenerallyinterpretedthesecapaci-tiesassymbolsofinnerdisciplineandcontrol.
Asamastersays,Mysupranormalpowersarecarryingwaterandchoppingwood.
Everydaylifeisqualifiedbyuncertainty,instability,andunpredictability.
EvenaBuddhawhohasescapedmanybasicel-ementsofweaknessanddefilementisstillahumanwithfrailties,faults,foibles,flaws,andfailures.
Inrecognitionofthiscondi-tion,arequirementstipulatedbySakyamuni,thehistoricalBud-dhainIndia,institutedasystemoffortnightlyconfessionsfortheassemblyofmonksthatisstillobservedinZenpracticetoday.
180MountainsAreMountainsAgainThisriteisdirectedtofellowmonksratherthananabbotorfa-thersuperior.
Punishmentsaredictatednotonlybytheserious-nessofthesin(murder,theft,sexualindiscretion,andmisusingsupranormalpowersaretheworstoffenses),butbytheamountoftimelapsedsincethesinwascommitted.
Delayinconfessingallowsthekarmageneratedtolingerratherthanenablingtheproblemtobequicklyredressed.
TheBuddhistritecandegenerateintoanoverlyformal,me-chanicalexercisebutitssignificanceisliketheadvicegiventoathletesandperformers,whoseeveryactionisobservedbybothageneralaudienceandpeers:Staywithinyourself,recognizeyourlimitsanddon'tover-stepyourbounds.
Donotforceanopportunity,butwaitfortherightmomentandthenseizeit.
Alearner,disciple,ortraineeshouldtrytoworkwiththerestric-tionsofself-perceptioninordertotranscendandbecomefreefromthem.
Over-andunderconfidencearedeadlyenemies.
InZen,eachaspectofexperiencehasatwofoldquality:Thedouble-edgedswordhasthecapacitytotakelifeandgivebacklife.
Theimageofthedouble-edgedswordappearsinboththeOldTestamentandtheNewTestament.
IntheBible,thisconnotestwicethedestructiveness,adoublepunishmentforevilandwrongdoing.
ButinZen'sparadoxicaldiscourse,thesecondedgehastheoppositeeffectfromthefirstone.
Bywinningapprovalforaprojectyoumayloseoutonanotherinitiative.
Theveryfactorthatgainsanadvantagecreatestheconditionfordetraction,andviceversa.
AsincolloquialEnglish,thedouble-edgedswordcutsbothways.
Whenwecallsomethingadouble-edgedsword,itistowarnthatsomeideaorproposedactionwillhaveanegativeaswellasapositiveoutcome.
ComingfromNowheretoSomewhere181Thenegativealwaysaccompaniesthepositive.
Likewise,eachcloudhasasilverlining.
Anobstacletoknowledgemayproveinstructiveorremedial.
Therearetimeswhenbeingoutofthelooplendsanadvantage.
Notknowingaboutacontroversyamongcolleaguesallowsyoutotreattherespectivepartieswithneutral-ityandimpartiality.
Maybefailurehasdoneyouafavor.
IftherearePyrrhicvictories,thentheremustbedefeatsthatareadigni-fiedlossthatmaywellresemblewinningbecausesomuchisgainedintermsofknowledgeorinsight.
Asakidplayingbaseballinneighborhoodplaygrounds,LeftyHeineoftenthoughttohimself,"IfIcouldonlythrowonepitchinonegameinthemajorleagues,mylifewillbemade.
"Laterthatseasonhesawhisfavoritepitcher,RobinRoberts,whowasoneofthegreatsoftheerabutpasthisprime,giveupagopherballinthelateinningsofacrucialgame.
Yetthestarplayer,yankedbythemanagerandwiththeboosofthecrowdbuzzinginhisears,man-agedtoleavethemoundthatdaywithoutlookingdejectedorhumiliated.
Awashed-uphas-beenNoway.
Hewasmoremyherothaneverbefore.
Thisexampleofwalkingawayfromthesceneseemsquitedif-ferentfromthecaseofKuei-shankickingoverthewaterpitcher,butinbothexamplestheindividualtranscendstheimmediatesituationwithalofty,nobleperspectivethattransfixesandtrans-formseveryoneinvolvedonthespot.
Whetherornotyouaresuc-cessfulintheshortrun,maintainingdignityandintegrityallowsyoutoprevailinasubsequentphase.
Yourealizeyouhavefallenshortwhenanadversary,whosestrengthyouhaveunderestimated,forcesanEncounterbeforeyouareready.
Orperhapsyouaresurprisedbyadevelopmentsprungattheeleventhhourbyanewcomer'sagenda.
Thebasicmistakeistoletprideorarroganceleadyoutogooutsideyourgameoroverstepyourbounds.
Thisleavesyouobliviousandun-responsivetoon-the-spotreversalsorreprisals,orwithamind182MountainsAreMountainsAgainincapableofshiftinggears.
Andifyouresorttoanonrenewable,"scorched-earth"policyoutofrevengeorantipathy,yousacrificedignityforashort-termgain.
Effectivecounterstrategiesbeginbyrecognizingatanearly,preemptivestagethatyouareweakerthananticipated,sothatyouarereadytoadaptandadjustatamoment'snotice.
Ifyouareoverwhelmedbysomeoneelse'sagendaandunabletotellBud-dhafromFox,rememberfromEPAnottorespondonthebasisofpolarizedfeelingsandtopurifyyourreactionsthroughanel-evatedlevelofintuition.
Whenbluffsarecalledanddisguisesunmasked,DaijobuDi-plomacyresultsinaconstructiverealignmentofthelevelsofconsciousness.
SwitchfromNike's"JustDoIt!
"theologytotheold-fashionedwayofAvisrent-a-car,"We'reNo.
2.
Wetryharder.
"Thisallowstimetochoosetowithdraworretreat,andyoucanlaterchooseyourbattles…orcreateyourEncounters.
SometimesyoumayneedtodiginbyadoptingtheattitudeofarealestateagentwhoonceappearedinashowoftheRhodaTVseries.
Rhoda'sboyfriendnixedasure-thingdealonbuyingahousebymakingaseriesofunreasonablelast-minutedemandsbecause,asitturnedout,hewasreallytryingtogetoutoftheirweddingplans.
Whenitwasclearthedealhadfallenthrough,herealtorapproachedhimwithapparentdisgust,sayingshehadneverbeensohumiliatedinallherlife.
Thensheturnedonadimeandcon-cludedtheconversationbysaying,Andifyouareeverinthemarketforanotherhouse,here'smycard.
AtothertimesthereareserendipitousdiscoveriesliketheFourthSideoftheHouse.
Onedayabunchofourkids'friendsfromtheneighborhooddescendedonourhomeandwhentheyleftitseemedlikeeverysinglethingwasleftoutofplace.
Realiz-ingthatwecouldnotfindafavoritebike,wesearchedbehindComingfromNowheretoSomewhere183everybushinthefrontyard,thebackyard,andbythedrivewaytotheleftofthehouse.
CouldtheyreallyhavetakenthebikeawayCannoonebetrustedAfewdayslater,afterhavinggivenupthesearch,oneofthekidshappenedtotakealittle-usedpathalongthesideofthehousewehadforgottentocheckbecauseitbackedrightupagainstthehousenextdoor.
Thelostbikewasthere.
Welearnedthatyoucannevercheckthingsouttoothoroughlyandthattherearealwayspositivesurprisesinstorealongwiththenegatives.
Similarly,SenpaiunderstoodfromtheGlassSuiteepisodethatheneededtotrytogainadvantagefromdeclineandturnadversityintoop-portunity.
AccordingtoConfucius,ittakestimetodevelopapathofcon-tinuityandconsistency:AtfifteenIsetmyheartonlearning,atthirtyIwasestab-lished,atfortyIhadnoperplexities,atfiftyIunderstoodthedecreesofHeaven,atsixtymyearwasinaccord,andatsev-entyIfollowedwhatmyheartdesiredbutdidnottransgresswhatwasright.
AchievingasenseofaccordandcompatibilitywithprinciplesofwhatisrightandapplyingthisineverysituationisthegoalofZen.
InKafka'sBeforetheLawparable,themanfromthecountryiskeptwaitingbeforethedoorofthelawbytheintimidatingdoor-keeperuntilitistoolateandheislefttodie.
ButaccordingtoZen,TheGatelessGateiseasytocross,becausethegateiswithinyou.
Therefore,Openwidebothhandslikesomeonewhohasnothingtolose.
Isn'tthisjustanotherwayofspeakingoffreedom,thetimeforsproutinganeyeonthetopofthehead184MountainsAreMountainsAgainAnydaynow,creativemisreadingsormisunderstandingsofpeopleorcircumstancewillbringyouclosertotruth,whichisinvariablymixedwithuntruthortheillusory.
Youcanfindthisintertwiningofpositiveandnegativeenergiesin,Everygrainofsand.
185Glossary/IndexTermsthatareusedinaspecialwayinthisbookaredesignatedby[WCZ]Anti-structure—4;14;33–34;36–40;84–85;90–91;110–111;115–116;126;129;150–151;155–157;159–161ArtofWar—17–22;146;165BeatZen—35–36Bodhidharma—consideredthefirstZenmastertotransmittheteach-ingfromIndiatoChinain6thc.
C.
E.
34–35Buddha—29;58–60;66–67Buddha'sboard—177–178Confrontation—32;90;108;117–119CreatingaBuzzaboutaBuzz—140–141;144–145;152DaijobuDiplomacy—138–143;146;150Daimyo—28186Glossary/IndexDharmaHall—110–111;157;193–194Do-gen—13thc.
JapaneseZenmasterandfounderoftheSo-tosect23–24;176–177Double-edgedsword—180Dukkha—45–46DwellingonthePeak—98Encounter—themodeofinterpersonalrelationsthatavoidsconflictandconfrontationandleadstotheattainingofgoalsbyusingindi-rectformsofcommunication[WCZ]31–32;37–39;90;101;108;117–120;124;147;164–168;172–173;175;179E-P-A—31;69–70;88;100;133;161EyeontheTopoftheHead—179Fly-whisk—asymboloftheZenmaster'sauthorityderivedfromashamanisticpurificationdevice113–114;151–152;155;193FourLevelsofConsciousness—31;88–92;95;130;133;143FourSteps—33;128–129;157FourthSideoftheHouse—182–183Fox—28–29;55–59;61–62;66–67;71;135Full-CourtGame—171–172GreatDoubt—30;70–92Hermit—17–18;21;46–49;101;146;163–164;170;179HoldtheThought—152–152Glossary/Index187Intuition—7;19;75;90–91;94–95;102;120;149–150;155;158;182Junan—178Kaisha—16;19Kaizen—15;19Karma—66;100;179–180Kien-mondo—108–109Koan—6;31;37;89;109–116;158–159;191–198Kuei-shan—38–39;109–116;151;181;192–198Lin-chi—founderofoneofthetwomainZensects(RinzaiinJapa-nese)30–31;40LongView—asteadyattitudetowardfuturepossibilities86LotusSutra—amainBuddhistscriptureinChinaandJapanknownforitscreativeuseofparables130;136Moment—77–78;86;95;123–124;164;166NeutralityandEquanimity—94;98–100Nirvana—144;176Observer—55;58;72;103Pai-chang—prominentZenmasterknownforproclaimingthefirstsetofmonasticrules38;113PullingtheBowaftertheThiefhasFled—63–64ReturningtotheMarketplace—101188Glossary/IndexRonin—20;28;81Satori—Thesuddenattainmentofenlightenment,themaindoctrineoftheSouthernschoolofZenthatdevelopedinChina77–81;84–85Self—48;58–61;64–66;74,92Senpai—22–23;27;52;54;62–63;64–65;68–70;72–73;80–81;103;118;128;131–132;139;140–141;148;150–151;153–154;156;158;160;161–168;175–176SettingStrategyinMotionwhileInsidetheTent—64;116;122–123;171Shikataganai—75SquareZen—35–36Singularity—170–172Solidarity—170–172Structure—3;4;8;13–14;16;24–28;33–34;36;50–52;81–83;85;90–91;110–111;115–116;118;126;128–135;138–139;143;151–153;157–158;173;179Te-shan—109–116;119;121;151;157–158;192–198TenOxherdingPictures—seriesofdrawingsinwhichpursuingtheoxsymbolizestamingthemind101–102Twirling—turninganideaoverandovertoviewitfrommultipleper-spectivesfromavantagepointunboundbyanyparticularviewormethod[WCZ]169–170Unlearning—95–97;103UnmovingMind—10;13;20–22;29–30;33;36–37;60;83–85;93;121–122;129;131;145;147;161;163;165;198Glossary/Index189UnravelingtheScroll—164–165Warrior—17;21;100;124;146;170WhiteCollarZen—4–5;13–14;21;25–26;33–34;36;40–41;116–117;159Thispageintentionallyleftblank191appendixKoanTranslation"Te-shanCarryingHisBundle"IntroductionTheBlueCliffRecordcollection,withitselaborateuseofrhetoricinmultiplelevelsofcommentariesprofferedbytwoeditorswholivedahundredyearsapart,isconsideredthepeakcompositionintheclassicalkoantradition.
Thereareseveraldifferentstylesincludedinthecases,whichwerefirstcompiledalongwithaversecommentaryintheeleventhcenturybyHsueh-touandthengivenadditionalproseandversecommentaryinthetwelfthcenturybyYuan-wu.
Thestylesinclude:A.
Pointer–briefintroductorycommentsB.
MainCasenarrativewithCappingPhrases(ironicline-by-linecommentaries)C.
VerseCommentarywithCappingPhrasesThebestprocedureforreadingthekoanistogothroughtheentirepassageinseveralstages.
First,lookoverthepointerandreadthenarrativeinboldscripttogetasenseofthestorylineofthemaincase.
Then,rereadeachlineofthecasewithcapping192Appendixphrasesinitalicstoappreciatethewaythenuancesofthecom-mentaryarecrucialforunderstandingthenarrative.
Finallystudytheversewithitsownsetofcappingphrases.
Thefollowingisacompletetranslationofthepointer,narrative,verse,andcappingphrases(notethatadditionalprosecommen-taryonthemaincasenarrativeisnotincludedinthistranslation).
TranslationA.
POINTERUndertheclearskyandbrightsun,youdon'thavetopointoutthisintheeastorthatinthewest.
Butyoustillhavetoadministermedicineappropriatetotemporalconditions.
Nowtellme,indoingthisisitbettertoreleaseortoholdfirmTotestthis,con-siderthefollowingcase!
B.
MAINCASE(Bold)withCAPPINGPHRASES(Italics)1.
Te-shancametoseeKuei-shan.
Lookathimcarryingaboardonhisshoulder.
Thatwildfoxspirit!
2.
HecarriedhisbundleintotheDharmaHall.
Thiscan'thelpbutcausepeopletodoubthim.
Hehasalreadysufferedhisfirstdefeat.
3.
Thenhecrossedfromeastsidetowestside,andagainfromwestsidetoeastside.
HepossessesthepowerofZen,butwhatgooddoesitdohim4.
Helookedaroundandsaid,"Nooneishere.
There'snothinghere,"andthenheleft.
Appendix193Givehim30blowsofthestaff!
Hisspiritreachesuptotheheavens,butonlyareallioncubcanroarlikealion.
[Hecheckedthingsout!
]Whatamistake,afterall.
5.
ButwhenTe-shangottothegatesofthetemplehethoughttohimself,"Ireallyshouldnotbesocrude.
"Lettingitallgo,ortakingitallinAtfirsttoohighandthentoolow.
Whenyourealizetheerrorofyourways,youshouldtrytocorrectthem.
Buthowmanypeoplearecapableofdoingthis6.
SoheenteredtheDharmaHallonceagain,withfullceremony,togreetthemaster.
Heactsthesamewayasbefore.
Thismustbehisseconddefeat.
Watchout!
7.
Kuei-shanjustsatthere.
He'swatchingthatfellowwithsteelyeyes.
Ittakessomeonelikethistograbatigerbythewhiskers.
8.
Te-shanhelduphistrainingmatandsaid,"Teacher.
"Switchingheadsandchangingfaces,hestirsupwaveseventhoughthereisnowind.
9.
Kuei-shanreachedforhisfly-whisk.
Seewhatkindofpersonheis,settinghisstrategyinmotionevenwhileremaininginhistent.
Nothingcanstophimfromcuttingofftonguesofeveryoneintheworld.
10.
Te-shancriedout,shookhissleeves,andabruptlyleft.
Thisistheunderstandingofawildfoxspirit.
Inoneshout,heexpressedtheprovisionalandthereal,theilluminativeandthefunctional.
Amongallthosewho194Appendixcangrabontothecloudsandgraspatthemist,healoneisuniquelyskilled.
[Hecheckedthingsout!
]Whatamistake,afterall.
11.
Te-shanturnedfromtheDharmaHall,putonhisstrawsandals,anddeparted.
Thelandscapeischarming,butthecaseisfarfromover.
Te-shankeptthehatcoveringhishead,butlosttheshoescoveringhisfeet.
He'slostanychancehemayhaveoncehad.
12.
ThateveningKuei-shanaskedthemonkinchargeoftheMonksHall,"Whereisthenewcomerwhowaswithmeearliertoday"Helosthisfootingintheeastandgaveupfollowingthetrailinthewest.
Hiseyesaregazingtothesoutheastbuthisheartisinthenorthwest.
13.
Theheadmonksaid,"AtthattimeheturnedawayfromtheDharmaHall,putonhisstrawsandals,anddeparted.
"Thesacredtortoiseisdraggingitstail,anddeserves30blows.
Howmanyblowstothebackoftheheaddoesittakeforhimtogetit14.
Kuei-shansaid,"Afterthishewilldwellonthesummitofapeakallbyhimself,andbuildahutwherehescoldstheBuddhasandrevilesthePatriarchs.
Kuei-shandrawshisbowafterthethiefhasalreadyfled.
NopatchrobedmonkinalltheworldwillbeabletofollowafterTe-shan.
[Headdsfrosttothesnow.
]Whatamistake,afterall.
Appendix195C.
VERSECOMMENTARY(Bold)withCAPPINGPHRASES(Italics)1.
Thefirsttimeitwassaid,"Hecheckedthingsout,"Thewordsarestillringinginourears.
Then,gone.
2.
Thesecondtimehesaid,"Hecheckedthingsout,"Thesearetwodifferentkoans.
3.
Thethirdtimehesaid,"Headdsfrosttothesnow"—andwiththat,Te-shanfellflatonhisface.
Thesethreeremarksdonotmeanthesamething.
AndwherewasitthatTe-shanfell4.
Likethefamedgeneralenteringbehindenemylines,Watchout!
Thereisnoneedtostrikeatthegeneralofadefeatedarmy.
Hehasalreadygivenuphislife.
5.
Thenmakinganarrowescape,Hecamebacktolifewhileinthemidstofdeath.
6.
Te-shansetsoffonamaddash,Hemustthinkheisalone.
Hesummonedthe36stratagemsandusedupthesupranormalpowers,butwhatgooddiditdohim7.
Butisnotleftalone.
Thecathasthepowertoovertaketheleopard.
Kuei-shanpiercedhisnostrils.
8.
Sittingamidtheweedsonthesummitofthesolitarymountainpeak—Inthefinalanalysis,piercingthenostrilsishardlysomethingstrange.
ButwhyisTe-shansittingthereamidtheweeds196Appendix9.
Lordhavemercy!
DoyouunderstandTwoswordsarecuttingeachother.
Therearetwooreventhreeofthemwalkingdowntheancientpath,allsingingandclappinginharmony.
Then,Strike!
Appendix197SummaryofThemesThefollowingtableisasummaryofthecommentariesfocusingonthetwofundamentalparadigms.
Inreferringtothethreemaincharactersofthenarrative,theinitialsindicate"T"forTe-shan,"K"forKuei-shan,and"M"forthemonkinchargeoftheMonksHallwhohasabriefexchangewiththeabbot.
MovableMind(lackingZeninsight)Pullingthebowafterthethiefhasalreadyfled-Carriestheboardonhisshoulder-T-Wildfoxspirit!
-T-Causespeopletodoubt-T-Suffersfirstdefeat-T-Haspower,butwhatgooddoesitdo-T-Givehim30blowsofthestaff-T-Onlyareallioncubroarslikealion-T-Atfirsttoohighandthentoolow-T-Whocancorrecttheerroroftheirways-T-Actsthesame,mustbeseconddefeat-T-Keepshat,butlosesshoes-T-Losesanychanceheonehad-T-Losthisfootingintheeastandgaveupfollowingthetrailinthewest-K-Sacredtortoisedraggingitstail-M-Howmanyblowstothebackofhisheaddoesittakeforhimtogetthepoint-M-Drawsbowafterthiefhasfled-K-Addsfrosttosnow-K-Don'tstrikegeneralofadefeatedarmy-T-Thinksheisalone-T-Whatgoodarethe"36Strategems"andsupranormalpowers-T-Sittingamongtheweedsonsolitarypeak-T198AppendixUnmovingMind(withZeninsight)Settingthestrategyinmotionwhileremaininginthetent-Hecheckedthingsout-T-Watchingwithsteelyeyes-K-Grabstigerbythewhiskers-K-Switchingheadsandchangingfaces-T-Stirsupwaveswithoutwind-T-Inoneshoutexpressesprovisionalandreal-T-Grabsclouds,graspsmist-T-Cathaspoweroverleopard-K-Cutsofftonguesofeveryone-K-Switchingheadsandchangingfaces-T-Stirsupthewaveseventhoughthereisnowind-T-Setsstrategyinmotion-K-Cutsofftonguesofeveryone-K-Dwellsonthesummitofamountainallbyhimself-T(byK)-BuildsahutwherehescoldstheBuddhaandrevilesthePatriarchs-T(byK)-Camebacktolifeinthemidstofdeath-T-Cathaspowertoovercomeleopard-K-Piercedhisnostrils-K-Singingandclappinginharmony-T&K