The Virtues, and An Unfortunate Misunderstanding

One thing that you read, a lot, if you look over online discussions about scandals in Zen and Yoga, is the idea that the "teachers" have failed the way all humans fail, and that "great insight" is important enough that we should forgive the transgressions, as the good easily outweighs the bad.

This is a common argument.


Even from Zen's most vocal critics, you often hear the idea put forth that "insight" doesn't mean "good character", and that these "masters" of "insight" still have work to do.  We should let them do it, and we should not expect too much of them.

You hear many variations on this central theme.

I find that a very, very sad position.

It is sad because of a false (though prominent) belief that goes something like this:  "Insight" is something separate from what most people might commonly call the "virtues" -- honestly, sincerity, generosity, helpfulness, and so on.

That just isn't true.

This is difficult to explain, because, in order to explain, you have to describe what "insight", as the "masters" speak of it (e.g. a "kensho"), really is.  Despite what the teachers say, this isn't something that can be taught.  It is something that some people see. 

A real Kensho can be described like this: 

Imagine a painting of two people having a conversation.  All your life you believe you are one of the people in the painting, walking around, talking to other people. 

A Kensho shows you that "you" are not the person, but the painting (and the painter, actually).

This makes speaking perfectly correctly very difficult.  Jesus said "pick up a rock, and I am there".

Someone asks you what is Mu? And you toss him your cushion.

Buddha often spoke in the third person:  "The Tataghata says...".

These were all solutions of sincere men, doing their best to speak as the painter, with languages that were built for beings of the painting.

What does this have to do with "virtue"? 

Well, what you see is that there really is no difference between "you" and another "person" -- you are all "painting", and this is actually where the heart of the matter lies.  You have been given a diagram of the truth of the world -- how it is "here".

The thoughts and feelings that "you" harbor are more easily scrutinized, against this diagram.  Between "you " and another, anger doesn't make sense, as it requires a division, a thought-separation between the two of you.  Greed doesn't make sense, as it requires a similar separation.

Pride doesn't make sense.  Dishonesty doesn't make sense.

All of these thoughts create separation -- they require "you" and "me".  They require a relative "measure" of two painting-beings.

There is only one feeling that makes sense, against this diagram, and it is a kind of love.  I say "a kind of love" because love-with-wanting is another thing that, well, doesn't make sense.

It is hopeful well wishes for others, under all conditions, with deep enough feeling that another's pain becomes your own, and another's happiness becomes your own.

So, a true practice, following real "insight" is one of eliminating the dividing thoughts, through meditation and actions that are motivated by this kind-of-love.

And that is where "the virtues" come in -- honesty, helpfulness, friendly familiarity, generosity, and so on -- not as part of any doctrine, but, instead as an expression of natural being.  They are indicators of those who have made their painting-lives paper-thin.

This is really what the true sages were talking about when they used terms like "non-discriminating mind", "no secular/sacred", and "nonduality".  Originally, there was a deep, and strong heart to all of these words.

This is "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Even thinking "I am master, you are student" adds weight, actually -- even if you thoroughly believe this is a benevolent thought.  Without real insight, you are peddling ideology.  With real insight, you act without ideology.

Holding any "position" above another adds weight. 

This weight is something no true sage would ever wish to hold. If the masters had real insight, they could not display the arrogance that they do, following their transgressions.  They would at least say "oops!".  They simply could not behave like this, as they would be horrified doing so, based upon what they (claim to) have seen.

So, behaving the way they have means either:

1. They are lying about their "real insight" or
2. They have had a real kensho, but are extremely stupid

After seeing the diagram, you can see what adds weight, and what does not.  Nobody would take a pail of animal waste and pour it over their heads.  Nobody would do that. It would be an extremely foolish thing to do.  Nobody would consciously choose to soil themselves this way.