seventh world of chan buddhism - Zen Buddhist Order of Hsu Yun

Of course, if his spirit is willing but his flesh untalented, financially unsupported, or
too susceptible to the charms of old habits, he may let his heroic dream die an ignoble death.
If fate is not too unkind he'll quietly retreat into the refuge of spectators and become one of
those tuberous masters of the fine art of vicarious participation, a couch potato.
But even if he accepts the challenge, pursues his dream and becomes a competent
consiglieri, he may not necessarily have integrated the previous levels of hero projection.
Spiritually, he may still believe in fairy tales. He may believe that no matter how he errs, a
simple apology will set things right and that he can always count on the good will and
resources of his magical godfather to set things right. He will likely be mistaken.
Each level of hero projection is more than a staging area for the next level. True, the
Trickster is the support for the Superman who is the launching platform for the Human hero,
who, in turn, is the base upon which the Savior stands. But each base must be destroyed,
immolated in the launching process.
It isn't enough to cease believing in the reality of Bugs Bunny. We also have to
understand that Trickster ethics will no more function in our world than Trickster methods.
We can't steal the farmer's crops and we can't avoid justice by being cute or by pushing the
farmer off a cliff.
It isn't enough to cease believing in the reality of Superman. We can't continue to
transfer control of our lives to caped crusaders. We can't depend on vagrant spirits or on stars
to explain and direct our destinies. Stars and spirits cannot do for us what we are obliged to
do for ourselves.
And, most assuredly, we cannot approach the Bodhisattva/Savior if we idolize another
human being.
We can easily gauge a person's level of spiritual maturity by observing the level at
which he has projected his hero archetype.
The following experience should serve to illustrate:
I was once associated with a Zen group which, having outgrown its meeting room,
rented a larger facility from an unaffiliated New Age religious group that had just leased a
new building. Other small groups also became subtenants so that the room was occupied
each night of the week. The new meeting room's decor was pleasant and unobtrusive,
suitable for serious lecture, discussion and meditation.
At first, the different tenant groups seemed well-suited for coexistence. None left
even a trace of its activity. But soon the room's bare walls began to fill up with posters of
cute animals with cute captions. A kitten with its paws pressed in the gesture of prayer
announced, "I'm not purr-fect but God loves me." A lamb, looking sheepish, appeared over
CHAPTER 10 FIRST ZEN PRACTICE: THE 1:4:2 HEALING BREATH
S EVENTH W ORLD O F C HAN B UDDHISM
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