The Soft Bark of Sanity

Where there is reverence, even a dog’s tooth shines.
– Tibetan proverb

§ Revised 10 September 2024: This page of Nemeta is the portal to all material on Dog Zen, intersectional with The Dragonfly sutra and Maitreya Challenge — forming a three-ring event, a trikaya trope. By way of introduction there is the talk recorded on May 14, 2017. Although this talk is densely loaded with allusions to the principle and techniques of Planetary Tantra, its basic meaning will come across to anyone of sane and open mind. Otherwise, it’s just barking in the breeze.

Tibetan Fuckin’ A

A quick search on the internet brings up a wealth of material on the Tibetan letter A (below on left). For instance: “The letter AH is the 30th and final letter of the Tibetan alphabet. It is counted as both a vowel and a consonant. Its sound is inherent in all of the letters and unless a syllable has a different vowel added to it, the vowel sound is ‘AH.’ Its energy is considered neutral, neither masculine nor feminine. The sound ‘AH’ has great esoteric significance. It is considered to be the sound and vibration of an enlightened state of being.” (Nine Ways – Ancient Wisdom from the Yungdrung Bon Tradition)

“Fuckin A” is an American colloquialism expressing a mix of approval and amazement.

How appropriate, then — or should I say, how appropriate, zen? — to find this one of all letters represented in the logo for Dog Zen. But do not infer from that allusion that DZ is about so-called enlightenment. It is not, at least not in the assumed sense of the term as it stands before the world today, and has stood for 2500 years, loaded with attributes and implications arising from the legacy of Buddhism. Why not?

Dog Zen is first and foremost about sanity, defined as the harmonious integration in human character of the best attributes and capacities, the moral, mental, and emotional talents of the human animal, the anthropine, generically considered as a species manifesting in diverse racial strains. Arete is the Greek word for excellence which may, with some measure of accuracy, be equated with the Sanskrit arya, “noble, excellent.” By a little stretch, noble goes to the Greek gnosis: hence, gnobility. The factor of gnosis, elite or superior knowledge, is basic to true nobility, those who embody and preserve the excellence of a race, the “A-list” of the Rhome. Such are the members of any racial stock who lead the people and set the example of the best for the rest.

As explained in the audio for this unit, I am not in competition with masters of Dzogchen. I am totally unqualified to spar with them on their own standards, but then again, I take the liberty to challenge their standards, premises, and assumptions about what they do. Their standards, not their first-hand experience in altered states. I have only an inkling of what they experience in altered states, and I do not claim comparable attainments, so I cannot critique them on that count. However, I do have my own experience in altered states, or non-ordinary awareness, and I would question if any Dzogchen or Buddhist master can come close to what I’ve realized through those sublime experiences.

Let it be perfectly clear, I don’t aim to refute Dzogchen. I have learned immensely from the study of that body of instruction. But I do intend to interrogate it, to challenge its goals, premises, methods, and its presumed results. Nevertheless, the mere act of questioning Buddhism in this manner may verge toward refutation, especially as some obvious objections may arise naturally regarding the issues in question. At moments, the interrogation may appear to be hostile. At others, contemptuous. My basic stance, however, is essentially comedic. I seek to make fun of Buddhism in all shades and schools, and ultimately to make enlightenment an occasion for fun. Dog Zen regards enlightenment as an event in progress, not a state to be attained and retained in some sort of fabled “permanence.”

Introduction: The Woke and the Woof

Note: There is a long introduction, DZ 1 My Encounters with Buddhists, in the block DOGGIE TREATS (scroll down)

In the longer introduction, I point out that the concepts of intelligence and beauty are to the best of my knowledge almost entirely lacking in Buddhist of all schools. Dog Zen instruction on the devotional gaze of the dog — self-love looking at you — insists on the permeation of beauty in the act of beholding the world and yourself in it.

In his brilliant deconstruction of the primary Buddhist concept of anatta or anatman, Ken Wheeler (Theoria Apophasis on YT) explains that non-self does not literally mean the lack of a self; rather, what is absent or extraneous to the self. He has also mentioned the expression “the beautiful self” in Pali Sutras. I am not familiar with this material or that specific reference.  If I am wrong on this omission, I welcome correction.

Whoever has thought most deeply, loves what is most alive;
Who has seen the world as it is, knows virtue.
And at last, those who turn wise will often
End up in the Beautiful.

“Socrates and Alcibiades” by Friedrich Holderlin (1770 – 1843)

ORGANIZATION

The curriculum panel at the bottom of each course landing page is standard for all Courses. From the Course landing page here on DOG ZEN, you scroll down and go to blocks and units as you like. Following recent reorganization of the material, each talk now has its own unit page. In all, 27.

Waiting Dog by Japanese artist Ogato Gekko, c 1900