Even If the Voice Does Not Sound: Ikkyu, Tenpu, Basho

Half of me is made of spirituality and poetry. Building logic is something I acquired later in life. It is difficult to function in society while remaining in a gaseous or liquid state.

That is why I live while creating a solid form.

Since it is quite difficult to visualize, today I would like to introduce plenty of images. (Generated images are by Midjourney)

First, let me show you an image of how I shape my "ego-like thing" within society.

Originally, everyone starts from a blank slate when they are born.

External information flows into that space, an ego sprouts, and eventually, one begins to select and discard information. The "image of my ego" that has been shaped in that process is the clockwork mechanism towering in the center.

Let's focus a little on the ego alone.

I live in a "state of broad consciousness," looking down on my ego.
It looks quite crazy when visualized, but this is generally how I feel in my daily life.

The reason I said at the beginning that "half is spirituality and poetry" comes from the vastness of this space.

It is necessary to present an easy-to-understand image to society. I think the efficiency-oriented clock structure is a good fit.

However, in my actual state, the invisible realm is far wider than the visible objects. The image above is closer to my usual state of consciousness. In any case, the space is vast.

So, this time, I would like to talk about what a "state of broad consciousness" is.
It is a little different from mere bird's-eye view. If you read this, you might be able to experience something.

First, opening one's consciousness is not about gaining special powers. I think it is simply about placing oneself in an attitude of reception.

It is not about straining your ears to concentrate, nor is it about thinking and speaking words.
Just sit and be there.

Then, sounds reach your consciousness "as they are," beyond names and meanings.

Please imagine.
Right now, you are in a forest called "worry."

It is covered with dense trees, and the sky cannot be seen.
You do not know which way is the right way to go.
You are crushed by worries, become anxious, and grow tired.

As you walk while turning your thoughts around and around,
eventually, a space opens up in the gaps of your fatigue.
At that moment, you hear the chirping of a bird from somewhere.

Then, something mysterious happens.
The sound of the wind reaches my ears, and my heart is captivated by the light spilling through the gaps in the trees.
Even though I am in the same forest, a landscape completely different from just a moment ago unfolds.
My consciousness naturally expands significantly.

And with this expanded consciousness, I walk pleasantly in the direction where the light shines.

And then, I encounter a consciousness that overlooks the forest of worries. What I want you to experience here is that it is something beyond words.

To receive it as it is, without putting it into words. I believe that is the condition for a broad state of consciousness.
Since my own words might not be enough, let me tell you about some great figures.

An Anecdote of Priest Ikkyu

There is a famous anecdote concerning the Zen monk Ikkyu Sojun.

He attained enlightenment the moment he heard the cry of a crow in the darkness "as it was."What is important is not the name "crow" or the onomatopoeia "caw." Those are already forms translated into language.

What reached Ikkyu was the sound itself, before it became words, devoid of meaning.

Regardless of its historical authenticity, this anecdote shows us the symbol that"enlightenment visits in such a moment."

It is not something you grasp through concentration, but a sound that arrives as a reception, which is the key to opening your consciousness.

The Experience of Nakamura Tenpu

Nakamura Tenpu, who lived in the modern era, also encountered the same essence during his training. Told by his master to "listen to the voice of heaven," he searched for it desperately.

However, even when he strained his ears, he could not hear that voice at all.

What was finally revealed to him by his master was the truth that "the voice of heaven is a voiceless voice, that is, absolute silence."

It is something that moves further away the more you seek it, and only appears when you let go. Tenpu realized that "silence is the voice of the universe."

This experience further emphasizes Ikkyu's anecdote.

Whether it is sound or silence, receiving what appears in your consciousness is what it means to "open up."

Matsuo Basho's Haiku

Matsuo Basho's haiku also reflect this way of being conscious.

The ancient pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water.

What is here is simply the event and the resonance placed as they are. There is no interpretation such as 'it is quiet' or 'it is lonely' at all.

Basho crystallized the resonance he received with an open consciousness into minimal words. That rose up as a haiku and continues to resonate through to later generations.

The true pleasure of haiku and tanka likely lies in this 'verbalization of reception'.

Listening to the Silence

There, a resonance spreads that is so delicate we do not notice it in our daily lives. The sound of distant trees swaying, the sensation of the wind passing through space, or simply the state of being quiet itself.

Opening one's consciousness is not about manipulating spiritual power or calling forth mysterious phenomena. It is about placing oneself on the foundation of an 'open state of consciousness' before seeking results or benefits.

When you stand on that foundation, the voices of birds, the silence, and the sound of water reach you not as 'something named,' but as pure resonance before it becomes words.

That might be called enlightenment, or it might be called philosophy. Or perhaps, it might simply be etched into the heart as a line of poetry.

What is important is that the 'I who goes to attach meaning' is not there first.

Just sit, just receive, and just be.
At that moment, the world shows a new expression.

By being in that state, something might happen naturally.

However, there is no need to expect it. Rather, you should let go of expectations and just wait. If you do that, what is meant to happen will happen on its own.

To listen to the silence is to open your heart to the world.
The world that begins from there spreads quietly.

And if the voice of a bird naturally enters your consciousness,
at that moment, your consciousness is truly open.