A day in the life of a priest

With palms together,

Good Evening Sangha,

We began this new week today with zazen services at the Zen Center. I arrived a little early, carried in my little Dirt Devil hand vac and cleaned the cushions. I also washed the tans with wood cleaner and generally enjoyed being in the Zendo alone.

The alter ready, and the hour came, I invited the bell to ring.

Zazen is a wonderful process. Hardly just sitting, it is a dynamic interaction with the universe. But then, so is cleaning the wood and sweeping the cushions.

Tea service, a few bows, and we were done. The work of saving all sentient beings on its way. Stepping out into the New Mexico sun, my black koromo heated immediately. I walked slowly to my truck, not really wanting to leave.

This afternoon we went to a friend's home. It was a "mutiparty" celebrating his 72nd birthday, his dog's second birthday, and our welcome to Las Cruces. Many of our friends were there. My friend, Ken, seemed happy. It was good to see him smile. Someone brought us a large box of fruit for a welcoming gift.

We stayed awhile, conversed with an artist about art and university students, ate canopies, and also talked about religion and its relationship to art. Then we helped our hosts clean up.

Tonight I read through the posts on Zen Living's email group. I don't have the energy to address them this evening. I think I want to go into my zendo and be quiet.

You know, its quite a life we lead as human beings. We are so fortunate to be human beings in the first place, but to be blessed by a loving wife and kids, good friends, excellent resources, and zazen is sometimes almost too much to accept.

We should all count our blessings no matter their size or weight.

Be well,

Cleaning the Zendo

With palms together,

Good Morning Sangha,

Yesterday's Zazenkai was a good practice. We sat three periods in the morning, walked a half mile to have lunch, returned, sat again two periods, cleanerd the Zen Center, sat again two periods and went home.

There was nothing special about this day. The opportunity to mindfully refill the lamps, dust the butsudon, sweep the floors, was ordinary. Sitting on the cushion was ordinary. Bowing was ordinary. Lighting incense was ordinary., Chanting the Heart Sutra was ordinary. Reciting the Four Great Vows was ordinary.

We just did these things, as they came time to be done. When we go through a day like this we are buddhas.

A reminder: Sunday Zazen begins at 10:00 AM this morning.

Be well

IMedia

With palms together,

Good Morning Sangha,

Last night was troubling. For the last three years we have lived without television and now we have one sitting in our living room. I found myself watching it.

So many words. Such silliness. Mindless laughter over stupid behavior. Violence framed as the pinnacle of drama. The pictures of people happy over the illness of a person are disturbing. Fundamentalism in whatever arena is disturbing. Pat Robertson is disturbing. The people who seek counsel from him are disturbing.

Yesterday on our drive to Mexico, we listened variously to CNN, Fox, and the BBC on our XM Satellite Radio. Interesting the dramatic difference between the American stations and the BBC. We are fortunate, I think, to have access to the BBC. And to PBS and to NPR.

Still, the silence of the Refuge is so appealing. Few words. No phosphorescent dots on a screen reflecting or distilling a violent, obsessed world, always attempting to sell through misery and our perverse need to see it.

Thank goodness for the process nature of things. Change is one thing I count on to relieve my suffering.

Be well

A second cup of coffee

With palms together,

Good Morning Sangha,

This morning was delicious. The sun is up and the sky is delightfully blue. Our dogs, Tripper and Pepper have enjoyed their morning walk. The coffee is made.

Last night I sat in my zendo late in the night. The stillness was just wonderful. There are times on the cushion that time itself disappears. I look over and the sticks of incense on the alter are gone. Where did they go?

I have not yet read the morning news. Not yet read of another death in Iraq or another killing, rape or robbery in my country or the world. I have not read about the stock market or the state of healthcare. I have not read about this natural disaster or that made-made disaster. Just now, I sip my coffee and see you in my mind's eye.

I see my sangha, I see my neighborhood. I see my country. I see my world. I see my universe. I see my ancesters and my descendents. Last night as I sat on that cushion, I breathed in violence and breathed out peace. My small contribution to the effort.

Time for beakfast and a second cup of coffee. Time then to sit zazen. Time then to run. Time then to smile at the world and invite peace to be.

Be well

Does a Dog Have Buddha Nature?

With palms together,

This morning I sat in my zendo and stared at the wall. My dog Tripper was having none of it. He brought in his toy, a piece of fluff that looks just like him, and laid next to me on the zabuton. He stared at me. Then grumbled. Then whined. Then barked.

He decided to wrestle with my sutra book in its cloth case. He decided to invite the bell to ring with his tail. He climbed on my lap and licked my cosmic mudra.

Barking, growling, wrestling, bell ringing, licking: just wind against the chimes.

A deep bow

Morning Coffee

With palms together,

 

Good Morning Sangha,

 

I pour the coffee.

I cannot pour the coffee.

I just pour the coffee.

 

Depending on your understanding, each statement makes sense or doesn't make sense.

 

We should not mistake our words for true nature. Words are just thoughts as sound. We live with words.  They assist us to communicate.  Yet they often distort or destroy our communication. Coffee is not coffee.  Pouring is not pouring.  Yet coffee is coffee and pouring is pouring.

 

Our practice assists us in not mistaking coffee for coffee. Our practice helps us see coffee as coffee.

 

Clear Mind Zen. Soto Zen. Rinzai Zen. Korean Zen. Vietnamese Zen. Chinese Zen.  Words.  All the same or different?

 

If you say they are the same you are mistaken.  If you say they are different, you are mistaken.

 

Just pour the coffee.

 

A deep bow,      

May All Beings Be Free From Suffering

So Daiho-roshi
On the web at http://www.daihoji.org/ and http://daihoji.blogspot.com/

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Monday

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,

This morning after sorting out my pharmacy for the week (a seemingly endless job anymore), I have been busy writing some changes to our websites, giving instructions to create a new website in honor of Matsuoka-roshi, our dharma grandfather, and thinking about Clear Mind Zen.

But thinking about is not good.

Thinking about takes us away from clear mind and brings us to thoughts, feelings, and other clouds over the water.

Instead, we should just be clear mind.

Vowing to see things as they are, I rise and engage the world. This means I vow to engage myself as I encounter myself in the world through my interactions with others. Each time we encounter another we are facing ourselves. We see something of ourself in the face in front of us: love, need dislike, anger, fear, whatever. Each is an opportunity to practice and make our world a better place.

This afternoon my Teacher, Hogaku-McGuire-roshi and his wife, Shin Getsu-roshi will visit us for dinner here at our new apartment. I am pleased.


Just putting one foot in front of another is the best way.

Be well,