With palms together,
Good evening Sangha,
When we first consider Zen, what are we considering? What do we see in this Zen? Why are looking in the first place? What does it all mean?
Typically, westerners are curious. Maybe they heard meditation is good for them. Maybe they want to become better people. Maybe they feel stressed and have been told meditation is a stress management tool. Perhaps they have not had so good experiences in their Church or Synagogue. Maybe they read a book or two, possibly by Alan Watts, D. T. Suzuki, Phillip Kapleau-roshi or Shunryu Suzuki-roshi. Whatever. They come to Zen to meet a need.
Then they find themselves in a Zen Center. In the Center they are greeted by bald headed guys in black robes wearing brown or black bibs. What's up with that? They are asked not to talk much. Not to read much. Not to do anything loud. Then they are asked to stand, bow, put their hands together as if they were praying. There are statues, incense, bells. They are asked to chant in a foreign language. They are asked to sit on a cushion facing a wall for an awfully long time, stand and walk in an odd sort of way, in a circle, going no where, just to get back to their cushion and sit down with pained knees facing the wall again. Moving is frowned upon. they are asked not to scratch themselves unless necessary. Oh yeah, this is the path to stress reduction.
Zen is all and none of the above.
Zen is about discipline. It is about self-discovery. It is about moral behavior. It is about developing the ability and willingness tro be compassionate, kind, forgiving, inclusive, non-judgemental. And somewhere in that mix, Zen is boring.
We sit with our legs folded facing a wall doing nothing. We are asked to place our attention on our breath, or our "hara," or no where at all. So, we just sit there. We want to move. We want someone to teach us something and by this I mean. tell us something, you know, TALK to us! Mention a book, an idea, something! But instead, we just sit there. We think. We feel. We wonder just what in the hell ever got into us.
Sometime or other a bell is "invited" to ring and we are finally allowed to get up. Only to sit down again and listern to some "Teacher" as he or she talks to us. Now this is more like it! Language, words, ideas! Great! Then he says, forget everything I have said. Say what?
Of course none of this makes any sense.
It doesn't. It isn't supposed to. The whole affair is intended to get you out of your mind. Zen is about experience, not thought. We often confuse the two. As if thinking about riding a bike is the same as actually riding the bike. There is no substitute for the sheer act of sitting down and quietly doing nothing. This doing nothing is, it turns out, quite a dynamic process. It involves our bodies, minds, and feelings. It involves history. It involves our desires, our intentions, our worst fears. And there is no where to go to get away from any of them. No where.
Be well.
Organ Mountain Zen
Monday, February 20, 2006
Friday, February 17, 2006
A Wise Life
With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,
The other day at the weekly Peace Vigil, I offered my support to a Quaker woman who was standing there with a sign. We talked about Mr. Fox, a Quaker Peace Worker who was taken hostage in Iraq a few months ago. She spoke of him clearly in matter of fact sentances. I saw only a few hints of admiration in the corners of her eyes.
Violence against people is such a horrible thing. It is irrational. It is hurtful. It creates pain and suffering.
Not too many years ago, some men broke into my daughter's home and raped her.
When I was younger a friend of my brother's lost his mind in our apartment in Miami. He took a large knife, raving, he huddled us together, turned on a stereo and waited for my brother to transform himself into the devil. He promised at that hour to kill him.
In the jungle in Vietnam I killed several men. One was a friend lost in the middle of a nighttime firefight.
When I was younger still a raging father, a medic in the south pacific during World War II, assaulted my mother and my brother in an alcoholic fit of frustration and anger.
Violence does nothing but scar the heart. We spend the rest of our lives attempting to make sense out of non-sense. Such things cause us to examine our relationship with God and Man. They demand a question of our values and moral compass. Trauma has that effect.
The thing is, we are each anger. We are each frustration. We are each misunderstood, suffering beings, feeling pain. When we lack the tools to deal with the pain we resort to the quick fixes: lashing out, screaming, hitting. All vain attempts to control the pain, stop the hurt, and protect ourselves. Every juvenille protective step is cause more more pain and suffering.
Until we learn to accept and surrender our need to control, we will continue this cycle of pain and suffering. Harm stops when we refuse to harm. In the refusal, we gain control. In the understanding we gain wisdom. A wise life is a benefit to all.
Be well.
Good Morning Sangha,
The other day at the weekly Peace Vigil, I offered my support to a Quaker woman who was standing there with a sign. We talked about Mr. Fox, a Quaker Peace Worker who was taken hostage in Iraq a few months ago. She spoke of him clearly in matter of fact sentances. I saw only a few hints of admiration in the corners of her eyes.
Violence against people is such a horrible thing. It is irrational. It is hurtful. It creates pain and suffering.
Not too many years ago, some men broke into my daughter's home and raped her.
When I was younger a friend of my brother's lost his mind in our apartment in Miami. He took a large knife, raving, he huddled us together, turned on a stereo and waited for my brother to transform himself into the devil. He promised at that hour to kill him.
In the jungle in Vietnam I killed several men. One was a friend lost in the middle of a nighttime firefight.
When I was younger still a raging father, a medic in the south pacific during World War II, assaulted my mother and my brother in an alcoholic fit of frustration and anger.
Violence does nothing but scar the heart. We spend the rest of our lives attempting to make sense out of non-sense. Such things cause us to examine our relationship with God and Man. They demand a question of our values and moral compass. Trauma has that effect.
The thing is, we are each anger. We are each frustration. We are each misunderstood, suffering beings, feeling pain. When we lack the tools to deal with the pain we resort to the quick fixes: lashing out, screaming, hitting. All vain attempts to control the pain, stop the hurt, and protect ourselves. Every juvenille protective step is cause more more pain and suffering.
Until we learn to accept and surrender our need to control, we will continue this cycle of pain and suffering. Harm stops when we refuse to harm. In the refusal, we gain control. In the understanding we gain wisdom. A wise life is a benefit to all.
Be well.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Bring Back the Draft
With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,
How easy it is to support a war when the army is volunteer. I have been thinking about the profound lack of anti-war voice here in the United States. It just occured to me that one of the reasons people in the 60s and early 70s were so opposed to the war in Vietnam had nothing to do with war itself, but rather, with saving the lilly white butts of silver spoon babies.
In 1968 I took part in the "moratorium" against the war. I was a student at the University of Miami at the time. I was also 19 years old, partially paralysed, retired from the army, a disabled combat veteran. I remember the crowds of people. It was invigorating. I also recall someone attempting to pull the Purple Heart medal from my jacket suggesting that I should not disrespect my father. But that Heart was mine.
In those days, men (boys, really) were all at risk of being whisked away by a masculine war machine. The draft was a real fear and almost every one of my classmates at University (a large private school) were trying their best to get or keep a deferrment. They were decidedly against the war. I stood with them at the rally's. I believed in the message.
In retrospect, I am not so certain of thoses masses and their message. This realization lays heavy on my heart. Could it be, they were just afraid of being shot at? Afraid of being taken into a war machine, chewed up, spit out, and tossed aside like bags of trash on the curb? Which is exactly what happened then and is exactly what is happenming now.
These same people today, where are they? Where are their voices? Their passion? In fact, are they nesting in the Republican party. Neo-cons who have seen the light and made their money and want to keep as much of it as they can? Their sons and daughters safe from a war?
During and after Vietnam, we supported an all volunteer army. I think now that was a grave error. A volunteer army means only one thing. We are free to send someone elses son and daughter into harm's way with no fear that the flames will singe them.
I believe it is time to equalize the playing field. Perhaps if the Senator's son or daughter were going to engage the world's evil empire's with their own bodies, we might re-think our options.
Be well.
Good Morning Sangha,
How easy it is to support a war when the army is volunteer. I have been thinking about the profound lack of anti-war voice here in the United States. It just occured to me that one of the reasons people in the 60s and early 70s were so opposed to the war in Vietnam had nothing to do with war itself, but rather, with saving the lilly white butts of silver spoon babies.
In 1968 I took part in the "moratorium" against the war. I was a student at the University of Miami at the time. I was also 19 years old, partially paralysed, retired from the army, a disabled combat veteran. I remember the crowds of people. It was invigorating. I also recall someone attempting to pull the Purple Heart medal from my jacket suggesting that I should not disrespect my father. But that Heart was mine.
In those days, men (boys, really) were all at risk of being whisked away by a masculine war machine. The draft was a real fear and almost every one of my classmates at University (a large private school) were trying their best to get or keep a deferrment. They were decidedly against the war. I stood with them at the rally's. I believed in the message.
In retrospect, I am not so certain of thoses masses and their message. This realization lays heavy on my heart. Could it be, they were just afraid of being shot at? Afraid of being taken into a war machine, chewed up, spit out, and tossed aside like bags of trash on the curb? Which is exactly what happened then and is exactly what is happenming now.
These same people today, where are they? Where are their voices? Their passion? In fact, are they nesting in the Republican party. Neo-cons who have seen the light and made their money and want to keep as much of it as they can? Their sons and daughters safe from a war?
During and after Vietnam, we supported an all volunteer army. I think now that was a grave error. A volunteer army means only one thing. We are free to send someone elses son and daughter into harm's way with no fear that the flames will singe them.
I believe it is time to equalize the playing field. Perhaps if the Senator's son or daughter were going to engage the world's evil empire's with their own bodies, we might re-think our options.
Be well.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
International Women's Day Peace Vigil: Share the Bloom
With palms together,
Good Evening Sangha,
I wanted to pass this information along. From a flier at the Peace Vigil today. Those in the southern New Mexico & far west Texas area might attend the Las Cruces vigil. Those in other areas around the USA and world, please visit the website included and/or create your own Peace Vigil.
_____
Join the Weekly Peace Vigil
March 8, 2006
International Women's Day
Peace Vigil and Rally
This year on March 8, join women around the world to take action together to demand an end to the war and violence in Iraq. Sign the peace pledge at
http://www.womensaynotowar.org and find out more.
WEDNESDAY 4-6 pm in front of the Federal Building, downtown Las Cruces, corner of Church and Griggs.
"Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul." Coretta Scott King, The Mother of the Civil REights Movement
Call Laurie at 525-3225 for more information
Good Evening Sangha,
I wanted to pass this information along. From a flier at the Peace Vigil today. Those in the southern New Mexico & far west Texas area might attend the Las Cruces vigil. Those in other areas around the USA and world, please visit the website included and/or create your own Peace Vigil.
_____
Join the Weekly Peace Vigil
March 8, 2006
International Women's Day
Peace Vigil and Rally
This year on March 8, join women around the world to take action together to demand an end to the war and violence in Iraq. Sign the peace pledge at
http://www.womensaynotowar.org and find out more.
WEDNESDAY 4-6 pm in front of the Federal Building, downtown Las Cruces, corner of Church and Griggs.
"Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul." Coretta Scott King, The Mother of the Civil REights Movement
Call Laurie at 525-3225 for more information
Peace Vigil
With palms together,
Good Evening Sangha,
Please forgive this short post. I am just passing through my home on my way to another meeting. We stood on the corner of the Federal Building in downtown Las Cruces a little while ago. There were several people there with signs. I had made a small sign that simply said "PEACE." There was a good wind blowing, but the sun was out and the sky was blue and people in the passing cars seemed very happy to see us there on the corner.
It was good to see some old friends standing there. It was also good to meet new people who share a dream of a peaceful world. Rev. Dai Shin, thank you for attending. Vicki, it was good to see you there as well!
However much time you have to offer to this effort, please offer it. War is such a waste, a painful, insidious waste, that accomplishes nothing, polarizes people, fuels hatred and mistrust, and drains resources while extinguishing lives.Find a vigil in your community, make a small sign, and take a silent stand against war.
Be well.
May All Beings Be Free From Suffering
So Daiho
Zazen at Zen Center of Las Cruces: Sundays 10:00 AM; Wednesdays 7:00 PM
Zazen at Dharma Mountain Zendo: Sundays 10:00 AM
On the web at http://www.daihoji.org/ and http://daihoji.blogspot.com/
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Tuesday, February 14, 2006
A Valentine
With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,
May each of your hearts be warm and open.
In a world where the news is as an acid to our connections with one another, I ask that we hold hands in prayer. Love is the antidote to hatred. There is no more powerful antidote to its corrosive effects. Yet, to love requires courage and faith. Courage to love those that hate us; faith that in the process of loving, life will continue to blossom. If we are worried that our individual flame will be snuffed out, we are lost.
We must look deeply at this hate, see its fundamental cause as fear, and assuage that fear. In its place, we offer peace and compassionate regard. We offer support and nurturance. We do not feed the delusion of separation, we feed the truth of oneness and interdependence. Who here is a separate, fully self-sustaining individual who has "made it" with no help or support or teaching or encouragement or nurturance from others?
It is so easy to talk this talk. My challenge is for each of us to walk it.
Another form of kinhin.
Be well.
Good Morning Sangha,
May each of your hearts be warm and open.
In a world where the news is as an acid to our connections with one another, I ask that we hold hands in prayer. Love is the antidote to hatred. There is no more powerful antidote to its corrosive effects. Yet, to love requires courage and faith. Courage to love those that hate us; faith that in the process of loving, life will continue to blossom. If we are worried that our individual flame will be snuffed out, we are lost.
We must look deeply at this hate, see its fundamental cause as fear, and assuage that fear. In its place, we offer peace and compassionate regard. We offer support and nurturance. We do not feed the delusion of separation, we feed the truth of oneness and interdependence. Who here is a separate, fully self-sustaining individual who has "made it" with no help or support or teaching or encouragement or nurturance from others?
It is so easy to talk this talk. My challenge is for each of us to walk it.
Another form of kinhin.
Be well.
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