With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
There are some moments we would wish lasted forever. A grandchild's smile, the delight in our partner's eyes, or just a soothing moment in quiet peace. Yet, as we know, nothing lasts forever and our desire to hold on to moments does, indeed, produce suffering. So, what are we to do?
Relax. Have faith. Moments, while moments, are always moments. Life has a way, when we are open and accepting, to offer us moment after moment of wonder and delight. By setting aside our need to control a moment or have a certain kind of moment, we surrender to the actual moment, as it is.
These are the most delicious of moments as they are often completely unexpected.
Let yourself be surprised by your life.
Be well.
Organ Mountain Zen
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Meditation
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Someone suggested the topic, meditation, as a thread for the Zen Living list. Interesting. Zen living is about contemplative living. Every post is about meditation in the largest sense of the word. My sense is the writer wanted to focus more on seated meditation, our practice of zazen.
Zazen is nothing special. Zazen requires us to select a time and place. It requires us to be willing to gather our mind and body together on a cushion facing a wall in that time and place. It requires us to place our hands together in the cosmic mudra and our attention on our breath, in that time and place. It requires us to sit there for a predetermined period of time. All of this means, of course, that zazen requires us to face ourselves completely; alone and, essentially, naked. We sit stripped of our distractions: no radio, no CD, no television, no book, no eating, no gum chewing, no magazine, no talking, no drugging, no drinking, no getting sticky. Just sit.
On that cushion, everything about us is exposed. We experience our distractibility, our lack of patience, our lack of vigilance, and worse, our actual lives. No mind candy allowed. Just sit. Just paying complete attention to nothing.
Many say they cannot do this. They say they need music or bells, chanting or some other distraction from the work at hand. Yes, we are a culture enculturated to need distraction. This is why we need to practice zazen. Zazen teaches us, over time, that we are enough as we are. What a wonderful lesson!
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Someone suggested the topic, meditation, as a thread for the Zen Living list. Interesting. Zen living is about contemplative living. Every post is about meditation in the largest sense of the word. My sense is the writer wanted to focus more on seated meditation, our practice of zazen.
Zazen is nothing special. Zazen requires us to select a time and place. It requires us to be willing to gather our mind and body together on a cushion facing a wall in that time and place. It requires us to place our hands together in the cosmic mudra and our attention on our breath, in that time and place. It requires us to sit there for a predetermined period of time. All of this means, of course, that zazen requires us to face ourselves completely; alone and, essentially, naked. We sit stripped of our distractions: no radio, no CD, no television, no book, no eating, no gum chewing, no magazine, no talking, no drugging, no drinking, no getting sticky. Just sit.
On that cushion, everything about us is exposed. We experience our distractibility, our lack of patience, our lack of vigilance, and worse, our actual lives. No mind candy allowed. Just sit. Just paying complete attention to nothing.
Many say they cannot do this. They say they need music or bells, chanting or some other distraction from the work at hand. Yes, we are a culture enculturated to need distraction. This is why we need to practice zazen. Zazen teaches us, over time, that we are enough as we are. What a wonderful lesson!
Be well.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Sharing
Good Morning Everyone,
In the desert southwest we are already in the dog days of summer with temperatures in the triple digits. June is typically the hottest month here in New Mexico because July through August marks the rainy season. We marked Bodhidharma Day in silence on June 7th and will celebrate Obon in the latter part of July. Bodhidharma is credited with being the founding Patriarch of Zen and Obon is a festival that feeds the hungry ghosts..In other words, Obon is the time we consciously offer whatever "merit" we may have accumulated to those in need. As the weeks between are hot, then wet, and the desert transforms itself, so too, we move from a recognition of our beginning to an honoring of our interdependence.
Sharing is both a sign of transformation and itself transformative. When we willingly step outside of ourselves we let ourselves drop away, thus joining the great sea of humanity: an ever expanding circle of life, as a raindrop falls into the ocean. Who am I? I am We: a part aware of its whole.
Oh my, I slipped into ZenSpeak there.
Just now, I have to get this body up off this sofa and out into the world. The June heat hits like a hammer as soon as the mighty sun crests the mountains. This morning I run two miles, then bike 4-6 miles. I don't want to be the sun's nail.
See ya!
Be well.
In the desert southwest we are already in the dog days of summer with temperatures in the triple digits. June is typically the hottest month here in New Mexico because July through August marks the rainy season. We marked Bodhidharma Day in silence on June 7th and will celebrate Obon in the latter part of July. Bodhidharma is credited with being the founding Patriarch of Zen and Obon is a festival that feeds the hungry ghosts..In other words, Obon is the time we consciously offer whatever "merit" we may have accumulated to those in need. As the weeks between are hot, then wet, and the desert transforms itself, so too, we move from a recognition of our beginning to an honoring of our interdependence.
Sharing is both a sign of transformation and itself transformative. When we willingly step outside of ourselves we let ourselves drop away, thus joining the great sea of humanity: an ever expanding circle of life, as a raindrop falls into the ocean. Who am I? I am We: a part aware of its whole.
Oh my, I slipped into ZenSpeak there.
Just now, I have to get this body up off this sofa and out into the world. The June heat hits like a hammer as soon as the mighty sun crests the mountains. This morning I run two miles, then bike 4-6 miles. I don't want to be the sun's nail.
See ya!
Be well.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Daily Living
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I plan to ride my Diamondback with my son, Jacob, in Old Mesilla. We try to get in a longish ride on Sundays. Sometimes it works out; sometimes it doesn't. No matter, the experience of being with my son is enough.
We often look to the activity rather than the company. Sometimes this is necessary, as with training in Zen or training in running. When we train our focus is on our ability within the activity. Yet, we often do these things with others. On long slow days, such as these Sunday rides, the focus can shift from the activity to the person. I enjoy this allowance.
Most of the time, though, training is about training and the key element in training is disciplined focus.
When we practice zazen, we sit upright and gather ourselves together in the moment. All of our attention is on the boundaries of our consciousness: our thoughts, our feelings, our sensations. Notice, let go; notice, let go; notice, let go.
Just so with other training. Running, I notice My Left Foot as the toe drags. I pick it up and let the thought go. In biking, I notice my breath and the cycle of the peddles, lift, press, lift, press, etc. In weights, I notice the contraction of muscle, the balance of my core muscles as they balance my body under the weight.
In all activities through the day we can place our attention on these boundaries of interconnection.
Let's practice together.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I plan to ride my Diamondback with my son, Jacob, in Old Mesilla. We try to get in a longish ride on Sundays. Sometimes it works out; sometimes it doesn't. No matter, the experience of being with my son is enough.
We often look to the activity rather than the company. Sometimes this is necessary, as with training in Zen or training in running. When we train our focus is on our ability within the activity. Yet, we often do these things with others. On long slow days, such as these Sunday rides, the focus can shift from the activity to the person. I enjoy this allowance.
Most of the time, though, training is about training and the key element in training is disciplined focus.
When we practice zazen, we sit upright and gather ourselves together in the moment. All of our attention is on the boundaries of our consciousness: our thoughts, our feelings, our sensations. Notice, let go; notice, let go; notice, let go.
Just so with other training. Running, I notice My Left Foot as the toe drags. I pick it up and let the thought go. In biking, I notice my breath and the cycle of the peddles, lift, press, lift, press, etc. In weights, I notice the contraction of muscle, the balance of my core muscles as they balance my body under the weight.
In all activities through the day we can place our attention on these boundaries of interconnection.
Let's practice together.
Be well.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Bored
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I would like to talk about being bored. There are times in all of our lives, I am sure, when we just are not excited about the view in our lives. Often these times come as we transition from something, but are not yet caught up in something else. Or when the something else is either not clear or not very interesting or something we really do not want to engage.
I am in that place just now.
As I moved away from being the leader of our local Zen Center, I had a sense of wanting something different in my life. I looked at streetZen, a lonely effort, but necessary one. I looked at Zen Judaism and renewed my study of Judaism itself, explored Jewish Spirituality, Jewish History, and even delved into Hebrew and began a study of kabbalistic texts. Recently, I was elected to the Board of Directors at our Temple.
All of these efforts are wonderful experiences. Yet here I am this morning feeling bored.
Life is like that. We cannot always be flying high. Its in these times, the lower times, that the real work gets done.
Disciplined spiritual practice means digging in and doing the practice regardless of the feeling we have at the moment. The Zen of life is the willingness to do and experience. Zen is the willingness to open to all experience, good, bad, and indifferent.
What is this practice? Zazen in both the most narrow and most expansive sense.
In its most narrow sense it is sitting upright facing a wall and being completely present. In its most expansive sense, it is being completely awake through each moment of each day even when those moments are taxing, boring, or just plain evil. In truth it is we who add those assessments to situations. It is our own minds which imagine how things should otherwise be; images on a comparative screen: reality v dream.
Live in reality.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I would like to talk about being bored. There are times in all of our lives, I am sure, when we just are not excited about the view in our lives. Often these times come as we transition from something, but are not yet caught up in something else. Or when the something else is either not clear or not very interesting or something we really do not want to engage.
I am in that place just now.
As I moved away from being the leader of our local Zen Center, I had a sense of wanting something different in my life. I looked at streetZen, a lonely effort, but necessary one. I looked at Zen Judaism and renewed my study of Judaism itself, explored Jewish Spirituality, Jewish History, and even delved into Hebrew and began a study of kabbalistic texts. Recently, I was elected to the Board of Directors at our Temple.
All of these efforts are wonderful experiences. Yet here I am this morning feeling bored.
Life is like that. We cannot always be flying high. Its in these times, the lower times, that the real work gets done.
Disciplined spiritual practice means digging in and doing the practice regardless of the feeling we have at the moment. The Zen of life is the willingness to do and experience. Zen is the willingness to open to all experience, good, bad, and indifferent.
What is this practice? Zazen in both the most narrow and most expansive sense.
In its most narrow sense it is sitting upright facing a wall and being completely present. In its most expansive sense, it is being completely awake through each moment of each day even when those moments are taxing, boring, or just plain evil. In truth it is we who add those assessments to situations. It is our own minds which imagine how things should otherwise be; images on a comparative screen: reality v dream.
Live in reality.
Be well.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Gratitude
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
We should live with a sense of gratitude in our daily lives. Regardless of our circumstances, we are alive to greet the dawn's light; we can confront each moment of a new day, we can learn, we can appreciate, and we can be of help to others. These are true blessings.
To live this way, we must decide to live this way. To live this way, we must live out this decision.
How often do we think, "I will practice mindfulness" and then as life throws us a curve (and life always throws that curve), we are hardly mindful at all and caught in the emotion of the moment. A decision must be lived other wise its just pretty words. We gain this ability through a disciplined spiritual practice.
In Zen we often place our palms together. This gesture, known as gassho, is a hand mudra. It signifies an effort to bring ourselves (our energy) together while at the same time communicating humility to others. It is very difficult to remain angry with a person when we place our palms together in front of them. It is true. Try it.
Moreover, this small gesture acknowledges the Universal in each of us. In this gesture we release our self and open ourselves to others. Opening is wonderful. It allows bad thoughts and feelings to escape and good thoughts and feelings to enter. When we live life with an open heart we live gracious lives.
Place your palms together, gather yourself, place your attention on your breath, lower your eyes, and take in the moment as it is.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
We should live with a sense of gratitude in our daily lives. Regardless of our circumstances, we are alive to greet the dawn's light; we can confront each moment of a new day, we can learn, we can appreciate, and we can be of help to others. These are true blessings.
To live this way, we must decide to live this way. To live this way, we must live out this decision.
How often do we think, "I will practice mindfulness" and then as life throws us a curve (and life always throws that curve), we are hardly mindful at all and caught in the emotion of the moment. A decision must be lived other wise its just pretty words. We gain this ability through a disciplined spiritual practice.
In Zen we often place our palms together. This gesture, known as gassho, is a hand mudra. It signifies an effort to bring ourselves (our energy) together while at the same time communicating humility to others. It is very difficult to remain angry with a person when we place our palms together in front of them. It is true. Try it.
Moreover, this small gesture acknowledges the Universal in each of us. In this gesture we release our self and open ourselves to others. Opening is wonderful. It allows bad thoughts and feelings to escape and good thoughts and feelings to enter. When we live life with an open heart we live gracious lives.
Place your palms together, gather yourself, place your attention on your breath, lower your eyes, and take in the moment as it is.
Be well.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Rest
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
The sun is rising over the mountains and the cool desert air is rapidly warming. We are forecast to hit the 100 degree mark today, tomorrow, and the next day. We have our thermostat set at 82 degrees. Our ceiling fans cool us nicely, as the condo is set facing east so that by afternoon, the windows are all in the shade. I open our windows overnight and close them around 8:00 AM, dropping the blinds as well. This procedure allows for fresh air overnight and cooler inside temperatures through the heat of the desert day.
This is my "off" day from exercise and I look forward to not running, biking, or swimming. We all need a rest day, a day to recover ourselves, nurture ourselves, and re-set our spirits.
In Judaism we call this day Shabbat. Christianity refers to it as Sabbath. Zen has no such day. I've wondered about this. Why no day of rest in Buddhist practice?
In the days of the Buddha (and even today in some places) monks arose early and walked to villages where they stood silently in front of houses with begging bowls seeking food. A day without begging was a day without food. Monks had no possessions other than their robes and begging bowls. They did not cook, nor did they store up things: monks were "shukke," home-leavers.
There are other reasons however. The categories of work, play, and rest, are mental constructs. We add these concepts to our activity. A being who is awake lives without such categories. From an outsider's perspective he or she might be working or sitting or resting, but from an insider's point of view, he or she would always be at stillness. When we practice Zen, we practice being awake in all postures: sitting, walking, lying down. This "awake" is very particular. It means being one: no separation between the person, activity, and environment. No separation between the consciousness of this or that. Just this. Living thus means we are never in opposition. By definition, there can be no work: we are always at rest.
This is every moment Shabbat.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
The sun is rising over the mountains and the cool desert air is rapidly warming. We are forecast to hit the 100 degree mark today, tomorrow, and the next day. We have our thermostat set at 82 degrees. Our ceiling fans cool us nicely, as the condo is set facing east so that by afternoon, the windows are all in the shade. I open our windows overnight and close them around 8:00 AM, dropping the blinds as well. This procedure allows for fresh air overnight and cooler inside temperatures through the heat of the desert day.
This is my "off" day from exercise and I look forward to not running, biking, or swimming. We all need a rest day, a day to recover ourselves, nurture ourselves, and re-set our spirits.
In Judaism we call this day Shabbat. Christianity refers to it as Sabbath. Zen has no such day. I've wondered about this. Why no day of rest in Buddhist practice?
In the days of the Buddha (and even today in some places) monks arose early and walked to villages where they stood silently in front of houses with begging bowls seeking food. A day without begging was a day without food. Monks had no possessions other than their robes and begging bowls. They did not cook, nor did they store up things: monks were "shukke," home-leavers.
There are other reasons however. The categories of work, play, and rest, are mental constructs. We add these concepts to our activity. A being who is awake lives without such categories. From an outsider's perspective he or she might be working or sitting or resting, but from an insider's point of view, he or she would always be at stillness. When we practice Zen, we practice being awake in all postures: sitting, walking, lying down. This "awake" is very particular. It means being one: no separation between the person, activity, and environment. No separation between the consciousness of this or that. Just this. Living thus means we are never in opposition. By definition, there can be no work: we are always at rest.
This is every moment Shabbat.
Be well.
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