Assistance

Hello All,

I am applying for membership in the American Zen Teachers Association.  If you are a member and would be willing to allow me to reference you, please email me.

A bow to each of you.

Zen in America

With palms together,




Lately I have been considering Zen in America. I have concluded it should have little to nothing to do with Zen in Japan. It will be its own creation driven from, and derived from, practice. True Buddhism, as Master Dogen pointed out, is practice. And I see by the time, that my morning bell will ring in a few minutes. More later.
 
Be well.

Shukke

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,



Shukke (home leaving) is, according to Master Dogen, exactly the same as being a buddha and taking the precepts. He says, “In sum, the supreme state of bodhi is perfectly satisfied at the time of leaving home and receiving the precepts.” It is the day we “abide in the ocean of infinite kalpas,” it is beyond the three times, and in it, we turn the wheel of dharma.



So, what is this home leaving? Can it be as simple as leaving wife and family, shaving one’s head and joining a bunch of other baldies? No. These are the most gross and superficial of understandings.



Home-leaving is as much a posture as it is an act. Like Zazen, it is the Way of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. Our attitude is key. Right understanding opens the door.



To be sure we need to actually leave family life in order to be monks, but this means dropping away body and mind, our attachments; our investments more than anything else. To one living deeply in impermanence, what is anything, but flow?



Recently, I went through this. Am still doing so, actually. I have left home, I am dropping away body and mind, I am letting go of my “memory me.” It is a period of mourning for sure, as it is a period of change, loss, and yet, great joy also.



In the process, as with any loss process, we go back and forth, up and down. Readers may have seen this in my writing. Do not be concerned. This duck will continue to float. We must trust the process.





Residing in ocean, we learn the meaning of water.



Be well.

Silence

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,





Last night I sat in the darkened Zendo for some time. The Refuge has a bid on it and I spent a good deal of time mourning it’s loss. The house provided shelter in deep snow, coolness in summer heat, and solitude when most needed. It is time to move on.



Zen is about staying awake in the present. My Teacher thinks I have been a bit cloudy of late. He says he is worried about me. Master-to-Master, we sit loving each other. A bow to him.



I am not worried and I see clearly. It’s the dealing with what is seen that is at issue. So, I take a little piece of cloud and chew it up. Now another. And another.







When the field is open

And the sky is infinite,

Sun and moon

Mind them selves.

The bell, about to ring,

Makes no sound.

The sun is about to rise:

I sip my coffee.



daiho







Be well.

Beginner's Step: Team Zen

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,



Last night I decided to take up running again. In spite of My Left Foot being what it is, I can actually jog/shuffle better than walking. So, I slipped on the brace and leashed-up Suki, and out the door we went. I decided to jog the entire short run, but ended up taking two 30 second walk breaks. It was a 12 minute jog. I followed this with an “arms and shoulders” weight routine using light dumbbells. A beginner step. Let me stay there, please.



This morning we will practice Zazen at 7:00 in the Zendo; Zazen at Peace Camp (held this week at Peace Lutheran Church) at 8:30 AM; and Zazen in the Sagecrest Park at 9:15 AM. I then must deliver the last wagessa to the embroidery shop. At 2:00 I have my own meeting with my Teacher, Hogaku Shozen-roshi. Zazen at 7:00 PM.



Be well.

Open Field

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,

For km

In an open field,

There is no place Or desire To hide.

In an open field,

Sun and moon, Rain and snow, Mud and dust,

Each are One.

Reside in open heart,

There, no harm can come

Daiho

There will be no zazen in the condo today as I am traveling to the Refuge early for a day trip. II will resume my regular schedule Monday morning adding Peace Camp at Peace Lutheran Church in between morning sitting periods.



Be well.

Press Release

For Immediate Release:








New Zen Center to Open!







The Order of Clear Mind Zen announces it is scheduled to open its new headquarters and Clear Mind Zen Center at 642 Alameda Boulevard, Suite E in Las Cruces, NM. Clear Mind Zen Center will offer a complete array of Zen Buddhist and contemplative services, including daily Zen meditation at 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM as well as a full Zen Buddhist service at 9:00 AM on Sunday mornings. The Center will also offer monthly zazenkai and quarterly sesshin retreats. .







The Abbot of the Order, Rev. Harvey Daiho Hilbert, says that the Center plans to offer Zen Instruction, classes on Zen Buddhism, Mindfulness Training, and Stress Management through meditation. Included in this array of services are discussion groups, T'ai Chi Chih and Yoga classes.





Rev. Daiho is an ordained Zen Buddhist monk who was given Dharma Transmission and authorization to teach through his Master, Rev. Hogaku Shozen McGuire. He was awarded the degree of "Roshi" in 2005. Over the last several years, Daiho offered what he called "streetZen" or "Zen in the Park." He is a disabled combat veteran of the Vietnam War and a former psychotherapist who holds both a Masters and PhD in Social Work. He nows lives and practices as a full time Zen Buddhist Monk.







The Center will open its doors on August 16 with plans for an Open House under development. For additional information call Rev. Daiho at 575-680-6680. The Order of Clear Mind Zen is a New Mexico non-profit religious corporation and is on the web at: http://clearmindzen.org













Contact: Rev. Harvey Daiho Hilbert-Roshi

Telephone: 575-680-6680