August 23

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,



Zen is about disciplined practice and yet, paradoxically, it is this discipline that leads to freedom. What is this freedom? According to Matsuoka-roshi, my dharma grandfather, it is freedom from mind and body and all attachments derived wherefrom. He, like Seung Sahn, used the points on a compass to explicate this. These cardinal points are really markers pointing to the depth of our practice on the one hand or the degree of freedom we have “attained” on the other hand.



At zero degrees we are what some of us might refer to as asleep: living in small mind, attached to name and form. At 90 degrees we see differences in things by varying degrees: we are attached to exteriors. At 180 degrees we have transcended attachment to thinking, attained “emptiness,” but have attached to it. At 270 degrees we attain “imaginative thinking.” We have what both Masters referred to as “Freedom I.” that sense of “I” that is free from the constraints of logic, reason, and so forth. Here the moon can sing, ants might soar, and mountains walk. The danger, as in every step around the circle is in getting caught in it. “This ‘freedom I’ must be transcended also” says Matsuoka. So, at 360 degrees we reach complete non-attachment to thinking. Here we are free from everything: all desire, all name and form, all discrimination. It is here that we are born.



Being born is being free. It is an opportunity to be the buddha you are. From this freedom arises the paramitas, those aspects of our true self hidden by the constraints of thought, name, and form, as well as the need to hold and protect them.



What would it be like to be completely free? This is your practice.



Be well.

clearmindzen.org

Tweaked the site a bit...

August 17

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



This morning I woke later than usual and, as is the case when such things happen, pressure builds. My morning routine has not been the same for awhile. I feel it, too. Typically, I wake early, say around 4:30. I practice a bit, sit at the computer and gather my thoughts, write, and sip coffee. From there I was in the habit of going for a run, doing a weight workout, shower and get to temple. Somewhere in there I would have some peanut butter toast.



When I wake late, everything is squeezed together. This morning Suki needed to go out right away. I did my run with her, a 1.1 mile jog around Mesilla as soon as I got out of bed. Made a protein shake, espresso coffee and tried to settle into the PC. Of course when in a hurry it is inevitable that things don’t work quite the way you want them to and I needed to re-boot the PC.



So, here it is 7:37 and I am just now settling in to write having not had the benefit of a time in meditation. As I sometimes say, “Arrrggghhhh!”



Yet, this is a dharma teacher, this state of being pressed, and a much better teacher than the calm and serene early morning quiet time I often long for. Soku Shin tries to humor me. I deeply appreciate that, but it is not helpful. The only thing that actually helps is to settle down, attend to my breath and be in the chaos residing in my mind.



A casual glance over at Suki reveals a relaxed puppy curled up at Soku Shin’s feet. She is mindful of her breath. Her body is fully flush against the floor. She has run, she has eaten, and she is with her pack. In doggy terms she is complete.



As I sit here at the PC writing to you, I notice my body sinking into my chair, the smell of the coffee near my hand, and the clatter of the keys as both Soku Shin and I do our morning communication with the world., My body is relaxing from its exercise and I am feeling much more centered. Now to the peanut butter toast and a shower. Then on the bike to ride to the Temple. Life is good.

Comfort

realization, just as Dogen understood Zazen. If we are uncomfortable, it is important to face that discomfort not step away from it.

Here are a set of truths: Spiritual practice is a discipline. Every discipline is uncomfortable. Comfort is awakening’s enemy.







The Order of Clear Mind Zen is fairly simple with straightforward practices. Few frills. We offer Sangha membership, Zazen, and study groups. You may use a chair after it is determined that you cannot sit on a cushion or use a bench. If you cannot sit still we will invite you to practice harder. Our building is air conditioned and we do not have access to the thermostat. We have a small fan and use it when the Zendo is full. All of this, though, is window dressing. When you come to a Zen Center you are coming to practice Zazen. It is a practice that can be challenging. This is where the commitment to a disciplined practice comes in. The Buddha referred to this as the development of kashanti, (patience or forbearance) a word we rarely use today (I wonder why?!)







The thing is that without kashanti we become weak. Dependent on ease, we never really face ourselves.







Be well.

August 13

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



Yesterday was a challenge. After moving all of the books and finally getting the bookcases moved to the residence, my old SAAB got sick. I am not sure what is wrong with her, but she will not start. On top of that, I seem to have misplaced the keys so I cannot even try to start her again or look to see what might be the trouble. I think the keys may be at the Temple, as Soku Shin drove us there yesterday when the SAAB had her issues. Then there is the painting I am working on. It is not doing well. It seems drab and lifeless. Lastly, at bottom, I am completelt broke. So, what was to be done?



Last night we sipped a glass of wine, ate brown rice and lentils followed by a portion of salty potato chips. We watched a DVD, cuddled, and fell asleep.



When I woke this morning I decided I would do what is there for me to do. It is Saturday, my day off, so I will enjoy this day. I will take Suki for a run. Perhaps Soku Shin and I will go for a bike ride. I will bring life to my painting. And, in the end, we will enjoy this day. In this practice is the secret to a life well lived: enjoy. Life is far too short to get mired in attachments.



On the Temple side of the equation:



We have purchased the tickets for Taiun-sensei's trip to New Mexico. For those who assisted, thank you very much. We could not have done this without you. So far we have 15 registrations. I believe we will be able to seat a maximum of 20 in the Temple if we include the space in the foyer and add a line in the center of the Zendo. Sleeping arrangements will need to be divided between the Temple and our residence, as well as those living in the area returning to their homes overnight.



Our Tenzo and I have had extensive conversations regarding oryoki. She has suggested, and I concur, that we ask members of the sangha to each purchase an oryoki bowl set. This will eliminate the need for Soku Shin and myself to wash and re-wrap the bowl sets after zazenkai and sesshin, a considerable task. I have done a search on the Internet and found the economy set from ZCLA is about $45.00. Rev. KoMyo in California is working with the manager of their store to create a special deal for us if possible. You will need to make this purchase before sesshin so that you have your own oryoki set for meals.





Thank you for your time in reading this. May your life be a blessing today. I hope to see you at Temple tomorrow!



Yours,

Daiho

August 11

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



Today at Clear Mind Zen Temple we will sit Zazen at 9:30 and again at 6:00 PM. Soku Shin will lead our Sewing Group at 5:00 PM. If you are sewing a rakusu or wagessa, or want to, please consider joining her.



Sewing the Buddha’s robe is a deep, contemplative practice. The Buddha’s robe is a manifestation of morality. It is done slowly and with great reverence. With each stitch is offered a reminder that we are one with the buddha, awake, and deeply practicing to end all suffering. So, it is your effort to bring morality into the universe. It is a manifestation of your true nature.



The original robes were made from cloth coverings of bodies in charnel grounds. These rags were washed and dyed, cut into strips, and sewn in the pattern we have today. Each member of the Buddha’s Order received three robes. These, along with a begging bowl, were pretty much a monk’s sole possessions. To become a follower of the Buddha Way at that time meant a complete renunciation not only of family life, possessions, etc., but also of self. It was thought that when we renounced self, our true nature would be unimpeded.



This is a tradition that cuts across most religions. Abraham “went forth” left what he knew, as did Moses and the Israelites. Jesus went out into the desert, leaving what he knew, and in this home-leaving spiritual seekers freed himself from the bonds of “knowing” and was thus in a place where his cup was empty and he could be taught.



Today, we do something similar. We enter a Zendo leaving what we know at the door. We raise the Buddha’s robe to our head and recite a brief chant. We open the robe and wrap ourselves in it. This is followed by our verse of atonement which both reminds us of the fact that we create the conditions that create harm, resolve to cease doing this, and invoke non-duality once again. From here we receive the Three Treasures: we take refuge in being awake, live in the real world, and support harmonious community interaction.



Our day begins with the robe of benefaction, a reminder for us that we are here for the sake of others. It is up to us to have the courage to take the next step.



Be well.

August 8

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



Recently, I have had the pleasure of listening to a few conversations regarding subjects near and dear to me. These conversations regard the brain and perception. My clinical training and experiences, relationships, and other issues, have added to the context of these conversations in my mind’s eye. I would like to comment now.



To use the arcane language of the ancient sages, in the mortal world, categories and divisions are erected in order to understand things. In the world of the Buddhas, which is to say, in the Zen world, a world of “Oneness” and “Interdependence,” categories are obstacles to understanding. In the soft sciences, “systems theory” has helped us see the interrelated nature of all things, that systems are composed of subsystems and all of these are completely connected with one another. My understanding at this point is that physics is coming to a similar place. The Buddha himself taught this with his sutras addressing dependant co-arising: this is because that is. And, from the Diamond sutra, any bodhisattva considering beings as separate from other beings is not a bodhisattva.



When we look at a single system, let’s say the nervous system, if we look at it without understanding that it is seamlessly interconnected with all other systems of the body and universe we will miss very important relationships. Treating it as an independent system, will, in effect, kill it. Moreover, the fact that it is a separate system at all is a function of how our brain perceives and organizes data, not a reflection of the actual thing itself. Looking at a brain, we are not seeing a brain: we are seeing our brain’s representation of a brain and that representation is dependent on our own brain’s sensory acuity.



A blind woman perceives a piano. A deaf man perceives a piano. Are they the same or different? The perceptions will form a picture in the individual’s mind’s eye based on the available sensory data, integrate that data with information gained from other sources, and each person will intuit “piano.” Each would be right; each would be wrong. Or rather, we should we say each would be incomplete.



Zen is about complete. It is about living in the world as a whole, not as parts. A brain functions according to its limitations. Do not mistake its function as complete or even near complete. Its function itself becomes an impediment when we use it as a tool to understanding. We are only able to understand within the parameters of its function.



The practice of “looking deeply” a practice of opening one’s eye to the totality of what is in front of it, begins to dissolve the boundaries and limitations of the brain’s function. Aristotle can be helpful here. He argued four causes were present in everything. When we look at a piano, we see the material construction (wood, plastic, metal) We could see the formal construction (how it was put together). We could also see the efficient construction (that which brought the piano into being). And we could see the teleological construction (its function and purpose for being). In each case, we should not limit ourselves to the immediate thing in front of us as that would miss very important aspects of the piano. The material came from other materials; the builders hands are present in the piano. The mind of the designer and inventor of “piano” is present in the instrument, and, of course we, with our intent to play the piano, are there, as well. In a very deep sense, everything in the universe is in that piano. It is made of the same stuff we are, as are the sun and moon, the stars and asteroids. When we look at “piano” with only one view of it, we are depriving both it and ourselves of piano’s truly rich nature.



If we do this with sentient beings, we risk all manner of sorrow. Doctors miss-diagnose or fail to see the interactive and synergistic effects of systems and sub-systems, city planners fail to see how building “X” creates problems for “Y,” and we fail to see our karma being established in the world. It is akin to the old saw, he “misses the forest for the trees.”



To carry this one step further, we have a wonderful ability to see and identify trees, but are less adept at seeing and deeply appreciating forests. Moreover, to paraphrase the Buddha himself, the forest isn’t the forest, it’s just what we call a forest.



Be well.