Home Practice

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



With every breath we have an opportunity to practice from our heart. In our everyday life, the lives most of us lead, we are surrounded by others, receive sensory data from every sense organ, and in Zen, are asked to learn to release ourselves in each moment. A Zen life, therefore, is a very challenging life.

To help us, we might establish a home practice. This practice might include a period of Zazen, incense, candles, and bells, but it might also include a liturgy such as the Three Refuges and the Heart Sutra. In addition, home practice might include chanting a meal blessing, a blessing when rising, a blessing when going to bed. The point is not the blessings, the point is to draw us into every moment practice. Below are three verses to possibly use. There are many.

A home altar may be useful in establishing a space for your contemplative practice. A small statue, a candle, a water offering, an incense burner, and something beautiful like a flower or plant, sets the stage. Of course if you do not want a statue, that is fine. Perhaps an inspiring picture will do.

Set a time for your practice and stick to it. Also set a length of time to be on your seat. The length of time is not as important as the fact that you come to your seat regularly and with discipline.

At our Temple we have a few copies of Taiun Elliston-sensei’s Home Liturgy book for $10.00 each. There is also available through Amazon, John Daido Loori’s “Bringing the Sacred to Life: The Daily Practice of Zen Ritual.” These texts offer hints and suggestions to help you with your home practice. Of course, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me or ask me in person.





Morning Verse

This morning I vow with all beings

To see the world clearly

As it is, to end violence,

And bring compassion to all beings.



Evening Verse

This evening, as I go to sleep,

May all beings rest deeply

And be renewed in peace and love.

Meal Gatha

We reflect on the effort that brought us this food---

And consider how it comes to us.

We reflect on our virtue and practice---

And consider whether we are worthy of this offering.

We regard greed as an obstacle to freedom of mind.

We regard this meal as medicine to sustain our life.

For the sake of Enlightenment we now receive this food.

Verse for Shaving the Head

We shave the head

That we may see

How by freeing ourselves from attachments

We are released from suffering.

Be well

Clear Mind Zen

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,

The world is still doing what it do. The sun will be rising any minute now, as I see it’s traces over the mountains to the east: just a hint of morning light in the coolness of this fall day.

I have been working through my thoughts regarding the direction of the Order of Clear Mind Zen. I think it is important to address some basics. First, we are not a individual center. Our Order is a collective of practitioners working together to bring dharma into the world. We are an Order that sometimes retreats into monastic forms, but typically resides in the world of the everyday. We are not Soto, but arise from Soto through the courageous teaching and innovation of the Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, a pioneer of Zen who came to the United states in 1939, created several Zen Centers single-handedly and broke with the traditions of Japanese Soto monastic practice.

Like Matsuoka-roshi, I want to see Zen be relevant to everyday life. I want to see Zen practitioners be agents of change in our society. I want to hear Zen teachers teach students to be socially responsible and engaged members of the human community. At this stage of my practice, I am of the mind that we need to simplify and make more visceral our practices. I want students and teachers who understand the difference between the forest and the trees.

Second, I am noticing that in my concern for our alignment or lack of alignment with the greater Zen world, I have been negligent in addressing our Order’s actual reason for being, which is decidedly not the practice of forms and ceremonies, but is rather the practice of waking up and caring for both sentient beings and their environment. This point was driven home to me by the knocking on our door by a homeless woman during sesshin. I set aside hearing the teaching on how oryoki should properly be done in order to feed her and make sure she was made to feel comfortable and welcome in our Zendo. For me, the priorities of our vows trump the priorities of forms and ceremonies every time. I suggest that we step toward an independent, American Zen, as was initially suggested by my Dharma Grandfather, Matsuoka-roshi. We have our forms, taught to us by him, but we also have a legacy of socially engaged concern and practice. We will practice with simplicity and great diligence. Our forms, though minimal, must be practiced with great care and deep respect. We will retain what we do, practice to do it better, and work hard to practice in a way that brings about abundant good for all beings.

We are the Order of Clear Mind Zen, an independent Order, with a focus on engaged Zen practice to fulfill the Three Pure Precepts.

Let us practice together.

Be well.

Sesshin

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,







Ohigan sesshin was a challenging experience for us all. Everything that could go “wrong” went wrong, right down to the toilet overflowing on the last day. We had schedule mix-ups, a Zenster homeless woman (who lives in her van) knock on the door, one of our leaders quit and returned home, other people show up who were not expected (like my former teacher and his wife), and of course, the morning our Tenzo and her partner didn’t show up for the morning meal, as they were delayed by escaping dogs. We had 20 people in the Zendo for Sunday services, a Zendo designed for 12. Several on chairs, two ceremonial altars, and a humid, hot environment.

All of this with Taiun-sensei at our side.



At the conclusion, we held a discussion about sesshin, about Taiun’s teaching, about the intensity of our experience, and Zen in general. It was a productive airing of points of view. I am very, very pleased with our Sangha. We work hard to create harmonious support for each other. I am sometimes quite bull-headed and it takes a gang of Zensters to let me know what’s what.



In the future we will offer some movement practice, bodywork of a sort, either Tai Chi Chih or yoga or both. We will also allow for people to step out of a practice period to decompress. Our problem is actually space. We have nowhere to go that is not being used during sesshin. As we approach the winter retreat, this will disallow much relaxation out of doors.



Two alternatives come to mind: first, find a larger venue for sesshin. Second, limit sesshin in Temple to 12 and offer a second set of sesshin days. We could do, for example a Friday through Wednesday. Some might do Friday through Sunday, while others, Monday through Wednesday. We could leave two or three seats open for those wishing to do the entire week.



In any event, we will do a lot of thinking about these issues, but I do not want that thinking and discussion to in any way take away from the excellent effort and practice we did this past weekend.



With my palms together, a bow to each of you.



Daiho

The Sky

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



Joshu asked, “What is the path?” Nansen said, “Everyday life is the path.” Later Nansen added, “If you want to reach the true path beyond doubt, place yourself within the same freedom as that of the sky…”



There are two aspects that arise from disciplined practice. First, our disciplined practice is in every moment. Second, as a result, our disciplined practice is not contained by the dimensions of a zabuton. As Janis Joplin sang, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” In Zen we actually mean this.



When every moment is practice it means in every moment we are attuned to our heart/mind. There is just this in front of us and there is no separation between it and us. Why? Because we realize there is no “it” and no “us.” When ownership, attachment, and emotional investment fall away there is nothing left to lose, but nothing has been lost either. In fact, we have actually gained the universe itself.

We speak of a “path” as if to say there is an actual journey, a beginning point, a walking along the way point, and an end point. This is deluded thinking. Better would be to forget the word “path” altogether. Throw “journey” away, as well. As our true nature is within us and everything else, where is there to go?

A boundless sky has room for the birds, the trees, and the earth. A boundless sky, by its nature, allows a frame. Yet, in truth, the frame and the sky are one. When properly understood, neither are independent, both inter-are.



Be well.

September 27

With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,

Tuesday comes. Rev. KoMyo arrived yesterday and we enjoyed several hours together before it was time to retire. Student Jeffery arrives late this evening (at 10:00 PM). Rev. Shoji, Student Ryugin, and Rev. Elliston arrive Wednesday.

Today we will proceed as usual with Zazen, Dokusan and Zen 101. Our class this evening will wrap up our study of The Eight Gates of Zen by Daido Loori-roshi. We will practice Zazen at 9:30 AM and again at 6:00 PM with Zen 101 at 7:00 PM. Rev. Soku Shin and I will be having a Peace Camp planning lunch at noon today with the new Director of Peace Village.

I would like to thank in advance Students Shelley Tenborin and Bonnie Hensan, Ino Joe DaiShugyo, Doan Kathryn Soku Shin and Tenzo Tamra for their assistance preparing and setting up our coming Thursday Gathering and Ohigan Sesshin.

A few notes:

We have ordered 5 copies only of The Wholehearted Way, which is the text for Zen 101 beginning on October 4th. Please let me know if you wish to reserve a copy.

In other news, Dharma Teacher Reba Zen Shin will be offering a class on Buddhism at the UU Church here in Las Cruces. These are the details:

What: Class on Basics of Buddhist Teaching and Practice

When: Over four Mon. evenings beginning Oct. 17 from 7 to 8:30 PM

Where: UU Church Library

Text: What the Buddha Taught by Rahula

To register, call church office 575-522-7281

For further info call Reba Zen Shin at 575-522-0691

Be well

Elliston-sensei at Sesshin

With palms together,

Good Morning Everyone,



This week we will be gathering together for sesshin in honor of Ohigan. Rev. KoMyo-sensei will arrive on Monday from California, Rev. Taiun Elliston-sensei will arrive from Georgia, Rev. Shoji and Student Ryugin will arrive from California on Wednesday, and our El Paso people will arrive on Thursday. Rev. Bussho from Deming will arrive Thursday. In addition to our Order’s members, we will host Rev. Gozen and Rev. Pries from the Zen Center of Las Cruces. So, our house will be full of Zensters and we will be practicing strongly in silence.



We are very much looking forward to our workshop day with Taiun-sensei on Thursday. The aim is to explore Matsuoka-roshi’s lineage and discuss the future direction of the Order of Clear Mind Zen. On Saturday morning Rev. Taiun-sensei will offer a presentation to the sesshin participants. Revs. KoMyo and Shoji will offer teishos on Saturday and Sunday respectively. On Sunday, after Rev. Taiun departs in the morning, we will complete two ordinations: Kathi Ryugin Sorensen will take Jukai and Tenzo Tamra will take Shukke. The ceremonies will begin at our 10:00 AM Sunday service which will be open to the sangha and public.



If you are not registered for sesshin, you are invited to attend the 10:00 AM service on Sunday and support our sangha members.



Be well.

American Zen: the True Buddha Way

With palms together,


Good Morning Everyone,





An certain Owen Flanagan, PhD recently blogged on Huffington Post that “Buddhism is first and foremost a complex philosophy about the nature of reality, the self and morality.” He goes on to suggest that we American Buddhists use a “code” for meditation by which he means to say, we actually practice the Buddha Way. Dr. Flanagan is right. But his thesis (that we are bourgeois Buddhists and know little to nothing of “Buddhism” is far from the mark as he completely misunderstands and mis-states the Buddha Way.



As anyone passing familiar with what we call “Buddhism” will tell us, there is actually no such thing as “Buddhism.” There are a set of practices taught by the Buddha, passed down through the millennia, refined and honed. The derived teachings from such practice when written about becomes something to test in our own practice, but philosophy? I do not believe so. It is only through a Western, academic eye, such might be the case. Buddhism is the Buddha Way, no -ism, thank you very much.



In countries Dr. Flanagan speaks of, where he claims Buddhists do not meditate is only half correct, Buddhists in Tibet, Nepal, Korea, Japan, etc., do meditate. But this notwithstanding, he takes the wrong point. In such places the Buddha Way has become much like that of Christianity here in the United States. Sunday Christians sing hosannas in Church and flick drivers off on the way home. Maybe they have actually read the Sermon on the Mount, but to literally practice the wisdom teaching of Jesus? Not.



American Zen Buddhism is all about the actual practice of the Buddha Way. The Buddha Way is Zazen. This is what the Buddha taught and this is what true, authentic Buddhists do. So, in contradistinction to the dismissive nature of Dr. Flanagan comments regarding Buddhism in America, the wonderful thing about the Buddha Way as practiced in the United States is that we are actually doing the practice. We have taken Master Dogen seriously, as well as all the Buddhas and Patriarchs before and after him. We practice to study the Buddha Way, thus practice to study the self, and sooner or later, through our practice, allow the mind and body to fall away.



This practice, this Buddha Way, has nothing to do with a goal. Nor does it have anything to do with happiness or heart rates. In America we are witnessing the rise of a new, true Buddhism, the same Buddhism Master Dogen found in China and brought back to Japan. It is there for each of us.



Be well.