With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Well, two seders and I am still alive. First night a Jewish/Buddhist seder, second night with close long time friends. I guess the question is am I free from bondage?
A friend in the Tricycle Community has asked about that. He wonders if I am not too attached to my robes, title, and well, I suspect he thinks I am full of myself. He wonders whether people would respond to me any differently if I did not hide behind these masks: if I were just plain Harvey.
I don’t know. What I do know is that I am told various things by various people about myself. Some are not so pleasant. Some are quite pleasant. In either case, I work on not allowing them to stick. Teflon Zen.
It is a difficult question, though. Most of my adult life I have been a person with some degree of authority: a man with a gun hunting other men in combat, a child protective services social worker and supervisor, a supervisor of mental health services in a school system, a Ph.D. psychotherapist, a director at a psychiatric hospital, and finally a Zen Teacher. I am quite “used” to being in and using authority.
My sense, though, is that I wield it with a considerable degree of humility. I reveal too much of myself at times, I listen to crap being dumped on me sometimes, and I care deeply about those who do the dumping, as well as the world in and around me. Robes and the like are just part of the trade. They are my personal history that goes with my kechimyaku (Zen Bloodline) and Shukke Tokudo (Home Leaving Priest Ordination).
Forget the robes, the title, and the like: just cloth and words. Forget my teaching, as well. These are my words, put on my experience: not your words, put on your experience. Above all do not confuse the two.
Be well.
Organ Mountain Zen
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Cure for Crap
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
In silence
Wisdom emerges:
The whisper
Of myriad things.
This whisper can only be heard in the deep stillness of our true nature. Swept to the corners of our lives by the broom of busy-ness, it is often banished there as a relic of the past. We moderns can be so full of crap we cannot hear.
Be well
Good Morning Everyone,
In silence
Wisdom emerges:
The whisper
Of myriad things.
This whisper can only be heard in the deep stillness of our true nature. Swept to the corners of our lives by the broom of busy-ness, it is often banished there as a relic of the past. We moderns can be so full of crap we cannot hear.
Be well
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Empty Bowls 2
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Empty bowls are an opportunity; full bowls are an opportunity. Being generous is an opportunity; being self-sufficient is an opportunity. Lessons can be learned from everything in every time and condition, provided there is space for learning to take place. We create this space through our very deliberate practice of zazen.
Judgments about conditions do nothing to address conditions. To fill a bowl does not diminish it and leaving it empty does not enhance it. However, practicing generosity, compassion, and love does nurture us and our world, whereas, practicing greed, heartlessness, and hate diminishes our interdependence and connectivity.
Practice Prajna Paramita.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Empty bowls are an opportunity; full bowls are an opportunity. Being generous is an opportunity; being self-sufficient is an opportunity. Lessons can be learned from everything in every time and condition, provided there is space for learning to take place. We create this space through our very deliberate practice of zazen.
Judgments about conditions do nothing to address conditions. To fill a bowl does not diminish it and leaving it empty does not enhance it. However, practicing generosity, compassion, and love does nurture us and our world, whereas, practicing greed, heartlessness, and hate diminishes our interdependence and connectivity.
Practice Prajna Paramita.
Be well.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Empty Bowls
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
When things remain the same they rot: in this case, tomatoes sitting on my counter. Tops red; bottoms black, I offered them to the birds this morning. So, from a certain point of view everything has its value and nothing is trash.
There are people who argue that some people have no value. They argue from a certain point of view, certain groups are a drain on society, that they are a lazy, shiftless, and morally deficient lot. Like empty bowls, they gather dust and are often in the way They argue that providing basic needs enables such people to remain a drain. Perhaps this is so.
Yet, from another point of view, a compassionate point of view, an empty bowl is an invitation to make an offering.
If we begin without assumptions (always a good idea), we might be more able to see what needs to be offered and be more willing to make the offering. Empty bowls are always empty for a reason, but they remain empty until an offering is made. It is in this that an empty bowl has value.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
When things remain the same they rot: in this case, tomatoes sitting on my counter. Tops red; bottoms black, I offered them to the birds this morning. So, from a certain point of view everything has its value and nothing is trash.
There are people who argue that some people have no value. They argue from a certain point of view, certain groups are a drain on society, that they are a lazy, shiftless, and morally deficient lot. Like empty bowls, they gather dust and are often in the way They argue that providing basic needs enables such people to remain a drain. Perhaps this is so.
Yet, from another point of view, a compassionate point of view, an empty bowl is an invitation to make an offering.
If we begin without assumptions (always a good idea), we might be more able to see what needs to be offered and be more willing to make the offering. Empty bowls are always empty for a reason, but they remain empty until an offering is made. It is in this that an empty bowl has value.
Be well.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Like the Sea
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
“Transitions are always difficult,” Soku Shin said to me. Without thinking, I agreed too quickly. In retrospect, saying such a thing has certain implications. I recognize transitions are the essential nature of our lives. Indeed, as we come to experience, change is life. However, if this is so, are we then saying life is always difficult? Change in any direction involves a loss of what was and an apprehension of what might be next. It also involves experiencing what is. Depending on where our mind’s eye rests we will answer yes or no.
In chapter 31 of Shobogenzo (Kai-in-zanmai), Master Dogen quotes Buddha as saying,
“An instant before, an instant after: instant does not depend on instant; a dharma before, a dharma after: dharma does not oppose dharma. Just this is called Samadhi, state like the sea.”
A buddha is a buddha in every moment, not holding on, not letting go, just being buddha. Standing on the shore we might see the sea rise and fall, being the sea itself, no rising, no falling. Both are true, neither opposes one another. Each is exactly and completely itself.
Three A.M. is just this moment, neither early nor late. Only in relation to four A. M. might it take on before or after. To realize one Truth also realizes the Other.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
“Transitions are always difficult,” Soku Shin said to me. Without thinking, I agreed too quickly. In retrospect, saying such a thing has certain implications. I recognize transitions are the essential nature of our lives. Indeed, as we come to experience, change is life. However, if this is so, are we then saying life is always difficult? Change in any direction involves a loss of what was and an apprehension of what might be next. It also involves experiencing what is. Depending on where our mind’s eye rests we will answer yes or no.
In chapter 31 of Shobogenzo (Kai-in-zanmai), Master Dogen quotes Buddha as saying,
“An instant before, an instant after: instant does not depend on instant; a dharma before, a dharma after: dharma does not oppose dharma. Just this is called Samadhi, state like the sea.”
A buddha is a buddha in every moment, not holding on, not letting go, just being buddha. Standing on the shore we might see the sea rise and fall, being the sea itself, no rising, no falling. Both are true, neither opposes one another. Each is exactly and completely itself.
Three A.M. is just this moment, neither early nor late. Only in relation to four A. M. might it take on before or after. To realize one Truth also realizes the Other.
Be well.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Daily Life
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting on my cushion, in front of me is a small handmade Medicine Buddha. His right hand extends down from serenity to touch the Earth. His left hand holds his medicine bowl.
In our practice we must remember to touch the Earth, which is to say, be grounded. We also must bear in mind our purpose as bodhisattvas is to heal and transform. All with a serene and calm heart.
At first blush, this may seem an awesome and extremely challenging task. Yet know the Earth is here to support us. It is our foundation. And our medicine flows from our heart. When we assume to posture of zazen, we assume the posture of buddha: mind/heart/body/environment are one and every step is the correct step.
May we walk together along the Way.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting on my cushion, in front of me is a small handmade Medicine Buddha. His right hand extends down from serenity to touch the Earth. His left hand holds his medicine bowl.
In our practice we must remember to touch the Earth, which is to say, be grounded. We also must bear in mind our purpose as bodhisattvas is to heal and transform. All with a serene and calm heart.
At first blush, this may seem an awesome and extremely challenging task. Yet know the Earth is here to support us. It is our foundation. And our medicine flows from our heart. When we assume to posture of zazen, we assume the posture of buddha: mind/heart/body/environment are one and every step is the correct step.
May we walk together along the Way.
Be well.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Practicing Buddhas
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting on the edge of a chair just now, I am at a friend’s home looking out into a very dark desert. I made a pot of coffee, sat quietly for a bit, and now turn my attention to you.
Soku Shin and I watched the film, Little Buddha, last night. This is a film within a film, the story of Buddha, as well as the story of the search for a re-incarnated Tibetan Lama. All along the way, of course, it is a story of awakening and personal transformation.
Every time I sit with this film, I feel blessed to have been born a human being. I am further blessed by the suffering in my life as it has been the source of, and invitation to, compassion. We cannot hear the suffering of the world ensconced in a tower above it all. We waste ourselves in such places. And more importantly, others are wasted as a result of our absence. To be a human being is to be caring in community.
Some have said of me lately, though, that I must not be the person they thought I was as I have caused great suffering in the lives of those close to me because of my separation from my wife. This is hurtful. Neither of us was particularly happy and we wrestled in blind alleys frequently. Would that we could live without change, but change is the essential nature of all things and cannot be avoided. We do the best we can.
Listening deeply, I find my life is no longer my own. It belongs to the universe. Practicing zazen, listening, learning, sharing, teaching: these are my core elements of being now. They are the practice of all buddhas and the gift of being human.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting on the edge of a chair just now, I am at a friend’s home looking out into a very dark desert. I made a pot of coffee, sat quietly for a bit, and now turn my attention to you.
Soku Shin and I watched the film, Little Buddha, last night. This is a film within a film, the story of Buddha, as well as the story of the search for a re-incarnated Tibetan Lama. All along the way, of course, it is a story of awakening and personal transformation.
Every time I sit with this film, I feel blessed to have been born a human being. I am further blessed by the suffering in my life as it has been the source of, and invitation to, compassion. We cannot hear the suffering of the world ensconced in a tower above it all. We waste ourselves in such places. And more importantly, others are wasted as a result of our absence. To be a human being is to be caring in community.
Some have said of me lately, though, that I must not be the person they thought I was as I have caused great suffering in the lives of those close to me because of my separation from my wife. This is hurtful. Neither of us was particularly happy and we wrestled in blind alleys frequently. Would that we could live without change, but change is the essential nature of all things and cannot be avoided. We do the best we can.
Listening deeply, I find my life is no longer my own. It belongs to the universe. Practicing zazen, listening, learning, sharing, teaching: these are my core elements of being now. They are the practice of all buddhas and the gift of being human.
Be well.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Wonder
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning was wonderful: silence, good sleep, and then opening my eyes to such beauty! Our world is so full of good things: hugs, smiles, and lovingkindness.
It is all a matter of willingness. We must be willing to open ourselves, drop the barriers, and live fully and completely. So challenging at first. So everyday later. Seated on a cushion, we worry if we are doing it right, what people will think, and so on. Yet, with practice, we experience breath and existence as formless form.
Last night Zen Student Soku Shin and I worked through the first part of Master Dogen’s Bendowa. When we realize buddha, all is buddha. All was buddha. All will continue to be buddha. Once the True Dharma Eye is opened, everything changes but remains the same. Spacious Mind and Narrow Mind are actualized as One and a Zenster can now be the Universe and a Zenster, as well as no Zenster and no Universe simultaneously.
Aim for seamless being.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning was wonderful: silence, good sleep, and then opening my eyes to such beauty! Our world is so full of good things: hugs, smiles, and lovingkindness.
It is all a matter of willingness. We must be willing to open ourselves, drop the barriers, and live fully and completely. So challenging at first. So everyday later. Seated on a cushion, we worry if we are doing it right, what people will think, and so on. Yet, with practice, we experience breath and existence as formless form.
Last night Zen Student Soku Shin and I worked through the first part of Master Dogen’s Bendowa. When we realize buddha, all is buddha. All was buddha. All will continue to be buddha. Once the True Dharma Eye is opened, everything changes but remains the same. Spacious Mind and Narrow Mind are actualized as One and a Zenster can now be the Universe and a Zenster, as well as no Zenster and no Universe simultaneously.
Aim for seamless being.
Be well.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Like a Cat
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Consumation
Morning arrives in the night
Like a cat on the prowl
For something to eat.
I turn myself
Open, ready to be released.
Zen practice is the practice of eternal life.
Awake, I see
You are not you
And I am not I
And we are not we,
Yet at once,
You are you,
I am I,
And we are we.
Past, present and future
Are mere thoughts.
Living and dying
Are simply dreams.
In such a place,
The only step
Is the step originating in the night,
The Self making the self.
Good Morning Everyone,
Consumation
Morning arrives in the night
Like a cat on the prowl
For something to eat.
I turn myself
Open, ready to be released.
Zen practice is the practice of eternal life.
Awake, I see
You are not you
And I am not I
And we are not we,
Yet at once,
You are you,
I am I,
And we are we.
Past, present and future
Are mere thoughts.
Living and dying
Are simply dreams.
In such a place,
The only step
Is the step originating in the night,
The Self making the self.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Knowing You
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
The coffee is now brewing. I have washed up, offered incense, and sat zazen. Next, will be drink the coffee, do short yoga, shave an already shaved head, and shower. In between, you.
With whom am I speaking each morning? I often wonder about this. A writer writes with someone in mind. This writing is no different. I think it is a genre called creative non-fiction, though I am sure it is all fiction as it is what I create out of my perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.
So, when I sit down to write, what is the “you” I am writing? Is it someone specific? Is it the Everyman? Or is it myself? Are these the same or different? Is it necessary to know?
For me, I write to shin. That is to say, mind/heart. With each moment, I breathe in, closing my eyes, experiencing myself, allowing the snow in the globe to settle as I release my breath. Clear Mind. In that clarity, there you are.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
The coffee is now brewing. I have washed up, offered incense, and sat zazen. Next, will be drink the coffee, do short yoga, shave an already shaved head, and shower. In between, you.
With whom am I speaking each morning? I often wonder about this. A writer writes with someone in mind. This writing is no different. I think it is a genre called creative non-fiction, though I am sure it is all fiction as it is what I create out of my perceptions, thoughts, and feelings.
So, when I sit down to write, what is the “you” I am writing? Is it someone specific? Is it the Everyman? Or is it myself? Are these the same or different? Is it necessary to know?
For me, I write to shin. That is to say, mind/heart. With each moment, I breathe in, closing my eyes, experiencing myself, allowing the snow in the globe to settle as I release my breath. Clear Mind. In that clarity, there you are.
Be well.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Morning
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Overnight I was awake many hours, having dozed off earlier on the sofa. The thing about late night overnight’s is things seem to get done. I planned my itinerary to the Omega Institute’s “Veteran’s Retreat with Claude Anshin Thomas” in April. I found tickets for less than four hundred dollars. I did my laundry. I “picked up” and organized my room. I did considerable practice.
It is morning now and time to face another day. May all beings be free from suffering, may we each be a blessing in the universe, and may we each nurture in our hearts the willingness to forgive those who harm us.
The incense has burned itself out, the birds are up, the flowers and the trees are up, and the day’s weather looks glorious.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Overnight I was awake many hours, having dozed off earlier on the sofa. The thing about late night overnight’s is things seem to get done. I planned my itinerary to the Omega Institute’s “Veteran’s Retreat with Claude Anshin Thomas” in April. I found tickets for less than four hundred dollars. I did my laundry. I “picked up” and organized my room. I did considerable practice.
It is morning now and time to face another day. May all beings be free from suffering, may we each be a blessing in the universe, and may we each nurture in our hearts the willingness to forgive those who harm us.
The incense has burned itself out, the birds are up, the flowers and the trees are up, and the day’s weather looks glorious.
Be well.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Three
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Yesterday I did walking meditation at Veteran’s Park. I walked around the grassy field, then up the walkway to the flagpoles, around the crescent wall with names of those who served from New Mexico. A man was standing there. He pointed to his name. I welcomed him home and we continued walking in different directions.
Walking back down toward the rotunda, I saw a wonderful sight. A man had come onto the grassy field and was flying a model plane, but it had no motor. It was radio controlled and I watched with childlike delight as he maneuvered the plane to rise and fall, eventually landing it softly at his feet. He wanted to make his plane fly higher.
I returned to the rotunda and stood like a tree.
Three men, three universes: one.
When the question is common
The answer is also common.
When the question is sand in a bowl of boiled rice
The answer is a stick in the soft mud.
Case 31 Joshu Investigates, trans by Nyogen Senzaki
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Yesterday I did walking meditation at Veteran’s Park. I walked around the grassy field, then up the walkway to the flagpoles, around the crescent wall with names of those who served from New Mexico. A man was standing there. He pointed to his name. I welcomed him home and we continued walking in different directions.
Walking back down toward the rotunda, I saw a wonderful sight. A man had come onto the grassy field and was flying a model plane, but it had no motor. It was radio controlled and I watched with childlike delight as he maneuvered the plane to rise and fall, eventually landing it softly at his feet. He wanted to make his plane fly higher.
I returned to the rotunda and stood like a tree.
Three men, three universes: one.
When the question is common
The answer is also common.
When the question is sand in a bowl of boiled rice
The answer is a stick in the soft mud.
Case 31 Joshu Investigates, trans by Nyogen Senzaki
Be well.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
unMasking
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
It is a good morning this morning. Zazen went well, and few wonderful breaths centering myself and being with the sounds of the world around me.
Yesterday several of us went to the Both Sides/No Sides Zendo in El Paso. We sat with the Sangha and I offered a teaching on Kie Sanbo, receiving the three refuges. This was followed by a ceremony bringing Soku Shin into the Order. I am always delighted to offer such opportunities. It was a beautiful ceremony.
The thing about precepts is they are from the inside out. We are all buddhas in disguise. We wear the masks of duality. A Zen Teacher’s job is to help the student see the face under the mask and work with a Sangha to make it possible for the student to live without it.
Living in a world of duality with greed and hatred as partners is toxic to the heart. These three poisons make evil possible, even acceptable to some. Yet, in truth, duality is a delusion and once its mask is removed, we are free. Generosity and compassion become our medicines and we apply them in ways unique and specific to the individual.
Sometimes what is required looks nothing like generosity or compassion, yet, when the aim is true, the arrow hits the mark, and the suffering person is relieved. Of course, this relief is not always what the person expects or even understands as relief. No matter, the important work is being done.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
It is a good morning this morning. Zazen went well, and few wonderful breaths centering myself and being with the sounds of the world around me.
Yesterday several of us went to the Both Sides/No Sides Zendo in El Paso. We sat with the Sangha and I offered a teaching on Kie Sanbo, receiving the three refuges. This was followed by a ceremony bringing Soku Shin into the Order. I am always delighted to offer such opportunities. It was a beautiful ceremony.
The thing about precepts is they are from the inside out. We are all buddhas in disguise. We wear the masks of duality. A Zen Teacher’s job is to help the student see the face under the mask and work with a Sangha to make it possible for the student to live without it.
Living in a world of duality with greed and hatred as partners is toxic to the heart. These three poisons make evil possible, even acceptable to some. Yet, in truth, duality is a delusion and once its mask is removed, we are free. Generosity and compassion become our medicines and we apply them in ways unique and specific to the individual.
Sometimes what is required looks nothing like generosity or compassion, yet, when the aim is true, the arrow hits the mark, and the suffering person is relieved. Of course, this relief is not always what the person expects or even understands as relief. No matter, the important work is being done.
Be well.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Commitments
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
There are Four Noble Truths in Buddha’s Teaching. Simply put, these are: suffering is; it is caused by investing one’s self in something that lacks any permanence; it can be stopped; and we stop it by waking up. There are eight aspects to an awakened heart/mind. Buddha called these the Eightfold Noble Path. Path is important as it points to process, a walk along the way. Yet as we might eventually (and rightly) come to, one is always a diamond just waiting to undress and expose one’s facets. Therefore, the process is not the thing, but rather the undressing of the thing. Mindful Practice is our process.
These eight aspects have to do with our practical lives: Awakened Understanding, Thought, Action, Speech, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration. The usual translation is “Right” or “Correct” but I see these as more a sense of true, not in the true/false way, but in the trueness of a line or a weight. There is a quality of internal and external consonance involved. This comes from a clear mind.
Recent events in my life have sorely tested my understanding of the clarity of my mind. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is this so? These are my mantra-like questions.
Here are the answers arising from my heart: I am committing to a life as a being in fulltime service to others. This may take on the clothing of a priest, a monk, or a simple person acting out loving-kindness. However, these are just the clothes and we should be kind to those who confuse the two. I am doing this because I have no choice. The suffering of the world, because of war and violence rings too loudly in my ears not to respond. It is so.
I have spent decades taking care of self, family, and being in service as a therapist. It is time to complete the process by shifting my attention to the others as a bodhisattva.
I have created a separate account for the Order of Clear Mind Zen. I will move as quickly as possible making the Order a NM State Non-Profit Corporation so that donations will be, without question, tax-deductable. I have decided to place my share of marital assets in a trust for my three children.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
There are Four Noble Truths in Buddha’s Teaching. Simply put, these are: suffering is; it is caused by investing one’s self in something that lacks any permanence; it can be stopped; and we stop it by waking up. There are eight aspects to an awakened heart/mind. Buddha called these the Eightfold Noble Path. Path is important as it points to process, a walk along the way. Yet as we might eventually (and rightly) come to, one is always a diamond just waiting to undress and expose one’s facets. Therefore, the process is not the thing, but rather the undressing of the thing. Mindful Practice is our process.
These eight aspects have to do with our practical lives: Awakened Understanding, Thought, Action, Speech, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness, and Concentration. The usual translation is “Right” or “Correct” but I see these as more a sense of true, not in the true/false way, but in the trueness of a line or a weight. There is a quality of internal and external consonance involved. This comes from a clear mind.
Recent events in my life have sorely tested my understanding of the clarity of my mind. What am I doing? Why am I doing it? Is this so? These are my mantra-like questions.
Here are the answers arising from my heart: I am committing to a life as a being in fulltime service to others. This may take on the clothing of a priest, a monk, or a simple person acting out loving-kindness. However, these are just the clothes and we should be kind to those who confuse the two. I am doing this because I have no choice. The suffering of the world, because of war and violence rings too loudly in my ears not to respond. It is so.
I have spent decades taking care of self, family, and being in service as a therapist. It is time to complete the process by shifting my attention to the others as a bodhisattva.
I have created a separate account for the Order of Clear Mind Zen. I will move as quickly as possible making the Order a NM State Non-Profit Corporation so that donations will be, without question, tax-deductable. I have decided to place my share of marital assets in a trust for my three children.
Be well.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Survival
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting in a Starbucks, I am joining America. Bold coffee, cheese Danish, and notebook at the ready! My AT & T account is closed! iPhone tragedy, I guessed. Small wave of “Not Able to Connect” panic arises.
I sit with this. Take a breath, sip my coffee, and explore the options available: no credit cards, little cash, and a willingness to engage. All systems are a go. I realize I have Qwest service at home. Aha! So I call them, conference with my estranged partner to get secret data, and soon a “Mike” comes on the line giving me my precious three digit access code!
Zip, zip, as one handed fingers type, and here I am, back with you.
Yesterday I spoke with my friend Claude Anshin. His voice was reassuring. We are brothers. It is good to have a strong shoulder to rest on and a willingness to do so. Our practice is to awaken to the empty reality of an “I” and realize the vast, though equally empty, interdependence of “us.” How can we survive if we are not open?
Our lives depend on it.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting in a Starbucks, I am joining America. Bold coffee, cheese Danish, and notebook at the ready! My AT & T account is closed! iPhone tragedy, I guessed. Small wave of “Not Able to Connect” panic arises.
I sit with this. Take a breath, sip my coffee, and explore the options available: no credit cards, little cash, and a willingness to engage. All systems are a go. I realize I have Qwest service at home. Aha! So I call them, conference with my estranged partner to get secret data, and soon a “Mike” comes on the line giving me my precious three digit access code!
Zip, zip, as one handed fingers type, and here I am, back with you.
Yesterday I spoke with my friend Claude Anshin. His voice was reassuring. We are brothers. It is good to have a strong shoulder to rest on and a willingness to do so. Our practice is to awaken to the empty reality of an “I” and realize the vast, though equally empty, interdependence of “us.” How can we survive if we are not open?
Our lives depend on it.
Be well.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A Kiss
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Life is good: even on sleepless nights it's whisper is a refreshing kiss of the Infinite.I sleep on the floor next to my altar in a sleeping bag. Next to me is my connection to you.
Overnight I had a conversation with my senior disciple, Rev. Bussho. I wrote to my friend. Anshin who I will be visiting on retreat next month. In each case my fingers were guided by my love for them.
Such a gift, friends. Through each other we make our lives eternal.
The Sandokai says,
"Each of the myriad things has its merit,
expressed according to its function and place.
Existing phenomonally like a box and cover joining;
according with principle like an arrow points to meeting."
According to friend Greg, the First Commandment is, "You shall survive." One cradles the other in infinite direction and embrace.
Forward and backward are a delusion which when extinguished offers us the present.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Life is good: even on sleepless nights it's whisper is a refreshing kiss of the Infinite.I sleep on the floor next to my altar in a sleeping bag. Next to me is my connection to you.
Overnight I had a conversation with my senior disciple, Rev. Bussho. I wrote to my friend. Anshin who I will be visiting on retreat next month. In each case my fingers were guided by my love for them.
Such a gift, friends. Through each other we make our lives eternal.
The Sandokai says,
"Each of the myriad things has its merit,
expressed according to its function and place.
Existing phenomonally like a box and cover joining;
according with principle like an arrow points to meeting."
According to friend Greg, the First Commandment is, "You shall survive." One cradles the other in infinite direction and embrace.
Forward and backward are a delusion which when extinguished offers us the present.
Be well.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Know Nothing
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Case One of the Blue Cliff Record tells the story of Master Bodhidharma’s interaction with Emperor Wu-tei. “What is the first principle of the holy teaching?” the Emperor asks. To which Bodhidharma answers, “In the boundless universe there exists nothing to be called ‘holy’.”
“Then whom am I facing?” (Are not you a holy man?), the Emperor asks. Bodhidharma replied, “I know not.”
Sacred and profane are not separate. They are not one. They are mere concepts, like so many leaves scattered on the porch by the wind through branches of aged trees approaching winter. What is this? Meaningless. Who am I? Meaningless.
There is no answer that does not harm us. Master Bodhidharma might have better taught by walking away in silence.
Yet, in doing so we recognize such a teaching would offend our Western sensibilities. We so deeply live in a rationalized, empiricized, dualized interior world that we cannot hear the knock at the door. We cannot perceive the teaching.
My answer? Be still even when running. Pay attention to the whispers in the trees, the whirl of the drier, the sounds of the office, the feeling of your heart beating. There are no words, just life. And if it were water, we need but dive right in.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Case One of the Blue Cliff Record tells the story of Master Bodhidharma’s interaction with Emperor Wu-tei. “What is the first principle of the holy teaching?” the Emperor asks. To which Bodhidharma answers, “In the boundless universe there exists nothing to be called ‘holy’.”
“Then whom am I facing?” (Are not you a holy man?), the Emperor asks. Bodhidharma replied, “I know not.”
Sacred and profane are not separate. They are not one. They are mere concepts, like so many leaves scattered on the porch by the wind through branches of aged trees approaching winter. What is this? Meaningless. Who am I? Meaningless.
There is no answer that does not harm us. Master Bodhidharma might have better taught by walking away in silence.
Yet, in doing so we recognize such a teaching would offend our Western sensibilities. We so deeply live in a rationalized, empiricized, dualized interior world that we cannot hear the knock at the door. We cannot perceive the teaching.
My answer? Be still even when running. Pay attention to the whispers in the trees, the whirl of the drier, the sounds of the office, the feeling of your heart beating. There are no words, just life. And if it were water, we need but dive right in.
Be well.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Great Banana
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
My best guess is that “life,” the “Infinite,” Buddha Mind,” wants nothing from us except that we live. “Consciousness,” “Higher Power,” or Great Banana is nothing more than a reflection of ourselves, and everything else collectively, looking back at us. It has no separate existence, therefore, no separate wants, desires, intentions, plans, or power. It is, as we are, life itself.
So, son Jacob, his partner Lynda, and I were talking yesterday about the practice of releasing one’s grip and turning oneself “over” to a “Higher Power” and how challenging or desirable this practice is. Jacob sees this as conceiving of “the Infinite” as a puppet master sort, much like the God of Job. These three issues emerged: a “Universal” separate from us, a “Universal” that has intent, and the challenge of letting go.
A Zenster perspective might be that the first is meaningless as we discover from our deepest practice that any ultimate reality is One. Our continued deepest practice might reveal that, as One, we are therefore one with all of life and more: all of life is teleological, which is to say, lives with the intent to perform its function. This renders the last as completely acceptable and points to the Heart Sutra’s statement, “no hindrance of the mind, therefore no fear.” Letting go in such a context means nothing more or less than relaxing into the vast processes of life itself.
This does not mean that we do not avoid a rock in the road while driving, nor does it mean we meet a wave with resistance. When driving, we naturally avoid the rock and at the beach, we learn to naturally roll with a wave…or step away from its path or enter it seamlessly.
At root, then, our resistance to letting go is in direct proportion to our trust in life itself. What happens when the Great Banana splits?
We eat it.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
My best guess is that “life,” the “Infinite,” Buddha Mind,” wants nothing from us except that we live. “Consciousness,” “Higher Power,” or Great Banana is nothing more than a reflection of ourselves, and everything else collectively, looking back at us. It has no separate existence, therefore, no separate wants, desires, intentions, plans, or power. It is, as we are, life itself.
So, son Jacob, his partner Lynda, and I were talking yesterday about the practice of releasing one’s grip and turning oneself “over” to a “Higher Power” and how challenging or desirable this practice is. Jacob sees this as conceiving of “the Infinite” as a puppet master sort, much like the God of Job. These three issues emerged: a “Universal” separate from us, a “Universal” that has intent, and the challenge of letting go.
A Zenster perspective might be that the first is meaningless as we discover from our deepest practice that any ultimate reality is One. Our continued deepest practice might reveal that, as One, we are therefore one with all of life and more: all of life is teleological, which is to say, lives with the intent to perform its function. This renders the last as completely acceptable and points to the Heart Sutra’s statement, “no hindrance of the mind, therefore no fear.” Letting go in such a context means nothing more or less than relaxing into the vast processes of life itself.
This does not mean that we do not avoid a rock in the road while driving, nor does it mean we meet a wave with resistance. When driving, we naturally avoid the rock and at the beach, we learn to naturally roll with a wave…or step away from its path or enter it seamlessly.
At root, then, our resistance to letting go is in direct proportion to our trust in life itself. What happens when the Great Banana splits?
We eat it.
Be well.
Monday, March 8, 2010
OCMZ
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I would like to talk about the Order of Clear Mind Zen. Traditionally “Orders” are understood to be lineages within sects that hold certain precepts and a common mission. The Order of Clear Mind Zen (OCMZ or, the Order) is no different. In our case, the Order is open to anyone who has taken the Buddhist precepts and who has an interest in, and commitment to, engaged Zen practice.
I have envisioned the Order to be homeless, that is to say, without a headquarters, building, and other baggage. In a sense, it is a child of the Internet, a virtual community, with a real world presence in the hearts of each of its members.
One need not shave one’s head, vow celibacy, or wear robes. Of course, these are permissible, and as to head shaving and robes, encouraged. Yet, we are contemporary Zen Practitioners with modern and post-modern minds.
Our mission is to bring “good” into the world through our practice. We define “good” as that which sustains and nurtures life, work for peace, and teach non-violent solutions to everyday issues.
Rev. KoMyo, my disciple and able adjunct, will accept your applications to join our order. The process is simply, simply ask and offer either your willingness to take the precepts or evidence that you have already done so, along with a statement about your current practice. We will then get in contact with you to complete the process of affirming your membership in the Order.
A bow to each of you,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I would like to talk about the Order of Clear Mind Zen. Traditionally “Orders” are understood to be lineages within sects that hold certain precepts and a common mission. The Order of Clear Mind Zen (OCMZ or, the Order) is no different. In our case, the Order is open to anyone who has taken the Buddhist precepts and who has an interest in, and commitment to, engaged Zen practice.
I have envisioned the Order to be homeless, that is to say, without a headquarters, building, and other baggage. In a sense, it is a child of the Internet, a virtual community, with a real world presence in the hearts of each of its members.
One need not shave one’s head, vow celibacy, or wear robes. Of course, these are permissible, and as to head shaving and robes, encouraged. Yet, we are contemporary Zen Practitioners with modern and post-modern minds.
Our mission is to bring “good” into the world through our practice. We define “good” as that which sustains and nurtures life, work for peace, and teach non-violent solutions to everyday issues.
Rev. KoMyo, my disciple and able adjunct, will accept your applications to join our order. The process is simply, simply ask and offer either your willingness to take the precepts or evidence that you have already done so, along with a statement about your current practice. We will then get in contact with you to complete the process of affirming your membership in the Order.
A bow to each of you,
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Now
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
The Zen way is the way of no “Way.” The Zen way is the way of picking up a piece of paper on the sidewalk without thinking much at all about it. Or if annoyed, being completely there with the annoyance, doing what is necessary to deal with the annoyance.
There is no perfection other than this moment exactly how it is and if we engage it exactly how it is, everything is as it should be and is “good.” On the other hand, if we imagine our situation as needing to be other than it is, measuring this against that, our mind is separating us from what is, and this is not a good situation.
Perfection is easy for a mind that engages reality directly and without preconception. Our practice is to be in this “now” as fully as possible and doing within it what the reality demands of us. It is no problem.
When hungry eat; when sleepy, sleep.
By all accounts, I should be miserable. Nevertheless, I am not. Instead, I am alive in this moment, experiencing all of the thoughts and feelings that arise out of it and am doing what I must in each moment. Feelings and thoughts come and go: they are impermanent. Holding them is like trying to hold air in motion and just as futile...be it a gentle breeze or a storm.
To me Zen is about practicing appreciation of the now.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
The Zen way is the way of no “Way.” The Zen way is the way of picking up a piece of paper on the sidewalk without thinking much at all about it. Or if annoyed, being completely there with the annoyance, doing what is necessary to deal with the annoyance.
There is no perfection other than this moment exactly how it is and if we engage it exactly how it is, everything is as it should be and is “good.” On the other hand, if we imagine our situation as needing to be other than it is, measuring this against that, our mind is separating us from what is, and this is not a good situation.
Perfection is easy for a mind that engages reality directly and without preconception. Our practice is to be in this “now” as fully as possible and doing within it what the reality demands of us. It is no problem.
When hungry eat; when sleepy, sleep.
By all accounts, I should be miserable. Nevertheless, I am not. Instead, I am alive in this moment, experiencing all of the thoughts and feelings that arise out of it and am doing what I must in each moment. Feelings and thoughts come and go: they are impermanent. Holding them is like trying to hold air in motion and just as futile...be it a gentle breeze or a storm.
To me Zen is about practicing appreciation of the now.
Be well.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Soku Shin
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Soku Shin Ze Butsu: Mind here and now is Buddha. Master Dogen writes, “The immediate universe exists; it is not awaiting realization, and it is not avoiding destruction.” (Shobogenzo, Volume I, p. 52)
When we practice, we touch this mind. The mind of practice realization, the mind that understands mountains are not mountains, but mountains are mountains. Words are dust covering the truth. Sweep away the dust and see clearly: mind, object of mind, and thought arising from mind, are one in the same in every moment and in the next moment, non-existent.
Yesterday I worked on arranging time at Upaya Zen Center in Sante Fe and called to begin the process to go to Claude Anshin Thomas’s Veteran’s Retreat in New York. Early this morning I am sitting with a friend’s partner as my friend undergoes a medical procedure and later this morning sitting Street Zen at the Veteran’s Park. Tonight I will attend Shabbat dinner at the house with family.
So, it is a busy time. Son Jacob will be meeting a person about renting a house this afternoon and I am, therefore, hopeful that I may move in to this condominium in full soon.
Be well,
Good Morning Everyone,
Soku Shin Ze Butsu: Mind here and now is Buddha. Master Dogen writes, “The immediate universe exists; it is not awaiting realization, and it is not avoiding destruction.” (Shobogenzo, Volume I, p. 52)
When we practice, we touch this mind. The mind of practice realization, the mind that understands mountains are not mountains, but mountains are mountains. Words are dust covering the truth. Sweep away the dust and see clearly: mind, object of mind, and thought arising from mind, are one in the same in every moment and in the next moment, non-existent.
Yesterday I worked on arranging time at Upaya Zen Center in Sante Fe and called to begin the process to go to Claude Anshin Thomas’s Veteran’s Retreat in New York. Early this morning I am sitting with a friend’s partner as my friend undergoes a medical procedure and later this morning sitting Street Zen at the Veteran’s Park. Tonight I will attend Shabbat dinner at the house with family.
So, it is a busy time. Son Jacob will be meeting a person about renting a house this afternoon and I am, therefore, hopeful that I may move in to this condominium in full soon.
Be well,
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Ready, Aim, Practice!
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
An Order is a community of Zensters that practice vows established by that Order. Clear Mind Zen has as its mantra, the Third Pure Precept: I vow to create conditions for abundant good. This vow, as does all healing and recovery-work, begins inside and works its way out. At some point in our practice, the dichotomy of inside and outside falls away as we realize our original oneness. In the beginning, however, we start with the self.
A daily practice of zazen is good for this, but takes place with the intent to free all beings. Our aim in practice is to free ourselves from ourselves. It is a deep and complete opening of heart/mind with each breath. Breathing in, I accept the universe as it is; breathing out, I enter the universe as it is. With each breath, the universe and “I” are “one.”
This morning I awoke from my sleep in my new personal zendo. I sleep on the floor with my head on my zafu at the foot of my altar. I looked at the beautiful statue of Buddha friend Rachel gave me (which she brought back from Nepal), and feel blessed to be awake for you.
May we each begin our day with the aim of freeing all beings by cutting through the delusions that bind us.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
An Order is a community of Zensters that practice vows established by that Order. Clear Mind Zen has as its mantra, the Third Pure Precept: I vow to create conditions for abundant good. This vow, as does all healing and recovery-work, begins inside and works its way out. At some point in our practice, the dichotomy of inside and outside falls away as we realize our original oneness. In the beginning, however, we start with the self.
A daily practice of zazen is good for this, but takes place with the intent to free all beings. Our aim in practice is to free ourselves from ourselves. It is a deep and complete opening of heart/mind with each breath. Breathing in, I accept the universe as it is; breathing out, I enter the universe as it is. With each breath, the universe and “I” are “one.”
This morning I awoke from my sleep in my new personal zendo. I sleep on the floor with my head on my zafu at the foot of my altar. I looked at the beautiful statue of Buddha friend Rachel gave me (which she brought back from Nepal), and feel blessed to be awake for you.
May we each begin our day with the aim of freeing all beings by cutting through the delusions that bind us.
Be well.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Clear Mind Order Membership
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
The Order of Clear Mind Zen is a socially engage lay Order. We are not monastics, but rather, everyday practitioners of Zen. The Order was established by Harvey Daiho Hilbert-roshi in 2005. It has no building, it exists through the actual practice of its members. It is a street-bound Order.
Anyone can be a member of the Order. Members do not have to be priests. Members must honor the following six vows:
1. I take Refuge in Everything That Is (Buddha)
2. I take Refuge in Reality and its Teachings (Dharma)
3. I take Refuge in the Order (Sangha)
4. I vow to cease creating evil
5. I vow to do good
6. I vow to work to create abundant good for all beings,
Persons who wish to become members of the Order must telephone Daiho-roshi for a set of brief interviews designed to explore the Order’s precepts and gain Roshi’s approval for membership. Once granted, the petitioner will recite our vows with Roshi.
Each member will have sewn a strip of black cloth into a 2” x 36” strip tacked together to form a loop. This is called a wagessa and is considered a modern version of a Zen robe. Members who wish may order wagessas from us. These will come with our embroidered emblems on each side. (The cost is $15.00 plus shipping)
Membership will include a printed certificate stamped by Daiho roshi. This carries a commitment to live as Zen Buddhists following Clear Mind precepts.
A suggested donation of $24.00 per year is asked for. At $2.00 per month it helps us create printed materials, offer incense, and candles, as well as provide a small degree of comfort to those in need.
If you are interested please reply to Roshi via his personal email. harveyhilbert@yahoo.com
Good Morning Everyone,
The Order of Clear Mind Zen is a socially engage lay Order. We are not monastics, but rather, everyday practitioners of Zen. The Order was established by Harvey Daiho Hilbert-roshi in 2005. It has no building, it exists through the actual practice of its members. It is a street-bound Order.
Anyone can be a member of the Order. Members do not have to be priests. Members must honor the following six vows:
1. I take Refuge in Everything That Is (Buddha)
2. I take Refuge in Reality and its Teachings (Dharma)
3. I take Refuge in the Order (Sangha)
4. I vow to cease creating evil
5. I vow to do good
6. I vow to work to create abundant good for all beings,
Persons who wish to become members of the Order must telephone Daiho-roshi for a set of brief interviews designed to explore the Order’s precepts and gain Roshi’s approval for membership. Once granted, the petitioner will recite our vows with Roshi.
Each member will have sewn a strip of black cloth into a 2” x 36” strip tacked together to form a loop. This is called a wagessa and is considered a modern version of a Zen robe. Members who wish may order wagessas from us. These will come with our embroidered emblems on each side. (The cost is $15.00 plus shipping)
Membership will include a printed certificate stamped by Daiho roshi. This carries a commitment to live as Zen Buddhists following Clear Mind precepts.
A suggested donation of $24.00 per year is asked for. At $2.00 per month it helps us create printed materials, offer incense, and candles, as well as provide a small degree of comfort to those in need.
If you are interested please reply to Roshi via his personal email. harveyhilbert@yahoo.com
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Clear Mind Zen
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting this morning in my personal Zendo, the incense calls me to stillness. I have just performed Teihatsu No Ge, shaving my head to free myself from attachments. I do this every three days. It is an important ritual in the Zen lexicon.
Some people close to me believe I am making myself ugly. Perhaps. However, I see a buddha opening in the mirror before me. The reflection is a personal reminder of who I am and why I am here. Teihatsu No Ge is an action of divestment of personal interest.
A Zen Buddhist priest (or lay member) in the Order of Clear Mind Zen teaches through example. We live a life of study, contemplation, social action, and work. We also live in relationships with others, as we are a lay order, not a monastic order.
This Order is open to anyone willing to dedicate themselves to the Three Pure Precepts:
1. Cease Doing Evil
2. Do Good
3. Bring About Abundant Good for All Beings
We are not affiliated with Soto Shu in Japan. We are our own authority established through my Master, Rev. Hogaku McGuire-roshi and his Master, Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi.
May we each be a blessing in the Universe.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Sitting this morning in my personal Zendo, the incense calls me to stillness. I have just performed Teihatsu No Ge, shaving my head to free myself from attachments. I do this every three days. It is an important ritual in the Zen lexicon.
Some people close to me believe I am making myself ugly. Perhaps. However, I see a buddha opening in the mirror before me. The reflection is a personal reminder of who I am and why I am here. Teihatsu No Ge is an action of divestment of personal interest.
A Zen Buddhist priest (or lay member) in the Order of Clear Mind Zen teaches through example. We live a life of study, contemplation, social action, and work. We also live in relationships with others, as we are a lay order, not a monastic order.
This Order is open to anyone willing to dedicate themselves to the Three Pure Precepts:
1. Cease Doing Evil
2. Do Good
3. Bring About Abundant Good for All Beings
We are not affiliated with Soto Shu in Japan. We are our own authority established through my Master, Rev. Hogaku McGuire-roshi and his Master, Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi.
May we each be a blessing in the Universe.
Be well.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Enlightenment
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
There is a koan about a man who complains upon seeing a picture of a bearded Bodhidharma: “Why hasn’t that fellow a beard?”
Mumon comments, “If you want to study Zen, you must study it with your heart.”
When we see what we want to see, we are not seeing at all. If we convince ourselves we are awake, even if we have had a glimpse, we are a universe away from the clear eye. As in climbing a mountain, we should climb without climbing; in sitting, we should sit without sitting.
This is our way.
The other day I went to a mountain and believed I had climbed it. Silly me.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
There is a koan about a man who complains upon seeing a picture of a bearded Bodhidharma: “Why hasn’t that fellow a beard?”
Mumon comments, “If you want to study Zen, you must study it with your heart.”
When we see what we want to see, we are not seeing at all. If we convince ourselves we are awake, even if we have had a glimpse, we are a universe away from the clear eye. As in climbing a mountain, we should climb without climbing; in sitting, we should sit without sitting.
This is our way.
The other day I went to a mountain and believed I had climbed it. Silly me.
Be well.
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