With palms together,
Good Morning All,
The world is all a-jitter. Terrorists, terror threats, wars: all before our eyes 24/7. I wonder about the impact of such things on our human psyche. How does one live in constant fear and remain a human being? One doesn't.
The truth is, its all noise.
An abundance of caution is just a way of justifying giving sway to fear. Caution, good; an abundance, not so good. In an abundance of anything we swim in craziness. Each voice ramping up the next until there's nothing left but the shrill whine of terror itself. We clone each other.
So here's what to do. Nothing. Doing nothing is always best. Just as there is thunder in silence, so there is peace in vast emptiness. Let the voices rant, be peace in the rage. Smile a lot. Smiling helps. Bow a lot. Humility is always a good thing.
In a placid pond, stones are swallowed whole.
Be well.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Respect
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
I have spent the last couple of days with the Eihei Shingi, Dogen's work on the rules for monastic life. What I come out of this study with is the sense that respect is key.
Our ability to respect, however, comes only with serious practice. We must be willing to set ourselves aside along with our notions and values, our ideas and beliefs and what we know in order to respect the person in front of us. And we do so simply because he is there.
It is our job to find the Buddha-nature within him, not his job to show us where it is.
Be well.
Good Morning All,
I have spent the last couple of days with the Eihei Shingi, Dogen's work on the rules for monastic life. What I come out of this study with is the sense that respect is key.
Our ability to respect, however, comes only with serious practice. We must be willing to set ourselves aside along with our notions and values, our ideas and beliefs and what we know in order to respect the person in front of us. And we do so simply because he is there.
It is our job to find the Buddha-nature within him, not his job to show us where it is.
Be well.
Sunday, August 6, 2006
Being a Buddha
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
As we have all read, and some of us practice, to study the Way is to study the self. This has particular meaning for us. It means we must be aware of our responses to the universe as it presents itself. How do we hear our fellow man? How do we read text on a computer screen? What do we add? What do we take away?
Lists such as this offer us a unique practice opportunity. We can take on roles. We can speak from the heart. We can practice deep listening. We can be compassionate. We can be hurtful. Our choices should be our teachers.
Just so in our everyday discourse. Investigating how we interact with our spouse is every bit as important as how we interact with each other in a Zendo, perhaps more.
Being a Buddha is not a part time job, nor is it contained to certain media.
A deep bow to each of you,
Good Morning All,
As we have all read, and some of us practice, to study the Way is to study the self. This has particular meaning for us. It means we must be aware of our responses to the universe as it presents itself. How do we hear our fellow man? How do we read text on a computer screen? What do we add? What do we take away?
Lists such as this offer us a unique practice opportunity. We can take on roles. We can speak from the heart. We can practice deep listening. We can be compassionate. We can be hurtful. Our choices should be our teachers.
Just so in our everyday discourse. Investigating how we interact with our spouse is every bit as important as how we interact with each other in a Zendo, perhaps more.
Being a Buddha is not a part time job, nor is it contained to certain media.
A deep bow to each of you,
Saturday, August 5, 2006
Life is in the Details
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
We are sitting in the Ft. Lauderdale airport and I thought I would post my morning note while waiting for the aircraft to board. I have been reading closely the Eight Gates of Zen by Daido Loori. It is a rich text, well worth the study.
He said something about liturgy being a method we have in Zen of connecting or actualizing the spiritual with the everyday. He argues that Master Dogen did this when he re-invented the Zen liturgy back in the 13Th century.
By liturgy is meant not just the morning and evening services, the sutras, and the vows. But in a much larger sense, the gathas we recite upon opening a sutra, washing our face, shaving our heads, ea ting, brushing our teeth. Even wider, the mindful attention we place on our every move, thought, feeling, through the day.
To live a Zen life is to live a life awake to the details of the everyday. We know the Universe in in those details. And each detail is an opportunity for complete, unexcelled awakening.
Be well.
Harvey So Daiho Hilbert, Ph.D. May All Beings Be Free From Suffering
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Friday, August 4, 2006
Don't Get Stuck In It
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
How can that which is everything move? Be born? Die? Yet, emptiness becomes form when conditions are correct, then when conditions are no longer correct, form resolves into emptiness. Figure and field are the same, just different; shorthand created by our brain in order to provide a stage for us to walk upon.
When seen clearly there is nothing to see. Don't get stuck in it.
Be well.
Harvey So Daiho Hilbert, Ph.D. May All Beings Be Free From Suffering
On the web at:
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Thursday, August 3, 2006
What to Do
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
True Bodhisattvas do only that which is before them to do. This is because they live in the real world directly, manifesting themselves in the behavior of the moment. No need to go across the universe when they and the universe are one.
So, as we go through our day, pick up that piece of trash someone dropped on the ground, clean the lint filter of the laundry machine, flush your toilet in the public restroom, wash your hands often, be respectful of what you eat, honor the air you breathe, and offer a stranger your smile.
Make yourself a healing balm against an open wound.
Be well.
Good Morning All,
True Bodhisattvas do only that which is before them to do. This is because they live in the real world directly, manifesting themselves in the behavior of the moment. No need to go across the universe when they and the universe are one.
So, as we go through our day, pick up that piece of trash someone dropped on the ground, clean the lint filter of the laundry machine, flush your toilet in the public restroom, wash your hands often, be respectful of what you eat, honor the air you breathe, and offer a stranger your smile.
Make yourself a healing balm against an open wound.
Be well.
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Create Peace in Your Life
With palms together,
Good Morning All,
We are in Port St. Lucie, Florida and are staying at the Holiday Inn. It is a nice hotel and the weather is wonderful. I have found the humidity at sea level to be a bit uncomfortable, but have adjusted by taking it easy. After a long time at the pool swimming and reading...and a rather large meal (Boca Burger and a banana split), I relaxed in bed and went to sleep.
Of course, this means I am now awake early. I downloaded the pictures from our camera, made my "Yahoo 360" note and "Blast." I am about ready to sit Zazen.
Let us all pray that we human beings stop fighting each other. There is so much beauty in the world, so much to do, and so little time to actualize it. It is difficult to build civilizations while destroying others. So difficult to love people when we are killing them.
In all of our actions today, let us be peace.
How difficult is this? For some who are carrying a heavy load of fear and suspicion, it is very difficult. We must each practice Zazen, practice dropping away body and mind, experience the Universe, in order to begin. We must each be that which we most highly value. Model that which we want to see.
I know I still struggle with this. As a human being, feelings and thoughts are tightly bound and rise up like lightning to become behavior. Flashpoints are everywhere, like little minefields. So, we must be vigilant and determined.
With practice my peace is yours, and yours, mine.
Be well.
Good Morning All,
We are in Port St. Lucie, Florida and are staying at the Holiday Inn. It is a nice hotel and the weather is wonderful. I have found the humidity at sea level to be a bit uncomfortable, but have adjusted by taking it easy. After a long time at the pool swimming and reading...and a rather large meal (Boca Burger and a banana split), I relaxed in bed and went to sleep.
Of course, this means I am now awake early. I downloaded the pictures from our camera, made my "Yahoo 360" note and "Blast." I am about ready to sit Zazen.
Let us all pray that we human beings stop fighting each other. There is so much beauty in the world, so much to do, and so little time to actualize it. It is difficult to build civilizations while destroying others. So difficult to love people when we are killing them.
In all of our actions today, let us be peace.
How difficult is this? For some who are carrying a heavy load of fear and suspicion, it is very difficult. We must each practice Zazen, practice dropping away body and mind, experience the Universe, in order to begin. We must each be that which we most highly value. Model that which we want to see.
I know I still struggle with this. As a human being, feelings and thoughts are tightly bound and rise up like lightning to become behavior. Flashpoints are everywhere, like little minefields. So, we must be vigilant and determined.
With practice my peace is yours, and yours, mine.
Be well.
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