With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Zen is so peculiar.
Its like the sword brandished by Manjushri
cutting through delusion,
but also like Kannon who embraces us as we fall.
To practice Zen is to practice without meaning.
There is the Buddha, kill him!
There is the Buddha, embrace him!
When is Zen not peculiar? When we live directly, authentically, and don't call it Zen.
When we see a rose and really see the rose itself.
When we meet a person and see that person for himself, as he is.
But also, when the alarm rings we get up.
When its time to eat, we eat.
When we have a problem to address, we address it.
Each moment an invitation to open.
Each moment an opportunity to undress.
As the kabbalists say, 'rung upon rung!'
Going nowhere we are not already.
Be well.
Organ Mountain Zen
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
We Are Not Alone
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
We sat last night, a small group, in a very large sanctuary, bringing light into the world. I say this because we don't sit zazen for ourselves, but for all beings. As we open our eyes we see for all beings, as we take a step, we step for all beings, as we bow to our cushions, we bow for all beings. The entire universe sat in that small sanctuary last night.
Attaining this mind means some very important things. As we are one, we are all. Every action is a reflection of this oneness. To think, "I alone am responsible" is always incorrect. There is never a moment when we are alone and solely responsible. Our fathers and mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, generations of generations are with us here and now in our genes, our breath, our very touch. So too our friends and enemies, our coaches and critics: generations of generations, here, now, in this breath. How can we ever be alone?
To take a step is auspicious. Therefore, be mindfull where and how you place your foot.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
We sat last night, a small group, in a very large sanctuary, bringing light into the world. I say this because we don't sit zazen for ourselves, but for all beings. As we open our eyes we see for all beings, as we take a step, we step for all beings, as we bow to our cushions, we bow for all beings. The entire universe sat in that small sanctuary last night.
Attaining this mind means some very important things. As we are one, we are all. Every action is a reflection of this oneness. To think, "I alone am responsible" is always incorrect. There is never a moment when we are alone and solely responsible. Our fathers and mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, generations of generations are with us here and now in our genes, our breath, our very touch. So too our friends and enemies, our coaches and critics: generations of generations, here, now, in this breath. How can we ever be alone?
To take a step is auspicious. Therefore, be mindfull where and how you place your foot.
Be well.
Monday, February 9, 2009
When Dogs Fly
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
The morning sun has already risen over the mountains and its glaring light is blasting through our windows. Then, in the blink, cool shade. It is going to be a cloudy day here.
Or a sunny day. It depends on when your eyes are open.
Life is like that.
If our eyes are closed our world is self constructed in darkness. Imagination takes us to places unreal, chimera.
If our eyes are open and we do not see clearly, its something else again. We see our own creation, assign meaning to it, attach to it and suffer through it.
If our eyes are open and we see clearly, our reality is as it is...or as Suzuki-roshi was fond of saying, we see "things as it is". In this "state" (which is no state at all), A bird is a bird and a dog is a dog. No problem.
As the kabbalists say, though, come and see...
We say a dog is a dog and a bird is a bird. We say on the one hand they are the same, buddha nature, empty, and so on. Yet there they are, one barks and runs, the other flies and sings, different.
But birds bark and dogs sing, dogs fly and birds run. The same. How do birds run and bark as dogs fly and sing? Look deeply.
When we use our own words and phrases, big problem. Look deeply, get inside the oneness of life. There resides the answer.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
The morning sun has already risen over the mountains and its glaring light is blasting through our windows. Then, in the blink, cool shade. It is going to be a cloudy day here.
Or a sunny day. It depends on when your eyes are open.
Life is like that.
If our eyes are closed our world is self constructed in darkness. Imagination takes us to places unreal, chimera.
If our eyes are open and we do not see clearly, its something else again. We see our own creation, assign meaning to it, attach to it and suffer through it.
If our eyes are open and we see clearly, our reality is as it is...or as Suzuki-roshi was fond of saying, we see "things as it is". In this "state" (which is no state at all), A bird is a bird and a dog is a dog. No problem.
As the kabbalists say, though, come and see...
We say a dog is a dog and a bird is a bird. We say on the one hand they are the same, buddha nature, empty, and so on. Yet there they are, one barks and runs, the other flies and sings, different.
But birds bark and dogs sing, dogs fly and birds run. The same. How do birds run and bark as dogs fly and sing? Look deeply.
When we use our own words and phrases, big problem. Look deeply, get inside the oneness of life. There resides the answer.
Be well.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Keep Yours Close
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Having a Teflon mind is not always such a good thing. We teach ourselves not to grasp onto things, especially desires or material things, but some things are important to keep nearby, not in front of your nose mind you, but nearby.
One such thing is our love for and relationships with people.
People are the conduits for our energy flow, people are part of our whole. Relationships with friends and family allow for this flow in the least constricted fashion, keeping in mind, of course, a degree of respect and ettitquette (the forms we sometimes use as transfer and control mechanisms of our emotional energy).
Currently I have several friends who are suffering. I am still dealing with my own illness. Yet, as friends, we call on each other, rely on each other, and support each other. The result is far less suffering, free flow of our love and compassion for each other, and a clear sense of belonging.
When we reside behind self-built walls erected out of fear and anxiety, suspicion and anger, we become greedy, hateful, and deluded. We are greedy because we remain in and too ourselves, hoarding our energy. We are hateful because we suspect others are out to take our life away, miserable that it might be, and we are deluded because this is all a complete distortion created by an ego that resides in itself and cannot see --- or will not see --- its absolute interconnectivity to all things.
Zen Buddhist antidotes to these do not work without deliberation regarding Teflon Mind. The antidotes are generosity, compassion, and wisdom.
Without a willingness to keep our friends close, recall them, remember their needs, issues, and weakness, we cannot be of help: we cannot be generous, we cannot be compassionate, and we certainly are not manifesting wisdom.
Its not all that complicated.
Understand yourself, know yourself, keep a "don't know" mind that is open and flexible, and cast your heart's eye outward.
An open system lives: a closed system dies.
A bow to each of you,
Good Morning Everyone,
Having a Teflon mind is not always such a good thing. We teach ourselves not to grasp onto things, especially desires or material things, but some things are important to keep nearby, not in front of your nose mind you, but nearby.
One such thing is our love for and relationships with people.
People are the conduits for our energy flow, people are part of our whole. Relationships with friends and family allow for this flow in the least constricted fashion, keeping in mind, of course, a degree of respect and ettitquette (the forms we sometimes use as transfer and control mechanisms of our emotional energy).
Currently I have several friends who are suffering. I am still dealing with my own illness. Yet, as friends, we call on each other, rely on each other, and support each other. The result is far less suffering, free flow of our love and compassion for each other, and a clear sense of belonging.
When we reside behind self-built walls erected out of fear and anxiety, suspicion and anger, we become greedy, hateful, and deluded. We are greedy because we remain in and too ourselves, hoarding our energy. We are hateful because we suspect others are out to take our life away, miserable that it might be, and we are deluded because this is all a complete distortion created by an ego that resides in itself and cannot see --- or will not see --- its absolute interconnectivity to all things.
Zen Buddhist antidotes to these do not work without deliberation regarding Teflon Mind. The antidotes are generosity, compassion, and wisdom.
Without a willingness to keep our friends close, recall them, remember their needs, issues, and weakness, we cannot be of help: we cannot be generous, we cannot be compassionate, and we certainly are not manifesting wisdom.
Its not all that complicated.
Understand yourself, know yourself, keep a "don't know" mind that is open and flexible, and cast your heart's eye outward.
An open system lives: a closed system dies.
A bow to each of you,
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Another Flip of the Coin With No Sides
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
In Zen, we often will say something is so, then say it is not so. Some call this paradox. Some call it hooey. We would be mistaken if we thought it were "deep" or anything like that.
Master Seung Sahn happily points this out with his typical question, "are they the same or different?" Whack! to any thoughtful answer.
Someone on the Zen Living list writes: "I thought they were never "unwell" - they are just as they are."
In one post I say I am ill. In another I suggest illness does not exist. In still another I sign, "Be well". Very confusing, no?
Even more so: there is never a time when a non-moving mind is sick, well, happy, sad and never a time when a non-moving mind is not sick, well, happy, sad.
A non-moving mind is just mind experiencing mind or what Uchiyama-roshi calls the self becoming the self.
No thinking!
No making dreams, fantasies, expectations, desires at the cost of just being.
Just so, we think, we make dreams, have desires.
Do you see?
Our Small Mind world of fever, chills, sickness and wellness co-exists with our Big Mind world of Emptiness. They are one in the same, not two. It is for us to attain being within them fully awake to their wholeness, to their complete oneness, seamlessness, that is our practice. And even this is "empty."
Leaving us to be well within our own existence regardless of its differentiated quality.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
In Zen, we often will say something is so, then say it is not so. Some call this paradox. Some call it hooey. We would be mistaken if we thought it were "deep" or anything like that.
Master Seung Sahn happily points this out with his typical question, "are they the same or different?" Whack! to any thoughtful answer.
Someone on the Zen Living list writes: "I thought they were never "unwell" - they are just as they are."
In one post I say I am ill. In another I suggest illness does not exist. In still another I sign, "Be well". Very confusing, no?
Even more so: there is never a time when a non-moving mind is sick, well, happy, sad and never a time when a non-moving mind is not sick, well, happy, sad.
A non-moving mind is just mind experiencing mind or what Uchiyama-roshi calls the self becoming the self.
No thinking!
No making dreams, fantasies, expectations, desires at the cost of just being.
Just so, we think, we make dreams, have desires.
Do you see?
Our Small Mind world of fever, chills, sickness and wellness co-exists with our Big Mind world of Emptiness. They are one in the same, not two. It is for us to attain being within them fully awake to their wholeness, to their complete oneness, seamlessness, that is our practice. And even this is "empty."
Leaving us to be well within our own existence regardless of its differentiated quality.
Be well.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Note regards my absence
With palms together,
I have not been well. I am just on the mend from pneumonia and will begin blogging soon.
Be well.
I have not been well. I am just on the mend from pneumonia and will begin blogging soon.
Be well.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Mystic is as Mystic Does
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
Last night at Temple Beth El, after two periods of seated meditation where I silently recited the Heart Sutra, the Sh'ma, and the Elohai N'Shama, I talked about emptiness and nothingness from a Jewish mystical point of view. The Wisdom Heart Sutra directly addresses compassion and understanding doing the twist on the head of deep samadhi. The Sh'ma declares God is One. The Elohai N'Shamah thanks God for creating a pure soul. Many words: one existence. My head dances at times.
From One comes everything. The kabbalists say God pulled Himself together creating a huge void, then created the universe to fill it. He created it with His words, that is, His breath sounds. Imbuing everything with His presence. We hold up a mirror, there is God.
The Sefirot are a sort of map of this image, detailing the attributes of God with human terms. There are ten of these, but I will only mention a few: On the top is Keter, the crown, understood to be Ayin, nothingness. Then comes Hokhmah, wisdom. Binah, on its left is understanding. Below these are Chesed, love and Gevurah, strength.
What is interesting to me about these attributes is that they seem key to most spiritual traditions. In Zen we talk about the emptiness, that is, the impermanence of existence. Achieving emptiness we understand the proper relationship between conditioned things.
The relationships between these sefirot have parallels in Zen. The Heart sutra teaches that as we sit with love and compassion, and reach a clear understanding, we see that all things are "empty". In order to do this we need a powerhouse of what in Japanese is called joriki, strength. This understanding is wisdom and the deepest wisdom is "empty".
My point is this: regardless of our religious tradition, if we sit with strength, concentrate on being present (the last sefirot, incidentally) we will reach a point where we see clearly the way of the Universal. We might call it Adonai, Godhead, Christ, or Buddha Mind, it is all the same. And once there, the words are like boats used to cross a river: tie them up and leave them be.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Last night at Temple Beth El, after two periods of seated meditation where I silently recited the Heart Sutra, the Sh'ma, and the Elohai N'Shama, I talked about emptiness and nothingness from a Jewish mystical point of view. The Wisdom Heart Sutra directly addresses compassion and understanding doing the twist on the head of deep samadhi. The Sh'ma declares God is One. The Elohai N'Shamah thanks God for creating a pure soul. Many words: one existence. My head dances at times.
From One comes everything. The kabbalists say God pulled Himself together creating a huge void, then created the universe to fill it. He created it with His words, that is, His breath sounds. Imbuing everything with His presence. We hold up a mirror, there is God.
The Sefirot are a sort of map of this image, detailing the attributes of God with human terms. There are ten of these, but I will only mention a few: On the top is Keter, the crown, understood to be Ayin, nothingness. Then comes Hokhmah, wisdom. Binah, on its left is understanding. Below these are Chesed, love and Gevurah, strength.
What is interesting to me about these attributes is that they seem key to most spiritual traditions. In Zen we talk about the emptiness, that is, the impermanence of existence. Achieving emptiness we understand the proper relationship between conditioned things.
The relationships between these sefirot have parallels in Zen. The Heart sutra teaches that as we sit with love and compassion, and reach a clear understanding, we see that all things are "empty". In order to do this we need a powerhouse of what in Japanese is called joriki, strength. This understanding is wisdom and the deepest wisdom is "empty".
My point is this: regardless of our religious tradition, if we sit with strength, concentrate on being present (the last sefirot, incidentally) we will reach a point where we see clearly the way of the Universal. We might call it Adonai, Godhead, Christ, or Buddha Mind, it is all the same. And once there, the words are like boats used to cross a river: tie them up and leave them be.
Be well.
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