With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
I have not yet looked at the morning news. I am curious about it. Who bombed who today? Who killed or stole or raped? They say dog bites man is not news, but man bites dog is. I wonder.
The stories that compose our diet of news are incredibly similar in that they strike out at the heart. Let me see...hostage killed in rescue attempt; gunman opening fire at an elementary school; teens and a man abducted, sodomized, tortured, and nearly killed for being gay.
Good grief. Seems to me I read these stories pretty much weekly. How can we be the way we are?
Yet, I still hold onto my breath and find some way to care about the perpetrators of these crimes. Somewhere, somehow, hate filled them.
People do not just get up in the morning and think it might be cool to shoot somebody or cut them or strangle them. They had to be taught it, dreamed about it, and felt it, for a very long time.
Just as my heart begins to hurt as I read these stories, so too must have theirs in response to something. Just as I envision punishing them, they needed to punish someone for the hurt they feel. This is human.
A buddha accepts these thoughts and feelings and wraps them in his love. If we hate such perpetrators, we are hating ourselves. And the world goes round and round. If we love these perpetrators, we love ourselves. And the world goes round and round. The only difference is whether is goes in love or hate.
Be well.
Organ Mountain Zen
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Fear
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning was a cool sixty degrees as we walked Suki in the park. It was nice to wake up to a starry sky, clear and unobstructed. I think the sky is one of my favorite aspects of life here in New Mexico. Having a clear and unobstructed view is crucial to living an authentic life.
I am of late concerned about our ability to tolerate each other’s differences when those differences appear threatening. The very nature of a threat distorts our perception. When we are afraid we do not see clearly at all: we see situations as pregnant with danger. Our mind’s eye quite naturally rests on dangerous possibilities, often to the exclusion of others.
Recently I asked the question, “How would Buddha respond to Islam?” I frankly believe this is a threatening question, as those of us who purport to be Buddhists must take a close look at what our understanding of Buddha is and how close or distant we are from that ideal.
Moreover, I think such a question demands a close examination of our own understanding of Islam. It is my sense that most of us know very little of Islam and that which we do know is grossly inaccurate and/or based on televised programming designed to increase market share through emotional appeal.
In an article I found on the Buddhist Channel, similarities between Islam and Buddhism are discussed. It is interesting to me that our consciousness here in America has been so warped by media images, brow-beating interviews, and the ascendency of inflammatory rhetoric, that we do not know even the most rudimentary concepts of Islamic theology, cannot name a single Islamic theologian, and have never (or barely) opened the Islamic holy book. Yet from what we think we know, we make gross generalizations based on the acts of vengeful miscreants regarding the whole of a faith tradition.
This is akin to cross-burning KKKers being identified as the personification of Christianity. Or suggesting that because Buddhist practitioners bow in front of a statue of Buddha we are idolaters. We do not do that, nor should we do it to other faith traditions.
It is our obligation as spiritual seekers to be authentic and honest through our body, speech, and mind. We understand these vehicles to be at risk from the three poisons, greed, hatred, and delusion. Further, we hold that such poisons be addressed by generosity, love, and wisdom. My sense is that Buddha would find a Middle Way through the bombastic rhetoric and fear mongering of this environment. He would find a way to see clearly that the person in front of him is a suffering human being. He would care for him and love him, even if that person was burning a cross, oppressing women, abusing children, or had an explosive device and was threatening to detonate it.
The Buddha Way is not for everyone. This much is clear.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning was a cool sixty degrees as we walked Suki in the park. It was nice to wake up to a starry sky, clear and unobstructed. I think the sky is one of my favorite aspects of life here in New Mexico. Having a clear and unobstructed view is crucial to living an authentic life.
I am of late concerned about our ability to tolerate each other’s differences when those differences appear threatening. The very nature of a threat distorts our perception. When we are afraid we do not see clearly at all: we see situations as pregnant with danger. Our mind’s eye quite naturally rests on dangerous possibilities, often to the exclusion of others.
Recently I asked the question, “How would Buddha respond to Islam?” I frankly believe this is a threatening question, as those of us who purport to be Buddhists must take a close look at what our understanding of Buddha is and how close or distant we are from that ideal.
Moreover, I think such a question demands a close examination of our own understanding of Islam. It is my sense that most of us know very little of Islam and that which we do know is grossly inaccurate and/or based on televised programming designed to increase market share through emotional appeal.
In an article I found on the Buddhist Channel, similarities between Islam and Buddhism are discussed. It is interesting to me that our consciousness here in America has been so warped by media images, brow-beating interviews, and the ascendency of inflammatory rhetoric, that we do not know even the most rudimentary concepts of Islamic theology, cannot name a single Islamic theologian, and have never (or barely) opened the Islamic holy book. Yet from what we think we know, we make gross generalizations based on the acts of vengeful miscreants regarding the whole of a faith tradition.
This is akin to cross-burning KKKers being identified as the personification of Christianity. Or suggesting that because Buddhist practitioners bow in front of a statue of Buddha we are idolaters. We do not do that, nor should we do it to other faith traditions.
It is our obligation as spiritual seekers to be authentic and honest through our body, speech, and mind. We understand these vehicles to be at risk from the three poisons, greed, hatred, and delusion. Further, we hold that such poisons be addressed by generosity, love, and wisdom. My sense is that Buddha would find a Middle Way through the bombastic rhetoric and fear mongering of this environment. He would find a way to see clearly that the person in front of him is a suffering human being. He would care for him and love him, even if that person was burning a cross, oppressing women, abusing children, or had an explosive device and was threatening to detonate it.
The Buddha Way is not for everyone. This much is clear.
Be well.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Bodhidharma
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
Today is Bodhidharma Day and we are able to practice as a result of his effort. We are each Bodhidharma, even today, as we take our position on the zafu, we manifest the essential nature of the ancestors from before Shakyamuni Buddha to today.
Bodhidharma was born, it is believed, in 470 C. E. He traveled to China, interviewed with the Emperor Wu, and eventually settled into a cave near the Shaolin Temple where it is said he practiced facing the cave wall for nine years.
Often portrayed as a wildish sort with eyes bulging, he was clearly an intimidating Master. He often rebuffed those who came to study with him and perhaps this is where the tradition of testing a potential student’s commitment came into being. For Bodhidharma, the practice was not a Sunday morning affair, but a daily, moment-to-moment experience.
People then had the same reasons for not coming to the cushion or to a practice center as do people today. They had families, worked, and otherwise were occupied with matters of consequence, but for a few, there were no matters of greater import than practice.
We sat last night and this morning with Bodhidharma in heart/mind. We are grateful to him for bringing the dharma to China and to Dogen Dai Osho for bringing it to Japan and for Matsuoka Dai Osho for bringing it to the United States and for Hogaku Shozen-roshi for bringing it to us.
May we each as a result, deepen our practice and offer the dharma to any who will sit with us.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
Today is Bodhidharma Day and we are able to practice as a result of his effort. We are each Bodhidharma, even today, as we take our position on the zafu, we manifest the essential nature of the ancestors from before Shakyamuni Buddha to today.
Bodhidharma was born, it is believed, in 470 C. E. He traveled to China, interviewed with the Emperor Wu, and eventually settled into a cave near the Shaolin Temple where it is said he practiced facing the cave wall for nine years.
Often portrayed as a wildish sort with eyes bulging, he was clearly an intimidating Master. He often rebuffed those who came to study with him and perhaps this is where the tradition of testing a potential student’s commitment came into being. For Bodhidharma, the practice was not a Sunday morning affair, but a daily, moment-to-moment experience.
People then had the same reasons for not coming to the cushion or to a practice center as do people today. They had families, worked, and otherwise were occupied with matters of consequence, but for a few, there were no matters of greater import than practice.
We sat last night and this morning with Bodhidharma in heart/mind. We are grateful to him for bringing the dharma to China and to Dogen Dai Osho for bringing it to Japan and for Matsuoka Dai Osho for bringing it to the United States and for Hogaku Shozen-roshi for bringing it to us.
May we each as a result, deepen our practice and offer the dharma to any who will sit with us.
Be well.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Our Mind
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
It is o’dark thirty and I am awake. What else is there to say? Mornings are indescribably delicious to me: the cool air, the silence, and time pregnant with opportunity.
This morning we will practice Zazen. Throughout the day, we will practice mindfulness. It is our way
With an eye to what is next to do, I am aware that my eye is on what next to do: bring it back, bring it back. The processes of Zen are the same: simple but difficult. Keep your mind, mindfully.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
It is o’dark thirty and I am awake. What else is there to say? Mornings are indescribably delicious to me: the cool air, the silence, and time pregnant with opportunity.
This morning we will practice Zazen. Throughout the day, we will practice mindfulness. It is our way
With an eye to what is next to do, I am aware that my eye is on what next to do: bring it back, bring it back. The processes of Zen are the same: simple but difficult. Keep your mind, mindfully.
Be well.
Friday, October 1, 2010
To Sustain Ourselves
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
It is early and the rice is cooking for the day. It is the beginning of the month and we will soon have money to buy food. In the meantime, rice is nice (thank you KoMyo!) and I am reminded of the scene in the film “Zen” where the Tenzo has no rice at all. The monks drank boiled water. To complicate matters the refrigerator here at the Temple is broken and will need to be replaced. A call to the landlord has begun to get things moving in that direction.
There is a line in the meal chant, "to sustain ourselves, we eat this food." Our practice is to sustain ourselves without much ado. So, we wash the rice and cook it, add what is in the pantry (in this case a bit of turmeric with a hint of mint and beans), and enjoy the process of cooking. I will add the beans a bit later with a little fresh onion. Lunch will be early today as I have a 12:15 appointment with my orthopedic doc.
Before all that, 7:00 AM Zazen; 9:00 AM Zen in the Park, 10:30 meeting with Hogaku-roshi, 12:15 Doctor’s appointment, and later today at 4:00 PM our Zen Discussion Group, followed by 7:00 PM Zazen.
May you each be a blessing in the universe.
Good Morning Everyone,
It is early and the rice is cooking for the day. It is the beginning of the month and we will soon have money to buy food. In the meantime, rice is nice (thank you KoMyo!) and I am reminded of the scene in the film “Zen” where the Tenzo has no rice at all. The monks drank boiled water. To complicate matters the refrigerator here at the Temple is broken and will need to be replaced. A call to the landlord has begun to get things moving in that direction.
There is a line in the meal chant, "to sustain ourselves, we eat this food." Our practice is to sustain ourselves without much ado. So, we wash the rice and cook it, add what is in the pantry (in this case a bit of turmeric with a hint of mint and beans), and enjoy the process of cooking. I will add the beans a bit later with a little fresh onion. Lunch will be early today as I have a 12:15 appointment with my orthopedic doc.
Before all that, 7:00 AM Zazen; 9:00 AM Zen in the Park, 10:30 meeting with Hogaku-roshi, 12:15 Doctor’s appointment, and later today at 4:00 PM our Zen Discussion Group, followed by 7:00 PM Zazen.
May you each be a blessing in the universe.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Appreciation
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
As the title of one of Maezumi-roshi’s books shouts, appreciate your life! Appreciation of every sense, sense organ, and object of the senses is a foundational practice of Zen. What does this appreciation really mean?
I recall classes in college called Art Appreciation and Music Appreciation. They were intended to offer students a sense of the subject matter and often amounted to little more than a survey of the art or music scene and their histories.
Appreciation, however, goes far deeper than a surface scan of a subject. Dates, appearances,, patterns are important, but the work of appreciation is internal. What does it really mean to truly appreciate something?
The Oxford English Dictionary says that appreciation is the ability to estimate a value of something, be sensitive to it, to esteem it, and to be grateful for it. How meaningful, in other words, is something that sits before me? Do I have the ability to value it for itself? Am I grateful for its presence?
It is one thing to like a piece of art, it is a wholly different matter to appreciate it. Dharma dhatu, or the 18 sensory domains, are there for us to appreciate, but not cling to. Because each is fleeting, we should take a moment to be grateful to them not just for making our universe sensible, but also for being points where an emergent buddha touches the universe.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
As the title of one of Maezumi-roshi’s books shouts, appreciate your life! Appreciation of every sense, sense organ, and object of the senses is a foundational practice of Zen. What does this appreciation really mean?
I recall classes in college called Art Appreciation and Music Appreciation. They were intended to offer students a sense of the subject matter and often amounted to little more than a survey of the art or music scene and their histories.
Appreciation, however, goes far deeper than a surface scan of a subject. Dates, appearances,, patterns are important, but the work of appreciation is internal. What does it really mean to truly appreciate something?
The Oxford English Dictionary says that appreciation is the ability to estimate a value of something, be sensitive to it, to esteem it, and to be grateful for it. How meaningful, in other words, is something that sits before me? Do I have the ability to value it for itself? Am I grateful for its presence?
It is one thing to like a piece of art, it is a wholly different matter to appreciate it. Dharma dhatu, or the 18 sensory domains, are there for us to appreciate, but not cling to. Because each is fleeting, we should take a moment to be grateful to them not just for making our universe sensible, but also for being points where an emergent buddha touches the universe.
Be well.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Consequence
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
There are no consequences: a simple, but powerful, sentence. This does not mean that “bad” things do not follow “bad” things, or that “good” things do not follow “good” things, but rather, it means:
1. things are what they are, in the moment they are,
2. and when we are one with (and in) them, notions such as good, bad, right, wrong, past, future, are meaningless.
Consequence assumes linearity of time and a dualistic separation of subject and object. When we reside in the moment, we are residing in the moment as it is.
Some might argue that if there were no consequences, that is, no separation between subject and object and perception of linear time, we might misbehave, run amok, and otherwise cause grievous devastation. To them I say, “Look around.” Living in dualism with consequentialist ethics has not shown us much.
What is the alternative? Simple really, live precisely, exactly, and squarely in this moment. Focus your complete attention on your intention in the situation, not the consequence. Consequence, karma, is what it is: do not be afraid. Here is the thing. When we practice, when there is no self, no ego-driven intention, behavior can be other-centered. When our intention is other-centered, love can arise, compassion can be present, and our fear falls away.
With no hindrance in the mind, no fear.
Be here now.
Good Morning Everyone,
There are no consequences: a simple, but powerful, sentence. This does not mean that “bad” things do not follow “bad” things, or that “good” things do not follow “good” things, but rather, it means:
1. things are what they are, in the moment they are,
2. and when we are one with (and in) them, notions such as good, bad, right, wrong, past, future, are meaningless.
Consequence assumes linearity of time and a dualistic separation of subject and object. When we reside in the moment, we are residing in the moment as it is.
Some might argue that if there were no consequences, that is, no separation between subject and object and perception of linear time, we might misbehave, run amok, and otherwise cause grievous devastation. To them I say, “Look around.” Living in dualism with consequentialist ethics has not shown us much.
What is the alternative? Simple really, live precisely, exactly, and squarely in this moment. Focus your complete attention on your intention in the situation, not the consequence. Consequence, karma, is what it is: do not be afraid. Here is the thing. When we practice, when there is no self, no ego-driven intention, behavior can be other-centered. When our intention is other-centered, love can arise, compassion can be present, and our fear falls away.
With no hindrance in the mind, no fear.
Be here now.
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