With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
Thursday morning and Rohatsu sesshin is nearly upon us. Still there are many small things to take care of. We will have a full house and it is exciting to see that happen. People are coming in from California and Texas, as well as other New Mexico cities such as Deming. I am turning sesshin over to my able assistant, Rev. KoMyo. He has a small staff to assist him. Rev. Bobby Kankin Byrd will be the Tenzo (Head Cook). Rev. Celia Kajo Villa will be the Ino (Zendo supervisor). Rev. Bonnie Bussho Hobbs will be the Head Priest’s Jiisha (Assistant). I get to be just the old teacher in the corner.
There is something very comforting in knowing that the Order has people who are trained in the various roles of temple life and who can step into these roles and do them well.
Zen is not just sitting. It is everything. How we walk. How we talk. How we treat the trash (knowing there is no trash is a first step there!). So, the various roles are important as they develop a sense of mindfulness in each aspect of our everyday life.
Our California group will be arriving today. Please consider coming to the Temple this evening to sit with us at 7:00 PM.
Lastly, it is that time of month again for me to pick up my bowl and ask for Dana. We are in serious need, as the Order will buy carpeting for the altar platform and new inflatable mattresses for sesshin participants. Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Send your gift to Order of Clear Mind Zen, 642 South Alameda, Suite E, Las Cruces, NM 88005 or simply click on PayPal from our Order’s website: http://clearmindzen.org
Thank you very much.
Organ Mountain Zen
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
What's Important?
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I am to speak in front of a college class on the topic of Buddhism. This is always a pleasure, but a curiously challenging one. How does one communicate what Buddhism is? Typically I begin with the story of his enlightenment and this might be apropos as we are close to Rohatsu. Then I address the different flavors of Buddhism, finally arriving at the core practices. I am careful to say that Buddhism is really not an “-ism” as it has no theology, philosophy, or dogma, although some argue this point. Any “-ism” that arises, arises from an individual’s own understanding from practice and study and not a doctrinal overly. This whole exposure has a 50-minute frame.
So, I do the best I can and try to be as personable as possible.
This last point seems to me to be the most important, yet often overlooked. Teachers need to know that it is not their words that are so much important as their posture. Are we open? Are we joyful? Are we centered? Do we walk in our own authority and not wobble? Do we manifest the six paramitas: generosity, morality, patience, vigor, meditation, and wisdom?
It is most often the person that is recalled, not the teaching. Or better said, the person is the teaching.
Note: No Zen in the park this morning.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I am to speak in front of a college class on the topic of Buddhism. This is always a pleasure, but a curiously challenging one. How does one communicate what Buddhism is? Typically I begin with the story of his enlightenment and this might be apropos as we are close to Rohatsu. Then I address the different flavors of Buddhism, finally arriving at the core practices. I am careful to say that Buddhism is really not an “-ism” as it has no theology, philosophy, or dogma, although some argue this point. Any “-ism” that arises, arises from an individual’s own understanding from practice and study and not a doctrinal overly. This whole exposure has a 50-minute frame.
So, I do the best I can and try to be as personable as possible.
This last point seems to me to be the most important, yet often overlooked. Teachers need to know that it is not their words that are so much important as their posture. Are we open? Are we joyful? Are we centered? Do we walk in our own authority and not wobble? Do we manifest the six paramitas: generosity, morality, patience, vigor, meditation, and wisdom?
It is most often the person that is recalled, not the teaching. Or better said, the person is the teaching.
Note: No Zen in the park this morning.
Be well.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Beauty
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
The days are getting short again. Fall is clearly here and the leaves are already on the ground. This morning, early, I looked out at the eastern sky and saw the stars, the moon, and the town’s night lights. I wondered how often it is that I don’t see the moon, or the stars, or the night lights, as I am so thoroughly consumed with what the Little Prince called “matters of consequence.”
What could possibly be more consequential than thoroughly being in the moment I am in with beauty all around me? I am reminded of an encounter with a Navajo man when I was a therapist working on the reservation. He had lived off the reservation for some time and was feeling lost. He could see no beauty.
Now, if you know anything about the People, you should know that “to walk in beauty” is the highest good and it is derived from being one with the land and the natural world. We took a short walk outside of my office. I asked him to stop. I asked him to look down. There, between his feet, was a small violet flower. Looking up the sky was a deep blue. Looking out, the trees were a lovely green.
In the midst of his sorrow resided beauty. He just needed to open his eyes to see it. Don’t we all?
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
The days are getting short again. Fall is clearly here and the leaves are already on the ground. This morning, early, I looked out at the eastern sky and saw the stars, the moon, and the town’s night lights. I wondered how often it is that I don’t see the moon, or the stars, or the night lights, as I am so thoroughly consumed with what the Little Prince called “matters of consequence.”
What could possibly be more consequential than thoroughly being in the moment I am in with beauty all around me? I am reminded of an encounter with a Navajo man when I was a therapist working on the reservation. He had lived off the reservation for some time and was feeling lost. He could see no beauty.
Now, if you know anything about the People, you should know that “to walk in beauty” is the highest good and it is derived from being one with the land and the natural world. We took a short walk outside of my office. I asked him to stop. I asked him to look down. There, between his feet, was a small violet flower. Looking up the sky was a deep blue. Looking out, the trees were a lovely green.
In the midst of his sorrow resided beauty. He just needed to open his eyes to see it. Don’t we all?
Be well.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Nothing Special
With palms together
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Zen is easily understood, but had to attain. The easy is that it is direct. Want to know? Experience directly. There is absolutely nothing mystical about it. So, if it is so easy, then why do we need all the words, why do we talk a seeming double-talk? The truth is, we don’t and too often the words get between us and our attainment of the moment. Thinking about something is not the thing. Painting a picture is not the thing. Graphs, charts, and pointers are not the thing. Each of these are creations of our mind to make a picture of that which cannot be spoken, drawn, or otherwise communicated.
Easy, but hard.
The easy part is just experiencing ourselves. The hard part is letting go of the idea that there should be something more. We want more. We want fancy. We want mystical. Such things make us feel special. But we are not special and Zen is nothing special.
Drop away from special. Live your life as it is.
Easy, but hard. So it goes.
Good Afternoon Everyone,
Zen is easily understood, but had to attain. The easy is that it is direct. Want to know? Experience directly. There is absolutely nothing mystical about it. So, if it is so easy, then why do we need all the words, why do we talk a seeming double-talk? The truth is, we don’t and too often the words get between us and our attainment of the moment. Thinking about something is not the thing. Painting a picture is not the thing. Graphs, charts, and pointers are not the thing. Each of these are creations of our mind to make a picture of that which cannot be spoken, drawn, or otherwise communicated.
Easy, but hard.
The easy part is just experiencing ourselves. The hard part is letting go of the idea that there should be something more. We want more. We want fancy. We want mystical. Such things make us feel special. But we are not special and Zen is nothing special.
Drop away from special. Live your life as it is.
Easy, but hard. So it goes.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Gratitude
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
May our day be one filled with serene reflection. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. It seems to me another word for thanksgiving is gratitude. Gratitude requires three things of us. Gratitude, as a quality of selflessness, requires us to look outside of ourselves for those things that nurture and support us. Yet, at the same time, it asks us to look inside for the many points in our heart we are touched. Lastly, gratitude needs to be expressed in some way.
What do we do with our gratitude? How do we express it? I hope having gratitude means a bit more than our traditional meals, a day off, and sales at local stores. For me, I am grateful for the opportunity to look at my life and the many people who have steadfastly supported and nurtured me over this last very challenging year. I also am grateful for those who did not. Sometimes the sting of failing friendships puts things in perspective. Perspective is a quality of wisdom.
Today: Zazen at 7:00 AM, Thanksgiving Dinner at Clear Mind Zen Temple at 5:30 PM, and Zazen at 7:00 PM.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
May our day be one filled with serene reflection. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. It seems to me another word for thanksgiving is gratitude. Gratitude requires three things of us. Gratitude, as a quality of selflessness, requires us to look outside of ourselves for those things that nurture and support us. Yet, at the same time, it asks us to look inside for the many points in our heart we are touched. Lastly, gratitude needs to be expressed in some way.
What do we do with our gratitude? How do we express it? I hope having gratitude means a bit more than our traditional meals, a day off, and sales at local stores. For me, I am grateful for the opportunity to look at my life and the many people who have steadfastly supported and nurtured me over this last very challenging year. I also am grateful for those who did not. Sometimes the sting of failing friendships puts things in perspective. Perspective is a quality of wisdom.
Today: Zazen at 7:00 AM, Thanksgiving Dinner at Clear Mind Zen Temple at 5:30 PM, and Zazen at 7:00 PM.
Be well.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Free
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
“Buddhism is a religion of action, not of words that so often mean nothing…peaceful sit-in demonstrations are examples of great action in silence. …Nothing will ever be achieved unless action is taken.” Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, The Kyosaku, p. 319
Matsuoka is referring to the protests against segregation in America during the sixties. His point, though, is simple and straight forward: we are not simply meditators. Followers of the Buddha Way have an obligation to act in the face of evil. Buddhism, he says, is a religion of action, and so it is. Any word would be a waste of breath. Silence is thunder, he used to say. But silence in a certain way. Silence with an attitude.
What is the attitude? The attitude of Zen: still, courageous, and upright.
These days far too many of us are complacent. We have truly become sheep or worse. We are either sleepwalking through life or busily burying our heads in the sand while all around us bad things are happening. From a slow erosion of human rights to an erosion of civility to an erosion of care for others to outright hostility toward those with whom we may disagree: we are becoming a world of beings lost in the three poisons.
We are afraid to say no and we are afraid to say yes. The common denominator is fear. We do not want to rock the boat. We do not want to be the one’s who others look at, the one’s on the front line.
When I think about it, I get a sick feeling. Segregation and racism are still with us. War has been a constant part of our lives. People are homeless, without medical care or coverage, and we do not trust our neighbors. Not much has changes since the days of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Martin Luther King, and our efforts to end hunger and homelessness.
In this land of the free, we give up, and to be safe, we elect to live in cages. Where is a good Zen Master when you really need her?
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
“Buddhism is a religion of action, not of words that so often mean nothing…peaceful sit-in demonstrations are examples of great action in silence. …Nothing will ever be achieved unless action is taken.” Rev. Dr. Soyu Matsuoka-roshi, The Kyosaku, p. 319
Matsuoka is referring to the protests against segregation in America during the sixties. His point, though, is simple and straight forward: we are not simply meditators. Followers of the Buddha Way have an obligation to act in the face of evil. Buddhism, he says, is a religion of action, and so it is. Any word would be a waste of breath. Silence is thunder, he used to say. But silence in a certain way. Silence with an attitude.
What is the attitude? The attitude of Zen: still, courageous, and upright.
These days far too many of us are complacent. We have truly become sheep or worse. We are either sleepwalking through life or busily burying our heads in the sand while all around us bad things are happening. From a slow erosion of human rights to an erosion of civility to an erosion of care for others to outright hostility toward those with whom we may disagree: we are becoming a world of beings lost in the three poisons.
We are afraid to say no and we are afraid to say yes. The common denominator is fear. We do not want to rock the boat. We do not want to be the one’s who others look at, the one’s on the front line.
When I think about it, I get a sick feeling. Segregation and racism are still with us. War has been a constant part of our lives. People are homeless, without medical care or coverage, and we do not trust our neighbors. Not much has changes since the days of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Martin Luther King, and our efforts to end hunger and homelessness.
In this land of the free, we give up, and to be safe, we elect to live in cages. Where is a good Zen Master when you really need her?
Be well.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A Simple Person
With palms together
Good Morning Everyone,
“Zen asks you to be a simple person.” Matsuoka-roshi says. “It asks you to disregard notions about yourself, about others and about life which you may have acquired before you began seeking the truth of Zen.” (p.398, The Kyosaku)
For Matsuoka, a simple person is one who has let go of what he was, what he knows, and what he needs. He is a person who is just present, open, empty, and receptive to the teachings, which arise from him, from his teacher, and from the Buddha.
This is a ‘don’t know’ mind. The mind of one who sees clearly, but does not cling to what he sees. Very difficult this is for most of us. We want to hold onto our understanding. We want to discuss and debate and analyze. As we say in the south, we want to show ourselves. We might ask ourselves why.
The truth of Zen is in living Zen. It is in our humanity expressed through our daily lives. To behave in loud and aggressive ways reflects a mind that is needy. To behave in ways that are hurtful reveals a person suffering. As we practice, we begin to see the person we are. We should not run or hide from this person, but rather invite him for tea. In the process of getting to know ourselves, exercise great compassion and forgiveness. We cannot be these toward others without being these toward ourselves.
We do not get Zen from books. We get Zen from life. Zen books are helpful pointers, but the path pointed to must be walked. To put it simply, travel guides are not travel. My sense is the secret to a Zen life is in a willingness to receive. As Matsuoka-roshi quoted Nan-in,” …first you must empty your cup.”
Today at Clear Mind Zen Temple: 7:00 AM Zazen, 5:00 PM Dokusan, 6:00 PM Zen 101, 7:00 PM Zazen.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
“Zen asks you to be a simple person.” Matsuoka-roshi says. “It asks you to disregard notions about yourself, about others and about life which you may have acquired before you began seeking the truth of Zen.” (p.398, The Kyosaku)
For Matsuoka, a simple person is one who has let go of what he was, what he knows, and what he needs. He is a person who is just present, open, empty, and receptive to the teachings, which arise from him, from his teacher, and from the Buddha.
This is a ‘don’t know’ mind. The mind of one who sees clearly, but does not cling to what he sees. Very difficult this is for most of us. We want to hold onto our understanding. We want to discuss and debate and analyze. As we say in the south, we want to show ourselves. We might ask ourselves why.
The truth of Zen is in living Zen. It is in our humanity expressed through our daily lives. To behave in loud and aggressive ways reflects a mind that is needy. To behave in ways that are hurtful reveals a person suffering. As we practice, we begin to see the person we are. We should not run or hide from this person, but rather invite him for tea. In the process of getting to know ourselves, exercise great compassion and forgiveness. We cannot be these toward others without being these toward ourselves.
We do not get Zen from books. We get Zen from life. Zen books are helpful pointers, but the path pointed to must be walked. To put it simply, travel guides are not travel. My sense is the secret to a Zen life is in a willingness to receive. As Matsuoka-roshi quoted Nan-in,” …first you must empty your cup.”
Today at Clear Mind Zen Temple: 7:00 AM Zazen, 5:00 PM Dokusan, 6:00 PM Zen 101, 7:00 PM Zazen.
Be well.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)