Authentic Zen

With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,

Last night after Zazen, I read selections out of three books: The Eight Gates of Zen, volume one of the Shobogenzo, and Zen is Eternal Life. I was struck by the sometimes severe differences in attitudes of the authors. Dogen Zenji is direct, clear, but dialectical. He walks in his own authority, but places very high esteem on his ancestors and the authenticity of their practice, encouraging others to emulate this authenticity. Kennett-roshi also places high regard for authentic practice, but in some senses denegrates practices she does not see as of value. For her, anything taking the practitioner away from Zazen (as shikan-taza) is a mistake. Daido Loori-roshi, a hybrid of Soto and Rinzai, also focuses on authentic practice, talks alot about Zazen and Koan practice, but also wants to examine the student's motives and commitment to the Way.

Authenticity of practice and of intention are in all seen as of high value. Each would probably disagree with each other's methods and the varying degrees of emphasis in each others practices, but none would argue that the other is not Zen.

What is important is your reason for coming to Zen, your commitment to the practice of looking inward, examination of yourself and your behavior, as well as your integrity. Coming to Zen for the sake of resolving a psychological or emotional problem is not good: see a therapist. Coming to Zen for the sake of helping others is not good: help your self first, others follow. Coming to Zen for the sake of getting a sense of reward or wanting to see some kind of "progress" in your practice, a "payoff" for all this sitting and mind examination is also not good: Zazen is for its own sake. Progress is from the inside out and measuring it, in a sense, destroys it much like killing a cat to see what makes it live causes life to elude your eyes.

Be well.

Engaged Zen

With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha, Zen Forum, Team Zen, and others,

Several people have written to me saying that they would like to be part of an Engaged Zen group. Some are part of our local Sangha membership, some are from the wider Sangha here on the internet. I do not know how we can use the internet in this work, other than as a communication tool, a support tool, and a protest tool. We can communicate with each other about ideas for engaging the world to become less violent and more compassionate, we can support each other in these ideas as they become actions, and we can use the email tools available to write letters to agancies and individuals responsible for decisions in the areas we identify.

As to the Engaged Zen Group at the Las Cruces Zen Center, I suggest that we talk at the Zazenkai and at each Zazen service toward a regular meeting with an agenda and mission.

A list of topics/issues:

Reducing and Eliminating Violence in all areas of our lives, domestic and international

Reducing and Eliminating Poverty, Hunger, and Malnutrition

Reducing and Eliminating Social Injustice and Human Rights Abuses.

There are a number of organizations dedicated to these missions, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Move-On.org, various anti-war and anti-violence organizations, including the Department of Peace Initiative, etc. I suggest each of you take a look at these, do web searches locally, nationally, and internationally. Send to the Zen Living list or to me personally short reports as to the results of these searches, including links.

On the local level, we will talk about picking a mission and coming up with an action plan. This plan might include silent witness, letter writing, press releases, t-shirts, posters, all sorts of things that might make our voice known and get our message communicated.

War, violence, abuse, poverty, hunger, all of these will continue as long as we continuethem. It is important to say no and to say it clearly and loudly and with the authority of our Buddha Nature. I ask you to help me make this a better world.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Share the Bloom: Engaged Zen

With palms together,

Good Morning Sangha,

Clear Mind Zen begins and ends with behavior. To know facts about Zen is not to understand Zen. To understand Zen is not enough either. As Daido Loori-roshi points out, we climb the mountain, attain the peak, but we are not yet finished. Clear Mind Zen demands a next step.

An expression of Our True Nature is always that next step. It is that next step that is Engaged Zen. So. Sitting Zazen is good and bad. It is good that we sit Zazen. There we settle ourselves, dig deeply into our present moment and learn the practice of being there. But sitting Zazen is bad as well when we refuse to get of the cushion and remain a statue.

Our world is full of pain and suffering. Even the President of the United States pointed out the other night that people are uncertain. In fact, these are uncertain times. In such times, people look for certainty. They demand to have solid ground to walk on. Practitioners of the Way know this is a root cause of suffering itself. There is no solid ground. All is change. Our practice is learning to bloom within process. And our next step is always sharing the bloom.

So what do we do to share the bloom?

I suggest that we create a Share The Bloom group at Zen Center. Thois group's functiuon will be to select projects for us to witness. Peace/War Violence/Non-Violence, Poverty/Mutual Aid: each have a need for our attention. If you are interested in such a group, please let me know.

Be well.

Keystone Cops at the Capital

It would seem no one in authority can get it right. Freedom of speech? A t-shirt gets you arrested or tossed out, depending on the message (opposed to the war = arrested; in favor = tossed out). But wait! We're sorry! We shouldn't have done that, the cops now say, sending letters of apology to the two affected.

Strange. And all in full view of the world.

The State of the Union

With palms together,

Good Morning All,

Last night's televised State of the Uniion by the President of the United States was interesting. Ever since I was a child I have admired the Office of the President, the Senate, the House, and the Judiciary. These are powerful symbols of symetry in government. A free people electing a group to govern its body, each with its own set of functions, each with built in checks and balances. It is a marvel.

My understanding of the State of the Union address is that it is a sort of report card on the Executive branch's understanding of how things are going in the nation. A report card, to be useful, contains everything, the positive efforts and attainments, as well as the not so positives, and indeed, the failures. Mr. Bush did a reasonable job with this last night.

My problem is that the event did not seem to match in any way the realities of my experience of America. The noble efforts of bringing democracy to the world is blackened by the means:war, assaults on freedom, and intimidation. The same is true of our work with AIDS. The goal of reducing and eliminating this deadly disease is righteous, but the US's demand to do so by abstinance only programs is childish.

Mr. Bush telling us we are addicted to oil is a little like the tobacco companies blaming the victims of their marketing campagns. The truth is we are addicted to oil and Mr. Bush assisted us in that addiction.

That said, I do not deny that there are elements of the agenda I agree with completely, most in fact. We must improve our schools, reduce oil consumption, engage the world in democracy. I question only the tools. People must choose democracy, see its value from a model worth emulating. A model that does not torture, a model that values difference, supports minorities, and trusts its people. We must value education, trust our teachers, honor them with highest pay possible, build schools children want to attend, make education a national value, learning a priority, and intellectual activity a sexy thing. We must value alternative energy development and put our research money where our mouth is. We must legislate to support alternative energies. We must make it not only possible, but desirable, to drive vehicles powered by fuels that are both renewable and non-polluting.

Above all, we must value peace and non-violence. In a country that witnesses more violence on a given day than any country in the world, this will be difficult. We are a reactive, rather than proactive people and this must change. Our country values weapons. It supports weapons. It values individual action to defend itself. And understands the first choice when confronted by a threat is force rather than undertstanding and compassion. It suspects people outside of the group, locks its doors, and spies on its neighbors. In such a culture, where can peace and trust and love reside? To be a peaceful model to the world we must address, challenge, and change this.

So, perhaps such action is a role for Engaged Zen. I admire that single lone mother for being arrested last night. I am ashamed that there weren't a million other mothers and fathers arrested with her.

We must raise our voice and engage in the process of change. We have little choice.

Be well.

Zen Tango

With palms together,

Good Morning Sangha,

This morning I wrote a short note in my Yahoo 360 blog:

We are at the end of the first month of the new year. Most of us have, by now gotten used to the 06, then again, there is me. I am slow to notice the outward manifestation of change. I think that is because I am change itself, mostly dwelling in the moment, not looking at the horizon so much to see where I am. On the other hand, maybe 05 and 06 do not really exist. Maybe it is only this key pressing to making contact that exists, but only for a moment. It is an odd sort of dance this absolute and relative tango.

In Uji, one of Master Dogen's Shobogenzo essays, he uses a boat slipping along against the shore as a way of teaching the interrelation of Time and Being. And there is an old koan that addresses a similar issue: two monks pointing to a flagpole arguing (always two monks arguing). Which is moving, the flag or the wind?

We have talked about the two truths of Buddhism, the absolute and the relative. These truths are not independent. Buddha taught that all things are interdependent, this includes time, being, and space. Our "moment" consciousness interacts with our "ever" consciousness. When the interaction is choppy and stilted, we have a dance that is in dukkha. When we have an interaction that is easy and flowing, seamless, then we have a gracious waltz, no suffering. We do a sort of tango with these dances. Sometimes easy, sometimes difficult.

It is important to recognize they are both dances: dukkha and the absence of dukkha, samsara and nirvana, relative and absolute, time and being. Both exist, both do not exist. Only together is the universe made.Only together is it understood. Only together is it attained.

So, what does this mean in terms of Zen Living? Do not let your mind be an obstacle.

Be well.

Why

With palms together,

Good Morning All,

To sit each morning and each evening is an excellent way to begin and close your day. Stillness allows us to gather ourselves, calm our minds and bodies, and form the necessary mind to enter the world and leave the world as buddhas. The act of lighting a candle, lighting incense, bowing, then sitting down on the cushion is a profound act of discipline and dedication. In this small theatre for no one to see, there is just you. Placing attention on our breath, allowing what is present to be present, and accepting the gifts of that moment regardless of their qualities, is of enormous benefit. But even if it wasn't of any benefit at all, we should still sit in stillness.

Why?


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Announcements:

Sorry that I am a little late this morning with my message. I spent some good time late last evening building a table and chairs for the computer and when I woke this morning my mind seemed to stay on the pillow. Housework and lunch has remidied that and here I am.

Yesterday's Zen Center zazen was a wonderful experience. Edgar and Cynthia visited us from Juarez. Several of us were able to have lunch together at the International Delights Cafe. We decided to begin a Jukai class each Sunday afternoon after lunch, and at this point there are four registrants. If anyone is interested in attending, please feel free to drop in at the zen Center each Sunday at 1:00 PM.

This coming Saturday is Zazenkai. If anyone is interested in joining me, we will begin at 10:00 AM and close at 4:00 PM at the Zen Center. Notice is important so that I can arrange for ther lunch.

Rev. Dai Shin has returned from her sojourn! We look forward to seeing her on Wednesday evening at Zen Center for zazen.