Pretty much what the title says. I’ve had a “practice” for about 2 years now, yet everytime I go to sit and meditate I can’t sit still long enough to even do 10 minutes of meditation. Do you guys have any tips?
I am so very pleased to announce that I have bestowed Dharma Transmission upon a Priest of our Treeleaf Sangha, Kandō Bion Boncutiu (緩道 美音) in Spain. He is now recognized as a Fully Ordained Priest and Teacher in the Soto Zen Tradition and this Lineage. I hope that you will rejoice with us and so welcome him. This Soto Zen Tradition continues from generation to generation in this manner.
Master Dogen wrote ...
>In this way the true ancestral masters of successive generations have each passed on the face-to-face transmission through the disciple regarding the master and the master seeing the disciple. ... When master and disciple have definitely seen each other, have been seen by each other, have given the face-to-face transmission, and have succeeded to the Dharma, that is the realization of the truth which resides in the ancestors’ face-to-face transmission. Thus, master and disciple have directly taken on the brightness of the Tathāgata’s face. In sum, even after thousands of years, or myriad years, or hundreds of kalpas, or koṭis of kalpas, this face-to-face transmission is the appearance of the face of, and the realization of the transmission from, Śākyamuni Buddha. ... Even before a word is comprehended and even before understanding of half a word is transcended, when the master has seen the back of the disciple’s head, and the disciple has regarded the master through the crown of the head, that is the authentic face-to-face transmission.
Nine Bows, Chigen Jundō (知原 純道)
.
I recently tried attending the zoom meeting that my local temple puts on. It wasn't a good experience but i dont want to get into it. Can anyone recommend a zoom meeting, like specific one that you enjoy or get stuff out of?
Any help would be appreciated
Looking for an academic analysis of Dogen's Bussho. Not just a restatement of the ideas and the author's personal experiential understanding of it (as most commentary that I've encountered so far seems to be). But looking at it in the context of the Buddha Nature literature going back to India (does Dogen contradict the concept of Buddha Nature from Mahaparanirvana Suttra and others?.. etc....), in the context of Dogen's own views, and in the context of Sino-Japanese Buddhist scholarship of his time.
Out of curiosity, not after needing any help do i ask.
Hi everyone,
I’m practicing in sesshin this weekend and it got me curious: do you always go into dokusan no matter what? Even if you don’t have much to ask/say? Do you sometimes take a pass? Do you just feel it out in the moment or go by your own policy at every retreat? Has your approach to it changed over the years?
I have my own approach, so not looking for didactics here, just genuinely curious how others approach this, for whoever’s willing to share. It’s kind of personal so it doesn’t come up much at sangha.
There was recently a discussion about how to interpret or understand a koan. I want to show that an isolated koan is often unsolvable if we do not know the context within Buddhist philosophy.
>स्कन्धान् यद्यनुपादाय भवेत्कश्चित्तथागतः। स इदानीमुपादद्यादुपादाय ततो भवेत्॥
>If there were to be a tathagata because of non-grasping on to the aggregates, he should still depend upon them in the present. As such he will be dependent.
Nagarjuna
David J. Kalupahana comment:
In the early discourses, a person in bondage and therefore in a state of suffering is explained in terms of grasping at the five aggregates. A person who is freed is said to be without grasping, but not without the aggregates. The gerund 'upadaya' was used in the discourses to express two different meanings, namely clinging to and depending upon. It was only in the former sense that a person was said to be freed from the aggregates, not in the latter sense.
Koan:
When Chan Master Baizhang Huaihai delivered a certain series of sermons, an old man always followed the monks to the main hall and listened to him.
When the monks left the hall, the old man would also leave.
One day, however, he remained behind, and Baizhang asked him, "Who are you, standing here before me?"
The old man replied.
"I am not a human being.
In the old days of Kashyapa Buddha, I was a head monk, living here on this mountain.
One day a student asked me, 'Does a man of enlightenment fall under the yoke of causation or not?
I answered, 'No, he does not.'
Since then I have been doomed to undergo five hundred rebirths as a fox.
I beg you now to give the turning word to release me from my life as a fox.
Tell me, does a man of enlightenment fall under the yoke of causation or not?"
Baizhang Huaihai answered, "He does not ignore causation."
No sooner had the old man heard these words than he was enlightened.
Making his bows, he said, "I am emancipated from my life as a fox. I shall remain on this mountain.
I have a favor to ask of you: would you please bury my body as that of a dead monk."
So the man turned into a wild fox because he didn't study Buddhism :))
Nagarjuna's verse is from Nagarjuna: The Philosophy of the Middle Way, author David J. Kalupahana
Koan is from The Gateless Gate, transl. Katsuki Sekida
I am searching for texts that discuss the role of political engagement in Zen practice. As a novice student, I think that the purpose of mindfulness is to help us and nature be happier and healthier. I read The Spirit Level- detailing how more equal societies are healthier and happier. Are these two approaches (secular/spiritual) compatible, and if so, how should this be advanced? Many thanks in advance for suggestions.
As part of a monthly series of remote sessions led by leaders of various spiritual traditions hosted by the Marin Interfaith Council, this evening at 5:30PM-6:30PM PDT, Ven. Bhikkhunī Varañanī (Sư cô Viên Huệ) will be leading attendees through her meditation practice, called "Letting Go of All Attachments." More info and link to the Zoom here. It would be wonderful to have you join us. 🙏🏼
Ven. Varañanī belongs to the Bamboo Forest (Trúc Lâm) school of the Vietnamese Thiền tradition. They specialize in a dharma gate called non-abiding mind (vô trụ tâm), which greatly resembles silent illumination in many ways .. actually, some folks here mentioned the other day that Guo Go's silent illumination is different from the way it's taught in Soto Zen, so perhaps we might consider vô trụ tâm meditation to be a Vietnamese iteration of silent illumination in the same vein.
The non-abiding mind practice has three principles for instruction:
Vô tâm đối cảnh (Empty mind unattached to objects of perception): When interacting with the world, you remain fully aware but free from emotional attachments, judgments, or mental grasping.
Biết vọng không theo (Recognizing illusory thoughts without following them): You acknowledge thoughts and feelings as they arise, but you do not cling to them or let them dictate your actions.
Không kẹt hai bên (Non-duality / Not allowing the mind to fall into dualism): You cultivate and maintain a centered and equanimous awareness, transcending dialectic contradictions of self and other, good and bad, etc.
If anyone here is able to attend, we would be joyous to have you! 🙏🏼
It sounded weird when u/JundoCohen first ordained an AI, but it seems more and more similar actions happen around the world...
Looking for explanation of Buddha Nature by Keizan. Specifically: which available translations of which works are the best?
This coming Sunday, May 17th (available recorded after) Buddhism & Zen historian, the noted specialist on the life and writings of Master Dogen, Prof. Steven Heine will be coming to our Treeleaf Sangha to introduce his latest research on our past ...
>Dr. Heine's new book centers on Wansong Xingxiu (1166–1246), a pivotal figure in Caodong Chan/Sōtō Zen development, and a participant in the compilation of two influential Caodong/Sōtō Koan collections: Tongxuan's 100 Chan Questions (the main focus of Dr. Heine's book) which represents a crucial, although lesser-known, phase of Caodong Chan history centered on northern China, and the Shoyoroku (Book of Serenity) which is better known today and widely cherished by Sōtō Zen folks. Although Wansong lived during the time Dogen was in China, they likely never met in person because in very distant parts of China, and Dogen may not have had direct knowledge of either Koan collection during his lifetime. However, in his talk, Professor Heine will examine the historical and spiritual irony connecting these two pivotal figures in the development of Caodong/Sōtō thought and literature, illustrating his points with several key examples from their respective works.
You can join the event on Zoom LIVE with camera and microphone so that we can see and hear you (however, “one way” live sitters who do not wish to be seen or to speak are encouraged to come into the Zoom sitting either way, even if you leave the camera and microphone turned off or not connect them). The event will also be streamed lived on YouTube for anyone that cannot join the Zoom room.
The festivities will begin at 10am in New York, 7am in California, London 3pm and Paris 4pm, all SUNDAY May 17th, and last for an hour to 90 minutes.
We would love to see many Zen friends there.
More details and access here:
Does the Eightfold Path actually lead anywhere (like Nirvana)? Or could it be better described as the practice of enlightened living?
The Eightfold Path follows from the Four Noble Truths, which were the first teachings Gautama Buddha gave after his awakening:
1)The truth of suffering (ie. suffering is unavoidable)
2)The cause of suffering (ie. the self centered experience of fear/desire - dogma, karma, and illusion of independent existence are also often mentioned)
3)The solution to suffering (ie. insight into and freedom from the process of suffering)
4)The path to the end of suffering (ie. the correct practise).
The Eightfold Path then describes forms of enlightened or “right” living, including speech, action, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
If we take "Right concentration", it basically points to the correct focus of someone who understands that self-centered activity, be that mental, emotional or behavioural, is the source of all suffering in the world. Right concentration means meditation, it means being woke to the process of self, it means enlightened action/attention.
Right action is less about doing some specific action in order to obtain future goods, and more about allowing awareness to loosen the grip of self - moment by moment - so that action becomes less driven by fear, desire, and psychological conditioning.
Nirvana in this context, means living with insight into the Four Noble Truths: that suffering is the movement of self-concern.
Through awareness of this process, we become less governed by the process, and therefore more capable of right speech, right conduct, right effort, right concentration, and so on.
“Right” means acting with the understanding of suffering and the avoidance of harm.
>While it is true that innately you are a Buddha, until you have concretely perceived your Buddha-nature you are speaking in borrowed phrases when you speak of enlightenment. The purpose of your practice is to lead you to this experience. > >Hakuun Yasutani quoted in The Three Pillars of Zen
Hello!
This is my first post on Reddit, so if I’m posting in the wrong place, please let me know.
About me:
I’m very new to Buddhism in general and have been practicing by myself for about a year. I live in one of the more remote parts of Japan, and although I’m not fluent in Japanese yet (I’m working on it!), I’ve become very interested in rediscovering the simplicity of things through Buddhism... especially Zen.
I moved here to teach english.
I had some difficult experiences after moving here that caused me a great deal of stress, and those experiences were a catalyst for exploring Buddhism more seriously.
My routine:
I try to meditate for about 15 minutes each day.
Even though my Japanese is still poor, I visit a temple every week and walk around the grounds.
I also listen to the Zen Studies Podcast.
What I would like advice with:
I care deeply about other people, but my mind constantly notices what others are doing “wrong,” and I become emotionally affected by the suffering I perceive in them.
one example, I live near another English teacher, and I’ve made an effort to be their friend and support them. They complain very frequently about nearly everything: their health, relationships, work, life in general... according to them, everything is bad.
At first, I tried to help by offering advice:
“Maybe you could see a doctor for that.”
“Have you considered therapy?”
“Would you like to meditate with me?”
But over time, I started to become angry. I wanted them to be try and improve themselves, be less negative, less unhappy.
I realized I am not practicing emptiness. I am seeing them as some separate being disconnected from everything else, instead of simply seeing their suchness.
I know there is an easier way.... but I struggle.
I have started to refrain from commenting on any of their behaviors.
I want to act like a buddha and simply "let them be".
But I still feel this huge emotional reaction inside myself.
Why do I care about another persons suffering? Especially when they dont want to change?
How do I let go of the attachment?
Is it better to simply end the relationships and accept that I’m not strong enough right now to maintain it peacefully?
I have this experience with numerous people and family members.
I want to just enjoy everyone around me.
Why cant I just be content with them?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Once, a certain nun asked,
"Even lay women practice and study the buddha-dharma. As for nuns, even though we have some faults, I feel there is no reason to say that we go against the buddha-dharma. What do you think?"
Dōgen admonished,
"That is not a correct view. Lay women might attain the Way as a result of practicing the buddha-dharma as they are. However, no monk or nun' attains it unless he or she has the mind of one who has left home. This is not because the buddha-dharma discriminates between one person and another, but rather because the person doesn't enter the dharma. There must be a difference in the attitude of lay people and those who have left home. A layman who has the mind of a monk or nun who has left home will be released from samsara. A monk or a nun who has the mind of a lay person has double faults. Their attitudes should be quite different. It is not that it is difficult to do, but to do it completely is difficult. The practice of being released from samsara and attaining the Way seems to be sought by everyone, but those who accomplish it are few. Life-and-death is the Great Matter; impermanence is swift.
Do not let your mind slacken. If you abandon the world, you should abandon it completely. I don't think that the names provisionally used to distinguish monks and nuns from lay people are at all important."
