Jundo: Taking Off the Priest's Robe, the Kesa (for Awhile) ... A Protest ...

[Jundo]

Dear All,

I am taking off the Zen Priest's Kesa, I will not wear a Rakusu ... for awhile ... as a protest ...

It is a protest mostly of myself, and my failure as a Buddhist Priest to keep the Vow to rescue -ALL- sentient beings, though numberless.

I think that some things I said yesterday were greatly, greatly misunderstood, so I wish to explain that too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpuoXASDVqo

And just in case anyone is concerned, I will still continue to facilitate Zazen and other things, that is not changing, but I will do so from the side, standing with everyone, no one will lead the ceremonies there for awhile and the priest's spot before the Altar will be empty ... for awhile. I will still be here, as always, nothing like that will change.

I just need to take off the Priest's Robes for awhile, the Kesa and Rakusu so cherished in this Sangha, as a personal protest of myself, and from a feeling that there is some need for Buddhism in general, as a body (never about any particular individual and their good path, but yet all of us somehow, as a whole) to do more ...

... to rescue the suffering children everywhere, the hungry, homeless, the victims of violence who we are failing to help.

Peace and Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLentaHand

[Bion]

Thank you for taking the time to speak to us and allowing us to see you as you pour your heart out. Reading things is always with a tone we arbitrarily assign to the words, so we mostly hear ourselves. Anyone that’s sat Zazenkai with you regularly knows how deeply you feel for the suffering of others and how compassionate you are.

[emoji1374] Sat today

[Tokan]

Thank you Jundo

The (?pine) tree in your garden looks lovely at this time of year.

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[aprapti]

[emoji1374] aprapti


sat

[Houzan]

I find this perspective inspirational, logical, beautiful, and necessary. Thank you [emoji120]

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

[Shujin]

I do not see failure, Jundo, but I trust your judgement as my teacher. In education, as in many other fields, there is no consensus as to whether one should be evaluated on the understanding of others or a given outcome. I believe that you do more than enough.

Gassho,
Shujin

- sat today -
- lent a hand -

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[Seiko]

We must all do what we think is right.

Months ago in a moment of depression I said to my wife that I don't think I have accomplished anything of value in my life. Teresa reminded me of the kids I taught music too, the years I spent as a Scout Leader/instructor and the people in crisis I helped in the course of my work. She is a lovely person, much more than I am. Teresa pointed out that I may never know what positive effects I really had on all those people.

The same is true for all of us. Even if only in direct contact with a few people, each positive influence we can make in each life, also indirectly affects each of their circle of friends and family too. If we can do good for others, that good spreads, it is paid forward and it is felt by more people than we can imagine.

For me 'doing what I can' very much includes never allowing (or trying never to allow) an opportunity to help others pass me by. According to where we are in life, each of us has different opportunities. Sometimes we create those opportunities ourselves.

To aim to do everything possible is lovely.

To do *something*, *anything*, is probably more far reaching than we ever know.

Again I talk too much. Sorry for exceeding 3 sentences.

Gasshō
Seiko
stlah

[Do Mi]

Jundo, I so appreciate being able to look into your beautiful eyes and see your broken heart and your passion. I am in tears.

I have thought a lot throughout my life about how to help the world and now am trying to live my Bodhisattva vow. I will post more later.

Many bows,

Do Mi

satlah

[Tokan]

Tetsugen Doko and the Sutras - The following story is told of Tetsugen's efforts to publish the sutras.

Tetsugen decided to publish the sutras, which at that time were available only in Chinese. The books were to be printed with wood blocks in an edition of seven thousand copies, a tremendous undertaking. Tetsugen began by travelling and collecting donations for this purpose. A few sympathizers would give him a hundred pieces of gold, but most of the time he received only small coins. He thanked each donor with equal gratitude. After ten years Tetsugen had enough money to begin his task. It happened that at that time the Uji River overflowed. Famine followed. Tetsugen took the funds he had collected for the books and spent them to save others from starvation. Then he began again his work of collecting. Several years afterward an epidemic spread over the country. Tetsugen again gave away what he had collected. For a third time he started his work, and after twenty years his wish was fulfilled. The printing blocks which produced the first edition of sutras can be seen today in Ōbaku monastery in Kyoto.

I read about the example of Tetsugen Doko in Circle of the Way today, and it triggered my memory of this story from elsewhere. This excerpt is from wiki. While we do not talk of big or small in terms of saving all beings, since the way must be practiced for it to be actualised, this is a great example of a Zen teacher having a preference for disaster relief over printing books - both great dharma efforts but one feels he made the better choice to help people directly on this occasion. This just strikes me as in synch with Jundo's teaching on being a priest.

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Shonin Risa Bear]

Bernie Glassman. Tosui Unkei.

gassho
ds sat, then went to bed, which was also sitting

[JohnS]

Teacher,

In my opinion, this message is just another example of how good a Buddhist priest you are. Don't be too hard on yourself. The vows show how to have equanimity while seeking to do the impossible. We can never "save" all sentient beings, for as the vow says, sentient beings are numberless. Nor can we ever really end all the delusions that plague humanity, for as the vow says, delusions are innumerable. We do the best we can, knowing that it can never truly be enough. And yet, in a Zen way, it is enough.

9 bows

Gassho,

John

SatTodayLAH

[Seishin]

Deep bows.

sat

[DGF]

Thank you Jundo sensei,
a deep bow to you

Gassho
Diana
Sat

[Tokan]

Bernie Glassman. Tosui Unkei.

gassho
ds sat, then went to bed, which was also sitting

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[_Ryan]

Sat