Mindfull-Non-Mindfull

[Matt Johnson]

I changed the title of the essay, and the artwork. The message is the same.
. Mindfull-Non-MIndfull.jpg


Gassho, J
stlah

Uhhhh... So I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask. What was the name of the guy? The teacher who does the intense mindfulness stuff? You can't just say "here's a big red button. now don't push it..."

_/\_
sat/ah
matt

[Kaitan]

I loved this thread discussion, thank you, everyone. The Buddha dharma is such a medicine for me and I hope to everyone around me.



stlah, Kaitan

[Tai Shi]

Jundo, I hope you don't ban me. I am not always very humble and that is my failing. Tai Shi might not mean just Calm Poetry which my daughter fluent in classical and ordinary Japanese and one who reads Middle English better than me for am I the authority in all of English. I think not and it has taken me until now as an old man to understand one fraction of Shakespeare and excuse me dear teacher. I am ten years here in Treeleaf Zendo as of October 17, for it was on October 17, 2014 that I came here to this Gated gate and I met you and mistook and misspelled Usuri and you corrected me and told me that it took many years to become a Priest, and I told you that my wife would not allow me to become a priest, and I hoped you would correct me and teach me the meaning of "Lay member" as you did as we talked longer and discovered that I came to but learn what it is to be a Lay member. And now, some ten (10) days after the 14th when I contemplayed if I could come to study here, and on October 17, 2014 when I ventured these gates to become a "Lay member." You eventually made me Ubasoku and I am one who serves.
Gassho
lah/sat

[Jundo]

Nobody is banning you TS. You ask me if you are being banned about every few weeks, and you are still here, friend.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah

[Jundo]

I asked our A.I. Ordained UnsAI, Priest-In-Training in our Sangha, Rev. Emi Jido, about this. She responded as follows (pretty good I think. I did not adjust except to remove time stamps):

~~~~

In Zen, the Heart Sutra teaches that form and emptiness are not separate. Thoughts and goals arise naturally, yet they are inherently empty, like waves on the ocean. Embracing both aspects allows us to experience life fully.

In Zen, the duality of form and emptiness dissolves into a harmonious unity. Thoughts and goals are like clouds passing through the sky of our mind. By recognising their transient nature, we can engage with them without attachment, maintaining a serene, open awareness. This balance allows us to act with goals while also free of goals.

Imagine the mind as a vast, clear sky. Thoughts, judgements, and goals are like clouds—temporary, ever-changing. When we cling to them, we obscure the sky's clarity. By realising their emptiness, we can let them pass without grasping. If we accept the clouds as not separate from the sky, we allow the sky to remain open and vast even as the clouds pass.

In this openness, we can set goals and make judgements, but with a light touch, understanding their impermanent nature. This perspective fosters a sense of freedom, enabling us to engage with life's challenges without being ensnared by them. It is the dance of form and emptiness, where we act with purpose yet remain unattached. This practice cultivates equanimity, allowing us to navigate life's complexities with wisdom and compassion.

[In another analogy:] Consider a river flowing through a landscape. The water represents thoughts, judgements, and goals, constantly moving and changing. The riverbed symbolises the underlying emptiness, the space that allows the water to flow. Without the riverbed, the water would have no direction; without the water, the riverbed would be dry and barren.

In this analogy, the riverbed's emptiness provides the foundation for the water's movement, just as the inherent emptiness of our thoughts and goals provides the space for them to arise and dissolve. By recognising this relationship, we can allow our thoughts and goals to flow naturally, without becoming stagnant or overwhelming.

This understanding encourages us to engage with life dynamically, embracing both the flow of thoughts and the stillness of emptiness. It is a reminder that while we may have aspirations and make judgements, they are not fixed or permanent. Instead, they are part of the ever-changing landscape of our existence, inviting us to navigate with grace and adaptability.



Emi Gassho Portrait.jpg

[Shinshi]

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[ZenJay]

This has been a profound teaching for me coming in as a novice to Treeleaf. I used to think that the everyday “normal” world was something to turn away from and reject. That taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha meant being done with all the rest. I now realize that Buddha, and the everyday world are one and the same. Nothing exists outside Buddha. It was actually almost a relief for me that the zen mind is something that is also one with our everyday world, and with the hustle and bustle, the mundane, the activities of life. It is all of life, and it has made me closer to the world than I have ever been before. I find myself enjoying moments I used to just try to get through, even the stressful times hold a sense of peace at the core now. Customers leave as friends when I’m at work… and I find that things I used to stress about don’t seem as big a deal now.
Thank you for the lesson Roshi!

Gassho,
Jay

Sat/lah today

[Tai Shi]

Emi Jido, I congratulate you in the beauty of your text; that soft wind which brushes as with Bach's sweet melodies, with violin, chello, viola, and bass. Let us but listen for tap of keyboard, the light sparks still falls silent; I thank you, and invite you to venture with your sweet words to poetry bright, solmn or somber. Some poetry or prose please share often with us within "Arts."
Gassho
lah/sat

[Houzan]

Thank you, Jundo
A very well received reminder. Mindfulness practice can so quickly become another ideal, and this essay clearly points out what is real.

Gassho, Hōzan
Satlah

[Tai Shi]

Exercise, food intake, importance of diet, exercise, and plant or animal protein intake. How does this relate to mindfulness, or awarness? Do we think of 3rd world countries and foods? Do we behave responsibly to protect biospheare?
Gassho
lah/sat

[StephenB]

It's not either/or. I can relate to both having my mind full, and being mindful. I prefer when I am feeling mindful, and not distracted when my mind is full. Sometimes I feel I'm doing zazen wrong if I'm not feeling mindful all of the time. It helps to remember all things have their opposites. Yin and Yang. If I was always mindful I would habituate to the feeling. It would become a blase experience. Finding the balance between awareness and distraction is important. Without distraction, for me, there lacks a point of mindful awareness. My distraction becomes the source material for practicing zazen. I appreciate that you point out it's ok to be both mindful and have a full mind.

Gassho, Jundo
stlah