SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (II)

[Jundo]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Hi,

I just added to the original post another translation by D.T. Suzuki, wordless words that hit the mark:

Wordiness and intellection –
The more with them the further astray we go;
Away therefore with wordiness and intellection,
And there is no place where we cannot pass freely.
When we return to the root, we gain the meaning;
When we pursue external objects, we lose the reason.
The moment we are enlightened within,
We go beyond the voidness of a world confronting us.
Transformations going on in an empty world which confronts us,
Appear real all because of Ignorance:
Try not to seek after the true,
Only cease to cherish opinions.

[Kyonin]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Thank you, Sensei.

[Dosho]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Jundo,

Thank you for this teaching.

Gassho,
Dosho

[Myoku]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

..same emphasis on doing, on practice, just like Dogen, thanks Jundo
_()_
Peter

[Hoyu]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

No opinions, no attractions, just a simple gassho _/_

[Nindo]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

The broken parts of my life, the broken pieces of my heart - when will I stop running and turn towards them?
Just hurting seems to be so hard, so frightening.
_/_

[Kaishin]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

"only cease to cherish opinions"

There's maybe nothing more difficult.

_/_

[ghop]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Just watched this talk for the first time.

Cool stuff.

Like the quote. :lol:

Someone said, "I was once struck by the idea of lightning."

I feel like Buddha is kicking my butt right now. Forcing me, if you will, to look deeply into myself
(something I'd rather not do) and examine my motives and fears (I'd rather have a beer and watch
a baseball game)...in other words, somehow, this crazy practice of just sitting, just sitting when
things are good, and just sitting when things are falling apart, this butt-to-solid-ground (or no-ground!)
practice of shikantaza, is opening my heart (not in a cheesy sense) by making me see how soft
and weak and vulnerable and strong and courageous and...well, human, it really is.

For instance, why does it seem like I only post on Treeleaf when I have something to whine about?

Or I'm afraid?

Or lonesome?

Such as the recent panic attacks. I look back over most of my posts and I realize how little I have
actually been there for others on Treeleaf. And then I look at how little I have been here for people
right in front of my nose.

I vow often to relieve the suffering of others. But do I? Or do I add to it?

Sitting zazen is like being opened by the skilled hands of a surgeon, only I am conscious so I either
look at what is sick and being cut away or I close my eyes.

Buddha is a good doctor. Tells the truth. Not afraid to touch a wound. That is, if I'm not afraid
to let him.

gassho
Greg

[Shokai]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Thanks Greg, good analogy; keep sitting
_/_

[Risho]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Gassho for this teaching Jundo sensei. I sometimes listen to the talks a few times before I comment. I really love this teaching. I didn't "get" this when I first started practicing Zen. It's funny how the teachings start becoming clearer and clearer over time.

It is scary to think that a little over 50 years ago, there were megalomaniacs wiping out people.. Hitler, Stalin. Then we dropped multiple bombs on Japan. It's just so scary. It wasn't that long ago.

Not to get political, but I often think of how our current times remind me of pre-World War II Germany. Money is tight, we need someone to blame. The Muslims or the immigrants. I hope it does not go that way. The US was founded on difference of culture; it gives us a richness. It was also founded on freedom of religion and separation of Church and State, so I hope cooler heads prevail in Washington.

Speaking of Hiroshima, yesterday I read that our largest nuclear bomb was disarmed, and we are opening an online embassy with Iran. I hope we see peace before my time is up here. I hope one day we can get rid of our weapons.

So back to this :mrgreen: I simply love this teaching. In my life, in my job in particular, I can have a lot of stress, but it's all about how I look at things. When things are broken, or have problems, I can freak out. I can worry that I'm not good enough, etc. But I've found if I can actually approach things with curiosity then all that other bs in my mind goes away.

This is a lot like zazen. Some days it's easy to say, "wow my zazen is really crappy today with all these thoughts running through my head". So you can force those thoughts out or get caught in them, or take a view of curiosity of what are those thoughts? Just observe them.. and let them go. Just like some other wise teachers talk about on here :mrgreen: That's very, very powerful, the calm in the storm.

Gassho,

Risho

[Shokai]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

hi Cyril;

I lived in Hiroshima for 5 yrs, embalmed bodies that still showed the effect of the bomb 55 yrs later. In discusiions I would remind the Japanese that I also was a Gembako survivor. I was only eight when it happened but it gave usthe requird trauma to respect nuclear power. And, as for the other, we are all immigrants at one stage or another so, foged abou it !! :lol: We'll survive if we stay mindful.

_/_

[Risho]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (VI) - Armchair Buddha

Yes you are absolutely right!

What is Gembako?

[Jundo]

SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (IX) - A-IS-FOR-APPLE



A fruity talk returning to this passage of the XIN XIN MING ... a fundamental view of most Eastern religions in one way or another, as basic as "A is for Apple" ... really quite simple though the mind resists to see ...


When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist.
When thought objects vanish, the thinking-subject vanishes,
as when the mind vanishes, objects vanish.
Things are objects because of the subject;
the subject is such because of things (object).
Understand the relativity of these two
and the basic reality: the unity of emptiness.
In this Emptiness the two are indistinguishable
and each contains in itself the whole world.
If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine
you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion.


... a description of the subject/object divisions created by the discriminating, divisive thoughts of the mind ... separating its own little 'self' from a perceived 'not the self', this from that ... creating a subject in relation to 'not self' objects, and objects in relation to subject. The mind is like a knife, slicing and dicing the unbroken wholeness of a juicy apple into countless pieces ... one of which you perceive as "you" standing in contrast to "not you" in the mind's eye

Halt the process of dividing, and Wholeness is again perceived. Cease all judgments and categorizations, and frictions cease, scars heal. The apple is restored, pristine.

As well, every bit contains and expresses the whole too, much like every bite of an apple contains the sweetness of the apple.

How much clearer can such be laid out? An apple ripe for the plucking!


(and when life hands ya lemons ... make lemonade!) :wink:


Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows at this link. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 15 to 35 minutes is recommended

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CIN9...eature=related

[Seishin the Elder]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (IX) - A-IS-FOR-APPLE

Oh wonderful, my favorite mantra....Yum!

So then when we eat the apple, we become the apple, we are the apple, we partake of appleness and not only experience appleness but also become what appleness is. Is the apple sweet just sitting there, or when it is being eaten. As I experience apple, do I become sweet, apple itself. What a fortunate example and wonderful autumn experiment.

This past week, I was at my Abbey which has an apple orchard. I was wandering the Abbey grounds and walked through the orchard. Most of the trees had already been picked for the seasons produce to make dried apples, apple sauce, apple butter and such. A few rather withered apples remained on the trees for the migrating birds to peck at. Then I saw one lone, whole round apple that had been missed, just within reach of a wandering monk. I picked it, washed it and ate it while I enjoyed the brisk air carrying the scent of burning leaves, the maples bright red over the hill.....Yum!

Gassho,

Seishin Kyrill

[ghop]

Re: SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Xin Xin Ming - (IX) - A-IS-FOR-APPLE

I have a new favorite talk.

Thanks Jundo.

Now, for some apple pie :shock:

gassho
Greg