The Platform Sutra: Sections 3 + 4 and commentary, p83-91 (89-96 on Kindle)

[Henny]

1. If I am alone and not too busy, it’s quite easy to work in a meditative way (housekeeping, gardening), but with other people around me, especially non-meditative people it’s not easy for me to stay centered. Formal meditation like Zazen in the morning helps a lot to stay in a meditative state the rest of the day.
I also practice Qigong daily and that’s meditation in movement for me. I notice my nervous system slows down and I feel more at ease.
Some people say ‘I don’t need a special time to do meditation’, but I think especially in this hectic time, it’s not easy to stay with a mind of Zazen during your every day tasks.

2.
Doing the dishes
feeling the warm water
and the fragile porcelain
time disappears in the eternal now

Gassho
Henny
sat/lah

[Tairin]

The question is, how easy or otherwise do you find approaching everyday tasks with the mind of Zazen?

Sometimes I will approach as task as Samu. Cutting the grass, doing the dishes, vacuuming. In those cases if I find that my mind had drifted off then I gently bring myself back to the task. In those occasions it is no easier or harder than sitting Zazen.

I and the universe
Sit Zazen together
Not one
Not two

gaasho2
Tairin
sat today and lah

[Kokuu]

Thank you all for you poems and thoughts on awareness in daily life (and Moyjin's poem even rhymed!). I really appreciate how much you are engaging with the content of the sutra and hope it is helping it come more alive for you.

I definitely agree with those of you who say that approaching work with an intention to be mindful, or as samu can make a real difference. It seems similar to the difference that occurs if we just sit somewhere in constrast with the deliberateness of Zazen which is basically doing the same but with an intent to sit in awareness. I have also noticed that over the years of sitting that intention to be with all things flows into daily life. And, as we have been discussing in another thread, there are ways of working with that off the cushion: https://forum.treeleaf.org/forum/tre...during-the-day

Hōsai reminds us that ordinary mind is buddha and that is important to remember. Beyond that, there is also 'no mind, no buddha'.

As promised, here is my poem, but don't take it as any kind of standard!

What can I say of my life
Before my parents met?
Open sky
Spring flowers.


Tomorrow we will resume with parts five and six!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Meishin]

It was a singular moment when I decided to be the Tenzo rather than the cook in our home. The Tenzo prepares meals with care; the cook threw things together. It carries over. Today as I shopped at the market, there was a sense that we were doing a dance together, even those who were "buying stuff to throw things together."

Our daily life is filled with opportunities to serve -- a smile to the busy clerk, giving a high five to a youngster, reaching up to get an item too high up for another shopper to reach. Driving away, I was happy. Maybe others were too.

BTW. Tricycle's film of the month is a documentary ("Dancing with the Dead") on Red Pine. It really puts this book reading in perspective, knowing the circuitous path he has walked.

https://tricycle.org/filmclub/dancingwiththedead/

Gassho
Meishin
stlah

[Kokuu]

BTW. Tricycle's film of the month is a documentary ("Dancing with the Dead") on Red Pine. It really puts this book reading in perspective, knowing the circuitous path he has walked.

Thank you for mentioning that, Meishin. It really is such a great film, and we owe a huge debt to Red Pine for all of his work.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[Kaitan]

• Red Pine notes that it is interesting that Huineng is put to work in the milling room and does not get any teaching or see the inside of the meditation room. Now, with knowledge of texts such as Dōgen’s Advice for the Zen Cook (Tenzokyōkun) we know that kitchen work is not inferior to Zazen. The question is, how easy or otherwise do you find approaching everyday tasks with the mind of Zazen?

I've learned that, after standing up, zazen doesn't end and similarly to zazen, my life is not perfect so I struggle in various things and not judging the content in both sitting and in everyday life is not easy, but is possible sometimes when I let go and find that space in between thoughts.

• This is entirely optional but if you wish, have a go at writing a four line verse. This can either be to express your original nature or else on something else dharma related. I can’t promise a robe and bowl for the winner, though! As is only fair, I have written one and will post it at the end of the thread.

Elusive, holding everything and nothing
But it's in front of me!
Or behind, inside maybe?
Definitely somewhere, but not here




stlah, Kaitan