Grass Hut - 29 - "Buddhism is Meditation and Kindness"

[Jundo]

Hey Guys,

We are reading Chapter 23, "Buddhism is Meditation and Kindness".

Anything resonate from this week's chapter? What of the interconnection of Zazen and Kindness?

Gassho, J

PS -

You will note that most Soto teachers hesitate to call "Zazen" as "meditation", so this chapter is unusual. The reason is that "meditation" is usually seen as some form of sitting to attain some state of concentration or relaxation, while the emphasis of Zazen is sitting without some "seeking to attain" (which, as you have heard me say countless times, --does not-- mean that one fails to attain something wondrous because of this giving up of the hunger of seeking ... for one find such which can only be found in abandoning all human need to hunt and pursue.)

[Jika]

The chapter must be wrong.
Only lousy, unkind folks around here

But a strong correlation does not mean cause...
Sorry.

Gassho,
Danny
#receivedmuchkindnesstoday_()_

[Jeremy]

The chapter must be wrong.
Only lousy, unkind folks around here

Thank you Danny. Very nice of you to say so

step lightly... stay free...
Jeremy
st

[Myosha]

Hello,

"Me . . . Me . . . Mine."

Meditation is, apparently, good for something. Zazen simply returns the source; therefore, good for nothing.^^


Gassho
Myosha sat today

[Risho]

I love this line of the poem. Sometimes during meditation I feel anger, anxiety, boredom, etc. I really like just sitting there with it, not pushing it away. It's very powerful. This practice helps me realize how attached I am to distraction; it's like I have this inner fear of being bored. But if I "shikantaza" that feeling (lol), it's kind of neat to just observe and feel it and then let it float off instead of being pulled and controlled by it.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

[Jundo]

I love this line of the poem. Sometimes during meditation I feel anger, anxiety, boredom, etc. I really like just sitting there with it, not pushing it away. It's very powerful. This practice helps me realize how attached I am to distraction; it's like I have this inner fear of being bored. But if I "shikantaza" that feeling (lol), it's kind of neat to just observe and feel it and then let it float off instead of being pulled and controlled by it.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

Lisa offered a lovely Bernie Glassman quote today on another thread, part of our Jukai readings ...

"A symptom of separation, a symptom of duality is found in the word 'why'. Many koans start with that. ...Eliminate the word 'why' and again we come back to bearing witness."

...

Recently I thought of Shakyamuni’s life and I thought of his father trying to isolate him from suffering, from old age and death, from renunciates. And for me that became a metaphor for the denial of, or separation from, those aspects of ourselves or of society that we are afraid of or not ready to deal with. These are all those things that lead to the aspects of myself that I’ve been in denial about and am afraid of and those aspects of society that I’m afraid of or deny.

http://zenpeacemakers.org/zen-peacemakers/who-we-are/zen-peacemakers-sangha/dharma-talks/bernie-pure-precepts/

He also takes this in the essay as a call for action!

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Risho]

Thank you!

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday

[Mp]

Thank you Jundo. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Jundo]

Hey All Hutters,

I am going to wait a week before posting the next Chapter, which is one of my absolute (and relative) favorites in the whole book (beyond liking and disliking, of course), worth the whole price of admission (for that which can neither be entered nor departed).

We are a little busy this week with the Precept readings on Avoiding Killing and Ango, let folks catch up, so I want the next chapter after this one to have the attention of the whole Sangha when I post it.

Anyway, we are in no rush to learn about timelessness, are we?

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Mp]

timelessness, are we?

Oh timeless time is so timely. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

[Joyo]

Thank you, Jundo. I am needing a catch-up week.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

[Byokan]

Add my thanks as well, with all the ango activity it's nice to slow down a little.

Gassho
Lisa
sat today

[Risho]

Ditto to that lol

Gassho

Risho
-sattoday

[Shinzan]

For me, meditation, as in alert choiceless awareness, is the root of kindness. How to explain it? Kindness to self, kindness to other, kindness to self-other not two, kindness arising from the soup of awareness.
_/\_ Shinzan

[AlanLa]

A beautiful chapter on how turning within ourselves can lead us to turning kindness out towards others

But being a contrarian, I could not help but think about all those old gruff and seemingly unkind Zen masters in our lineage.

A whack on the head to you all