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

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  • Jundo
    Treeleaf Founder and Priest
    • Apr 2006
    • 40144

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

    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.)
    Last edited by Jundo; 09-20-2015, 01:20 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE
  • Jika
    Member
    • Jun 2014
    • 1337

    #2
    The chapter must be wrong.
    Only lousy, unkind folks around here

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

    Gassho,
    Danny
    #receivedmuchkindnesstoday_()_
    治 Ji
    花 Ka

    Comment

    • Jeremy

      #3
      Originally posted by Danny B
      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

      Comment

      • Myosha
        Member
        • Mar 2013
        • 2974

        #4
        Hello,

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

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


        Gassho
        Myosha sat today
        "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

        Comment

        • Risho
          Member
          • May 2010
          • 3179

          #5
          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
          Email: risho.treeleaf@gmail.com

          Comment

          • Jundo
            Treeleaf Founder and Priest
            • Apr 2006
            • 40144

            #6
            Originally posted by 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
            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.


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

            Gassho, J

            SatToday
            ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

            Comment

            • Risho
              Member
              • May 2010
              • 3179

              #7
              Thank you!

              Gassho,

              Risho
              -sattoday
              Email: risho.treeleaf@gmail.com

              Comment

              • Mp

                #8
                Thank you Jundo. =)

                Gassho
                Shingen

                #sattoday

                Comment

                • Jundo
                  Treeleaf Founder and Priest
                  • Apr 2006
                  • 40144

                  #9
                  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
                  Last edited by Jundo; 09-27-2015, 01:30 AM.
                  ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

                  Comment

                  • Mp

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Jundo
                    timelessness, are we?
                    Oh timeless time is so timely. =)

                    Gassho
                    Shingen

                    #sattoday

                    Comment

                    • Joyo

                      #11
                      Thank you, Jundo. I am needing a catch-up week.

                      Gassho,
                      Joyo
                      sat today

                      Comment

                      • Byokan
                        Treeleaf Unsui
                        • Apr 2014
                        • 4288

                        #12
                        Add my thanks as well, with all the ango activity it's nice to slow down a little.

                        Gassho
                        Lisa
                        sat today
                        展道 渺寛 Tendō Byōkan
                        Please take my words with a big grain of salt. I know nothing. Wisdom is only found in our whole-hearted practice together.

                        Comment

                        • Risho
                          Member
                          • May 2010
                          • 3179

                          #13
                          Ditto to that lol

                          Gassho

                          Risho
                          -sattoday
                          Email: risho.treeleaf@gmail.com

                          Comment

                          • Shinzan
                            Member
                            • Nov 2013
                            • 338

                            #14
                            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

                            Comment

                            • AlanLa
                              Member
                              • Mar 2008
                              • 1405

                              #15
                              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
                              Last edited by AlanLa; 10-04-2015, 12:54 PM.
                              AL (Jigen) in:
                              Faith/Trust
                              Courage/Love
                              Awareness/Action!

                              I sat today

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