[Challenging Times] -(12)- A Bumpy Ride with Dukkha - Isshin Havens

[Jundo]

Friend of Treeleaf, Rev. Isshin Havens from Brazil, presents a lovely description of Dukkha, life's suffering in Buddhist meaning ...

as well as a variety of methods, not all of them strictly traditional or even Zen, effective to meeting it.

I recommend this essay to all. Isshin could not join us as planned this time, but here is her last visit to Treeleaf. Her topic was a little different, but not so different, from today's essay:

https://youtu.be/r0yZu5uqfhs

For those who do not yet have a copy, I have made a PDF version available here for those waiting for their ordered book, or those unable to afford or obtain the book (second half of the book):https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yQV...usp=share_link

Feel free to jump into the readings and discussion even if you have not read other chapters.

Gassho, Jundo

stlah

[Houzan]

Lovely chapter! I would, however, have liked to read about a 6th practice on changing the external world:

Observing the weeds, I accept them.
Accepting the weeds, why not pull them?
Some weeds can't be pulled - I embrace them, some not now - I patiently wait, some are ready - I pull them.

Maybe I do not fully understand?

Gassho, Michael
Satlah

[Jundo]

Lovely chapter! I would, however, have liked to read about a 6th practice on changing the external world:

Observing the weeds, I accept them.
Accepting the weeds, why not pull them?
Some weeds can't be pulled - I embrace them, some not now - I patiently wait, some are ready - I pull them.

Lovely!

Gassho, J

stlah

[Heikyo]

I like the analogy of the wheel derived from the dukkha definition ‘bad axel hole.’ I didn’t know this was the original meaning.

Often I think we only recognise dukkha in times of extreme crises - big life events. I agree with Isshin that these can be turned into opportunities for practice. It is not about ignoring feelings and emotions in times of crisis, but to experience them fully, knowing that they are impermanent.

A question: is the use of mantras as Isshin suggests something that is routinely practiced in Soto Zen?

Gassho
Heikyo
Sat today

[Jundo]

A question: is the use of mantras as Isshin suggests something that is routinely practiced in Soto Zen?

No, it is not, and it is not Shikantaza.

However, I happened to recommend something similar to someone today who is having a particularly difficult time sitting right now:

In extreme cases, when very nervous and upset, it is even okay to take a mantra of your own making ... nothing need be "mystical," just a word you like with a good image, like "flower" or "flowing" or "allow" anything you like. Pour yourself into the mantra with each breath. When I was sick and in pain after surgery, even my "moaning" became a mantra, I recall.

However, that is not really Shikantaza, so when you are sufficiently stable in mind, return to following the breath. When feeling even more stable and able to sit, move to "open spacious awareness" when you can.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Tokan]

Hey everyone

Japanese word for crisis is kiki – danger and opportunity: This is a great way to look at our troubles and trauma. Although hard to see sometimes, even great trauma creates opportunities, and there are wonderful examples out there of people who have overcome unbelievable trauma and gone that step further and embraced the opportunities it created - many deep bows to them.

As a mental health clinician I applaud the references to taking a breath when in the midst of crisis, it hard to remember to do, but worth its weight in gold, actually worth very much more than that because a breath doesn't weigh very much even if it can feel heavy! And with the breath it is, as the Isshin Havens suggests, better to breathe from the belly button than the throat.

Repeating a mantra – CBT – sometimes the words used are irrelevant to achieving the outcome from a purely psychological perspective, but using Buddhist language is an opportunity to connect with the practice at a time when you might feel distanced from it by fear, loss, or doubt. Transforming faith into trust.

And while we hear it all the time, there is never a bad time to be reminded about self-compassion. I enjoyed this chapter, not a heavy one, but worth reading for sure.

Please remember all my comments are to be taken with half-a-grain of salt (the very finely ground kind).

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Tairin]

Lovely chapter.

A couple of things that struck me about this essay.

Like Heikyo, I like this explanation of dukkha. I was aware of the origin of the word but the was Isshin described it was very clear

I was not aware of the 40 different kinds of meditation taught by the Buddha.

Isshin talks about the stories that we tell ourselves. This was one of the most galvanizing teachings I took away from my first teacher. As soon as she talked about our stories I saw how often I create them and how they colour my views


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Chikyou]

"telling ourselves stories that will be like wounding ourselves with the second arrow (or third, or fourth, or however many extra arrows we create in order to feed our suffering)..."

Ouch, this is about me and I don't like it. About time for me to throw away the quiver, eh?

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Shinchi]

As others have mentioned, I also appreciated the Isshin's explanation of dukkha.

In this moment, I don't feel as connected to the Buddhist iconography and mantras connected to various bodhisattva's as Isshin describes on page 142, though I do understand how this may be helpful to some. Maybe as I continue to learn, this connection might one day change.

However, I do appreciate the practice of feeling the waves of one's emotions without acting on them. I've learned that our bodies have the ability to metabolize difficult emotions if we're able to do this and not add the wounds from that second arrow - as difficult as this can be sometimes.

Gassho,
Shinchi
stlah

[Alina]

The one thing I enjoyed the most about this chapter was her openness, her acknowledgement that life is sometimes really hard and in those times it can be/seem almost impossible to continue with the "traditional" Zen practice. And that it's OK to adapt the practice a bit in order to navigate those difficult times, no need to make a problem out of it if it's not "strictly Zen".

My first contact with Zazen was in a Zen Dojo that follows the Sawaki-Deshimaru-Kosen lineage, long sitting periods in full lotus with a little kinhin in the middle, 90 minutes total each time, longer in sesshins. I loved it, I needed that at the time, but then because of a knee issue I have, full lotus wasn't a smart thing to practice for me for 90 minutes regularly. I switched to half lotus or burmese, but according to that lineage (this was said by Master Kosen in person) "if it's not full lotus, it's not Zazen, you can call it whatever you want, but not Zazen".

I continued to sit in burmese because I don't want to live with knee pain (or worse) if I can prevent it, but all the time I felt a bit bad, like I can't really practice because of my knees, and it felt a bit unfair too...

Then life changed course and I moved to a different city, and a few years later to a different country, and I simply didn't have a Dojo nearby anymore, so I continued sitting on my own, in burmese, feeling a bit inadequate. Then my kids were born and finding time to sit became really hard, and that's when I had to adapt my practice to my reality, I started chanting mantras for a few minutes, started practicing pranayama at the start of my Zazen period because it simply had to be so short that my mind didn't really had time to settle otherwise, and I kept calling it Zazen, because that's what it was for me, as best as I could. I explored other buddhist traditions and found that Zen is my way, so I felt that I was sort of fighting a battle that I couldn't win. And then I found Treeleaf, and then this book, and now this chapter, and I'm so happy and so relieved, delighted really, to know that my efforts to continue the practice were OK all along.

So THANK YOU for this book club, and THANK YOU for making this Sangha possible for all those of us with real lives that don't fit into the "traditional" Zen structure.


Gassho
Alina
ST

[Chikyou]

The one thing I enjoyed the most about this chapter was her openness, her acknowledgement that life is sometimes really hard and in those times it can be/seem almost impossible to continue with the "traditional" Zen practice. And that it's OK to adapt the practice a bit in order to navigate those difficult times, no need to make a problem out of it if it's not "strictly Zen".

My first contact with Zazen was in a Zen Dojo that follows the Sawaki-Deshimaru-Kosen lineage, long sitting periods in full lotus with a little kinhin in the middle, 90 minutes total each time, longer in sesshins. I loved it, I needed that at the time, but then because of a knee issue I have, full lotus wasn't a smart thing to practice for me for 90 minutes regularly. I switched to half lotus or burmese, but according to that lineage (this was said by Master Kosen in person) "if it's not full lotus, it's not Zazen, you can call it whatever you want, but not Zazen".

I continued to sit in burmese because I don't want to live with knee pain (or worse) if I can prevent it, but all the time I felt a bit bad, like I can't really practice because of my knees, and it felt a bit unfair too...

Then life changed course and I moved to a different city, and a few years later to a different country, and I simply didn't have a Dojo nearby anymore, so I continued sitting on my own, in burmese, feeling a bit inadequate. Then my kids were born and finding time to sit became really hard, and that's when I had to adapt my practice to my reality, I started chanting mantras for a few minutes, started practicing pranayama at the start of my Zazen period because it simply had to be so short that my mind didn't really had time to settle otherwise, and I kept calling it Zazen, because that's what it was for me, as best as I could. I explored other buddhist traditions and found that Zen is my way, so I felt that I was sort of fighting a battle that I couldn't win. And then I found Treeleaf, and then this book, and now this chapter, and I'm so happy and so relieved, delighted really, to know that my efforts to continue the practice were OK all along.

So THANK YOU for this book club, and THANK YOU for making this Sangha possible for all those of us with real lives that don't fit into the "traditional" Zen structure.


Gassho
Alina
ST

TreeLeaf really is wonderful.

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Tokan]

Thanks for sharing the insights from your practice Alina, I am sure more than one person here will relate to your experiences

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

[Jundo]

(this was said by Master Kosen in person) "if it's not full lotus, it's not Zazen, you can call it whatever you want, but not Zazen".

I call this Posture Fascism. It is very common in Japan too, and makes little sense.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Alina]

Thanks for sharing the insights from your practice Alina, I am sure more than one person here will relate to your experiences

Gassho, Tokan

satlah

Gassho

Alina
ST

[Alina]

I call this Posture Fascism. It is very common in Japan too, and makes little sense.

Gassho, J

stlah

Thank you Jundo for being so open, for sharing the practice and thus allowing us to practice in a Sangha too.
I always felt it didn't make much sense, but thought that maybe they were right? I was just learning after all...

Treeleaf's openness is a real jewel, and this past few weeks that has made me think about all the times I read that "hearing the Dharma is the greatest blessing".
I'm finally beginning to understand that, to experience it here.

Gassho

Alina
ST