RECOMMENDED DAILY Nurturing Seeds PRACTICE

[Ryudo]

Thank you for this.
For me it is a challenge that may be applied in many fields, mostly in little things that might seem only unimportant details.

Gassho
Marcus

SatToday

[Tai Shi]

Old and new friends, hello! And, this corner has been a long time coming. Apparently I posted here when I was new in the Sangha, and for more than a year, I was Elgwyn in our Sangha. I have come to revere and even love the people here. Even through my conversion to Christianity, our Treeleaf Sangha has been here for me, listening, advising, and even admonishing as I nearly had to leave in personal disgrace. In my home, anger has often "got" the best of me, and this sensitive poet loses his temper. I am truly ashamed of some of my behavior toward those I love. I have recently actually begun to listen to my wife of 37+ years who I love with all my heart. In the past I often turned on her, spent money our family did not have, behaved recklessly toward my lovely wife and brilliant daughter. Last week, I took steps to correct my credit behavior, largely because my wife has made sure my credit is in order. I refinanced large debt with my own disposable money. If I can pay off this loan, without spending even $10 on credit, then I will have saved more that $2200 and salvaged many feelings in my family. I can no longer find excuse, after excuse for my behavior, for at age 67, I vow to take hold of negative seeds in my Buddhist mind, in my own personal behavior. My positive seeds are now responsibility, equanimity, understanding, and acceptance. These anger seeds can be supplanted, and ask my Sangha to help me learn to pay my bill of about $163.00 a little less each month. I know that greed and control are the opposite of generosity, and surrender. Generosity and surrender are necessary for successful family, and Buddhist behavior. These and loyalty I wish to be my seeds of Buddhist behavior. I have come to believe Buddhism is my plan of life, not some esoteric philosophy. Please Sangha members, help me be responsible, and find actual peace and love before I die, Please allow me to fulfill my vows to die a gentle and sober man. With all the gratitude I can find. Thank you
Tai Shi
sat
Gassho

[Seishin]

Thank you for bringing this back to focus in the Genjokoan discussion. I've neglected this practice for a while now and allowed things to get on top of me, especially anger and frustration. So I have created a new list for my phone along with Nengei's gatha. I am sure I'll be using it a lot in the roll up to Brexit or whatever happens in the UK and the knock effect to UK folks living in the EU.

Deep Bows

Sat / lah

[Tai Shi]

Seishin, Hi, I am Tai Shi, and I will consider a move from the Unitarian Universalist church to Episcopalian, and remain with Treeleaf Sangha. My wife and I are apart, and much of the time I do not communicate with her. We have shared a game Pokémon go. Sometimes I try to touch her, and she moves away, and she does not understand my preoccupation with religion. She is agnostic or atheist, and she does support my membership in Treeleaf Sangha and she knows enough about Soto Zen Buddhism to know that it is atheist in some ways, and actually when I admit this to myself, this is where I stand too, and I too am atheist or agnostic, and I've been hurt enough by religion to want a big change in my life, and I maybe can truly breath better when I admit this to myself. Zen Buddhism is so very important as I have read Uchiyama's book and I can focus on my own practice. I have read How to Cook Your Life and I see the vast sea of being;"in- the moment," and of the first three chapters of GenjoKoan, I understand and float into the vast ocean of life. I understand that Let there be Songs to fill the air, ripple in still waters. may your cup be filled-- no simple highway, my path for my steps alone So I see and feel it is not me but my attention to concepts as God which may not exist. Now for me the morning feels right. It is 4:38 a.m. and I have spent the night thinking this through, and Maybe it's not me but churches that are wrong. And, it's not a matter of my wife. All I know is a bird sings a while then flies off. I know why a tune is sweet, and why I need not cry anymore. A bird sings then flies off. I know snow and rain, and there is freedom in yes, freedom in morning depth and light. My knees are gone I am old. I don't care. My body is all I have. Sometimes when the moon is high a full moon, my neck bones are old and cannot look up, and from moon beams I know the moon is there. The sun shines, and clouds come. Water flows and fish swim. The song plays, this tune is mine, and I have nothing. I am nothing, am body and form, no matter I am sea foam I am sky and there is no why, there is no if. There is sky, there is earth, there is what Suzuki would say just sit, no more just sit.

Tai Shi
just sit
Gassho

[Tai Shi]

And now I am UU and an agnostic because after reasoned and calm discussion with my wife, on good Zen teacher she says that “What are you but an agnostic?” Yes I do not know for sure, and perhaps, I don’t know anything for sure. I know two things that I have undertaken the precepts of my And our Sangha, which follows the ideas of the Buddha, these are reasonable for the second thing I know today, just for today, I am sober.
Tai Shi
ssat/ lah
Gassho


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[Onka]

Gassho Onka
sat today

[Gokai]

A very beautiful and powerful practice. Often difficult to put into practice, but that is the way.
Gassho, Gokai
Sat today

[Chikyou]

This is something I would like to put into practice during this Ango season. Does anyone have advice on how to consistently remember/build the habit of practicing it?

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Onki]

Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful practice.
I will begin to try it out!

Gassho,

Finn

Sat today

[Tai Shi]

When I practiced for Jukai first time, I wass Elgwyn (my middle name). After I received my Dharma Name at Jukai, my first Jukai Ceramony, I became Tai Shi. This means Calm Poetry. I have found this is something to aim for, to include at my innermost being, to calm myself down. My biggest hurdle is Anger, and I will write often in Big Poetry, Little Poetry, any verse, a thread area on our Zendo. This allows me to exxplore feelings of opposites. I can also copyy these opposites onto an index card and carry it with me in pocket or billfold. I will also remember to look at it often so I can memorize these psychologies. I have gone through these Precepts before, and I own a wonderful book, The Mind of Clover, Robert Aitkeen, North Point Press, 1984, and this book takes me through the Precepts, one at a time, with excellent Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics. I will be reading these Essays as we go along from early September to the end of this celebration. I will review an American transslation of the Lotus Sutra. I have found that I have wasted time on "Facebook" so I will be giving up visits to Faccebook. As I always do, I will visit one of the sitting practices on Treeleaf Zendo. This year I will be visiting Friday evening (Saturday morning, Japan) Zazenkai. This is new for me though I have been there in some years past, have visited the recordings of our Zazenkai though not often. It;s brst for me to go to these meetings in person. And of course I will be reading and making a few comments. Now I tell you that I am retired, and I enjoy much free time. I have time for these activities. These are only for me. However, I welcome any one Ango partner who wishes to study and sit with me. I do have time, and I love to read.

Gassho
sorry for running long
sat/lah