Dear Sangha,
After seeking permission from our Roshi, I have decided to share a text I wrote to express my understanding of Zen.
Those who are close to me know that I often hesitate to post here because articulating Zen in words is quite challenging.
Additionally, I find it difficult to discuss this topic because I need to choose the right words. As a non-native English speaker, expressing Zen— a concept that cannot be easily conveyed—makes it even more challenging.
I hope you find it an enjoyable read.
Gasshō!
SatLah
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**View on Zen** by Junshō
Every instant, in every moment, reality is manifested, much like the wind you feel even though you cannot see the air around you. When we breathe, all of nature breathes with us; when we sit in zazen, the entire universe manifests Buddha nature alongside us.
We are not separate from everything; in reality, there is no "me" or "you." The ego is a creation of our deluded minds, but even our deluded minds possess Buddha nature. Everything that exists is a continuous manifestation of Buddha nature, and just as our lives unfold, when causes and conditions cease, the wind of change extinguishes one flame to make space for another.
Although reality manifests here and now throughout space and time, we are often blind to this truth, much like we cannot understand the heart of a bird without being a bird ourselves.
However, when we sit in zazen, the veils of delusion fall away, revealing reality without judgment, like a rock that remains still in the river, unaffected by the water's flow.
At the same time, our minds shape our perception of reality, giving it a different flavor, even though reality exists independently. Every time we condition our zazen mind, this filter falls away, and we, along with the entire universe, unveil Buddha nature, despite there being no goal and no effort involved.
No Buddha, no mind, and yet both Buddha and mind exist here and now.
After seeking permission from our Roshi, I have decided to share a text I wrote to express my understanding of Zen.
Those who are close to me know that I often hesitate to post here because articulating Zen in words is quite challenging.
Additionally, I find it difficult to discuss this topic because I need to choose the right words. As a non-native English speaker, expressing Zen— a concept that cannot be easily conveyed—makes it even more challenging.
I hope you find it an enjoyable read.
Gasshō!
SatLah
------
**View on Zen** by Junshō
Every instant, in every moment, reality is manifested, much like the wind you feel even though you cannot see the air around you. When we breathe, all of nature breathes with us; when we sit in zazen, the entire universe manifests Buddha nature alongside us.
We are not separate from everything; in reality, there is no "me" or "you." The ego is a creation of our deluded minds, but even our deluded minds possess Buddha nature. Everything that exists is a continuous manifestation of Buddha nature, and just as our lives unfold, when causes and conditions cease, the wind of change extinguishes one flame to make space for another.
Although reality manifests here and now throughout space and time, we are often blind to this truth, much like we cannot understand the heart of a bird without being a bird ourselves.
However, when we sit in zazen, the veils of delusion fall away, revealing reality without judgment, like a rock that remains still in the river, unaffected by the water's flow.
At the same time, our minds shape our perception of reality, giving it a different flavor, even though reality exists independently. Every time we condition our zazen mind, this filter falls away, and we, along with the entire universe, unveil Buddha nature, despite there being no goal and no effort involved.
No Buddha, no mind, and yet both Buddha and mind exist here and now.
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