Portraying Falsehood - What's In AName ?

[Seishin]

Many thanks for the kind words and acceptance. Well its seems one person was "duped" so I guess my concerns may have been valid but at least I'm happy to have shared them.

This obviously came up a few times when I sat this morning but I was able to let go having recognized the acceptance of the Sangha and felt an rare feeling of calmful peace. Then the laptop fan kicked in and I was back to reality.

So in the words of Paul Simons
You can call me Al.

Gassho

Toby/Seishin-Do/Al

SIFSRTM lah
[emoji120] [emoji120] [emoji120]

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[Ryudo]

I've been thinking about posting this question for a number of months now, as its something that's been mildly niggling me off and on.

This is a question of whether my forum username gives a false impression ?

When I joined Treeleaf nearly 11 months ago, I knew nothing of Dharma names or Jukai and having seen users with Japanese names I decided to use the name of the martial arts school I ran Seishin-Do. There was a very good reason for the choice and although it was based on a very young Google Translate, it stood for The Way of The Heart Soul Mind Body Spirit - I'm sure Jundo would make a far more accurate translation! Anyway it stood for my approach to both my training and then my teaching of Wado Ryu karate and other disciplines. It was how I applied myself and also what i asked of my students. It seemed appropriate for my return to Zen.

During last years Ango and Jukai I started having doubts about the message the name might give. Again these thoughts arose when discussing " Fake It 'til Make It " earlier this year, I even touched on the subject in a Pm to Jundo. Now as my Insight timer tells me I've been sitting for nearly 320 days my thoughts have returned to Jukai - whether I partake this year is a subject for another day - but it raises the question :

Does my username give the impression that I have received Jukai, which I have not ?
I would be interested in what folks think, especially those who have joined the Sangha since last September.

Given the precepts of Right Words, Deeds, Thoughts etc I just feel the name is possibly inappropriate.

Might be making a mountain out of a molehill, especially as most folk have more serious things to worry about.

So I'll sign of as usual.

Gassho

Toby

SIFSRTM

I always call you Toby because it is a bit easier, but great to hear that you are a martial arts teacher Seishin-Do !

Feels like I made two friends in one go. ��

Gassho����
Marcus
SatToday / LAH

[Seishin]

Marcus

Thank you but in fact there could now be four of us. Toby is a nickname I got 50 years ago, so there's my official name for family and tax man, then Seishin Do and now Al ! So you get four for one! The Who's Quadraphenia album springs to mind, as I have a tendency to see life as a song title.

Std

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[Seishin]

Well I think my paranoia has settled down a little but with my mind on Dharma names and the soon to start Ango/Jukai I am reviewing the Newcomer Vids and Buddha Basics, as has been said before we are all beginners, and beginning begins with every new/old moment.

So given I have at least 4 personalities in this "present life" - love Paul Simons so for now I'm Al! - thought I'd share a scan of my old MA school's emblem/badge. Name and images created by me, ratified by my 2nd Dan daughter and joint club instructor at the time.

Seishin Do Resize.jpg

Now my new dilemma after nearly 20 years, is did Google get the kanji right or did I call our school something completely different ? Well as that was zen and this is now do I care ? No (but Al does apparently......the rest of us three are cool) but I'd be interested in Jundo reading of the Kanji.

Now on the subject of "everything is a song title" ..........

Jethro Tull - Life's A Long Song
Jethro Tull - Dharma For One - or should that have been Not One Not Two

Gassho

Al/tax name/Seishin Do/Toby aka Oi You

BTW I am actually just a delusion of these four peeps and just a collection of space debris.

Sat today, well something sat. Could have been me or us, maybe be you but sat.

[Shoki]

I wouldn't worry about names. I use my given name because that's my name. On the other hand, I do not have a middle name. When I was younger and started filling out forms and applications for schools, jobs, etc. all the forms had a space for middle initial. Since I didn't have one I just started putting "A" as a middle initial. I just thought I should fill that space in. Today all my official papers, licenses, IDs have "A". Sometimes I think I should legally change my name and pick a name that starts with "A". Maybe Avalokiteshvara?

Gassho
Sat Today/LAH
James A.

[Mp]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4377[/ATTACH]

You must be the guy in the middle.

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Shokai]

Seishin-do:

The Kanji checks out and as for being just a collection of space debris; in zen terms you are five empty Skandas, as Kanjizai discovered while deeply coursing the course of prajna paramita. but then Carl Sagan had a pretty good slant on it with the Stardust twist. Now, there's another song tittle for ya
At any rate be whom ever you please as long as you do no harm, live a good life and help others. You are what you think and it's never too late to change your mind.

gassho,

sat/LAH

p.s. If you're the guy in the middle, I hope you got fireproof underwear in light of the proximity of those fire breathing dragons!!

[Tairin]

Thank you for bring up this topic Toby. You aren't alone. Actually when I first started hanging around here I wondered what was up with all the names. It felt quite pretentious but I assumed (correctly) that there was something I didn't understand so I just watched and waited for the clarity. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to select a name and had no idea how to go about doing that. I haven't completed Jukai and I may this fall but even then I might just stick with my own given name. It is me. I am attached to my name. I struggle with that though because in a sense it is grasping

Since I didn't have one I just started putting "A" as a middle initial. I just thought I should fill that space in. Today all my official papers, licenses, IDs have "A". Sometimes I think I should legally change my name and pick a name that starts with "A". .

My actual given name is "A". I use my middle name because it is more conventional. Few people call me A and not regularly. It does cause all sorts of problems with legal documents. Many forms don't ask for a middle name

Oh and to your original question I did asssume initially that you had either completed Jukai or had selected a name to fit in here. It was after a while that I realized you had a martial arts background and then I asssumed your name was related to that.

Gassho
Warren
Sat today and will soon LAH for my son who is desperate for my help

[Jundo]

My actual given name is "A". I use my middle name because it is more conventional. Few people call me A and not regularly. It does cause all sorts of problems with legal documents. Many forms don't ask for a middle name

Oh and to your original question I did asssume initially that you had either completed Jukai or had selected a name to fit in here. It was after a while that I realized you had a martial arts background and then I asssumed your name was related to that.

Gassho
Warren
Sat today and will soon LAH for my son who is desperate for my help

Just out of curiosity, what is the story of your name "A" as your first name? Wonderful name.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[FaithMoon]

Yes I'm also curious about the name "A". Would love to hear more about that.

My dharma name is in English, which I've come to understand is pretty unusual. My (Soto Zen) preceptor (who BTW is Japanese-American) gave all dharma names in English at first, but these days gives the recipient a choice of English or Japanese.

Faith Moon
st

[Tairin]

Just out of curiosity, what is the story of your name "A" as your first name? Wonderful name.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

The story is a little muddled because I am not sure my parents really had their story straight on this. I know there was some disagreement about what my name should be My dad wanted it to be something my mom didn't care for. Another choice was to be named after my father. His name is Arthur and so was my grandfather's but they didn't want me to be a "junior" or "Little Art" as my dad was called. Ultimately A ended up being a placeholder name so that I could pick something when I got older but I actually like it as is because it was unique. I was the first born and my younger brother is named B. No there isn't any C (common question).

Gassho
A Warren
Sat & LAH today

[Jundo]

The story is a little muddled because I am not sure my parents really had their story straight on this. I know there was some disagreement about what my name should be My dad wanted it to be something my mom didn't care for. Another choice was to be named after my father. His name is Arthur and so was my grandfather's but they didn't want me to be a "junior" or "Little Art" as my dad was called. Ultimately A ended up being a placeholder name so that I could pick something when I got older but I actually like it as is because it was unique. I was the first born and my younger brother is named B. No there isn't any C (common question).

Gassho
A Warren
Sat & LAH today

Oh my. Every family has a story and its little things.

Well, as long as they are not grades!

Gassho, J (call me J)

SatTodayLAH

[Seishin]

Shingen - I think at times I'm all three of those characters in one form or another.

Sokai - thank you for those kind words and teaching.

Warren - What a wonderful tale. I bet that must have drove your early teachers mad and then your younger brother starts the ball rolling again. Priceless. Even then you could be an Ar or an Ay.

[Meian]

I nearly always use a pseudonym for forums, for privacy reasons - unless it's a professional forum or university, in which case I use my name. This name I chose is a variation of a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien that I always liked, and that fits me very well.

As for Jukai - it remains a goal of mine, but I am not kidding myself on being able to complete the whole process this season. My interest is there but my ability with life circumstances is not. This too shall pass. Another time, another season. My practice is my practice even with a Lord of the Rings name.

Gsssho
Kim
St lh

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[RichardH]

Daizan is my second Dharma name. It speaks of a mountain, and the way of beauty. My first Dharma name (received in the Korean Zen tradition) was Kojip. My teacher at the time said it meant Four Noble Truths, but when I told it to Korean people they always had a bemused look on their faces, as if to say "oh sure....the four noble truths". Only years later did I ask someone to explain that response. Kojip in Korean means roughly... a blinkered stubborn ass. Now I prefer the new Dharma name... that's how I like to see myself, but the first one is also right on the mark. C'est le vie.


Gassho
Daizan

Sat today