Yes. You are right Geika. I should use better discretion. I am glad you hang out with interesting people. [emoji2]
Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_
Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_
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I so much agree. You really express things well, I feel.
I feel so too. And, although the "Happiness" that is offered may be more "equanimity" and being at home in life "as it is," it is still a real "concrete solution to fix the problems in [peoples'] lives and enhance their quality of life." Being "at peace" with one's life, even a life that is not always feeling "peaceful," is a wonderful ability which actually may let us focus and solve some of those problems.... I guess my original point was that a lot of people in the West are interested in enlightenment because of the promise of happiness it will give them. Generalizing here,forgive me, but it seems to means that Westerners are not interested in pie-in-the-sky promises like heaven or a Pure Land, existing outside of the samsaric or dimensional cycle as bodiless energy after death, bodiless consciousness, or what have you. They want real, concrete solutions to fix the problems in their lives and enhance their quality of living. And I think that is the soteriological environment that Buddhism entered when it migrated to the West.
We also offer a real transcendence of certain "problems" in life, such as those related to death, sickness and loss. The result I sometimes describe is that one may have "fear" and "no fear" at the same time, a "problem" and "no problem" at the same time. Sometimes more one or the other, sometimes "no fear" and "no problem" at all.
Gassho, J
SatTodayLAHLast edited by Jundo; 04-25-2018, 12:45 AM.ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
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And if I was not clear, I have many friends from Texas, some of my family is from Texas, and I don't have an anti-Texas bone in my body. I like Texas BBQ (if I must) and I do not care personally if someone likes the Oilers or Cowboys (okay, a little ... I was a Dolphins fan myself). We accept Texans like Jishin as sentient beings too.
Gassho, J
SatTodayLAHLast edited by Jundo; 04-25-2018, 01:29 AM.ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
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Hi Geika,
I thought your response was beautifully written and a wonderful sentiment.
I just want to mention that currently the term transvestite is considered slightly offense to some. This is likely due to the history of the word where "Transvestic fetishism" specifically referred to a person of one sex dressing in the clothes of the other sex and specifically for sexual gratification. It was considered a pathology.
Obviously the terms you use with your friends are the right terms for you all. But I wanted folks reading your wonderful post to be aware that some might take offense at the term. The "right terms" change all the time but most of the folks I know use the term Cross-Dresser now. Here is a link to the GLAAD web page.
Cross-dresser
While anyone may wear clothes associated with a different sex, the term cross-dresser is typically used to refer to men who occasionally wear clothes, makeup, and accessories culturally associated with women. Those men typically identify as heterosexual. This activity is a form of gender expression and not done for entertainment purposes. Cross-dressers do not wish to permanently change their sex or live full-time as women. Replaces the term "transvestite".
No big deal. Again, I love your post.
Gassho, Shinshi
SaT-LaH空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
For Zen students a weed is a treasure. With this attitude, whatever you do, life becomes an art.
— Shunryu Suzuki
E84I - JAJComment
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Isn't "Not to be too triggered, but..." almost the same as "I am not a racist, but..."?
On that topic, and Jundo's observation, that the reason many people seek Zen, meditation etc. today is very different from when he started it. It strikes me as noteworthy, that Zen (in a huge broad sweeping overgeneralization) has changed very much just in the 20 years, that I have been acquainted with it. If one looks at premodern and modern texts, Zen sanghas (which autocorrect like to change to "sangrias" for some reason) were brutal places. For the spirit and for the body. Submit or die. Todays Zen in many places, are less strict, open to change, and seem genuinely willing to accept everyone. Yes there are still rules, but far less strict than when I first encountered. But then again, Buddhism has always been very adaptable. And as it seeks to expand it's share of the spiritual market place, it must at least in some part adapt to these conditions. And at least in the US Zen seems to be doing quite well. I think a lot of strange marketing mechanisms goes on, when one tries to "sell" buddhism and/or Zen outside of Asia. And I am not a fan of the bait and switch than happens quite often, as was stated earlier. I think it's dishonest. I understand why it is done, but I do not agree with the method. Now before I come of as a traditionalist (in what sense anyway), let me point out, that I am not. Ex. while I don't practise it, I appreciate mindfulness (not the Mcmindfulness of course), even if I think they at times oversell themselves (and a couple of new metastudies showed mindfulness was no as an effective strategy as it proclaims). I think that it is wonderful that specific practices get taken out of buddhist context and reused. It again forced the tradition to evolve. There are rituals, principle, practises in Zen that is more Japanese than Zen, and are in no way essential to it's practice. I assume most Zen priests/monks would disagree.
Sat Today
JesperComment
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Shinshi, I remember having read that about the term "transvestite" some time ago, now that you bring it to my attention. I will watch that from now on, thanks.
Jesper, I realize how I sounded when I started my post off with "Not to be too triggered, but..." Looking back, it was a poor choice of words considering what I wrote. I guess what I was trying to say was this: "I really don't know if I want to articulate what I'm about to write because I don't want to come across as humorless, and this probably won't bug me as much tomorrow as it does today."
I very much dislike being the person that takes offense. Rereading Jishin's post made me realize that despite the fact I was briefly offended, my opinions on humor are pretty much the same as his. It was a personal matter for me yesterday, but really I was just taking offense for someone I care about who never saw the thread and never will. It would be up to him to be offended, not me. Jishin got the point from Jundo, I didn't need to butt in. Today I am just disappointed in myself for hijacking a thread, although I appreciate that a few people found my post thoughtful.
Gassho, sat today, lah求道芸化 Kyūdō Geika
I am just a priest-in-training, please do not take anything I say as a teaching.Comment
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Hi Geika,
I think yours posts are timely and measured. I get carried away and need help putting the breaks on.
[emoji2]
Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_Comment
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I think that even the conceptions of happiness are subtle and varied. From Aristotle’s “human flourishing” to the fairly hedonic concepts many of us think about, and on through the Positive Psychology vision of “flow,” there are as many types of happiness as there are people. This points me to the truth that perhaps “happiness” is subjective. So happiness is clearly without permanence and void of intrinsic self-nature.
That’ not a bad thing. Balancing the mundane and sublime is part of the challenge of practicing meditation and attempting a posture of equanimity.
Gassho, Rendulic
Sat today LAHComment
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I've always had trouble with happiness, because when I was a teenager and young adult I decided that it was ultimately impossible to achieve; the best was "contendedness" when I felt nothing was particularly good or bad. Happiness was something where all achievements were achieved and there was no possibility of feeling bad because everything was great. Looking back it's easy to see why I thought it was impossible.
I'm trying to crack that nut currently, to allow myself to feel happy just as much I should allow myself to feel sad, depressed, angry, annoyed, or whatever. Feeling happy is still difficult, because now I know fully that it will be gone and in the future I'll think back to when I was happy and feel sad simply because I can't do the impossible and live in the past.
I really don't like poetry, at least anything longer than a haiku, but for some reason this poem that I recently came across (listening to an SFZC dharma talk) really speaks to this topic for me.
Gassho,A Brief for the Defense (by Jack Gilbert)
Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not starving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that's what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor women
at the fountain are laughing together between
the suffering they have known and the awfulness
in their future, smiling and laughing while somebody
in the village is very sick. There is laughter
every day in the terrible streets of Calcutta,
and the women laugh in the cages of Bombay.
If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction,
we lessen the importance of their deprivation.
We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world. To make injustice the only
measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.
If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down,
we should give thanks that the end had magnitude.
We must admit there will be music despite everything.
We stand at the prow again of a small ship
anchored late at night in the tiny port
looking over to the sleeping island: the waterfront
is three shuttered cafés and one naked light burning.
To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat
comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth
all the years of sorrow that are to come.
Kenny
Sat TodayComment
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Hi Kenny,
Thank you for sharing, and the amazing poem.
I did not want to leave people with the impression from this thread that we just have to be rather "numb, stiff upper lip content," and can't be happy. In fact, we can be oh so very laughing and happy about every happy event in life, sad and teary eyed when we are sad, and even overidingly Big J Joyous for both those facts. Smile, laugh, thrill to life's bright moments.
I am finishing up the Introduction to my new book today, and it touches on this. I quote myself. I began to write this when I was in the hospital for my cancer operation last year:
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Zen Masters say “Every Day is a Good Day,” (in Japanese, “Nichi nichi kore kōnichi” or 日々是好日) The world is going as the world must go. My Teacher, Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi, used to describe the most fundamental beliefs of Buddhism as “resting upon a solid foundation of thoroughgoing and deep optimism, a positive acceptance and profound sentiment of ‘being right at home’ in this world, here and now. This life, this world, is ‘just what-it-is,’ not to be avoided, not to be escaped or fled.” (from ‘A Heart-to-Heart Chat on Buddhism with Old Master Gudo’). There is some subtle Beauty and Rightness that holds the cosmos together. There is a Goodness which transcends all small human judgments of right and wrong, good and bad.
Yet, watching the news from my hospital bed, endless images of war, tragedy and sadness fill the screen, stories of human beings including small children who are suffering, so much ugliness and brokenness in so many places. I wish that I could fix this world, end the wars once and for all, comfort the children, right injustice. There are so many bad things in the world, together with much good.
Which way of seeing the world is right?
An amazing aspect of Zen, the essence of the Wisdom and Compassion at its very center, is that it allows all such views and viewpoints to be true at once, and each in their way. They all have their place, are appropriate as a perspective, and there is not the least conflict among such ideas and emotions that might appear at first to be directly opposed. Truly, I am experiencing all such ways of encountering life tonight. I am a sick man in a bed, a little lonely and very afraid … yet my heart flies free for there is never a drop of fear or wall in the universe to hold me. 35 years of Zen Practice have allowed me to handle and balance all these feelings and perspectives at once, no conflict in the least amid a mix of sometimes conflicted human feelings. No, it is not some strange mental disease, but the very cure for human dis-ease in encountering life. It is balanced, healthful, effective, and oh-so-wise (in my humble opinion). Fearlessness yet fear, Peace amid chaos, Goodness manifesting as good and bad, all fitting together in Harmony (notice how I capitalize some words to distinguish from ordinary feelings) with nothing to be rejected, each perfuming and clarifying the other. My Joy and Trust know no limits simultaneously with tears wetting my cheeks - when my loved one dies and I miss her, when I fear that I might die, when another war is fought somewhere on this planet, when the world seems sometimes so hopeless, the past imperfect and the future unknown..
How is that possible? How can one know life in such seemingly “opposite” ways at once?
...
It is a way of being, experiencing life from several angles (and angle-less) all at once. Not only in cancer wards of hospitals, but whenever and whenever life presents us human beings with troubles, loss, frustrations, disappointments big and small, whether the most overwhelming trials or the downright trivial. The Zen Masters found that one can be human, experience human feelings, yet balance and transcend our human feelings. We can better avoid the truly harmful emotional reactions and thoughts, not becoming their prisoner, while drinking deep of the sweet juice of this life and the beneficial emotions. One can love and savor life very richly, yet not be addicted to life. One can feel natural sadness or fear, yet not drown in sadness and fear. In doing so, they found a way to see through our feelings, transcending our thoughts and judgments about the world, to a realm of Wholeness and Flowing beyond all loss and gain, division and conflict, this and that, me and you, coming and going … even beyond birth and death (as one realizes such Wholeness which just flows on and on before, as and after our little lives). It is a most Peaceful and Complete “seeing beyond” all of life’s “full catastrophe” (to quote ‘Zorba the Greek’) which, the Zen Masters discovered, is not ever “beyond” at all. All we need do is open our eyes in Zazen to see what is manifesting here all along. The Whole and Flowing, Peaceful Completion is fully present and dancing right in/as/through our world of broken things, a Thusness free of conflict that is simultaneously present in the heart of the seeming conflicts and disturbances, war and peace, impermanence, life and death. One might say that the former is disguised as the latter. Thus, it is possible to feel sadness with no sadness at all, grief at death yet beyond death, fear and freedom from any fear as one.
Crazy sounding, perhaps, but so very Wise-Crazy.
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Gassho, J
SatTodayLAHLast edited by Jundo; 05-04-2018, 01:17 AM.ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
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[emoji120][emoji120][emoji120]
Love
Gassho
Jakuden
SatToday/LAH
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkComment
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Kenny, my experience with the first noble truth is not just that life will contain suffering, but that even the "good" things contain the seed of suffering, because at our core we know everything is impermanent, and that thing will eventually come to an end. My experience of contentedness isn't a feeling of nothing, but rather one of enjoyment-without-grasping in spite of the knowledge that enjoyment is temporary.
Shinshou
Sat todayComment
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Painting with a broad brush, generally, the South Asian Buddhist Traditions have interpreted this "life is suffering" and "all things are impermanent" to mean that one must "get out of Dodge," escape the cycle of Rebirth completely, hope for good rebirths in the meantime, and cool and still the emotions as best one can (especially for monastics). As I said, painting with too broad a brush really, because people everywhere know when to smile.
The Northern (Mahayana) Buddhist Traditions, and especially Zen, have been more focused on liberation in this life, in this body, and more openness to ordinary human emotions, accepting the joys and sadness of this life, and celebrating this life. That does not mean that Zen monastics crack up in the middle of funerals, but most I have met do know when to laugh.
Gassho, J
SatTodayLAHALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLEComment
I put my foot in my mouth all day. That's how I can tell when someone else might be doing it. 
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