GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

[Gregor]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hi James,

Great to meet you. Looking forward to studying the dharma and sitting with you.

[Mary]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Greetings-
My name is Mary. I am from Ferndale, Washington which is about 95 mi north of Seattle and about 25 mi s of the Canadian border. I have been practicing Zen for about 5 years. I came to Zen by accident. I encountered Buddhism first through a couple of movies and lots of books. This was before I was aware there were sects of Buddhism, so I just read whatever seemed next to read. This means I have read books from many teachers of all sects. I was originally interested in Tibetan Buddhism, because I thought it was colorful and loud, which I liked. I was LEAST interested in Zen, because it was quiet and way less colorful. But, I heard that some Zen priest was giving a public talk in a nearby town. I went to hear Zoketsu Norman Fischer speak, and was so moved that I gravitated more and more toward Zen.
I am fortunate to have a nearby hall and sangha. I join here for what another on this forum called "extra credit". I am married and have two children, one still in the nest. So, it is not always easy for me to make it to sits and services. Also, I find I need a format where I can freely discuss practice. This exchange is not always possible even with a face-to-face sangha.
Gassho-
Mary

[Dojin]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

welcome mary

[Kevin Solway]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hiya folks,

You seem to have a good thing going on here.

I'm an old-time . . . er . . . thinker . . . perhaps. I'm somewhat of a militant thinker, if that's possible.

You can find all my stuff at theabsolute.net

I'll shortly be putting up a large webpage about the correct way to interpret rebirth, and all the reasons that literal rebirth is wrong, even supported by the scriptures themselves.

[chicanobudista]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Bienvenido Hernan y tod@s!

[Daiji]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hi everyone,
My name is Nombi and I have been practicing Soto on/off for about 10 years. The on/off part includes practicing Nichiren buddhism, a little reading and exploration on my own, as well as Vajrayana. However what I have always enjoyed, and have finally realized is more for me, is "just sitting". I have read plenty of books about meditating, but at some point you have to actually do the work, so here I am. I teach yoga and chi gong, and live in the desert, so I have plenty of opportunities to contemplate "big sky mind", even if I don't experience it on my cushion... but I'm not attached to it, so no worries.... :wink:

[Shohei]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hello and Welcome Amanda, Ian, James, Mary and Nombi.

Gassho, Dirk

[Dojin]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

welcome all to our little corner of the woods

[Tom]

Gassho from Tom

Gassho, All.

My name's Tom and I'm writing to you from Indonesia. Where Zen pilgrims once had to traverse dangerous paths, like tiger filled mountain passes, I've been caught up on technicalities a 10-year old could probably fix, even with a Mac. I clearly need to sit more. 8)

The next Zen riddle for me will be an avatar, but once it's up you may all wish that I didn't put it there, if my gym friends comments are anything to go by. Introduction: I'm a 36-year old Australian bloke (guy) incarnated during the working day as a journalist, editor, and part-time grad student.

I've been reading, dabbling, starting, stopping, and starting again on the Buddhist path for 8 years. When life went well, practice waned. When life went badly, practice came back. But something kept bringing me back, probably the books of Geri "Parang" Larkin and her salt-of-the-earth tales of running a Sangha in downtown Detroit, Michigan and other parts of North America.

I'm looking forward to working with the treeleaf Sangha. Not having a Sangha has been a big challenge for me down here in the world's largest Muslim-majority country. I've schlepped down to the nearest temple a couple of times to talk with the nice, 20-something Thai monk. Meditation isn't encouraged in lay people, he said, first they must learn to keep the Sila. Fair enough, I thought, but something about Zen spoke to me in the same way I've seen on comments here.

Enough talking. I'll endeavour to sit each morning. The knowledge that there are dozens of you out there doing the same, in different time zones, in different parts of the planet is helping.

Gassho.

Tom.

[Dosho]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Welcome to Treeleaf Tom!

[Igor]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hello everybody!

My name is Igor and I'm new in this place. I practice zazen for some time now, but I think that I need some help with my practice. Hopefully you'll be kind enough to give me some advice sometime, will you?

All the best,

Igor

[Yugen]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Igor,
Welcome to Treeleaf! I look forward to practicing and learning with you... we all learn from one another... I look forward to your posts.

Gassho,
Alex

[Shohei]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hi and Welcome Tom and Igor.

Gassho, Dirk

[monkton]

Re: GREETINGS BY NEW FOLKS (DECEMBER)

Hi all,

Michael here, very happy to be sitting in with you all. I'm in Wicklow right now, and I'm enjoying reading through the posts and browsing some earlier talks too.

May all be happy and well!

Michael

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