Taking a Zen Name

[will]

Re: Taking a Zen Name

I disagree with The Kesa, Rakusu, and so on can mean many things, but their base is in our practice

Thank you Taigu. Yes. What I actually meant by that is: we can give these things all kinds of importance, but they are based in our practice. As you may note, I gave a few examples: Chanting, Samu, and so on. They can act as "some sort of symbol" (note the emphasis) or they can be an expression of our practice. When we experience the intimacy that is Zazen, then we can have an idea of the humility that these things express. They are a direction, not a fancy looking, self important wardrobe.

Gassho _/_

[Jundo]

Re: Taking a Zen Name

I disagree with The Kesa, Rakusu, and so on can mean many things, but their base is in our practice

Thank you Taigu. Yes. What I actually meant by that is: we can give these things all kinds of importance, but they are based in our practice.

The four corners of the Kesa sweep in the eight directions of the whole crazy world

Robe of liberation, sacred field of benefaction, both form and formlessness, the Buddha's teachings in each thread ...

... a robe to save all senient beings.

[Taigu]

Re: Taking a Zen Name

Thank you Will, yes, kesa is the robe of sitting, sitting is the marrow of the kesa. Sitting and kesa cannot be separated. And; as Jundo says, it sweeps the whole world, beyond anyhing you and me can imagine. You see, I was reading a good old verse written by one of our Chinese ancestors in the Shodoka, and looking at a beautiful calligraphy of Kobun roshi at the back of a friend's rakusu:

And my robe is the dew, the fog, the cloud, and the mist.

gassho

Taigu

[ZenYen]

Re: Taking a Zen Name

I used to post as "ZenYen" on a multi-faith forum, where we had a very nice online community and I learned a lot of things. Once, the topic of dharma names came up, and people explained their dharma names and how they received them.

I complained to my online friend Chiyo that I had no dharma name and that I belonged to no "official Zen sangha" where I could get one, and she quickly pointed out that ZenYen was a perfectly good dharma name.

I have ceased to worry about it since.

[Taigu]

Re: Taking a Zen Name

Indeed, ZenYen, nothing stops you to pick up a name for yourself. Of course, in our tradition, the name is generally given by the teacher. Sometimes teachers do change their names, the names I was given were much too big, much too important so I picked up a name which is dear to my heart, for it is the Dharma name or Ryokan but at the same time it describes pretty well the stupid guy I can be. Big fool, Taigu. Of course, n what we call original mind, which is totally different from the Christian idea based on a linear time( original has nothing to do with something at the start, prior to, before), there isn't any name or, if you wish, as many as you can dream .

gassho

Taigu

[aikoku tora]

Re: Taking a Zen Name

When it comes to " use" of the name; at least here I use it, as does my wife in a few ways.

She often calls me Mue-chan, and I return with a jo-chan...a typical use of chan showing affection, We use Mue, and Joshin when doing anything through the Zendo we opened here, so those who sit with us refer to us by our dharma names. When painting scrolls, I use my Hanko ( name stamp) of Mue, and sometimes on other art almost like a pen name depending on the subject/style etc...

So It really seems to be a preference on when it's used, but I accept it just as I do my nickname of aikokutora ( mourning tiger) or my given name Andrew; and should another prefer me to use their dharma name rather than a given, I will do so as well.



and Jundo is good with names so don't worry about that :mrgreen: