Introductions

[Keishin]

introductions

gassho and hello to everyone!
What a very special place to find--this lovely zendo and this world embracing sangha! Currently I live in Santa Monica, California.
I've been sitting for a while--since before my son was born--so that makes it over 20 years now(!!!). I sat first with Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka Roshi (Soto lineage) at the Long Beach Zen Temple--which was really just the living room of the upstairs apartment where he lived.
He gave me my dharma name: Keishin.
But I got my start down the zen path a few years before that when the dishwasher at the restaurant where I worked gave me my first zen book (Dropping Ashes on the Buddha - teaching letters of Seung Sahn Soen-sa nim (Chogye order of Korean Buddhism)). He (the dishwasher) invited me to the Providence Zen Center to attend his wedding and the huge (8 foot, 12 foot?) golden Buddha at the temple was just WAY to much for me to assimilate at that time, but I read the book, and zen has been with me ever since.
I have sat with 4 different groups a minimum of 3 years, maximum of 5--so that makes 14 years sitting with 4 different teachers.
Matsuoka Roshi died in '97: especially to him, and to my other teachers as well, I owe much gratitude.
Finding a good match with a teacher is so important. At this time I seem to be in an awkward stage of development: I don't want to be part of an organized hierarchy, but I don't feel 'fully baked' and ready to come out of the oven, either: I've still got (and will always have, I'm sure) a ways to go. I need a teacher to make sure I go straight. I find it helpful to 'talk zen' at times, but zen isn't something you can just talk to anyone about. I need a sangha! While I appreciate scholarship and benefit from someone else's hard work and study in the esoteric aspects of zen, my great interest lies in the ordinariness of it, in the waking moments of the day's normal activities.
From what I see and read at this cyber zendo, I'm in the right place.
so, may we help each other, and may we all realize the Buddha Way together, gassho, Keishin

[BruceF]

Greetings!

Hello All!

I'm Bruce, a 21 year old college student (and computer repair guy) from Viewtown, VA (about an hour south of DC). I'm also a neophyte when it comes to Zen. My parents are Baptist, but I could never really believe in the things that were required, because I never felt like I experienced it myself, so that was the end of that. I started doing Shorin-ryu Karate at the end of high school, which really got me into Japanese culture and introduced me to the world of Zen practice. I've been fascinated with it since then, but I really didn't pursue it as a path. When I found Jundo's netcast, it really reinvigorated my study and interest, so I have now started sitting with him everyday . I can only sit for about 5-10 minutes so far, so I'm mainly trying just get into the habit of doing it daily. I'm in the process of reading my first book about Zen, "The Three Pillars of Zen" by Kapleau, and I'm very excited to participate in the book club here on the forum. I think this place is great for people like myself who don't know anyone else that practices Zen (or even Buddhism in general) to interact with others who have a vested interest in the same ideals. I look forward to getting to know all of you!

-- Bruce F.

[slapsko]

Hi
I´m Bengt, a 50 yo industrial worker from Sweden. I´ve been interested in buddhism for about 30 years but my practice hasn´t been regular until last year.
More later

Slapsko/ Bengt

[PaxAnimi]

Hello all,
My name is Sean and I currently attend Reed College where I am focusing on Classical Studies. The Latin nerd in me chose the name PaxAnimi which translates as Peace of Mind (Animi also translates as soul, feelings, character, pride, etc.) I am new to Zen, but have been practicing/studying Buddhism on and off for a few years now. Anyways, I hope to get to know you all and am looking forward to practicing with this sangha.

Peace and happiness,
Sean

[Jundo]

Hello David,



I think that I have pushed all the buttons, so you are now admitted to the community forum. We have some "spambots" (spam robots) trying to register, so I like to make sure that folks are actual Sentient Beings! Thank you for trying to register, and thank you for sitting.

From time to time, please post something here and on the blog

http://treeleafzen.blogspot.com/



It is the best way to build a feeling of community, and for everyone to get to know each other. Some very nice people are participating, and some very strong and experienced Zazen sitters. Please write me at any time if I can help with something. My email is Jundo@treeleaf.org



I would do the daily online sittings on the blog every day even if nobody were joing along, but it is very nice to know that people are getting some benefit from them.



Gassho, Jundo

[Undo]

Hello One and all,

I am a Zen beginner. I am also a 32 year old stay at home dad to my two month and 5 day old son. I work from home a bit too. I live on the south coast of Spain (near Gibraltar) and like the outdoors. Over the last two weeks I have been doing a hell of a lot of sitting, I broke my fifth metatarsal doing the reverse of rock climbing.

Thanks for the site Jundo and I look forwards to meeting everyone else. The book club looks good too.

All the best,

Plankton.

[Jun]

Hello

Hello from DownUnder,

I have been sitting zazen now for about six years together with my wife. I used to practice Shingon-shu, but on a trip to Japan six years back I met a Zen guy and I've been sitting Zazen since.

Thank you Jundo for the lovely site and the daily sittings. I have been sitting and listening since joining.

よろしくお願いします.
Jun

[egbrooks]

Hello Everyone,
My name is Eric and I've been practicing Zen off and on for about 6 years. I sat briefly with a Soto Zen group in Pittsburgh but I took a job as an air traffic controller and was relocated to northern VA.


Thanks for this wonderful site!

Take care,
Eric

[Martin]

Hello Everyone

My name is Martin. I am 46 and I live in the UK with my wife and three kids. I am new to Buddhism, having followed (tried to follow!) Soto Zen for a year and a half.

I think Treeleaf Zendo is such a great idea. Thank you Jundo. I look forward to sitting with, and talking to, you all.

Gassho

Martin

[Itai]

Shalom from Tel Aviv,

My name is Itai. I received the Precepts (Jukai) in 1995 and have practiced in the Soto Zen tradition for about 15 years. I haven't found a sangha in Israel so, thank you, Jundo for creating Treeleaf! For a number of years, I taught Hebrew at a university in Portland, Oregon. I also studied early music and harpsichord at Reed College. Since then, I've lived in Mexico, Jordan and now I'm back in Tel Aviv going to graduate school (History and Arabic).

Kind regards to all,

Itai

[Justin]

Hello all!

My name is Justin, 20 years old, a resident of Austin, TX. I'm a student, record collector (really need to work on that non-attatchment bit :wink, and aspiring writer.

Four years ago I read Kapleau's "Three Pillars" cover to cover, fascinated by the idea of Enlightenment and making tentative stabs at sitting zazen based on the diagrams in the book. As I'm sure happened with many other "diagram-sitters," I quickly became frustrated and (without a teacher to encourage me) abandoned the practice.

To make a very long story short: I did the typical college student philosophical tourism after that, but one day about two months ago it hit me like a brick to the face that Soto Zen was what I'd sought. I know now to be mindful of making zazen or enlightenment another "if only" that will solve all my problems, and I'm slowly learning to "just sit."

I've been trying to sit at my local Zen Center when my schedule permits, I've been doing a lot of reading, and I'm very happy to have stumbled across Jundo Cohen's internet sangha.

I look forward to finding the Path with all of you.

[paige]

Hi to everyone!

After 70+ posts, I should maybe introduce myself a bit?

I'm paige, from Western Canada. I started practising meditation a bit more than 10 years ago, at a very (North) Americanised Soto Zen temple. Once I started university, I moved to a small city with no Buddhist community to speak of (besides an erratic non-denominational sitting group). My practice has varied over the years between diligently sitting for 30+ minutes twice a day, to whenever I felt like it, to quitting altogether for a year or more.

I've since moved again, to a much larger city. There is no zendo here, so I am instead attending a Linji Ch'an monastery. I'm once again dedicated to daily sitting (for even longer stretches now), as the nuns can easily detect when I've been slacking off and will call me on it.

Although I've been studying sutras under the guidance of my various teachers from pretty much the very start of my practice, I've only recently (in the past 2 years or so) become interested in practising Buddhism as a religion/philosophy. I still tend to stumble over identifying myself as a Buddhist, I'm not sure why.

Besides that, I'm a computer programmer, though currently unable to work due to disability. I'm very grateful for the Treeleaf zendo and community forum, as my health problems have me feeling quite isolated at the moment, and I can no longer attend my centre's classes, services and retreats as often as I would like.

[Blind Ox]

Hello Sanga!

My given name is Daniel Lee. I live in a very small community called Old Boston, Texas (where they filmed parts of the Apostle ) on the outskirts of a small city Texarkana, on the border of Texas and Arkansas, a few miles from Oklahoma and Louisiana. I've practiced Tae kwon do for 23+ years or so, Escrima 16 years, jujitsu (weeping style) for 2 years. I meditated when I was a teenager but had a awkward experience that led me to believe it wasn't for me. I remember beginning then a few minutes twenty or so into it, everything began getting smaller. Like my consciousness was outgrowing my body on a cosmic level. There was such a rush sensation I became scared and said wow, but no way man. Well since I've sat in meditation on a few times since then but believe it may have been an over active imagination or truly vivid illusion. Anyway thanks to Jundo I am happy to sit for for the sake of just sitting. Truly a remarkable philosophy.

I'm just an ordinary guy with 3 kids, no dog, and deep admiration for experiencing life to the fullest. Oh and I'm a grey headed 31 year old.

Gassho
Daniel

That was me in disguise .

[louis]

Dearest TLfer's,

This is Louis, and I've been sitting with you all for the better part of two months pretty much rain or shine. I live in Stamford CT, with my wife Tamiko and our 20 month old daughter Emma. Flako, our dog is the cause of my precepts lapses.

Now in my mid 40's, I first was introduced to the Kwan Um Zen of Seung Sahn while in college in Cambridge MA and later in Providence RI. The 108 morning bows kept me fit, and I became quite fond of the chanting. Five years ago I would make a weekly trek to White Plains NY to sit with a group affiliated with the White Plum lineage under Robert Kennedy, who is also a Jesuit Priest in the Catholic Church. Our retreats were held in this locale, Inisfada, Gaelic for Long Island and quite swank. Having grown up Catholic, I found this group a welcomed progressive movement within my tradition.

That was interrupted by a prolonged illness (much better now), and most recently the good fortune of being a father. I find Jundo a hoot, and trust his approach. I am grateful for the leaf's existence, and look forward to contributing to the Sangha.

Gassho and with affection to all,
Louis

[will]

Hi Louis. Welcome to treeleaf.