The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

[Jundo]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

Thank you, Jundo. I can see there is no conflict.

Hi Kaishin,

Yes. I linked to this old post today on another thread, but it fits here too ... If you would like to read a bit more about Mantra and short Chanting, please see this link ...

Well, I would say that this all depends how one defines a Mantra in one's heart. In much of Buddhism and related religions of India (although something very similar can be found in about all religions really ... e.g., like "God Is Great/Allahu al-Akbar" in Islam, an orthodox Jew's reciting the sacred letters of Torah, or "Praise Jesus" in some corners of Christianity), it is a sound, word or words that create transformation in some way.

...

Nichiren Buddhism (my wife's family are Nichiren Buddhists) is a school of Buddhism which developed in Japan hundreds of years ago centered on the power of the Lotus Sutra ... on the power of faith and recital even in just the name of the Lotus Sutra. Thus, they recite "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" (Hail the Wonderful Law of the Lotus Flower Sutra). Many Tibetans chant "Om mani padme hum" (Om! Hail the Jewel in the Lotus!). Another school of Buddhism in Asia is the Jodo (Pure Land) school(s), who worship or rely upon Amida Buddha, and thus chant "Namu Amida Butsu" (or its equivalent in Chinese etc., Homage to Amida, Buddha of Infinite Light).

...

In my opinion, of course, seated Zazen is "complete, whole, the only thing needed to do" in that moment of sitting. When we sit, it is very very vital to sit with the attitude sunk deep in one's bones that " there is no other place to be, nothing lacking, not one more thing to do" than this. (We do so because in daily life, running here and there and always feeling some lacks or discontents in life, we rarely if ever undertake one action with total heart and completeness in such way! Thus we call this "non-doing".)

However, rising from the cushion ... one must come to express Zazen all through daily life. All of daily life is also "Zazen" in its wider meaning. So, if a particular person wished to also chant "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" or "Namu Amida Butsu" or "Allahu al-Akbar" or "Kwan Seum Bosal" or the Torah or "Praise Jesus" (or "Praise Richard Dawkins" for our atheist members 8) ) ... that is fine. Up to each person in their heart. All Zazen in its wider meaning, as is everything from changing the baby to cooking dinner to sewing a Kesa.

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[Jinyu]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

Hi everyone!

I'm very happy to have learned more about some of our members "last practices or groups"!

Kwam um groups are indeed interesting and in a lot of ways very similar to ours... but also some huge differences, not in the view but in the practices chosen.
It has more of a cultural thing to me but I understand that, like in Chan, chanting a Buddha's name or making countless bows would seem difficult for some people.
But the heart of it is the same as the heart of zazen, if you chant the name of a Buddha or bow without wanting anything, a "shikan-recitation" or a "shikan-bowing" it can be an incredible practice! Of allowing what is and forgetting the self.

I personally practice this kind of practices and share them in my little group... but they need to be well explained personally to each people, and they are clearly not the "Soto way", one must also be clear about that! There are enough wonderful upayas in the Soto school: chanting many sutras and dharanis, sewing, bowing, writing sutras, ... each school there one!

But it can also be just time spent for nothing, "an infernal practice" like the texts use to say, if you don't dive into it with true sincerity...

Anyway, it is also very interesting to hear about the hangesa!
it is the second time I ever heard of it in the West! I remember the Triratna Sangha who used them ... but they are the only ones I knew!
I find that it can be a good opportunity for people receiving Jukai and with huge difficulties with sewing rakusu (in the case they don't receive one from another member of the sangha or buy one)... not particularly in our Sangha but in general!
The garment is also quite practical for our modern age... But hasn't the same appeal a rakusu can have.... I mean the first time I saw one I was hypnotize... but that is probably me... And the practice of sewing the rakusu is beautiful, it also supposed a lineage of people sewing point after point from the Buddha's time until now, that is also a beautiful living transmission of the teachings.

Anyway, sorry for all this, I'm quite out of the subject...
To be brief, When you explain what garment you where, the fact that you receive it along with receiving the precepts, ... generally there is no problem. Unless, as Jundo said, if you stay in that group for a long time you might feel that it would be better to also take a commitment in this Sangha.

Have a great great day everyone!
deep gassho,
Jinyu

[Shujin]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

Kaishin - hope you enjoy your time with the Kwan Um group. A KU group was the first group I ever sat with; I still have good memories of that brief period of time.

Jinyu - I hadn't thought of the hangesa in that way, but you make some good points. I posted something similar in another thread, but I have an unfortunate tendency to become fixated upon particular traditions.

gassho!
Shujin

[Kaishin]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

Kaishin - hope you enjoy your time with the Kwan Um group. A KU group was the first group I ever sat with; I still have good memories of that brief period of time.

My wife beat me to it! She went to see a talk by Karen Maezen Miller, which was primarily about her writing career, but also quite about Zen as well. After corresponding with her more via email, my wife was encouraged to visit a zendo, so she went to the nearest one this morning, which is a Kwan Um center.

Sounded pretty similar to what others have described here. They started with 108 full prostrations, then did various chants in both Korean and English (including the Heart Sutra), followed by 30 minutes of sitting (not sure what they call it in the Korean tradition). Afterwards there was a 10-minute work period (cleaning the zendo, which is in an old house), and a short dharma talk followed by tea and snacks.

There is no resident teacher there, but apparently the guiding teacher (who lives on the East coast) will be retiring soon and will move there to become the permanent resident abbot. Sounds like the sangha members there are excited, as Kwan Um does involve koan study and they will be able to have that teacher-student exchange.

Anyway, thought I'd share.

[Kaishin]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

One other thing, she said they didn't seem to put too much emphasis on sitting "correctly." She was basically just shown the sitting space. The senior teacher sat seiza, as did another. The rest either sat half lotus or some variant of burmese. No full lotus in sight.

[Hoyu]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

Hi Kaishin,

Kudos to your wife for going and checking them out! Any chance this sparked an interest in her to give Treeleaf a visit too??

Gassho,
Hoyu

[Shujin]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

Hi Kaishin; thanks for sharing! I would like to see the 108 bows done sometime. Since I don't have a KU group close to me, maybe I can pick it up on youtube... The tea and snacks brought back memories; that was one of my favorite parts of sitting with the old group. Silly, I know.

Hope your sesshin works out; please let us know how it goes.

gassho,
Shujin

[SoR]

Re: The Case of the Traveling Rakusu

I am a due paying member of the Kwan Um school, but have not entered the culture of the school beyond the local group and have no interest in doing so. I have met a Zen Master who was very direct and clear, but have also met "Dharma teachers" who are not Zen Masters and IMO should probably not be teaching.

In the Kwan Um School of Zen, a "Dharma Teacher" is the lay ordination equivalent of a novice monk and aren't really supposed to do any "teaching." They can give short dharma talks, but aren't allowed to answer questions about the dharma. Are these the folks you are referring to?