What is the essence that is transmitted?

[Kyonin]

Dear Yugen,

Thank you for this reminder and teaching. A lot to sit with, but at the same time, nothing to sit with.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

[Daiyo]

Yugen, thank you very much for explaining so clearly what this lineage means.
And I'd like to seize the opportunity to thank you for your support and understanding during ango.

These words gave me the chills:

Please consider this as you prepare for Jukai, and support one another in practice. Where are you going to take your practice? Where will you take our tradition? How are you going to care for it? How will you give it meaning? How are you going to live it?

We are all responsible. Not just priests, but all of us. Where it goes is up to you.

If I had to give an answer, I'd return a thousand questions.
The main one would be:

Will I be worth of this priceless and timeless gift?

I'm not sure, but choose to trust our teacher, priests and fellow practitioners encouraging us to take the challenge.

Gassho,
Walter.

#SatToday

[Shoka]

Yugen,

Just beautiful and thought provoking.

Gassho,
Kathryn

sat today

[Yugen]

What is the essence that is transmitted?

Yugen, thank you very much for explaining so clearly what this lineage means.
And I'd like to seize the opportunity to thank you for your support and understanding during ango.

These words gave me the chills:



If I had to give an answer, I'd return a thousand questions.
The main one would be:

Will I be worth of this priceless and timeless gift?

I'm not sure, but choose to trust our teacher, priests and fellow practitioners encouraging us to take the challenge.

Gassho,
Walter.

#SatToday

Walter,
It's very simple. You are, we all are this priceless and timeless gift. Every drop of water reflects the whole universe - as the wave is part of he ocean so we are part of the whole - when we are lost in thoughts of unworthiness, guilt, shame, anger we lose sight of the whole.

You are worthy. Practice helps us be one with this. When we practice and support others a marvelous thing happens. The practice is no longer yours or mine. We become part of the stream of practitioners past, present and future. It is no longer a question of our worthiness, we are in the flow and we just "are!" .....!

Deep bows
Yugen


#sat2day

[Kokuu]

Beautiful thoughts, Yugen. Thank you so much for sharing. Especially apposite at Jukai.

Where are you going to take your practice? Where will you take our tradition? How are you going to care for it? How will you give it meaning? How are you going to live it?

So important to consider. Our lineage is not the now frozen words of Nishijima Roshi or even Jundo's teachings but a living thing that each of us is a droplet in.

Deep bows to all of you taking Jukai at this time
Kokuu
#sattoday

[Shokai]

Yugen is right on target; assuming there is a target We are all worthy. However. if one tries to answer the questions it becomes imposssible. It can't be intellectualized. You need to live with the questions and the answers come in time. Meanwhile, attend to your practice with due diligence

gassho,

#sattoday

[Mp]

Yugen is right on target; assuming there is a target We are all worthy. However. if one tries to answer the questions it becomes imposssible. It can't be intellectualized. You need to live with the questions and the answers come in time. Meanwhile, attend to your practice with due diligence

Wonderful!

Gassho
Shingen

Sat today

[Theophan]

Yugen, Thank You. I now have a better understanding of our lineage.
I found your teaching very inspirational and appreciate it very much.

gassho
Theophan
Sat Today

[Jinyo]

Yugen - thank you.



Willow

Sat today

[Meikyo]

Wonderful. Thank you Yugen.

Gassho
Aske
#SAT TODAY!

[RichardH]

Thank you Yugen. It never quite made sense to me. Zen is a Mahayana way, a great and open way, yet in all honesty it always looked like a small elite perpetuating itself . .. at least in this (north american) society. There are over 300 million people, and the number of people that go to bricks and mortar temples, sit regularly, have the traditional relationship with a teacher ... it amounts to what % of the population.... under 0.5.. maybe? Zen teachings presented in a straightforward always felt like the clearest way and made sense, but the samghas I practiced with always looked like a small, jealous, groups with a grand self view. There have been some wonderful people , but I could not escape that perception. Treeleaf has opened that right up. This sangha has none of the pretensions, while actually trying to live up to the term Mahayana.

This is the place where I have learned what it means to fall down and get up, and fall down and get up... and each time I fall down and get up.. it is a miracle. This is where I have learned that I will always try to be a saint.. can't help it, it is the hearts aspiration.. but will always fall short, always be atoning, and always starting fresh again. That is the real miracle for me.. that always fresh again. Sorry to blab... and thank you.


Gassho
Daizan

sat today

[Nindo]

This is the place where I have learned what it means to fall down and get up, and fall down and get up... and each time I fall down and get up.. it is a miracle. This is where I have learned that I will always try to be a saint.. can't help it, it is the hearts aspiration.. but will always fall short, always be atoning, and always starting fresh again. That is the real miracle for me.. that always fresh again.

[Joyo]

" The precepts are breadcrumbs that provide a trail back to ourselves"

Hello Yugen, first of all, thank you for these wonderful words. I have been thinking about this quote of yours all week, just have not had the time to post here. I have thought of my own life, times when I have broken the precepts and yes, it is my practice that I turn to so that I find that trail back to myself. It is very easy to lose yourself, your focus, when breaking a precept.

These words have helped my practice in the last week.

Many bows,
Joyo
sat today