Why do you sit here,Soto Japanese style Zazen at Trealeaf?

[Jika]

... please remember Doshin/Dan in Israel, too.
Anshu, Indonesia.
Hands up from Australia/New Zeeland? Geoff??
At least one from Vulcan, it seems?

Many people in many places, beautiful.

Gassho
Jika
#sattoday

[Kyotai]

and yes sadly even Canada


#Sat Today

Oh no..! poor Canada

Gassho, Kyotai
sat today

[Byrne]

Jundo,

Thank you so much for providing so much context about the nature of Buddhism and its many forms throughout history. Rebirth takes on so many forms and the illiterate, non-learned, non-sitting Buddhist monks and funeral directors of the past present and future most certainly deserve our respect just as much as we revere Dogen, or Hui Neng, or Bodhidharma, or Shakyamuni Buddha. It's insane how much information on can get on Buddhism through the Internet. From the comfort of our rich western lives we can amass a huge collection of texts and resources. We may fool ourselves into thinking we have the best conditions for Buddhist practice. But that's foolish. Buddhism is worthless if it isn't transmitted from heart to heart over time. Not text to text. Or Internet thread to Internet thread. Heart to heart comes in many non-forms. All connected through causes and conditions.

The causes and conditions that brought all of us here to Treeleaf are just that, causes and conditions. Causes and conditions sent many people into many Buddhist temples for many reasons. Not all of those reasons were to practice Buddhism. But does that matter? Temples in and of themselves don't matter in the grand scheme of things just as being a monk or a layperson doesn't either. It's all a matter of rebirth. Where you've been, where you're at, where you're going. Even the most ignorant monk who never thinks of Buddha is still Buddha, keeping the Buddha's name on the tongues of all who come across him, setting the stage for a favorable rebirth somewhere, sometime, somehow. If we are fortunate to find ourselves in such a rebirth we should be grateful. Nothing more.

In the hearts and minds of people Buddhism is alive because it is in our hearts and minds. It got there how it got there because of causes and conditions. Maybe we are better Buddhists because we have read more and sit everyday. Maybe we are terrible Buddhists because we aren't from countries that have a cultural backdrop and history that pierces the dharma most honestly. Maybe we read too much and we don't know what we're talking about. Maybe we are liberated from meaningless ceremonies and can really get to the meat of what this way of life is all about.

We definitely think about ourselves too much. I know I do.

In reality it's up to our own experience and the sincerity of our hearts. Is there anything else to go on? I sit everyday, I recite the nembutsu and I'm grateful for it. That's all.

Gassho

Sat Today

[Jundo]

So well spoken, Byrne. Thank you.

All in this universe are connected, a place in the sun for all. Banker or bus driver, priest conducting funerals or leading Zazen, grasses and trees, sun and moon ... all have their place. Even the black hat villains may play a role.

Thank you for the reminder.

Funerals are important, indispensable, as they play a vital role in easing peoples' suffering and bonding families together. Temples are the glue that hold community together at such times. If there is any "problem" in Japan, it is merely that things may be out of balance ... Zazen almost forgotten such that the general public associates Buddhism almost exclusively with funerals. That is a shame, and much of the power and beauty of this Way is lost to people because it is so.

Gassho, Jundo

[Risho]

Thank you Byrne. Very eloquently stated.

Gassho,

Risho
-sattoday