September 11th-12th Treeleaf Weekly Zazenkai - 消災妙吉祥陀羅尼

[Yokai]

Thanks Jundo for a great talk. Thanks Jakuden, and everyone for sharing, now and through the week.
Nice to share the shaky tea time too!

Gassho, Chris satlah

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo, Jakuden, and everyone. The talk was wonderful even if the dharani didn't work. I hope the quakes in Tsukuba don't get stronger, and I hope all the people in the path of fires find relief.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Bion]

As always, a joy seeing you all and sitting with you! Thank you Jundo for that talk and for chanting for us and Jakuden for the bells and chanting us through! [emoji3526]

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

[Washin]

Thank you Jundo, Jakuden and everyone for sitting together.
It was a lovely Dharani chanting, Jundo

Gassho,
Washin
sattoday

[Doshin]

Doshin
St

[Nanrin]

Glad to sit with you all this morning.

Gassho,

Nanrin

[Jundo]

Must sit this via the video. Thank you to everyone here!

gassho
shonin sat today and lah

Your situation inspired today's sitting, dedicated to you and others in such circumstances.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Seikan]

Thank you Jundo, Jakuden and all for sharing in practice together today.

Jundo, I wouldn't count the Dharani out just yet. I liken it to that odd light switch in one's home that doesn't seem to control anything when flipped, but there's probably a person a few towns over that wonders why their lights keep turning off and on.

On a serious note, I also sincerely hope for a quick and safe resolution to the wildfire situation out west. Until things subside, I will dedicate my practice to Shonin and everyone affected by the fires in some way.

Gassho,
Rob

-stlah-

[Onka]

That talk resonated.
Gassho
Onka
Sat

[Kyoshin]

Thank you for introducing the Dharani. I wonder though if forbidding its use might be an overcorrection. While I certainly don't think it will directly weaken the fires or prevent new ones, it might help reduce some anxiety, or bring a little peace of mind. I spent many years studying the psychology of ritual and "magical" incantation and the like, and while they don't change reality, they are quite effective at changing people's mindsets, and if you change your mindset, you change your reality. If chanting the Dharani helps you set your intention that calamity won't get the best of you, then your mind will be fortified so that when calamity strikes you're more able to deal with it. Like your favorite lucky charm, even if you know it's not really lucky, having it with you can change your mindset enough to make life just a little easier. My two cents and more than three sentences.

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk

[Jundo]

Thank you for introducing the Dharani. I wonder though if forbidding its use might be an overcorrection. While I certainly don't think it will directly weaken the fires or prevent new ones, it might help reduce some anxiety, or bring a little peace of mind. I spent many years studying the psychology of ritual and "magical" incantation and the like, and while they don't change reality, they are quite effective at changing people's mindsets, and if you change your mindset, you change your reality. If chanting the Dharani helps you set your intention that calamity won't get the best of you, then your mind will be fortified so that when calamity strikes you're more able to deal with it. Like your favorite lucky charm, even if you know it's not really lucky, having it with you can change your mindset enough to make life just a little easier. My two cents and more than three sentences.

Gassho
Kyōshin
Satlah

My personal opinion is that superstition, magical hocum and such does more harm than good. We can see that today in this world where scientists and the sane have to fight for equal ground with folks selling crystals, making bogus medical claims, selling fortune telling, decrying conspiracies in which vaccines contain the devil.

Yes, there might be some psychological benefits, but the harms caused by ignorance and old wives tales far outweigh the benefits.

Anyone can choose to chant what they wish on their own time, but ignorance and superstition have no place in this Zen Sangha or on the lips of its priests, and the list of hocus-pocus and hooey starts with Dharani.

A bit long, pardon.

Gassho, Jundo

STLAH

[Bion]

My personal opinion is that superstition, magical hocum and such does more harm than good. We can see that today in this world where scientists and the sane have to fight for equal ground with folks selling crystals, making bogus medical claims, selling fortune telling, decrying conspiracies in which vaccines contain the devil.

Yes, there might be some psychological benefits, but the harms caused by ignorance and old wives tales far outweigh the benefits.

Anyone can choose to chant what they wish on their own time, but ignorance and superstition have no place in this Zen Sangha or on the lips of its priests, and the list of hocus-pocus and hooey starts with Dharani.

A bit long, pardon.

Gassho, Jundo

STLAH

I’ve been with all of you for maybe a month now and I came in being unfamiliar with how you practiced here yet what I found was a practice that reflected mine. I remember years back when I was finding my way in the world of Zen, separating myself from my christian background, I got a copy of the Soto Scriptures For Daily Practice and while studying all the different chants and sutras and verses and dharanis I slowly came to create a practice that was personal and felt sincere. I remember taking out certain parts of the dedication of merit, because I did not feel it necessary to mention deities and hungry ghosts and I decided to skip the dharanis as I understood their meaning and background and I felt they had no place in my daily practice. I was actually going to mention that during our tea time after zazenkai this morning. So I am grateful to you Jundo for keeping it real and working to keep the practice sincere!

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

[Jundo]

I’ve been with all of you for maybe a month now and I came in being unfamiliar with how you practiced here yet what I found was a practice that reflected mine. I remember years back when I was finding my way in the world of Zen, separating myself from my christian background, I got a copy of the Soto Scriptures For Daily Practice and while studying all the different chants and sutras and verses and dharanis I slowly came to create a practice that was personal and felt sincere. I remember taking out certain parts of the dedication of merit, because I did not feel it necessary to mention deities and hungry ghosts and I decided to skip the dharanis as I understood their meaning and background and I felt they had no place in my daily practice. I was actually going to mention that during our tea time after zazenkai this morning. So I am grateful to you Jundo for keeping it real and working to keep the practice sincere!

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

Ya know, there are plenty of other groups and teachers in the Buddhist and Zen world offering all the bells and whistles of magic and wild claims ... and if somebody wants that, they can go there, easy to find. Here, try this guy ...

Tulku Buddha Maitreya, the Reincarnation of Christ, designs and creates all of the Monastic Meditation Tools and transmits His meditation blessings thru these tools, along with His pujas that He personally performed for Soul Therapy Meditation music.

https://www.shambhalahealingtools.com/Default.asp

We just are trying to offer a contrast here for those who want something a bit more "down to earth."

My attitude, by the way, has gotten me kicked off a few conservative Buddhist websites and forums where my skepticism on the literal truth of some doctrines is not welcome by the believers.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Bion]

Ya know, there are plenty of other groups and teachers in the Buddhist and Zen world offering all the bells and whistles of magic and wild claims ... and if somebody wants that, they can go there, easy to find. Here, try this guy ...

https://www.shambhalahealingtools.com/Default.asp

We just are trying to offer a contrast here for those who want something a bit more "down to earth."

My attitude, by the way, has gotten me kicked off a few conservative Buddhist websites and forums where my skepticism on the literal truth of some doctrines is not welcome by the believers.

Gassho, J

STLah

I am not surprised at all bu that last phrase pf yours. There is zero consensus on various topics even within the same buddhist school.
I remember feeling very impressed with the Dalai Lama once, cause in an interview or talk he said he himself was very skeptical about various topics such as super powers, the idea of reincarnation as a literal thing, magical healing etc. There is much mixture of beliefs and superstitions within Buddhism, but I always say Buddhism is like water.. it takes the shape of the recipient it’s in: in Japan it mixed with Shinto and now Kami-sama protects temples, in China is drew from Taoism, in Tibet from Bön... It’s only natural it takes a different form in the western world!

Sorry about the extra sentences! Going back to my rakusu now [emoji1]

[emoji1374] SatToday lah

[Margherita]

I sat with the recording, thank you everybody for your effort and stay safe.

Jundo, I have a question about your teaching, and I'm sorry because I know I will write a bit more than three sentences. I appreciated the teaching and I think it is a good approach but then, why chanting the dedication? Isn't it a bit "abracadra" as well? Personally, I don't mind a bit of abracadra and magic in life, and I explain myself. I am the person who keeps crystals and read tarots, do I really believe in them? Well, not really, the stones and crystals are reminders of the targets I want to reach, some people keep dream/target boards, I'm not that crafty, so I have a beautiful crystal that my wife gave me that supposedly should help creativity. I don't believe it does, but it reminds me to sit down and be creative, write my stories. I read tarots (almost exclusively for myself) but I have always treated them like a means to explore my mind and unleash creativity. At times, I have found answers to my questions, but I know that the answers come from my mind, not an external power present in the tarots. Perhaps for some people dharanis would work in the same way, like Kyoshin was saying?