Nov. 4-5th, 2022 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour Treeleaf ZAZENKAI - DAYLIGHT SAVINGS in EUROPE

[Jundo]

ATTENTION: DAYLIGHT SAVINGS in EUROPE/MEXICO/AUSTRALIA,
CHECK NEW START TIME

Today's Talk will reflect on

Master Keizan's "Middle Way, Beyond Hope to Attain"
and
"No Entering, No Emerging Samadhi"

Please sit our Monthly 4-Hour Treeleaf Zazenkai netcast LIVE 8am to noon Japan time Saturday morning (that is New York 7pm to 11pm, Los Angeles 4pm to 8pm (Friday night), London 11pm to 3am and Paris Midnight to 4am (early Saturday morning)), and also sitable any time thereafter:

https://youtu.be/5XQMKiKScvI

However, "one way" live sitters are encouraged to come into the Zoom sitting, and just leave the camera and microphone turned off: Join live (with or without a camera & microphone) on Zoom at: TREELEAF Now OR at DIRECT ZOOM LINK, password (if needed): dogen

Dharma Talk Audio / Podcast Episode:

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?20232-Treeleaf-Podcast&p=313943&viewfull=1#post313943

Tags: None

[Jundo]

Today's Talk is based on two recent essays by me, looking at Master Keizan's take on Shikantaza and Samadhi as presented in his Denkoroku. Here are a few excerpts:

Keizan's Zazen of the Middle Way, Beyond Hope to Attain

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?20834-Keizan-s-Zazen-of-the-Middle-Way-Beyond-Hope-to-Attain

... You think that there is a need to attain buddhahood, and a need to gain the Way. And for the sake of this “gaining the Way,” you think you should try to maintain dietary restraints and the practice of purity, sit [Zazen] long without lying down, worship the Buddha and revolve sūtras, and thereby pile up every kind of merit. But all of this causes flowers to rain down in a sky that has no flowers [mirages and false distractions to appear before your eyes.] ... Even if you practiced like that through kalpa ages as numerous as motes of dust, you still would have no share of liberation. Truly, when your mind has nothing that it hopes for, either here or there, this is called the “Way.”

...

Therefore, wanting to “know satisfaction” is the root of desire. Surely, even if you enjoy sitting for long periods, this entails the error of being obsessed with your body. ... If sitting for long periods is to be taken as the Way, then at the time of birth everyone has been sitting for ten months [in the womb], so that must be the Way: why seek it a second time? ... Disciples of the Buddha did, in this way, establish various rules of purity and make known the proper conduct of buddhas and ancestors. Nevertheless, if your clinging to them is one-sided, then they are sure to become, on the contrary, mental afflictions. ... [Y]ou think that by adhering rigidly to various practices of this sort, that in itself is seeking the Way. This is an entirely mistaken understanding.

...

Furthermore, what buddhahood do you see that could be attained? What living beings do you see that could be deluded? Thus, there is not a single person who is a deluded person, and not a single dharma that one could awaken to. For this reason, sayings to the effect that delusion is turned around and made into awakening, or that the ordinary is turned around and made into the sagely, are entirely the words of unawakened people ...


...

... [Y]our own self, if your understanding is not at this true level, may be confused by the words of other people.. ... So, even if you have heard what is explained in this way and understood that there is nothing to attain, still there may be a "good friend" [some teacher you hear] who explains that there is a need to gain some dharma, or perhaps a buddha-demon will come and say that there is some dharma that should be further cultivated. If that happens, the result will be that your mind and perceptions waver and, on the contrary, you will end up with inverted views. Now you should accept the true instructions of the buddhas, thoroughly investigate in detail, and by your own self arrive at the level of ease and joy.

Keizan’s No Entering, No Emerging Samadhi

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?20853-Keizan%C2%92s-No-Entering-No-Emerging-Samadhi

True samadhi is not restricted to peaceful and pleasant moments of deep concentration but, rather, is all moments and all reality, each truly precious, not only the calm and pleasing. Soto ancestors have criticized limited views of samadhi as only peaceful and pleasant states, only times of deep concentration, only experiences to be entered into then departed from, only certain conditions that emerge and are attained, only a matter of body and mind. True samadhi exists always, is not dependent on whether peace or bliss is experienced or not experienced, cannot be attained or lost, never emerges or departs.

...

Samghānandi ... was sitting peacefully, entered into samadhi. The Venerable [Rahulabhadra] and his congregation waited for him. When three seven-day periods had passed, [Samghānandi gradually] arose from his samadhi. The Venerable [Rahulabhadra] asked, “Is your body in samadhi or is your mind in samadhi?” [Samghānandi] said, “Body and mind together are in samadhi.” The Venerable [Rahulabhadra then] said, “If body and mind together are in samadhi, then how can there be emerging from it or entering into it?”

Rahulabhadra means that, if body and mind are in the true samadhi of all reality (as we always are), there is no body nor mind, no in vs. out, and thus true samadhi is not some state to enter or exit.

... The meaning of this somewhat puzzling exchange becomes a clearer if we recall that, in Zen Wisdom, one does not truly come and go from reality even as we come and go in life, there is no “entrance” nor “exit” from wholeness even as we may enter and exit concentration or any other states, there are no “starts” or “finishes” in the timeless-unbroken even as time has starts and finishes, nor does the whole (being so whole) have an “inside” as opposed to an “outside,” nor separate somethings called “body” and “mind,” even as we experience so in practical terms. The wholeness of reality is all of this, all true at once, thus true samadhi sweeps in all these seemingly incongruous views.

[Jundo]

In place of our Hokie Pokie for today, let's Samba the Heart Sutra for our friends in Brazil!

https://youtu.be/JxLPspwQFgQ

I found this, and it is not long enough for our weekly ceremony (the whole middle of the Sutra has been left out), but just right for a little dance.



Gassho,

[Bion]

See you all later! Our last Monthly zazenkai before Rohatsu! Woohoo!

[emoji1374] Sat Today lah

[Koushi]

Shaping up to be an overtime day at work, so I may have to sit with you all tomorrow morning.

Bion, I can’t wait to hear the new instruments!

Gassho,
Koushi
STLaH

[Bokugan]

I will have to sit on demand this time around, but very much looking forward to sitting with you all!

Gassho,

Bokugan
SatToday LaH

[Shinshi]

As usual I will be doing the Time Warp again.

Always there with you.

Gassho, Shinshi

SaT-LaH

[Huichan]

Working this morning, but might be able to join the 2nd half live.

Gassho
Ross
stlah

[Onkai]

Thank you, everyone. The talk was most helpful. Wonderful to practice together.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[DGF]

Thank you.
i just finished my first 4 hour zazenkai at treeleaf all through it is afterwards and not live(it felt like it was live).
iam glad this chance is given.

gassho
Diana
SAT

[Tairin]

Thank you everyone. I sat with you this morning


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Tai Do]

Thank you, Jundo, Bion, and everybody for this Monthly Zazenkai.
It felt like it was really directed to me and what I'm going through these days: the chanting, the zazen, the kinhin, the Dharma talk, the Hannya Shingyo samba, the metta verses.
May everyone have a great week.
Gassho,
Mateus
Satlah

[Chikyou]

Wonderful! During the Heart Sutra and opening ceremonies I had sudden deep insight into how my own thoughts about certain situations contribute to division. Your talk was on point and I'm going to be using the "medicine for politics" metta practice as well

Gassho,
SatLah
Kelly

[Kotei]

Thank you everyone!

Gassho,
Kotei sat/lah today.

[Kantai]

Sat with you all on demand, thank you everyone!

Gassho
Kantai

SatLah