SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: No Place To Run To, Baby ...

https://stevengoddard.files.wordpres...r-11-11-40.gif

... no place to hide! I came back to Tsukuba yesterday to find a town returning to calm, neighbors helping neighbors, and a great spirit of volunteerism and service. People are staying out of the rain, trying to avoid drinking the water, and the ground still shakes now and then ... but, otherwise, pretty ordinary March day.

These are images and newsreports of the 1896! tsunami in Japan which is said to have killed 27,000! people, rivaling the current disaster. 30,000 may have died earlier the same year in a separate tsunami.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...255B1%255D.jpg

Nor is that the only such case, with dozens of earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, plagues, fires, wars and atom bombs just in the past century in Japan ... with hundreds of thousands dead or displaced.

And, in great part, this is also a source of strength in Japanese national character, as people pull together at such times and overcome. Sure, this recent disaster has a couple of twists ... the nuclear thing and such ... but countless Japanese folks (and non-Japanese too) are doing so in this case too. Something like how Americans needed the hardship of "crossing the great frontier" to make American Character ... Japanese may thrive from nature's hardship and challenge.

I am sitting in near-normal safety in Tsukuba, while folks are truly suffering 100 miles northeast of here. The highways are filled with relief trucks moving supplies that way, local community groups are pitching in too in my town and 1000 others. I sent Mina and Leon to be with relatives in Osaka, the "safe" part of Japan (although they also have had a killer tsunami or two down there in centuries past), because the radiation levels here in the air, rain and water are not advisable for growing children. For an old guy like me, however, little concern or threat.

The subject of today's sit-a-long ... no where to run to, baby ... no where we need or can run, baby ... just be still, baby, even as we run for the hills!

Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows at this link. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh8PJXDIUu0[/youtube]

Nowhere to run and yet every step is an arrival.
Thank you for those wise words Jundo

Gassho

Rimon

Jundo,
The fact that you mentioned Miami Vice, and the fact that I knew what you were talking about - we are dating ourselves back to the land of 1980s TV shows!!

Thank you for this talk-

Gassho,
Yugen

Thank you Jundo Sensei. Hahaha I have ridden on a London double decker and lived to tell about it :D
Gassho,
John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by chugai

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110327/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake

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Hi Chugai,

Thank you, I had seen the article when it came out earlier today. As best as I can tell, the numbers are a little misleading for what it means. The radiation is high, but is still pretty much confined to within the reactor faciility itself and still not a threat to health if the workers take precautions. This is the radiation meter at the particle collider a few kilometers from Treeleaf, and it is stable or slightly declining ...

http://rcwww.kek.jp/norm/index-e.html

Gassho, J

Thank you. (and unfortunately I have seen both shows that is dating!)

Gassho
Shohei

Jundo in your rendition of "No place to run..." you seemed to be channeling Cheech Marin, who would also probably speak about "bein' cool with it" in "Whatever comes your way". Oh golly now you've got this ole monk running through an entire Cheech and Chong anthology in my mind....I'll have to go to confession after this.!!!

Gassho,

Seishin Kyrill

Thank you Jundo. gassho2 Perfectly safe. Yes, I feel this, in the midst of it all.

Gassho
raindrop
sat today

Thank you for this teaching Jundo. And thank YOU Raindrop for going through these old talks lately, it has been a lovely journey. ^_^

Nine bows,
Sekishi
#sattoday

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sekishi

Thank you for this teaching Jundo. And thank YOU Raindrop for going through these old talks lately, it has been a lovely journey. ^_^

Nine bows,
Sekishi
#sattoday

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Yes I agree, Lisa is our official golden jewels thread archeologists. =)

Thanks for bring these jewels to the surface.

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

Such strange days (even in this strange life). Just a couple of days before, I thought there was a good chance we might have to abandon our house and everything in it if the reactors Chernobyled and the wind blew our way. We caught some of the radiation, but the winds and rains missed us for the most part. 100 and 200 miles north of us, however, people on the coast had truly lost so much ... homes, loved ones. We felt scared and lucky at once.

Tiger missed us this time.

We are still not sure what the real health impact will be for people up there long term. Japanese government is doing all it can to discourage, block or keep confidential and detailed research. As far as we can tell, it is still just "one more thing" in life which makes it dangerous (my joke ... but true ... was that the midnight highway drive down to Osaka to flee the overheating reactors, with crazy truck drivers whizzing by, was much more life and death than the reactors themselves, not to mention all the junk food eaten on the way and the step ladder I used to change a light bulb in our temporary housing). But, statistically, something appears to be happening ...

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-Ne...2801444327378/

Gassho, J

Thank you, Jundo. This talk resonated with the Zazenkai talk you gave last night. Finding the safety of zazen in all experience puts aside unneeded anxiety. Just do what the moment calls for and be at peace.

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Onkai

Thank you, Jundo. This talk resonated with the Zazenkai talk you gave last night. Finding the safety of zazen in all experience puts aside unneeded anxiety. Just do what the moment calls for and be at peace.

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

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The strength and resolution of the Japanese people never fails to impress me every day. It has been 5 years this week since that time.

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday

Quote:

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The strength and resolution of the Japanese people never fails to impress me every day. It has been 5 years this week since that time.

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It was a tragic event. I didn't mean to make light of it and hope it didn't come across that way. Sometimes I miss the point. Thank you for your teachings.

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

Me too, I think I tried to bring some humor and optimism to those days. The whole country was still in shock, me too. Sometimes best just to crack a joke or two at the darkest times. What else can be done sometimes? Try never to loose one's humor, as it can be a great strength.

Gassho, Jundo

Sattoday

Hi Jundo,

I was sitting today and the memories of those days returned for a bit. Yes, humor and keeping positive is always a great way to deal with what one can't control.

Thank you for your teachings.

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

Hi all,

I'll represent German angst now.

I'm fine with the talk per se, but I can't figure out what engaged Buddhism and the precepts might ask us to do.

The Buddha was not able to stop war, but I guess he did not recommend to start one or keep it going.
We all know we have to kill to be alive (veggies, insects with herbicides...), but should we not do all we can to minimize suffering and death, if we have any choice?

Tchernobyl has increased thyroid cancer and leukemia in children, it's great for researchers because they have seen numbers rise and found out a lot about the genetics of some types of cancer.
Unfortunately, no cure yet.

One of our neighbouring countries is having problems with one of their nuclear reactors close to the border, and our county government is handing out iodine pills to people in some areas.
They can't tell the neighbours what to do, they can only try to protect the population in possible danger.
They say they are asking the other government to shut down the reactor, to see the minor events of past weeks as a warning sign that the reactor is too old, not safe.

Does not Buddhism ask of us to promote good and refrain from doing harm?
Once a reactor core is melting, the comparison with earthquakes is correct for me: out of our hands.
But would we not want to prevent earthquakes if we could?

I have no solution.
Japan is in a very specific and difficult situation - I've heard how hard it is to build houses that are both energy efficient ("passive") and earthquake-safe.
All I'm wondering is, if being passive and accepting in our own countries is not the same as doing harm to future generations, or even to the kids of today.

Gassho
Jika
#sattoday