New Series for Beginners

Hi All,

We have started a new series for beginners to Zazen (we're always all beginners) on the Shambhala SunSpace "sit-a-long" blog ... and I ask everyone to join in. Rev. Taigu will be offering instructions and pointers on sitting posture, and we will both be covering the mental side of the game ... for truly bodyand mind are not two, one beyond one (not to mention body-mind-self-world-life).

Here is the first in the series ... and it will follow (hopefully) in sequence for the next many days:

http://www.shambhalasun.com/sunspace/?p=13989

Both new folks and old folks can use a brush up, as we are always beginners.

I will also cover many of the "fundamentals" of Buddhist philosophy ... the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Interdependent Co-Arising and much much more ...

So please tune in for that with Taigu and me.

As Suzuki Roshi said of "Beginners Mind" ...

Quote:

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We say [in Japanese] "Sho shin." "Sho shin" means "Beginner's mind." If we can keep beginner's mind always, that is the goal of our practice. We recited Prajna Paramita Sutra this morning only once. I think we recited very well, but what will happen to us if we recite twice, three times, four time, and more? Then we will easily lose our attitude in reciting -- original attitude in reciting -- the sutra. Same thing will happen to us. For awhile we will keep our beginner's mind in your Zen practice but if we continue to practice one year, two years, three years, or more, we will have some improvement, and we will lose the limitless meaning of the original mind. In beginner's mind we have many possibilities, but in expert mind there is not much possibility. So in our practice it is important to resume to our original mind, or inmost mind, which we, ourselves -- even we, ourselves do not know what it is. This is the most important thing for us.

http://www.aikidoshoshinkan.com/wp-c...in/shoshin.jpg

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Gassho, Jundo

Thanks Jundo for the opportunity to begin again. By the way the new site is great technically. No hang ups in loading, no pop ups, and easy to pause and come back to the point left in listening to your teachings. :D

Just thought I`d share this. I posted Jundo`s intro on facebook and got this personal message from a friend:

brian
thank you for sharing the sunspace sit along, ive been interested in buddhism for a number of years, i have yet to attend a meeting in person as i suffer from a degree of agoraphobia i am working to get over this and hopefully i will be able to attend one very soon, i just have to learn to let go better, in the mean time i am finding these sitalongs inspiring.

Thank you

thanks, jundo, taigu -- the talks are very refreshing

gassho, bob the beginner