SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO — Avoiding the Jive and Hype

[Jundo]

It’s almost to the point that there’s a flavor of Buddhism for everyone, especially in the West! From A is for Amida to Z is for Zen, there are groups and teachings of all stripes … the monastic and the “out in the world” types … traditional and tradition breaking … many teachers in between, mixing and matching. The Western Buddhist world comes in ten thousand colors and flavors!

And that can be GOOD! I have never been a “my way or the highway, one size fits all” kind of Buddhist. Different folks may require different medicines for what ails them. Find the path and teacher(s) right for you.

All you have to do, though, is avoid the snake oil, the image driven jive and hype, soothing but empty cliches, crazy cults, charismatic charlatans and ego maniac gurus professing “freedom from ego”, downright crooks and con-men, New Age dribble and pseudo-psycho-babble, fast food drive-though spirituality. Also, don’t fall into “spiritual materialism” … shopping around in the Dharma department store for the fluffy and flashy, for teachers of ‘anything goes, feel good philosophies’, “teachings” that just say what we want to hear (and not what we need to hear). Oh, and if you do stumble on a worthwhile practice, be sure not to quit too fast … as soon as it becomes a little demanding.

Do all that … and you’ll be just fine!


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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuI4XOz3n3A[/video]]

To view other recent talks by Taigu and Jundo, head over to Shambhala Sunspace:

http://www.shambhalasun.com/sunspace/?author=101

[Byokan]

Thank you Jundo

Gassho
Lisa
sat today

[Theophan]

Thank you Jundo

Gassho
Theophan
Sat Today

[Onkai]

Thank you, Jundo. I'm glad that I found Treeleaf and can participate in a Soto Zen community. This is the right flavor for me.

Gassho,
Onkai
SatToday

[Meian]

Thank you, Onkai, for bumping this thread. So I was just able to listen to and sit with Jundo's wonderful talk.

And thank you, Jundo, for having and maintaining TreeLeaf and this flavor of Buddhism that I seem to mesh with. Being a virtual sangha means i can visit easily and participate at odd times. I am not the type of person to regularly visit physical groups or socialize or desire frequent group contact in person. TreeLeaf seems to fit me perfectly, and this Buddhism seems to fill many missing pieces in my life without requiring me to accept or believe doctrines or dogmas that don't resonate. I have unanswered questions, but that is okay, because some questions cannot be answered, or are irrelevant to me. What IS relevant to me is what I need to fill or accept peacefully, and I feel I am finding that in Buddhism, here at TreeLeaf. I only hope that I am able to give back to TreeLeaf in a good and symbiotic way. The ability and safe space to question, to reflect, to empty, to move through things without solving or changing them, to coexist peacefully without having to conquer. I find that I am able to bring Buddhism to everything, and have everything exist within Buddhism. No compartmentalization needed

Gassho,
Kim
St

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[Kyotai]

Kyotai
ST

[Joyo]

Thank you, Jundo. With my husband being a Christian and my being a Buddhist, we have definitely learned that many religions have their fair share of "cult crazies", "ego maniacs" and the like.

It always makes me so, so thankful for Treeleaf and the teachings we receive here. When I left Christianity I kind of wandered around aimlessly for a while, unsure of where to go. I have always been a deep, spiritual type of person and had an unexplained heart calling to Buddhism, even as a young child. I looked into a few of these Oprah-best seller types and it just wasn't for me. It didn't take long and I ended up here.

So thank you, to Jundo, and all the priests and lay Buddhists who practice and learn at Treeleaf.

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today