Grass Hut - 39 (CLOSING) - "Here and Now"

[Jundo]

Dear All,

We come to the end of "Inside the Grass Hut" with Chapter 32, "Here and Now / Don't Separate from this Skin Bag Here and Now" ...

I appreciated the words, "Moments of discomfort are precisely when the mind will want to take us away - into some idea of how things should be, how we can make them the way we want, or why things are all wrong. We find peace not by going away from our suffering but by completely offering ourselves to what is."

And agreement or disagreement or resonance with such a view?

Anything more you come away with from this book?


I would like to thank again Ben Connelly for this marvelous book. If you would like to revisit our Zazenkai with Ben, it is here ...

Our Special "Grass Hut" Zazenkai & Talk with Ben Connelly
http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?13311-Our-Special-Grass-Hut-Zazenkai-Talk-with-Ben-Connelly-is-Here%21-Please-Sit-A-Long%21

A reMINDer that, in a week or so, we will return to the Koans of the Book of Equanimity, reading the wonderful "this worldly" commentary by Shishin Wick. We worked with the book last year and will come back. The book is available for purchase here, which is a good thing to do ...

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Equanimity-Illuminating-Classic/dp/0861713877

Until you receive the book, it is also available in portions here ...

https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=Cg0sBPvvs0gC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

All of the Koans, but without Shishin's commentary, are available here ...

http://terebess.hu/zen/shoyo-roku.html#wick

For those new to Koans, some tips on reading the book can be found here ...

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?9674-BOOK-OF-EQUANIMITY-Case-1

Gassho, Jundo

7270

[Rick]

I just bought the Book of Equanimity for my Kindle five minutes ago. Although I feel I am doing reasonably well with my sitting practice (I moved up to 50 minutes per day from 30 minutes a few weeks ago), I struggle to find - or rather make - the time to come here to the forum regularly. This will be a good way to ensure that I come here at least a couple of times per week.

Gassho,
Rick
Sat Today

[Jeremy]

Now we've got to the end of The Grass Hut, it's fascinating to read through Shitou's song again.

It's a great book and it was a huge pleasure to go through it with you all :)
The highlight for me was going off on a diversion with the Hua Yen dudes - really interesting!

step lightly... stay free...
Jeremy
st

[Getchi]

Thankyou Jundo and everyone who posted on this book.

I feel ive come away with an enormous gift, one that perhaps is worthless. The goal of our practice is in not attaining, and one who has completed teh insight gains nothing but instead loses everything.

Buddhist practice is about kindness, compassion and introspective wisdom. The nature of self is evident, and so is teh universiality of human emotion. This skinbag is my only home, and while it is made of cut grass, it will soon be covered with weeds. When tired, ill endevour to rest, and when hungry - to sleep. At no pint will i attempt to "know" anything.

Fantasy is delusion, and all the gods can attest to that. Does that mean its not real? Not to me, it just means we are asking a new puppy to perform some advanced tricks - go easy on it one day it will make you proud.


Thats what I have got from this book anyway, and again thankyou all so very, very much :)


Gassho,
Geoff.
SatToday.

[Risho]

Like others here, I absolutely love this book; it's one of my favorites. Don't separate, live here, nit in your mind. I've been reading "Opening the Hand of Thought" again and theres a chapter that echoes this point. We often live in our minds regretting a past that wasn't exactly how we remember, worrying if we are good enough. But if we do not separate, we see that instead of regretting, we can live and be thankful for all that we have.

This life is a gift. This practice helps us realize it.

Gassho

Risho
-sattoday

[AlanLa]

This skin bag is nothing but a grass hut dwarfed by a mountain that sits beside a river, and I am that mountain and river :emptiness:

A wonderful poem, and a wonderful book about that poem :adoration:

gassho2

[Tb]

Hi.

Thank you Shitou for the poem, Ben Connely for writing the Marie-Lousie book, Jundo for bringing it here, and everyone for participating!

Truly wonderful phrase Jundo brought forth out of the book, so true and the poem and book really brought a smile into My life.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

#Sat2day

[Shinzan]

I have this poem hanging in my kitchen, a constant reminder to remember......to remember.
Very nourishing.
_/st\_ Shinzan

[Mp]

I have this poem hanging in my kitchen, a constant reminder to remember......to remember.
Very nourishing.
_/st\_ Shinzan

You too ... I have a print out on my bathroom mirror. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday