June 5th-6th, 2015 - OUR MONTHLY 4-hour ZAZENKAI!

The reading for today's Talk from Master Menzan's "Jijuyu-zanmai" will be posted immediately below in this thread.

Please 'sit-a-long' with our MONTHLY 4-hour 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 midnight to 4am and Paris 1am to 4am (early Saturday morning)) ... and visible at the following link during those times ...

... to be visible on the below screen during those times and any time thereafter ...

LIVE ZAZENKAI NETCAST at GOOGLE+ IS HERE:
CLICK ON THE TAB ON LOWER RIGHT FOR 'FULL SCREEN

http://youtu.be/3sb5qx6lrBI

FOR THOSE NOT ALREADY MEMBERS OF THE CIRCLE WHO WISH TO JOIN TO SIT LIVE WITH A CAMERA, INSTRUCTIONS are posted AT THIS LINK. WE ARE NOW LIMITED TO 10 INDIVIDUALS WITH CAMERAS, BUT ANY NUMBER CAN WATCH LIVE 'ONE WAY' AND SIT-A-LONG VIA THE ABOVE SCREEN. IF JOINING WITH CAMERA, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS MUTED:

The Sitting Schedule is as follows:

00:00 - 00:50 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA / SANDOKAI IN ENGLISH) & ZAZEN
00:50 - 01:00 KINHIN
01:00 - 01:30 ZAZEN
01:30 - 01:50 KINHIN

01:50 - 02:30 DHARMA TALK & ZAZEN
02:30 - 02:40 KINHIN

02:40 - 03:15 ZAZEN
03:15 - 03:30 KINHIN
03:30 - 04:00 METTA CHANT & ZAZEN, VERSE OF ATONEMENT, FOUR VOWS, & CLOSING


Our Zazenkai consists of our chanting the 'Heart Sutra' and the 'Identity of Relative and Absolute (Sandokai)' in English (please download our Chant Book at the link below), some full floor prostrations (please follow along with me ... or a simple Gassho can be substituted if you wish), a little talk by me ... and we close with the 'Metta Chant', followed at the end with the 'Verse of Atonement' and 'The Four Vows'. Oh, and lots and lots of Zazen and walkin' Kinhin in between!

Please download and print out the Chants we will recite at the following link (PDF):

Chant Book (PDF)

or

Chant Book (SHORT VERSION HTML)

I STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT YOU POSITION YOUR ZAFU ON THE FLOOR IN A PLACE WHERE YOU ARE NOT STARING DIRECTLY AT THE COMPUTER SCREEN, BUT CAN GLANCE OVER AND SEE THE SCREEN WHEN NECESSARY. YOUR ZAFU SHOULD ALSO BE IN A POSITION WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPUTER SCREEN WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF THE ZAFU FOR THE CEREMONIES, AND HAVE ROOM FOR BOWING AND KINHIN.

ALSO, REMEMBER TO SET YOUR COMPUTER (& SCREEN SAVER) SO THAT IT DOES NOT SHUT OFF DURING THE 4 HOURS.

I hope you will join us ... an open Zafu is waiting. When we drop all thought of 'here' 'there' 'now' 'then' ... we are sitting all together!


Gassho, Jundo

FOR TODAY's TALK:

Menzan Zuihō (面山瑞方, 1683-1769) was a Japanese Sōtō Zen scholar and abbot of the Zenjo-ji and Kuin-ji temples active during the Tokugawa era. Menzan's scholarship was part of the Tokugawa movement of returning to original historical sources to revitalize Zen (復古. "fukko" - "return to the old"), especially the works of Dōgen Zenji. Before Menzan the works of Dōgen were not widely studied or put into practice, and he helped revitalize the Sōtō school by analyzing and building on Dogen's writings. Menzan used Dōgen to promote a reform of the Sōtō sect, which included reforming the monastic code and meditation practice. Due to Menzan's efforts, Dōgen studies now occupies a central position in Sōtō Zen thought.Menzan was also involved in lecturing to the public and teaching laymen and laywomen meditation practice. One of his most famous works, the Buddha Samadhi (Jijuyu Zanmai) is addressed to laypeople and focuses on the teachings of Dōgen.

http://terebess.hu/zen/menzan.html

BOLDFACE highlights by Jundo

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Jijuyu-zanmai (The Self-Fulfilliing Samadhi / The still abiding taste of the self in self-fulfillment)
by Menzan Zuiho Osho

Although a great many people practice zazen ... those who understand Jijuyu-zanmai as the true enlightenment of all Buddhas are very few. That is why some hurry on their way to gain enlightenment by wrestling with koans. Some struggle within themselves, searching for the subject that sees and hears. Some try to rid themselves of their delusory thoughts in order to reach a pleasant place of no-mind, no-thought. Many other methods of practicing zazen were advocated by various teachers in the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties in China. …

Koan practice started in Song dynasty China. There was no such practice during the time of Bodhidharma or Eno, the Sixth Patriarch. The tradition of koan practice did not originate with Seigen or Nangaku. It was established by and based on the biased ideas of the masters of the Song dynasty. …

Searching for the subject that sees and hears is also useless. The harder you look for the subject, the more you will tire of wastefully struggling, since what is seeking and what is being sought cannot be separated. Understand that your eyes cannot see themselves.

Arousing the mind to eliminate illusory thoughts is like pouring oil on a fire to extinguish it. The fire will blaze with increased strength.

People in the present day often practice zazen in this manner. … They aspire to rid themselves of delusions and to gain enlightenment; to eliminate illusory thoughts and to obtain the truth. This is nothing but creating the karma of acceptance and rejection. Such an attitude is just another form of dualism, in that one escapes from one thing and chases after another … mere methods to rid oneself of delusions and to obtain enlightenment. What a pitiful view! …

The true zazen which has been transmitted by the Buddhas and Patriarchs is the Tathagata's Jijuyu-zanmai. ... Obviously, zazen is not a practice for getting rid of delusions and gaining enlightenment. … We must learn Bodhidarma's teaching thoroughly. What is his teaching? -- To live facing the wall unwaveringly and to see that ordinary people and sages are one and the same. We must also study carefully the words of the Second Patriarch, "Always be clearly aware**."

**[This phrase is found in a dialogue between Bodhidharma and Eka from the Keitoku-Dentóroku. Bodhidharma said, "Outwardly, stop engaging in any affairs, and inwardly, do not grasp with your mind. When your mind is like a wall, you will be able to enter the Way."

Eka said, "I have already stopped engaging in outside affairs." Bodhidharma said, "Have you not destroyed your mind?" Eka said, "No, I haven't." Bodhidharma said, "How do you know that?" Eka said, "I am always clearly aware."]

In the Shôdôka we find the expression, "Being aware of reality, there is neither subject nor object, and we are immediately released from the karma of the hell of incessant suffering." When you sit in this samadhi, you will enter directly into the realm of the Tathagata. Therefore, this samadhi is endowed with the limitless virtue of the roots of goodness, and the limitless obstructions of one's evil deeds caused by evil karma will disappear without a trace. As this samadhi is truly the incomparable, great dharma-wheel, and the practice of ever going beyond buddhahood, it is beyond words and discriminating thoughts.

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Now I will explain in detail the way to clarify and rely on this samadhi. This is done simply by not clouding the light of your Self. When the light of the Self is clear, you follow neither konchin (dullness, passivity) nor sanran (distraction, running toward).　The Third Patriarch said, "When the cloudless light illuminates itself, there is no need to make mental struggle, there is no waste of energy." This is the vital point of the practice and enlightenment of this samadhi. "The cloudless light illuminates itself" means the light of the Self shines brightly. "Not to make mental struggle" means not to add the illusory mind's discrimination to the reality. When you make mental struggle, the light becomes illusory mind and brightness becomes darkness. If you do not make mental struggle, the darkness itself becomes the Self illumination of the light. This is similar to the light of a jewel illuminating the jewel itself. For example, it is like the light of the sun or the moon illuminating everything-mountains and rivers, human beings and dogs, etc. equally, without differentiation or evaluation. Also, a mirror reflects everything without bothering to discriminate. In this jijuyu-zanmai, just keep the light [of the self] unclouded without being concerned with discrimination of objects. …

When you practice and learn the reality of zazen thoroughly, the frozen blockage of illusory mind will naturally melt away. If you think that you have cut off illusory mind, instead of simply clarifying how illusory mind melts, illusory mind will come up again, as though you had cut the stem of a blade of grass or the trunk of a tree and left the root alive. This is very natural.

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In both China and Japan from medieval times to the present, there have been innumerable teachers of Zen who never learned about reality from a true teacher. They mistakenly thought that anihilating thoughts in the mind is the authentic practice of the buddha-dharma. This is because they grasped only the surface meaning of the words and held on to one-sided views. Although one mind may become the three poisonous minds, and the three poisonous minds may bring about the six realms of good or evil, all of them are only provisional conditions within our mind. There is no reason to banish them.

Nevertheless, when our mind is good, we become stiffened by good intention and attached to the limited results of the three good realms. Consequently, we become blind to the light which is beyond goodness. When our mind is evil, we become stiffened by evil intention and pulled by the results of the three evil realms. Consequently, we suffer and cannot be aware of the light which is beyond evil. When we are in the condition of no-thought, we stagnate there because we think it a desirable stage of mind. Consequently, we become like Hinayana or non-Buddhist practitioners who never gain buddhahood. We fail to realize the light beyond no-thought. When we transcend the dichotomies of good and evil, thought and no-thought, and emit the light of the Self, settling beyond discrimination, we will not stagnate in goodness though our mind be good. Nor will we attach ourselves to evil, or to the stage of no-thought even though our mind be in that condition. Therefore, even when our mind becomes evil, if the light of beyond-thought is emitted, evil mind will be dropped off immediately, and there will be only the light of the Self. This is the way to lead people in the three evil realms to annuttara-sammyak-sambodhi (ultimate awareness). The same occurs to the people dwelling in the three good realms too, and allows them to step over into ultimate awareness. …This is called the great light, Buddha's wisdom, or prajna paramita.

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When I lived in the western part of Japan (Kyushu)165, there were some lay people who earnestly studied and prac¬ticed zazen, which is the be-all and end-all of the Buddhas and Patriarchs. They wanted to read the words of the ancient masters as a guide for their practice-enlightenment. … For this reason, I wrote the Jijuyu-Zanmai, and offered it to them. … I hope this will be helpful for lay people in their practice.

The second year of Genbun during the season of the orchids [September 28, 1737]
The abbot of Kuinji in Wakasa
Menzan Zuiho

Thank you Jundo, I will be there live with bell ready. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

Unfortunately, I'll be travelling and without internet access. I'll be sitting with you all in spirit tho :)

Gassho,
Anshu

-sat today-

Hi Jundo!

I'll be there live :)

Gassho,

Kyonin

Only last night, I was reading Joko Beck quoting Menzan Zuiho, who I'd never heard of, & was hoping to find out more!

Will be there on Sunday morning!

_/\_
Ade
Sat today

I'm hoping to be there, but we just had a pipe burst in the wall. I may still be mindfully making a mess still...

Gassho,
Sekishi
#sattoday

I'm over here, will be looking for the magical door :)
Sitting with you, anyway.
Someone politely yell at me should I fall asleep.

Gassho,
Danny
willbesitting

Participating.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

Good weekend to all. :)

Thank you all. It was an honour to participate for the last hour with you all. I will listen to Jundo's talk with the recording sometime this weekend. :)

Gassho,
Joyo
sat today

Thank you all...I was offline for awhile comforting my son during a thunderstorm, but with you nonetheless.

Right before metta, my wife told me about a woman hit in the head by a broken bat at Fenway Park tonight. Last word was that she was in critical condition and was heard screaming in pain as they took her out on a stretcher. My metta for a stranger was for her. Much metta to her family.

Gassho,
Dosho

Wonderful sitting with you all, thank you to Jundo for a wonderful talk and for all of you ... have a great weekend. =)

Gassho
Shingen

#sattoday

Thank you all. Good to sit with you.
I keep getting script bugs from G+, making things freeze - this was the first time I could not LEAVE [morehappy]!

Gassho,
Danny
#sattoday

Thanks to all.


Gassho
Myosha sat today

Thank you Jundo, Thank you all for this sitting
Gassho
Gi Shu-George

Thanks everyone!

_/\_
Ade

Sat today

Thank you all very much.

Gassho
Meishin
Sat today

Thank you dear Sangha!

gassho
Lisa
sat today

Gassho and thank you

Daizan

sat today

Thank you everyone who sits this, and thank you for this talk Jundo.

Gassho
Ishin
Sat Today

Just completed a family relocation across the country and am back online. Looking forward to sitting this one tonight.

Gassho,
Matt

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Matt

Just completed a family relocation across the country and am back online. Looking forward to sitting this one tonight.

Gassho,
Matt

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Happy moving! May you be at home where you are!

Gassho, J

SatToday

Just sat to the recording.
That was my first monthly Zazenkai with you all. Many thanks.

Gassho,
Jeremy
SatToday

Thank you guys! Came late to post :)

Gassho,

Kyonin
#SatToday

Hi Kyonin,

I was thinking about your question during the Zazenkai - it was something like this:

Quote:

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How would you explain to regular guys... that we don't try to achieve anything in Zazen? Because people are very used to achieving goals or getting things done...

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A simple answer is to say that we spend all our lives 'doing' and in Zazen, we're practicing 'being' instead of 'doing'. This answer comes from the way MBCT/Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is taught in the UK. If you're interested in a bit more background, search for "doing" at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindful...nitive_therapy

Gassho,
Jeremy
Will sit later

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

Hi Kyonin,

I was thinking about your question during the Zazenkai - it was something like this:

A simple answer is to say that we spend all our lives 'doing' and in Zazen, we're practicing 'being' instead of 'doing'. This answer comes from the way MBCT/Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is taught in the UK. If you're interested in a bit more background, search for "doing" at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindful...nitive_therapy

Gassho,
Jeremy
Will sit later

---

A nice was to say this. Thank you.

Gassho, Jundo

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeremy

Hi Kyonin,

I was thinking about your question during the Zazenkai - it was something like this:

A simple answer is to say that we spend all our lives 'doing' and in Zazen, we're practicing 'being' instead of 'doing'. This answer comes from the way MBCT/Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy is taught in the UK. If you're interested in a bit more background, search for "doing" at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindful...nitive_therapy

Gassho,
Jeremy
Will sit later

---

Hi Jeremy,

If asked about Zazen I might say it's hard to explain but I can show you how we do it.

Gassho, Jishin

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jundo

A nice was to say this. Thank you.

Gassho, Jundo

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I might add, on behalf of Master Menzan, that this Practice also finds what steps right through "being" and "not being" and all other dichotemies.

Hamlet (to be or not to be) was not a Zen Buddhist, or he would have allowed for further options. [monk]

Gassho, J

SatToday

Thank you, Jundo, for the talk on Master Menzan. I was not familiar with him previously.

Gassho,
Matt
#SatToday

Still here or there, in and out, sitting, walking, doing......just to let you know Seishin is still kickin'

Gassho _/\_

Seishin/Kyrillos

Hey Fr. K!

Gassho, Jundo

SatToday