SIT-A-LONG with Jundo: Small Things in the Zendo

A little talk about small customs and rituals in the Zendo (such as straightening our slippers, not taking a short cut across the room, keeping our hands a certain way), and why those are elements of practice.

It applies mostly when sitting in a formal group, like our weekly Treeleaf Zazenkai, but it is good to incorporate the attitude even when sitting by oneself at home sometimes. (At other times, it is okay to totally forget all the formalities and just sit too. :encouragement: ).

Please have a listen. In Zazen, there is "no place to go," but no short cuts too! :p

https://youtu.be/qx-bsQKlHPE

Gassho, Jundo

SatTodayLah

Thank you Jundo. I have tried to incorporate ritual into my Zazen both when attending the TreeLeaf Zazenkai and when sitting on my own. I have made some personal adjustments since you gave this talk.

gassho2
Tairin
Sat today and lah

Thank you

Doshin
St

Thank you, jundo.
I'm looking forward to check it out tonight.

Gassho

Horin

Stlah

Enviado desde mi BLA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

Thank you, Jundo.

Gassho

heiso

StLah

Sent from my RMX2001 using Tapatalk

Thank you Jundo, that is helpful information to know.

Gassho

John
Sat today

Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

Thank you, Jundo.


Koutoku
SAT

I predict in 800 years scholars from all over the galaxy will be debating and writing books on whether Jundo Zenji practiced with slippers or not. There will be books and books pontificating on the merits of slippers and how slippers are the core of our practice. Dogen's practice-enlightenment will be placed with a new slipper zen. :)

Seriously - thank you for this; Mara is always in the details; I always bow during the bell and I use more than three fingers! Thank you

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Risho

I predict in 800 years scholars from all over the galaxy will be debating and writing books on whether Jundo Zenji practiced with slippers or not. There will be books and books pontificating on the merits of slippers and how slippers are the core of our practice. Dogen's practice-enlightenment will be placed with a new slipper zen. :)

Seriously - thank you for this; Mara is always in the details; I always bow during the bell and I use more than three fingers! Thank you

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

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I do not kid. Look at the slippers, and the white stripes, all perfectly aligned ...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/34...9a1827748a.jpg

The secret of Zen is there.

Gassho, J

STLah

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jundo

I do not kid. Look at the slippers, and the white stripes, all perfectly aligned ...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/34...9a1827748a.jpg

The secret of Zen is there.

Gassho, J

STLah

---

gassho1

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jundo

I do not kid. Look at the slippers, and the white stripes, all perfectly aligned ...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/05/34...9a1827748a.jpg

The secret of Zen is there.

Gassho, J

STLah

---

For those of us who are obsessed with lining things up 'just so', this is a beautiful sight. I always love these photos. [emoji3059]

Gassho2, meian st lh

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Meian

For those of us who are obsessed with lining things up 'just so', this is a beautiful sight. I always love these photos. [emoji3059]

Gassho2, meian st lh

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

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Oh, when I get someone who is obsessed with lining things up, do you know what I tell them?

MESS UP YOUR SLIPPERS and put your white stripe sideways! :eek: Please do. One should not be attached to neat, one should not be attached to sloppy.

I will talk about that at a Zazenkai soon.

Gassho, J

STLah

hahahah you speak out of both sides of your no-sided mouth :)

Seriously - I see what you are saying - don't be too attached to one or the other - it's both and not both - it's one and not one. I don't want to get zenny, but I don't have another way of saying it.

If you keep your slippers neat and you are always worried about their position, your mind is too tight; the right medicine is to loosen up. If your slippers are haphazardly placed just anywhere, your mind is too loose, you need to tighten up. Either way drop off that 100 foot pole.

Life is practice, practice is life

Tight mind, tight practice, tight life, no flow

Loose mind, lose mind, lazy life, no flow

No loose, no tight, no slippers, no problem

It's all in the middle

We just need and use the appropriate medicine.

Just this, just this

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

P.S> I'm not a poet, and I know it hahahah

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Risho

hahahah you speak out of both sides of your no-sided mouth :)

Seriously - I see what you are saying - don't be too attached to one or the other - it's both and not both - it's one and not one. I don't want to get zenny, but I don't have another way of saying it.

If you keep your slippers neat and you are always worried about their position, your mind is too tight; the right medicine is to loosen up. If your slippers are haphazardly placed just anywhere, your mind is too loose, you need to tighten up. Either way drop off that 100 foot pole.

Life is practice, practice is life

Tight mind, tight practice, tight life, no flow

Loose mind, lose mind, lazy life, no flow

No loose, no tight, no slippers, no problem

It's all in the middle

We just need and use the appropriate medicine.

Just this, just this

Gassho

Risho
-stlah

P.S> I'm not a poet, and I know it hahahah

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The middle way.

Gassho,
Sat today,
Geerish.

Sent from my PAR-LX1M using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jundo

Oh, when I get someone who is obsessed with lining things up, do you know what I tell them?

MESS UP YOUR SLIPPERS and put your white stripe sideways! :eek: Please do. One should not be attached to neat, one should not be attached to sloppy.

I will talk about that at a Zazenkai soon.

Gassho, J

STLah

---

Gassho2
meian st lh

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Thank you 🙏

From time to time I am in need of personal visit with Jundo. Though throughout the year we visit in such a way that we may write to each other, I feel a need to talk for 15 minutes or 20 minutes so that I can expect from the pandemic that has taken severe toll on my wife and I. My wife turns 67 and I will turn 70 this years or perhaps I have very much wanted to visit with Shokai. He knows first hand in our lives what this means. I have wanted to visit with him because as has known exactly what to help me with in the past. I think as a priest and more so as a friend I have come to respond from his advice , I think a Dokusun might be beneficial to both of us. The pandemic hasn’t really changed us and now that we are going to be vaccinated with vaccine 95% but this is a paradox for us. It’s made us so isolated I want to cry be that’s effective or not and then do we worry about our friends who receive nothing or should they worry about us? One man who was close has bugun to drink heavily another to use hard drugs. See there are only problems a priest with understanding can give to use, please let this happen both Shokai and Jundo?
Gassho
With so I understanding
Tai Shi
sat/ lab



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

It's some time since this last missive so I will only say that I have made new friends at our UU Church in Sioux Falls. This is a very small church that welcomes all people, gay, straight, ordinary, non-ordinary, good, well so not so good, mentally ill, me, you, agnostic, atheism, believer, agnostic, soul seeker, all are welcome as with good intent and charitable learning families, old people, young people. children, seniors. Ours has accepted my Soto Zen and applaud my "spiritual" path.
Gassho
sat/lah

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tai Shi

It's some time since this last missive so I will only say that I have made new friends at our UU Church in Sioux Falls. This is a very small church that welcomes all people, gay, straight, ordinary, non-ordinary, good, well so not so good, mentally ill, me, you, agnostic, atheism, believer, agnostic, soul seeker, all are welcome as with good intent and charitable learning families, old people, young people. children, seniors. Ours has accepted my Soto Zen and applaud my "spiritual" path.
Gassho
sat/lah

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:encouragement: Sounds lovely, TS.

Gassho, J

stlah

“Nicely aligned slippers lead to nicely aligned mind”. [yinyang]

Gassho,
b.
st (with slippers tidy beside tan)