Released Today: THE ZEN MASTER’S DANCE by Jundo Cohen!

[Jundo]

I've just received an email from local zen group in London about a talk on Sunday by some guy who's just written a new book on Dogen

Gassho,

Heiso

StLah

Yes, boarding a plane for London now.

Just kidding.

It is part of my 20+ City, 4 Continent, Around the World Universal Book Tour ... all by Zoom. Speaking a bunch of places, one of which actually made a nice recording, which I will post soon. I got my talk down to an easy & smooth 30 minutes, thanks to you all who attended the Zazenkai here this month and let me practice! Today ... Hawaii (all the Soto temples in Hawaii organized a joint event today. I got my Rakusu and Aloha Shirt all ready! ),

(Sorry for running long here though)

Gassho, J

STLah

[Gokai]

Congratulations on the publication of your book, Jundo. My copy has already arrived in Portugal. Through amazon.es it was really fast, it was almost like buying in my own country.
Gassho, Gokai
Sat and LAH today

[Inshin]

Got my copy today and started to read with Joe Coltrane in the background Jundo, are you perhaps planning on translating the whole Dogen's Shobogenzo? Would be a treat
Gassho
Sat

[Seibu]

Congratulations Jundo. I am looking forward to reading it.

Gassho,
Seibu
Sattoday

[sreed]

So thrilled for you, Jundo! I’ve been waiting for this!!
-Sara
ST

[Jundo]

Brazen request from me (Jundo) ...

There is nothing to achieve in Zazen, no rating or measuring the worth of the shining stars, life is beyond all likes and dislikes ...

...so please be sure to say so on Amazon, and give lots of stars if you liked it!

It will encourage other folks to maybe read it, thus to learn that life gets limitless stars!

Also, Silence is most valued in Zen, and Truth is Wordless ... so please use a few dozen words to post a review too!

Thank you.

Gassho, Jundo

[aprapti]

today i finished 'the zen master's dance' and i liked it very much.. i am sure i will reread it several times in the future. I am not selling my copies of the books of Jundo's dharma-brother Brad Warner: for me the two writers complement each other.

so lets dance by sitting



aprapti

std

[Shinzan]

Junco, Congratulations. Our sangha here in Reno, Facing the Mountain Zen Group, will be studying your book beginning in January.
Dance on!

ST

[Jundo]

Junco, Congratulations. Our sangha here in Reno, Facing the Mountain Zen Group, will be studying your book beginning in January.
Dance on!

ST

Okay. But tell everyone, "NO REFUNDS!"

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

[nate]

Jundo - Just finished Genjo Koan chapter. You have a gift. Please use it often.

[Kokuu]

My copy just arrived today so I am excited to be starting it.

Time to put the kettle on first!

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Myosho]

I got my copy today!
I will have to read after sewing Rakusu.

Gassho

Joe

Sat Today

Zen Masters dance.jpg

[Seikan]

I'm more than half-way through the book so far, and it truly is a gem. Not only is it an accessible introduction to the core teachings of Dogen, but I also feel that it would serve as a wonderful introduction to our practice in general (alongside other notable works like Uchiyama's Opening the Hand of Thought).

As luck would have it, I've also been re-reading some T.S. Eliot as of late (Jundo actually references him a couple times early in the book), and I happened upon the following excerpt from his poem entitled "Burnt Norton", which resonates well when read in parallel with The Zen Master's Dance.

At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance.

Gassho,
Rob

-stlah-

(apologies for running long with the quotation...)

[Heitou]

Finally bought my copy today, now just waiting for delivery. Can't wait.

[Katherine]

Congrats on the new book! I was browsing around on amazon and I was like "HEY..I know who that is..!!!" Bought a copy and going to start reading now.

[Shonin]

I just purchased a copy myself. Got an amazon gift card for Xmas and decided to use some of it to see what the greatest teacher EVERRRR has to say. Okay so i'm slightly biased. Looking forward to giving this a read, or reading in general. Too attached to my electronics.
Dave
Sat/LAH

[Jinyo]

A nice bit of feedback on Jundo's book - a friend of mine (who is not a student of Zen) decided to buy it as I mentioned it is what I'm reading just now. She is really enjoying the book and appreciating
the theme of interconnectedness. I can't think of any other book I would recommend on Dogen to a total newbie and think it testifies to how important it is. Wish I'd had it to read when I first started out because I was scared to pick up Dogen for years and still find him difficult so 'The ZenMaster's Dance' feels like its going to be a helpfull companion to many starting out on this journey (that is somehow always at the beginning and never ends).

Gassho

Jinyo

Sat today as my husband embarks on his chemotherapy - another journey.

[Shonin]

Best wishes the chemotherapy helps. Such a hard thing to go through. Metta to you and yours and all who suffer from this.
My copy should be here today. Im excited to get reading. I'm also rereading "The Mind of Clover". One precept a day is my plan. When I pick the practice back up I have a tendency to start at the very beginning. That was the book we used for Jukai reading material back in 2019-2010.
I'm babbling again, forgive me.

Dave the tangent king

SAT

[Onkai]

Metta to you, your husband, and family, Jinyo.

Gassho,
Onkai
Sat/lah

[Heitou]

I got my copy in last Wednesday.

Gassho
John

[Jundo]

I got my copy in last Wednesday.

Gassho
John

No spoilers!

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Shonin]

Mine came yesterday. I'll start it tomorrow i think.
Dave
getting ready to sit/LAH

[Jundo]

Mine came yesterday. I'll start it tomorrow i think.
Dave
getting ready to sit/LAH

You could wait for the movie. They are negotiating with George Clooney to play me.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shonin]

Bwahahah. Roshi made a funny.

Dave
SAT/LAH

[Inshin]

You could wait for the movie. They are negotiating with George Clooney to play me.

Gassho, J

STLah

I imagine they're working on how to turn the chapter on Uji into a similar mind bending feature like Inception or Interstellar

Gassho
Sat

[Shonin]

LOL Ania. Inception is one of my favorite movies.

Dave

[Jundo]

Bwahahah. Roshi made a funny.

Dave
SAT/LAH

I'm sorry, I don't get the joke. The resemblance is obvious ...



(I'm the one on the left).

Maybe the bathtub scene will help ...

dlt bath.jpg

(This time, I'm on the right)

Gassho, J

STLah

[Shonin]

An early morning laugh always helps start the day.

[Inshin]

I'm sorry, I don't get the joke. The resemblance is obvious ...



(I'm the one on the left).

Maybe the bathtub scene will help ...

dlt bath.jpg

(This time, I'm on the right)

Gassho, J

STLah

I have a feeling that Jundo's bath photo will end up in someone's butsudan or altar one day.



Gassho
Sat

[Koushi]

I have a feeling that Jundo's bath photo will end up in someone's butsudan or altar one day.



Gassho
Sat

You caught me

Gassho,
Jesse
ST

[Jundo]

I have a feeling that Jundo's bath photo will end up in someone's butsudan or altar one day.

Please wait until I someday drown in my bath.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Jundo]

An online magazine has published a short excerpt from the Introduction.

Perhaps you might have a look, and it will save you from having to buy the rest of the book!

The Zen Master’s Dance, is Zen teacher Jundo Cohen’s new book, reflecting on the teachings and writings of 13th century Japanese Zen master Dōgen, who is considered the founder of the Soto school in Japan. In this extract from the introduction of his book, Jundo Cohen paints a picture of the universe as an integrated and indivisible dance, in which certain elements temporarily swirl out and take on form, but always fundamentally belong to the flow from which they emerged. The crux of Dōgen’s teachings, according to Cohen, were dancing lessons – instructions in how to prime ourselves for the movements of the great, universal dance.

https://thedewdrop.org/2020/12/07/ho...-a-zen-master/

Gassho, J

STLah

[Bokusei]

Father Christmas was kind enough to give me two gifts this year. They complement one another surprising well. The fungi one also ties very neatly into the topic of the most recent Zen of Everything podcast. Nature at its most miraculous!

Gassho

ST


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[Ryumon]

Father Christmas was kind enough to give me two gifts this year. They complement one another surprising well. The fungi one also ties very neatly into the topic of the most recent Zen of Everything podcast. Nature at its most miraculous!

I definitely want to read that book about fungi; I find that fascinating.

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

[Bokusei]

I definitely want to read that book about fungi; I find that fascinating.

Gassho,

Kirk

sat

Strongly recommended. It adds an interesting biological basis to no self - we are as much ecosystems as we are individual creatures. Perhaps more so.


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[Tairin]

I received my copy of “Zen Master’s Dance” today. Sort of a delayed Christmas present.

Again congratulations Jundo!


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Inshin]

Father Christmas was kind enough to give me two gifts this year. They complement one another surprising well. The fungi one also ties very neatly into the topic of the most recent Zen of Everything podcast. Nature at its most miraculous!

Gassho

ST


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Bokusei, thank you so much for recommending The Entangled. I was lucky to get it for free in my Audible free trial. It's mind blowing.

The indigenous Pottawatomi language is rich in verb forms that attributes aliveness to the more than human world. The word for "hill" for example, is a verb "to be a hill". Hills are always in process of hilling, they are actively being hills.

How Dogen is that?!

Equipped in this grammar of animacy, it is possible to talk about life of other organisms without either reducing them to "it", or borrowing concepts traditionally reserved for humans. By contrast, in English there is no way to simply recognise the existence of another being: if you're not a human subject by default you're an inanimate object "it" - a mere thing. If you repurpose the human concept to make sense of the life of non-human organism, you've tumbled into a trap of antopomorphism. Use it and you've objectified the organism and fell into a different kind of a trap.

The use of Koans in Zen makes so much sense.


Sorry for going over 3 sentences, but as a Language and Culture graduate I found it super fascinating.

Gassho
Sat

[Tairin]

Bokusei, thank you so much for recommending The Entangled. I was lucky to get it for free in my Audible free trial. It's mind blowing.



How Dogen is that?!



The use of Koans in Zen makes so much sense.


Sorry for going over 3 sentences, but as a Language and Culture graduate I found it super fascinating.

Gassho
Sat

That’s fascinating Ania. Are those quotes from “The Entangled Life” book? You have me intrigued enough to buy it.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

[Inshin]

That’s fascinating Ania. Are those quotes from “The Entangled Life” book? You have me intrigued enough to buy it.


Tairin
Sat today and lah

Yes, it's from that book. Though it is mostly about fungi and ecosystem - a fascinating study showing interconnectedness of everything.

Gassho
Sat

[Risho]

Entangled life sounds fascinating! Thanks for the recommendation

I don’t know about that other one though; seems weird :-p

gassho

risho
-stlah

[Bokusei]

Bokusei, thank you so much for recommending The Entangled. I was lucky to get it for free in my Audible free trial. It's mind blowing.



How Dogen is that?!



The use of Koans in Zen makes so much sense.


Sorry for going over 3 sentences, but as a Language and Culture graduate I found it super fascinating.

Gassho
Sat

You are very welcome Inshin. Delighted to share in the wonder of it all!

Gassho
saTToday


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[Jundo]

Jundo,

I tried scrolling through most of this thread for an answer to no luck (maybe I just missed it). Is there a preferred outlet to purchase the book from (where you receive the best return)? I see it's on Amazon prime, or is it better to purchase from the publisher or somewhere else?

Gassho
Jd

Sat today

Hi Jd,

I know and understand fully how many folks feel about Amazon!

I suppose that the publisher's website is the best, or from a small book seller. I think there are some local book shops through which one can order.

Thank you for asking.

Gassho, Jundo

STLah

[Jishin]

Jundo,

I tried scrolling through most of this thread for an answer to no luck (maybe I just missed it). Is there a preferred outlet to purchase the book from (where you receive the best return)? I see it's on Amazon prime, or is it better to purchase from the publisher or somewhere else?

Gassho
Jd

Sat today

I would say that the primary reason Amazon has been so successful is that they provide an excellent service at good prices. To purchase books from others is to discourage excellence from businesses. Additionally, I profit from books that you buy from Amazon as I own stock in it.

Use common sense.


Gassho, Jishin, __/stlah\__

[Tai Shi]

Actually Amazon started out as a Book publishing company and wholesale marketer for books. Then they expand into a vacuum not occupy by any company.
Gassho
sat/ lah
Tai Shi


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[Kokuu]

I would say that the primary reason Amazon has been so successful is that they provide an excellent service at good prices. To purchase books from others is to discourage excellence from businesses.

You say 'excellence', I say 'exploitation of workers'.

Up to individuals to decide what they want to support.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/didn'torderfromAmazon-

[Jishin]

You say 'excellence', I say 'exploitation of workers'.

Up to individuals to decide what they want to support.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/didn'torderfromAmazon-

What an Evil Corporation! Giving jobs to millions so they can feed their families!

Gassho, Jishin, ST and helped lots of people that would otherwise be unemployed by owning Amazon Stock

[Jundo]

What an Evil Corporation! Giving jobs to millions so they can feed their families!

Gassho, Jishin, ST and helped lots of people that would otherwise be unemployed by owning Amazon Stock

Let us just all agree that corporations should be ethical and treat their workers fairly.

We can leave it to each person as to whether Amazon is doing so. I confess to buying from Amazon quite a bit, but maybe they ... like any group of sentient beings ... can sometimes do better as we all can.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Jishin]

Let us just all agree that corporations should be ethical and treat their workers fairly.

We can leave it to each person as to whether Amazon is doing so. I confess to buying from Amazon quite a bit, but maybe they ... like any group of sentient beings ... can sometimes do better as we all can.

Gassho, J

STLah

I think that Amazon does untold good that people overlook.

I just spoke to a psychiatric patient of mine that has not worked in quite some time who reported that he was just hired by Amazon delivering packages for $16.50 an hour. That's a lot a money where I am from.

My brother-in-law has a law degree and a masters degree and lost his job a few years back and the only employment he was able to find for a while was with Amazon at a warehouse. They really helped out.

I live out in the country and most of my shopping is done through Amazon. If I did not have access to Amazon, I could not live as comfortably and may move to a bigger city. Countless rural patients would lose me as their doctor and be without health care. I can go on and on...

Everyone is entitled to an opinion...

Gassho, Jishin, ST

[Jundo]

Well, we are not here to debate Amazon.

Everything has its good and bad aspects, and I am sure that they help many people in many ways, and I am know that there are issues about the company's effects and actions too. They helped many folks get through the pandemic. Let is just agree that companies, like all people, should do their best to be socially responsible and to treat others well.

However, because the Supreme Court of the United States has declared, in a famous ruling, that corporations are "persons," thus I hereby offer to bestow the Precepts, in Jukai, on any corporation. I wonder if that has ever been done? Maybe we should. Do you know any corporation which would like to undertake Jukai? Of course, the ceremony would have the legal entity (through its lawful representative) agree to avoid killing, not to take what is not given, to be truthful, not abuse its desires and all the rest.

Perhaps a corporation has Buddha Nature, can attain Nirvana and become Buddha too!

Gassho, J

STLah

[Jishin]