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Thread: Gudo Wafu Nishijima

  1. #1

    Gudo Wafu Nishijima

    Today would have been his 101st birthday. I am so thankful that for his teachings and for his taking on Jundo as his student.

    Nine deep bows.

    Gassho, Shinshi

    Sat - LaH
    空道 心志 Kudo Shinshi
    I am just a priest-in-training, any resemblance between what I post and actual teachings is purely coincidental.
    E84I - JAJ

  2. #2
    Happy Non-Birthday Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi

    B1. 021.jpg
    Image found on Yudo Seggelke's blog

    Gassho,
    Kotei sat/lah today.

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  3. #3
    Lovely picture, Kotei, and much gratitude to Nishijima Roshi and his student, Jundo!

    Jundo, I wonder if it might be appropriate to make mention of this in some way on the Zazenkai nearest to his birthday each year and maybe put a wee cake in front of his picture? Although his teachings permeate all that we do here, it might be a nice time to bring particular attention to him and some of his own words.

    Gassho
    Kokuu
    -sattoday-

  4. #4


    Gassho
    Kyōsen
    Sat|LAH
    橋川
    kyō (bridge) | sen (river)

  5. #5


    Since his birthday is so near to our Rohatsu Retreat each year, let us always dedicate it especially to him.

    Of course, we have been quoting him for each of our Precept reflections too during Jukai, which is a way to have him help us.

    Gassho, Jundo

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  6. #6
    Maybe the most important way to celebrate his birthday ... with Zazen. This recording was made when he was almost 90. He had retired to a very noisy, little apartment near the train tracks in senior's public housing ...



    And there is the lovely documentary on his day to day teaching and working life. I have a cameo or two in the movie. I am the bearded fellow, considerably more hair and less grey, seen about 7:30 of 'Part II' carrying a blackboard saying "REALITY/REALISM" with my other Dharma Brother Peter Rocca. That was during a retreat at our root temple in Japan, the Tokei-in (more on the Tokei-in here ... lovely photos) ...

    http://www.treeleaf.org/about-tokei-in/tokei-in-1.html

    The following is from Brad Warner's website:

    The synopsis on that Dutch film festival's website says:

    "I live my Buddhist life from day to day, from moment to moment sometimes in my office, sometimes in my home, sometimes in a temple. In every situation there was just my Buddhist life." Gudo Wafu Nishijima was born in Yokohama, Japan. With a new and fresh approach to the Buddhist view of reality and the sense of balance to the philosophical and scientific investigations from last decades, Master Nishijima gives us the coordinates to start to understand Buddhism with our own method of thinking. He wants to pass the teachings of Buddhism to people all over the world who are searching for "Truth". "We have to say that we live in a succession of moments rather like the frames of a film." In these frames, from the present moment, the documentary is about Master Nishijima´s daily life that is all ready a Buddhist life.

    ... Watching it again I'd forgotten how good it was. It gives you a very honest look at who Nishijima Roshi was when the film was made. It shows him leading one of his annual retreats in Shizuoka for foreigners. It shows him in Europe giving talks and running a sesshin. It shows him talking to students of his from Israel and Ireland. There's also a wonderful scene of him dragging his suitcase through Tokyo Station. He always insisted on carrying his own stuff when he went on retreats. If you wanted to help him out with his bags you'd have to kind of trick him by grabbing them before he noticed. But he was always very quick.

    ... The opening scenes were shot one morning at Nishijima's dojo in Chiba prefecture. ...


    PART I


    PART II


    PART III


    In the above, he expresses his actual feelings about birth and birthdays at the 4:30 mark of Part 1.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    Last edited by Jundo; 11-30-2020 at 03:28 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    Maybe the most important way to celebrate his birthday ... with Zazen. This recording was made when he was almost 90. He had retired to a very noisy, little apartment in public senior's housing ...

    ...

    And there is the lovely documentary on his day to day teaching and working life. I have a cameo or two in the movie. I am the bearded fellow, considerably more hair and less grey, seen about 7:30 of 'Part II' carrying a blackboard saying "REALITY/REALISM" with my other Dharma Brother Peter Rocca. That was during a retreat at our root temple in Japan, the Tokei-in (more on the Tokei-in here ... lovely photos) ...

    http://www.treeleaf.org/about-tokei-in/tokei-in-1.html

    The following is from Brad Warner's website:
    It was just last week I was telling Rob about how much I enjoyed watching Nishijima Roshi give explanations and teachings. His style so energetic - makes me think of myself and how I am making daily efforts to slow down now (wink wink ). There’s quite a lot of Sawaki in his “voice” as well and I think it’s just a privilege to be receiving both your teachings and all the ones he passed down to you, plus 20 years’ worth of Sawaki teachings Nishijima Roshi received!

    SatToday
    Last edited by Jundo; 11-30-2020 at 12:50 AM.
    Bion
    -------------------------
    When you put Buddha’s activity into practice, only then are you a buddha. When you act like a fool, then you’re a fool. - Sawaki Roshi

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by jake_b View Post
    It was just last week I was telling Rob about how much I enjoyed watching Nishijima Roshi give explanations and teachings. His style so energetic - makes me think of myself and how I am making daily efforts to slow down now (wink wink ). There’s quite a lot of Sawaki in his “voice” as well and I think it’s just a privilege to be receiving both your teachings and all the ones he passed down to you, plus 20 years’ worth of Sawaki teachings Nishijima Roshi received!

    SatToday
    What Jake said

    Gassho,
    Jesse
    ST

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by jake_b View Post
    It was just last week I was telling Rob about how much I enjoyed watching Nishijima Roshi give explanations and teachings. His style so energetic - makes me think of myself and how I am making daily efforts to slow down now (wink wink ). There’s quite a lot of Sawaki in his “voice” as well and I think it’s just a privilege to be receiving both your teachings and all the ones he passed down to you, plus 20 years’ worth of Sawaki teachings Nishijima Roshi received!

    SatToday
    Fully agree as well.



    Gassho,
    Rob

    -stlah-


    Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
    聖簡 Seikan (Sacred Simplicity)

  10. #10


    Gassho,
    Washin
    stlah
    Kaidō (皆道) Every Way
    Washin (和信) Harmony Trust
    ----
    I am a novice priest-in-training. Anything that I say must not be considered as teaching
    and should be taken with a 'grain of salt'.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by jake_b View Post
    It was just last week I was telling Rob about how much I enjoyed watching Nishijima Roshi give explanations and teachings. His style so energetic - makes me think of myself and how I am making daily efforts to slow down now (wink wink ). There’s quite a lot of Sawaki in his “voice” as well and I think it’s just a privilege to be receiving both your teachings and all the ones he passed down to you, plus 20 years’ worth of Sawaki teachings Nishijima Roshi received!

    SatToday


    Gassho, Tomás
    Sat&LaH

  12. #12


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah

  13. #13

    Gudo Wafu Nishijima

    Love!!!

    I would so have liked to sit with Nishijima.I am eternally grateful to be part of his lineage.

    Gassho
    Jakuden
    SatToday/LAH

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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