Results 1 to 20 of 20

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

  1. #1

    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. ).

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


    Gassho, Jundo

    SatTodayLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    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.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah

  3. #3
    Thank you

    Doshin
    St

  4. #4
    Thank you, jundo.
    I'm looking forward to check it out tonight.

    Gassho

    Horin

    Stlah

    Enviado desde mi BLA-L29 mediante Tapatalk

  5. #5
    Thank you, Jundo.

    Gassho

    heiso

    StLah

    Sent from my RMX2001 using Tapatalk

  6. #6
    Thank you Jundo, that is helpful information to know.

    Gassho

    John
    Sat today

    Sent from my LG-H910 using Tapatalk

  7. #7
    Thank you, Jundo.


    Koutoku
    SAT

  8. #8
    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
    Last edited by Risho; 02-03-2021 at 01:02 PM.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Risho View Post
    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
    I do not kid. Look at the slippers, and the white stripes, all perfectly aligned ...



    The secret of Zen is there.

    Gassho, J

    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    I do not kid. Look at the slippers, and the white stripes, all perfectly aligned ...



    The secret of Zen is there.

    Gassho, J

    STLah


    Gassho

    Risho
    -stlah

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    I do not kid. Look at the slippers, and the white stripes, all perfectly aligned ...



    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.

    Gassho2, meian st lh

    Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
    My life is my temple and my practice.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Meian View Post
    For those of us who are obsessed with lining things up 'just so', this is a beautiful sight. I always love these photos.

    Gassho2, meian st lh

    Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
    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! 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
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  13. #13
    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
    Last edited by Risho; 02-03-2021 at 04:34 PM.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Risho View Post
    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
    The middle way.

    Gassho,
    Sat today,
    Geerish.

    Sent from my PAR-LX1M using Tapatalk
    Has been known as Guish since 2017 on the forum here.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    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! 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
    My life is my temple and my practice.

  16. #16

  17. #17
    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
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

  18. #18
    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
    Peaceful Poet, Tai Shi. Ubasoku; calm, supportive, limited to positive 優婆塞 台 婆

  19. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Tai Shi View Post
    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
    Sounds lovely, TS.

    Gassho, J

    stlah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  20. #20
    “Nicely aligned slippers lead to nicely aligned mind”.

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

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •