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Thread: Buddha-Basics (Part IV) — Viewing Right

  1. #1

    Buddha-Basics (Part IV) — Viewing Right

    The first branch of the ‘”Eightfold Path is Right View (sometimes called Right Perspective or Right Understanding)…
    .
    That is: to study and to come to understand the world through fundamental Buddhist perspectives and philosophies, and to make those ways of seeing a natural part of one’s life. The Four Noble Truths, The Eightfold Path, The Precepts, Impermanence, the Middle Way, Non-existence of the “self,” Cause and Effect, Dependent Co-Origination, Buddhist views on time, life and death, the workings of the senses and mind… the words and insights of the Buddha and later teachers… the list goes on… (In fact, all that’s the subject of this “Buddha-Basics” series!) Our Zazen Practice brings life to these doctrines, while each doctrine helps give shape and meaning to our Zazen.
    .
    But “Zen” is also said to be “a special transmission outside the scriptures, not dependent on words and letters,” with legends of old Zen masters burning their Buddhist philosophy books. So: which view of “right view” is right?

    CLICK HERE for today’s Sit-A-Long video.



    Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 15 to 35 minutes is recommended.


    dobre-ksiazki-medium.jpg
    Last edited by Jundo; 05-25-2023 at 11:31 PM.

  2. #2
    Dear Jundo,

    which book would be a right one for a beginner like me?
    promise too keep making splashes in then water

    eugene

  3. #3
    Hi Eugene,

    We have a recommended book list for books about Shikantaza, Soto Zen, Zen and Buddhism. The ones with ** are recommended for new folks. One might just pretty much read right down the list of those.

    http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...REELEAF-SANGHA

    Gassho, Jundo
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  4. #4
    I was wishing for a book list....and there is one


  5. #5
    Thank you dear teacher Jundo .
    Very right . Buddhism is like swim . You can't learn swim from books you need to get to the water .

    Gassho

  6. #6
    Treeleaf Unsui Shugen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Redding California USA
    Gassho,

    Shugen

    #sattoday
    Meido Shugen
    明道 修眼

  7. #7


    Gassho
    Lisa
    sat today

  8. #8
    Gassho


    ..sat2day•

  9. #9

  10. #10
    Thank you Jundo. Another great video.
    I will continue to see the others on this topic.

    Gassho
    David

    Sattoday
    David Cravidăo Lopes Pereira

  11. #11
    Thank you Jundo! This video really helps my view on some questions.

    It sounds like Zazen isn't all I need to do, and perhaps enlightenment won't arrive simply by picking up a leaf of grass. I might need to (un)learn a thing or two.

    Gassho,
    Jason
    SatThisDay


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  12. #12
    Cyd
    Guest
    Thank you Jundo,
    on another great Talk
    arm Chair Philosopher Been Guilty thats the past


    Gassho
    Cyd
    Sat2day

  13. #13
    Thanks, Jundo.

    Sat today with this.

    _/\_
    Paul

  14. #14
    This is definitely something that I have been working on. Trying to get off my phone and open a book. I am looking to read down the list of books hopefully I will find them affordably.

    Sent from my LGLS675 using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    I really enjoyed this one. Thank you Jundo.

    Gassho,
    John Miller
    Sat Today

  16. #16
    wisdom.org publications has decently-priced ebooks, SeaChel.

  17. #17
    Jundo,
    How much does a command of Japanese or Chinese help with learning the teachings? And do you need to study the old dialects, the way one would with Beowulf or struggle with Chaucer?
    Gassho
    Tom
    Sat.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom View Post
    Jundo,
    How much does a command of Japanese or Chinese help with learning the teachings? And do you need to study the old dialects, the way one would with Beowulf or struggle with Chaucer?
    Gassho
    Tom
    Sat.
    Oh, no! There is more available in English now, and better translations, then in the entire history of Buddhism for 2500 years. I do not exaggerate. The old Chinese, Japanese, Sanskrit or Pali words are good to look up the odd bit of history now and then, but these days one can find the translation for most things already artfully done.

    I am glad I speak Japanese, but I would not call it necessary. Maybe 99% of the Zen Teachers in the west these days do not.

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    Last edited by Jundo; 03-24-2017 at 02:08 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  19. #19
    Still, it must be nice to look up old Japanese sutras and texts and be able to read them. As for the translations in English, my what times we live in and my what a debt we have to the first generation of teachers and translators in the last 200 years.
    Tom
    Gassho,
    Sat today.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Tom View Post
    Still, it must be nice to look up old Japanese sutras and texts and be able to read them. As for the translations in English, my what times we live in and my what a debt we have to the first generation of teachers and translators in the last 200 years.
    Tom
    Gassho,
    Sat today.
    Before Nishijima Roshi translated the Shobogenzo into English, he first had published a translation into Japanese! (Yes, from classical Japanese which is almost impossible for Japanese to read today, into modern Japanese). Classical Japanese for modern Japanese folks is even harder than a modern American reading Shakespeare without footnotes, and even in modern Japanese Dogen is ... well ... not a walk in the park. And, of course, even back in Dogen's day, the average Japanese struggled to understand Chinese in much the same way that you and I might struggle as English speakers with French (have to guess at the words which are vaguely similar). That assumes, of course, that folks were even literate in their own language! What is more, almost nobody in Japan or China understood Sanskrit or Pali, so they could only read mediocre translations of the few Indian texts available.

    And they didn't have big libraries of cheap paperbacks, not to mention the internet to download!

    In other words ... you and I have it so much better than Buddhist monks of the past ever did.

    And, of course, there is that whole Face of our Way that is beyond words and texts anyway.

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    Last edited by Jundo; 03-25-2017 at 12:50 PM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  21. #21
    Is it OK to keep a note book? I'm writing things down to better learn and remember these lessons for future reference. Once again...thank you!

    Dan

  22. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by Budo-Dan View Post
    Is it OK to keep a note book? I'm writing things down to better learn and remember these lessons for future reference. Once again...thank you!

    Dan
    Of course!

    In Zen, we "burn all the books." But that just means that there is a time to study and read them, a time to put them down and just sit or work, days to burn the books, days to reconstitute the ashes and read them again.

    Even when reading or studying, do not get trapped in the words and philosophy, making it just an intellectual idea. See through the words and live the Practice.

    Gassho, J

    SatTodayLAH
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  23. #23


    SatToday
    Last edited by Budo-Dan; 06-20-2017 at 01:10 AM.

  24. #24
    Funnily enough I came across something about learning how to play the guitar yesterday. There are basically two kinds of ways on how to learn to play. One is the “classical” way. You learn mostly by and through music theory and sheet reading. The other one is to learn by ear and what others show you. Both will learn how to play the guitar eventually. However, both will probably be limited in how to express themselves on the guitar. The classically trained players may have problems to improvise, the others may lack the ability to tackle things they’ve never encountered before and cannot teach themselves by reading sheet music and so on. The most accomplished players are those who can do both. They know the theory behind what they hear and play and therefore can express themselves much better than any of the aforementioned.

    I think it’s the same with reading books on Buddhism and “just” sitting. Reading gives depth to what you do.

    Sorry for the long post...

    Gassho
    Teiro

    Sat/Lah

  25. #25
    Nice analogy Teiro. As a self taught guitarist who after years of stubbornness decided to learn a little theory I can very much relate to what you said.


    Tairin
    Sat today and lah

  26. #26
    Thank you Jundo.

    I have read sometimes the word "Upaya" used to describe Buddhist teachings which is translated as "expedient means" but which I interpret as "useful fictions". That is, ideas and concepts valuable not because they are truths but because they provide a framework to make sense of our experience while remembering that making sense is "making", not "discovering".

    Gassho,
    Mark.

    Sat today and LAHed.

  27. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark-Andrew View Post
    Thank you Jundo.

    I have read sometimes the word "Upaya" used to describe Buddhist teachings which is translated as "expedient means" but which I interpret as "useful fictions". That is, ideas and concepts valuable not because they are truths but because they provide a framework to make sense of our experience while remembering that making sense is "making", not "discovering".

    Gassho,
    Mark.

    Sat today and LAHed.
    We just recently had a discussion of this and, in a nutshell, my opinion is that "Upaya" is any method ... poetry or dance or parables or wondrous images or simplified versions and similes and metaphors ... that help to get the message across and encourage folks:

    How much of dharma is upaya?
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...l=1#post268446

    I like your very flexible outlook, Mark.

    Gassho, J
    STLah
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  28. #28
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    We just recently had a discussion of this and, in a nutshell, my opinion is that "Upaya" is any method ... poetry or dance or parables or wondrous images or simplified versions and similes and metaphors ... that help to get the message across and encourage folks:

    How much of dharma is upaya?
    https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/show...l=1#post268446

    I like your very flexible outlook, Mark.

    Gassho, J
    STLah
    Thanks (I think) for pointing me to that discussion. I learn from that that seems best not to over-analyse or over-intellectualise but to validate? on the zafu. Now I have to read "On ‘A Picture of a Rice Cake’". This site is like wikipedia.

    Gassho,
    Mark.

    Sat today & lah.

  29. #29

    Thank you for this you for this teaching.

  30. #30

  31. #31
    This is very useful, cleared me some things about Zen's typical controversy

    Thank you fot the teching Jundo,

    Gassho
    Sat Today

  32. #32
    I used to learn and practice budo and I thought of my earlier training when I watched this video, we used to speak about the three stages of learning a discipline, they are (roughly) "following" (shu), "breaking" (ha) and "leaving". (ri)

    The first stage is about learning and memorizing the rules, forms, techniques and so fourth (beginner), the second is about becoming sufficiently proficient that you begin to go deeper and question the underlying rules and techniques to start developing your own touch and interpretation (adept) and the final stage is all about mastering your understanding and proficiency in such a way that you can utilize the school as self-expression, teach it well to others, be creative and "transcend forms" (expert).

    I think this offers a good perspective on the issue of "learning words" or "transcending words". You have to learn the basics, or else if you skip to the transcendence part you will hurt yourself (for example, if you don't learn to fall correctly and instead go about "transcending form" you will hurt yourself when you try to invent your own way of falling). It is necessary to grind the basics and memorize names, concepts, ideas and the like, in order to have a basis for questioning and deeper inquiry, and later in order to be able to "let go". You also don't get to the final stage (or maybe it is the first stage of a new path? ) by just memorizing and learning, you need to practice and put what you learn into action to make it truly part of yourself. Both have their time and place, but they are both important!

    Those are my two cents, thank you for this lesson

    Gassho,
    Will
    SatLah
    Last edited by Shigeru; 02-17-2024 at 12:05 PM.
    - Will

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