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chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewSo everyone has to have the same view? That is impossible. Buddhism teaches that you take care of your own rice bowl. That is what the Buddha taught. I can not take care of yours or anyone else. I said you are not a noun. “Buddhist”. If you think you are, fine. I do not [...]
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chana posted an update in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewFrom the online PDF book….\\\\\\\”Walking in Zen, Sitting in Zen\\\\\\\” by OSHO
at http://www.messagefrommasters.com/Beloved_Osho_Books/Zen/Walking_in_Zen_Sitting_in_Zen.pdf
I love the statement that the ”man of Zen walks in Zen and sits in Zen” for the simple reason that
meditation cannot be just a part of your life. You cannot make a fragment of your life meditative; it
is not possible to be meditative for one hour and then non-meditative for twenty-three hours. It is
absolutely impossible. If you are doing that, that means your meditation is false.
Meditation can either be a twenty-four-hour affair or it cannot be at all. It is like breathing: you cannot
breathe for one hour and then put it aside for twenty-three hours, otherwise you will be dead. You
have to go on breathing. Even while you are asleep you have to go on breathing. Even in a deep
coma you have to go on breathing.
Meditation is the breath of your soul. Just as breathing is the life of the body, meditation is the life of
the soul.
The people who are not aware of meditation are spiritually dead.also…..
It is not a question of how much more, it is not a question of quantity; either you are asleep or you
are awake. No one is more asleep than anybody else. The people who are asleep are asleep in the
same way. It does not matter how deeply you are asleep – it is not a question of quantity – you are
asleep, that is enough. And the same is the case with awakening: if you are awake, you are simply
awake. Nobody is more awake or less awake.also…..
Zen is not interested in such compromises. It wants you to really wake up. And it is hard work,
a thankless job. A Zen Master has chosen something for which nobody is going to thank him.
Everybody will feel sabotaged by him and everybody will feel hurt by him. Everybody will feel he is
disturbing their sleep. Only very few people, who are real inquirers, who are ready to risk all, will be
able to understand, because Zen says your whole life has to be transformed, not just a part of your
life.
Chana -
chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewHi Catherine, You sound like a very sincere person, and a true seeker of truth. you said in your post….”I’m not claiming any perfection here. Actually, let me give an example of my own ineptitude: There’s one guy in our order who often strikes me as striking a pretty authoritarian note. He’s higher ranked than [...]
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chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewYour hopes are fulfilled, I am living up to what I have said. No one is a “Buddhist”. That like calling yourself a “car” or an “apple”. You might be trying to practice what you think is Buddhist religion, or psychology, or philosophy, but not a “Buddhist”. Why limit yourself to a label? I guess [...]
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chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewHi Al, I have been in many religious groups. I do not think i am biased. I think i am being realistic. And as I posted there is some benefit to being involved in religious institutions, as the Buddha said. Wondering about where Buddhism would be without the myriads of sects/schools of Buddhism, is entirely [...]
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chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewHi Keith, you say “I don’t know what to say…the words above reflect exactly my point. They are all just incorrect generalizations and negative stereotyping and really just reflect a profound misunderstanding of the Dharma.” Could you explain the true Dharma to me/us? By your reply you seem to know, without generalizations. I would love [...]
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chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewHi Keith, you say “Whenever there is an organization, there will be folks who want to destroy it.” Of course this is not true. Many people enjoy the organizations and institutions they are involved in. I find that that they can be stifling, self-limiting, and even repressive. Especially religious institutions. They limit one’s choices, and [...]
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chana posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewHi Al, In response to your question “Why do you hope that this is a trend? ” Well, i actually think it is the trend. And I like it. Instead of believing you need to hook up with some ”organized” religious group, be it Zen, Tibetan, Hindu, Christian, etc…., ”be a lamp unto yourself.” I [...]
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Well, i actually think it is the trend. And I like it. Instead of believing you need to hook up with some ”organized” religious group, be it Zen, Tibetan, Hindu, Christian, etc…., ”be a lamp unto yourself.” I would like to see the ”religious” rituals and institutions diminish, and the spiritual growth of people increase. If people take responsibility for their inner life, and not believe that it is being directed by leaders and priests, then they will be following the Buddha’s advice. So much i lost in one’s practice if you rely on the religious structure to guide you. We need to guide ourselves. Keep our own lamps lit. Quit making excuses for our shortcomings. Take the bull by the horn so to speak.
In reply to - Al Jigen Billings posted on the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group Zen Practice: Thank you for sharing the article. Why do you hope that this is a trend? · View -
chana joined the group
Zen Practice 1 year, 5 months ago · View -
chana started the forum topic Going It Alone Making It Work as an Unaffiliated Buddhist in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · ViewHere is a timely article (PDF). I think (hope) it is the trend……
http://www.urbandharma.org/pdf/BDSpring10Unaffiliated.pdf
Chana
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As Buddhism continues to spread in America there is thousands of sources to get information, especially off the internet. So much of this information does not correlate to what is being experienced in traditional Zen centers. That is a big problem. Most of the information we read about deals with Zen as a process of being awake to ones original nature. But what is being taught in the Zen centers is a rote like conscription of following the teachers advice on how to sit/meditate, and follow traditional ( usually Japanese ) rituals. This is grossly missing the whole reason for Zen practice. One famous Zen teacher when being interviewed was was asked, ”What is Zen?” he said ”I don’t know.” That is Zen. It is acting in the present moment with full spontaneity, not following a teachers rule book on meditation or ritual. If these Zen centers do not change their approach people are going to be moving on to other answers to their deepest questions about life. It is getting time to change the rituals into a living Dharma and a a living Dharma group. Once a person has plumbed the depth of their mind and heart there is no need to keep meditating formally. That gives the Sangha a lot of time for other projects and service to the community instead of repeating the rituals like it was Sunday school.
In reply to - Paul Dōch’ŏng Lynch posted on the forum topic Spiritual Materialism in the group Zen Practice : Hi Rev. Jigen, Sorry for the delay on this response. Your comments are insightful and to the point; however what I am saying is about the tendency of Western Buddhist Teachers to transmit forms. I would agree that if we, as spiritual practitioners, [...] · View -
Hi All, I am a avid fan of Vajrayana. Mainly through reading. My favorite book is ”Know the Mind and its’ Nakedness” Padma Sambahva. Also the several books by books by Trungpa…. ”If the mind is uncreated, what is there to meditate on!”
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chana posted an update in the group
Zen Practice: 1 year, 5 months ago · Viewnothing, it has been the same for centuries!
