Tag: zenmeditation
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ZEN WORK 作務
It is upon us to begin the work; It is not upon us to complete it. – Talmud Zen work begins with samu 作務. Samu is physical and sometimes intellectual labor done in the spirit of mushotoku, with no thought of personal profit, without complaint or compensation, for the benefit of the sangha. It is…
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100. A Synopsis of Sorts
Most of my almost 100 blogs have pointed towards and encouraged time honoredtechniques and meditation practices that I have distilled into what is hopefully auser friendly format for 21st century life. During the last two years, often referenced is the Anapanasati Sutra purported tohave been the meditation method used by the Buddha himself. Naikan meditationtechniques…
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99. All life, not just human life is valuable
I came across a brief quote in the Tao Te Ching that says:“Meaning in life is arbitraryWhy ruin the universe with rigidity?” Meaning in life is so often tied to a belief system when as a matter of fact, it is inmany cases religious beliefs that stand as the centerpiece for human suffering.Human beings assign…
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UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS
“Don’t be deceived by the body, the mind, the world, or Buddhist teachings.” — Tōrei Enji This morning I plucked one of my old journals at random from the shelf, a volume covering Fall 2012, and found this quotation copied on the title page as an epigraph. It is by the famed painter and calligrapher,…
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THE GROWLING STOMACH SUTRA
17 November 2024, Stone Nest Dojo This morning in the meditation hall The chanting call-and-response of bellies Not the phonetic monosyllables of The Heart Sutra but something even more Primal, more visceral, authentic, true Responding to the energy in the room Calling out to the third treasure: Sangha Embodying the other two: Dharma Buddha (you).…