Blue Mountain Zendo Koryu-ji

3 days ago

We talk about the awakened mind being "ordinary". Many hear this and immediately perceive the meaning as "I am a Buddha and there is nothing to be done. Things are perfect as they are." To such a statement Eido Roshi would say “Not incorrect”, which was a nice way of saying in this situation, the statement had “missed it”. Similar to the misunderstanding of what “ordinary” mind points too, is the statement that “we are already Buddha”. Not incorrect, however, for our day to day lives, it is better said that “we are all intrinsically Buddha”. The word “intrinsically” is a key point here and ensures we understand that this truth requires effort and realization. The statement cuts through our self-doubt and reassures us that we are capable of being something exquisitely beautiful and loving. Our Buddha Nature is our purest state of being and has many names, in many different traditions. The names don't matter, the realization of these designations does. My Christian brothers and sisters may call this state "Christ Consciousness" while others may call it "union with Brahma". So are we already awakened and already Buddha? Are things already perfect therefore there is no need to aspire towards realization? I hope you explore that question in your day to day life, and find your own Dharma. ... See MoreSee Less

Blue Mountain Zendo Koryu-ji

7 days ago

What is the commitment to Zen Practice? Your life, nothing less. When asked what Zen Practice is, I always reply "life". There is no real seperation between Zen Practice and so called everyday life, they are one in the same. This being said, to truly live life we must be present, moment by moment, day by day. However, even when we fall back into the world of samsara and become entangled in the briars of delusion, we are still practicing.
The designation of the word "practice" is dynamic. There really is no practicing, we are "practice" itself. Even as we symbolically sit in formal meditation, with our legs folded, robes on, head shaved, spine straight, eye down and hands glasped, there is no true difference between that and sitting in traffic, or yard work on the weekend. Even though nothing is other than "it", we must strive to realize this truth. We must strive to transform the self imposed delineation of the dualistic mind while also embracing it as none other than "it". It sounds confusing when it is processed through the conceptual mind. If we allow this truth to wash over us, without grasping at meaning, we recognize its truth effortlessly. Dharmas are endless, and relinquishing our attachments allows us to remain fluid as the moving stream of phenomenon ebbs and flows.
To realize practice we must simultaneously apply ourselves while letting go of the idea of application. When our practice becomes equally the mundane and the sacred, and yet beyond the mundane and the sacred, we are beginning to realize the truth of Zen. Beware though, if one thinks ordinary mind is somehow ordinary, you have missed it. ... See MoreSee Less