With palms together,
Good Morning Sangha,
This morning I lit sticks of incense and said a prayer for all of those in the world who were suffering. It seems from the morning's news, there's a lot of that going around. Mudslides, wars, violence against individuals, communities, and religious buildings. I take a breath and sit down on my cushion, turn and face the wall. My hands rest gently in the cosmic mudra, left hand cradled in the right, thumbs lightly touching. I feel the presense of the universe wrap me like a blanket, creating a nest of safety and security. This, however, is not Zazen. It is just a good feeling.
It takes work to move against this, to press out the warmth, to lift off the blanket and open myself to the larger processes of life and death. To be one with the universe means some very challenging things. It means we do not hide from the suffering of others. It means we do not have the luxury of being overwhelmed by the global nature of the task or its seeming futility. It means we have an obligation to behave just now, right here, in this moment and perhaps exceeding our capacity. It means we must open our eyes and experience the universe as it is, rather than as some sugar coated pill we would like it to be. I have heard it said that science discovers and describes what is, and religion discovers and describes what ought to be. Where is the bridge?
Look in the mirror.
Be well.
6 comments:
hey man, nice to find your blog. i have a couple of questions for you. i have heard some people say it is better never to begin zen practice. i am a 53 year old beginner. do you think i am too old to start zen practice? because if i do, i will hold the hope of becoming awakened even if i should'nt have that goal. it will be there even if i don't have any real understanding what that ultimately means. another question is, i am starting to have hip and knee problems. how important is sitting position in zazen? once upon a time, full lotus was easy for me. now, when i can finally use it, i cannot bend my left leg enough to achieve even cross legged sitting. any thoughts?
... it is like the mirror of samadhi. when a flower appears in front of it, it reflects a flower. when the flower disappears, the reflection disappears. It doesn’t cling to or constantly recreate that flower ...
... be the great perfect mirror of samadhi. it doesn’t just happen. you need to do it, and you need to do it now, not tomorrow. tomorrow doesn’t exist. by its very nature it doesn’t exist. there’s only now. so please, do it now. your practice is right now. your life is right now. if you miss right now, you miss the whole thing ...
john daido loori
http://www.mro.org/zmm/dharmateachings/talks/teisho41.htm
your post on bringing back the draft was thought provoking. i remember pulling #42 and being scared shitless at the thought of being taken over to some asian country to do the violent bidding of some old men. i didn't want any part of it. i had no clue what it was even about. my dentist told me i could get a deferment by purchasing braces for my teeth, so I did. The Vietnam war ended shortly after.
I think what you said about bringing back the draft to level the playing field is wrong. Senator’s sons will always have a means of getting out of a draft. The people who will be hurt are those who have no desire to participate in a war and have no ability to get out of it. What you are saying is that a draft will hurt some people in the short run but in the long run it will help end the war. That line of thinking is exactly the type of rationale the bush administration used in implementing the war in iraq.
With palms together, Hello Jeff. Zazen is a very good practice. Age is not a factor. Begin when you begin. There is no end. It was taught by Dogen Zenji that Zazen, properly done and Enlightenment are one in the same. Don't think about attainment, just do the practice. Sitting Zazen on a chair is perfectly acceptable. Care should be taken with your posture. Sit on the forward third of a cushion placed on the seat of the chair. Your back should not rest against the back of the chair. Place your hands in the cosmic mudra (left hand cradled in right, thumbs lightly touching). Now, just sit and let the universe be what it is without engaging in any of it. Be well.
As to Bringing Back the Draft. Frankly, I would not upport it. The post was more a query into the hearts and minds of those long ago protesters who seem to have morphed into Republicans.
ah i see.. so your comments were rhetorical? it appeared you were sincere in calling for a reinstatement of the draft.
the current situation in iraq is difficult. is it about empire and oil, or is it about freedom and saving lives? i do not believe all war is evil. WW2 is a good example of a just war. so i think it is wise to measure our words carefully. it seems like being against a war for the wrong reasons is as harmful as using violence to win arguments.
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