To do Zen we must have a teacher. To sit quiet & still under a tree & enjoy the life this practice brings, however, only requires being a sincere human being. To do Zen as a sect of Buddhism requires an in person teacher. But to begin meditation in the Zen style does not.
Doing Zen is instantaneous... to sit, we just sit. Zen style meditation is not difficult. But it does require complete honesty with ourselves... willingness to be this honest... sometimes takes practice.

Sitting quiet and still is always the first step.

Regular daily practice of sitting quiet and still, if we allow it to, will infuse itself into our daily lives.

So that we are sitting still, but still acting in our daily lives as well.

We call this doing without doing.

Vows & Promises

Vows & Promises:

My first set of vows as an initiate focused on the Namu Sambo (3 refuges) and the other sutra we chant everyday.

Namu Sambo = 3 Refuges"Namu Kie Butsu" = To take refuge in the Buddha (Awakened Ones)
"Namu Kie Ho" = To take refuge in the Dharma (The Teaching/Universal Law)
"Namu kie So". = To take refuge in the Sangha (The Community)

One of the next sets were the GoKai or 5 Vows.
1. Fusshesho Kai = Vow not to Kill
2. Fu Chuto Kai = Vow not to Steal
3. Fu Jain or Tabon Kai = Vow not to commit Adultery
4. Fu Mo(u)go Kai = Vow not to Lie
5. Fu Onju Kai = Vow not to get intoxicated.

 

I later retook these in a more conscious way for instance the not to Kill became to Do No Harm. The others too took on deeper meanings. Not to lie, came to mean every word said or not said must lead all listeners to awaken. This meaning continues to get deeper and deeper for me. Not to Steal too, became: To accept only that which is freely offered, and now includes: And to accept everything freely... offered.

The next set of 5 to make the 10 standard, I adapted myself a little bit; though it still fits within the possible realm of translation of the original I suppose.
I vowed to speak only as needed and to enjoy silence (wouldn't know it by my long posts. lol)
I vowed to be humble and modest (hard for me with my big ego, but I'm working on it).
Be Generous and Content (doing pretty well there).
Be Calm/Temperate/Tranquil/Serene/Harmonious/Balanced/Centered etc.
Be Clear!

In addition to this there is a series of chants and rules and lineage stuff that only monks really need to worry about.

 

Other vows did include the promise to avoid the 3 poisons (Sandoku)
1. Ton'Yoku = Greed/Desire/Attachment
2. Shinni = Anger/Hatred/Aggression (violence etc...)
3. Guchi = Ignorance/Stupidity/Illusion/Delusion


... The antidote for these are:
1. Fuse = Generosity
2. Aware mi dojo = Compassion
3. Chi'e = Wisdom

 

 

Our tradition is here in our lives, only so that we may live. Not just survive, but to really appreciate our lives. It was asked, "So the tradition is here so we can learn to appreciate our lives?" In a sense I suppose this is true, but words are so hard to use; closer words might  actually be appreciating our lives not as something we learn to do, but it is just how we live. To live in a state of appreciation.

As you know, all words fall short of really capturing what we are discussing. Words break everything into meanings and categories, that is their purpose. Reality is not broken down this way; but to do so helps us talk about it's varied aspects as they appear to our human senses.

To live this life of appreciation, does take a certain awareness of the subtle beauty of life. Sometimes the beauty is in our challenges; but it is always staying awake to enjoy what lies before us. Awake when awake, sleep when asleep, but appreciate it all the along the way.

To live life as it really is.

Since we know that everything is intertwined, when one moves... the many move; so everthing is always moving. If we move from an unmoving core exactly in tune with what is, we are moving without moving. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow. As the core, as the hub, of our own universe we can choose a bit just how to spin or sit and see though, this is the joy of being human.

Though there need be no process to the Way, it is just A Way to live; we often through varied fears need a method to The Way first (cause we're human). It's kind of funny that has humans we don't need a method, it's are natural state to live like this; but as humans we often do need a method. To live is what we are doing. Born, live, die is all of our experiences. A baby is born connected, and soon learns they are seperate too, then we forget we're connected, and need to recognize it again. But we get tied to the outward facing senses so easily and foget the inward facing ones, thus creating two where they do not really exist. So no two step method is needed, but we have many available just in case.

All of these varied methods first lead us is to recognize our core. This need take no time, just live from the core and that's it. When we see the core, we naturally recognize or connection to all that is (this is often the first 'self-realiztion many people experience). It's a wonderful place to live from, but there is no reason to stop there. When we know we are all interconnected with our brains or feel we are with our hearts we can believe ourselves enlightened; it is certainly an amazing experience to have, and even more so to carry into our lives. To embody this and life with this in our daily lives is our tradition.

We can instantaneously live with all the connections, or if we may still carry some fear or greed we might do it step by step and see different connections at different times; eventually dropping away all distinctions and only living life as it is. Or we can just drop the hot coals of fear & greed and live this way now.

To realize that the process is not getting somewhere, or attaining something,  but of living already there... already being. This is the Way. Not a way to, but just a Way.

Love Living Life as it is, and Life is worth Loving. It just works out that way, as a self defining prophecy. If not now, then in time; but why wait, now is the time.

Thank you, I appreciate you all.
jyozen

The teaching says that our suffering comes from trying to grasp the ungraspable. Only nothing is graspable. We think some thing is graspable and try to grasp it; frustrated by this attempt to grasp the ungraspable we suffer. We think that nothing is ungraspable, but every thing is ungraspable.

 The act of grasping itself causes change, causes a chain reaction. When there is no grasping everything settles naturally, and naturally everything becomes clear.

 The act of grasping is like a bellows creating wind and vibrations the emanate out, creating our world. Movement created by our grasping is what we call Gyo in Zen. Gyo is our action or activity, it is every step we take in our lives. There is the Gyo we do the actions we take, and the Gyo response or affect it has in the world we are part of. Those Gyo that we attach to causes more Gyo response; good Gyo actions cause good Gyo response; bad Gyo actions cause bad Gyo response. But the Gyo actions without grasping, without attachment, have no Gyo response. Without grasping not even a ripple is stirred. Every thought, word, and deed count as Gyo.

Our mind, word, & body silent & still is the first step in seeing clearly which Gyo do not grasp us and which we do not grasp. In this way, naturally the grasping drops away, and clarity rushes in.

 This is done in zazen, it is not the only way, but it is the most consistent way; in Zen it has always been done this way. There are other ways, but they are not Zen.

 When grasping drops away we sit in the silent still center. From this center we move out into the world naturally matching reality as it is. Moving naturally like this is what we call moving without moving or doing without doing. Not doing what we want, but just being in the world as it is, doing what needs to be done. This is the middle path (chudo) between pleasure and pain where mind & body fall away. The temporary pleasures are only temporary, and the passing pains are only passing; but the life is full of living. Living reality as it really is.