Friday, April 13, 2012

Un-Sui means Clouds-Water

A monks training must be very steady, disciplined, and stable.

We must be upright, but not rigid like a corpse; we need to be alive.

A monk in training we call 'Unsui'. Un means clouds, and sui means water. This name comes from a longer phrase Ko-un Ryu-sui which means, Drifting-Clouds Flowing-Water.

Mosshoseki is a phrase that means to leave no trace. Unsui are like this... Koun mosshoseki... 'A cloud drifts by, it leaves without a trace' comes from an old monk's poem just before he died, as was the custom of the time.

When sailing, I've heard they say, "Steady as she goes". I think monks should be 'steady as we go', too. Drifting like clouds, and flowing like water.

But leaving no trace in our wake...

Monday, April 9, 2012

Zen

There are many paths to Awaken to.

Zen is one of them.

Basic & Simple.
Handed down to us from one generation to the next,
for thousands of years.

Guaranteed to be a True Path.
Guaranteed to lead us nowhere to nothing.

Just a simple daily practice of mindfulness.
Just a simple way of living.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Osho & Tea

I had lunch with Osho-san and mentioned how much I like drinking tea.
He said, 'you know there is a story'.

In temples there is often an Osho with his own little 'an' his own little hut.
The monks would walk by and he would ask, 'Have you been into my hut?'
The monk might answer, 'No, Osho-san, I haven't'
So Osho would invite them in for tea.
Or a monk might say, 'Yes, I have Osho-san'
and Osho would respond, 'Then please come have tea'.
The Abbot was listening to these exchanges and approached the Osho;
'Osho-san,' he said, 'you ask each monk as they pass if they have been inside your hut, whether they answer yes or no, you invite them in for tea?
Osho answered, 'Abbot, please come in for tea'.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Butsu-Do - The Way of the Buddha

Our way is called Butsu-do.

Butsu-Do is the Way of the Buddha...
The way of the Awakened.
To follow the way of all Buddha's (past, present, and future).
To act as Awakened Ones act.
To live in an awakened manner...
This is Butsu-do: The way of the Awakened Ones.