ZenLife Blog
Be a person who knows love
Maui has been on my mind. Wild hurricane winds combined with Lahaina’s bone dry ‘aina was primed for a spark maybe from a downed electric pole that caused a horrifying conflagration. The death toll continues to rise (115 at this writing) and the number of missing continues to fluctuate. Many of the dead were burned alive as they could not get away from the fire in time. The New York Times had a riveting interview with a survivor who had to jump into the ocean to escape the fast-moving fire.
Memorial Service for Maui
We will hold a special Memorial Service on Sunday, August 20, 2023 for all those who died in the fires on Maui. We will attempt to collect as many names as possible and read them out loud during the service.
Restoration of the World
I remember this story I heard, and I’m not sure who told it to me. It could have been Bernie Roshi or perhaps it was Rabbi Singer. It’s a Jewish teaching called the Tikkun Olam in Hebrew about the restoration or repairing of the world. It goes something like this.
Monk’s Reflection
I walk through the gate
wrought of iron and complication
Not a saint nearby to claim
my unformed simplicity.
Meditation from the Inside–Out
In our beginning classes at Zen Center, we teach “meditation from the inside out”. When beginners think of meditation they may imagine someone sitting in full-lotus in some exotic place. This externalized, ideal image is not helpful, because meditation takes place where you are, in your domestic situation. It is not a vacation. It is not a luxury.
Just Pick it Up
Marni Curtis is a ZLMC Sangha member and also a member of our Earth Steward Circle. She describes in this video her practice of picking up plastic. The Earth Steward circle also sponsors a plastic collection program that turns plastic into park benches which they donate to non-profit organizations in our community.
The Power of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is strong medicine. It’s the practice of extending mercy when mercy is not forthcoming to you. You offer mercy to one who does not deserve mercy. You forgive another when you overcome your own resentment toward the offender, not by denying your right to be angry, but instead by overcoming your own anger by offering the wrongdoer compassion, benevolence, and love.
Five Wisdom Mandala
The Five Wisdom Energies, are meant to be worked with directly and experientially. Each has a wisdom quality. Each also has an encumbered emotion that is associated with it. It’s important to appreciate that because these arise in a mandala the emotion and the wisdom are not separate. Neurosis and sanity, samsara and nirvana are not separate things. These teachings help us realize that the very negativity we are trying so hard to get rid of is actually the fertilizer of our brilliance and clarity. The thing we think we need to get rid of is the very thing we need to wake up.
Memorial Day Service At Montrose Cemetery
June Roshi and I attended a Memorial Day Service at Montrose Cemetery today, honoring Japanese-American veterans who have fought and died in many wars defending freedom in America. The history and treatment of Japanese American citizens during WWII is a disgraceful one, we should never forget. Approximately 120,000 individuals of Japanese ancestry, the majority of whom were American citizens, were forcibly removed from their homes.
Samu – the Heart of Zen
Samu is like a wild strawberry because it is given freely and, like a gift, it establishes a relationship between yourself and others in the community who are working alongside you. It feels good to work together. And it feels good to give generously of our time and energy in this way. It brings heart into our relationships and into our sangha community.
After Awakening
This is the crux of the whole Genjokoan. He’s saying that when you look at your reflection in water, there’s a tipping point: either the water’s transparent or it’s murky and reflective like a mirror. It doesn’t gradually become a mirror. It’s either a mirror or it isn’t. Dogen is using this as a metaphor: when you drop off the body-mind, when you forget the self, you become a mirror that reflects the dharma.
Mindfulness in an Age of Distraction
If you don’t take back your attention, others will do it for you. Mindfulness is an embodied awareness that can help you be intimate with yourself and others. It takes intention. It takes practice. It’s not a technique. It’s an act of courage in which you decide once and for all, to reclaim your life.
Spiritual Practice for Difficult Times
So here's the strange thing about this. I know that bag is still there though I can no longer see it and something about that breaks my heart. It's like the sickness of this planet. I know the planet is unwell, though I can not always see it. So when I open to that my heart breaks open. And what follows after that is tenderness. I don't have to try and be good or kind. That is already here in full measure. I just have to be willing to not look away. It may be the bag in the tree. It may be a homeless person on the street. It may be bleached and dead coral reefs. It may be a brutal war in Ukraine.
Dragon of Inscrutability – Part 4 of Four–Series
Inscrutability is an expression of confidence. You are settled within your experience so you have no hesitation or fear. You can be noncommittal, yet follow through. You don't have to spell everything out because you can be with uncertainty. Truth arises from the situation. You don't need any confirmation so you also don't have to be the center of attention. You are not in any great rush, so you can begin with the basics. You are not calculating according to some idea of gain or loss. You work with the situation, bearing witness to whatever arises, and doing so with sympathy and compassion for those around you. This unconditional confidence comes from giving and extending yourself and overcoming timidity.
Garuda of Outrageousness – Part 3 of Four-Part Series
The warrior of outrageous is free from negative emotions so she is able to face whatever arises skillfully and fearlessly. This kind of confidence operates on an even-keel. This kind of equanimity is free from picking and choosing and treats everyone with respect and care. The warrior trusts in the basic goodness of human beings which is unconditional and free of dualistic polarizations. As a result her actions are skillful and in proportion to whatever context she finds herself.
Snow Lion of Perkiness (Part 2 of Four–Part Series
This metaphor of the snow lion represents joyful discipline. You might have negative associations with discipline, remembering times you were forced to stay indoors and practice a musical instrument or do homework when all your neighborhood friends were playing outside. When discipline is imposed like this from the outside, it can seem suffocating. But here we are speaking of discipline that arises organically from within yourself.
Tiger of Meekness (Part I of Four–Part Series)
Meekness is not a word we often associate with strength, but in fact, the spiritual warrior's strength arises from gentleness, not arrogance. It's about being simple, grounded and embodied.
An Appropriate Response – The Four Dignities
In the Buddhist tradition, the path of the Bodhisattva is well laid out. In the Shambhala teachings Chogyam Trungpa spoke of this as the path of a spiritual warrior. Part of this practice uses four metaphors known as the Four Dignities. These are the Tiger of Meekness, the Snow Lion of Perkiness, the Garuda of Outrageousness and the Dragon of Inscrutability. These four metaphors can help guide us in discerning an appropriate response.
Carry Grief in One Hand, Gratitude in the Other
I’ve noticed how being embodied and dancing is not only about joy, but it’s an integral part of a healing process. It’s about opening your heart or starting the process to open. Like learning anything new, at first it’s difficult, but as you keep going, you’ll be surprised by how much you’ll learn about yourself and the world.