Sodaiho

Reply to Religion? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! in Religion JoeUser Forums

Baker says: seem to recall something about practice also motivating one to look inward and reject values judgements that esteem one thing over another. This seems to be promoting Buddhism as something better than this or that, when, as you say, Buddhism seeks to be nothing. To me practicing Buddhism is to reject the kind of values comparisons you are making. Hello. Thank you. There is a precept about not speaking of the faults of others. It

No Need for God in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Evening, Why must we think there was a beginning or an end to this or any other universe? There is no evidence of such a thing. In fact, all evidence points to an opposite thought, that everything always was and always will be in a constant state of change. Universe explodes in a big bang, countless trillions of trillionrs of

Reply to Being Buddha in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Hello All. Sometimes a smack on the shoulders by a priest's stick is just the thing. The trappings of religion are, in my opinion, useless hindrances to seeing the truth of one's own nature. Fingers pointing to the moon are only fingers, not the moon. If I offended anyone, my humble apologies. I am pleased however that the title caught a few eyes. To answer a question or two. I am a male. I am a Zen Buddhist monk, a

Reply to This Evening in Religion JoeUser Forums

Hello Adventure-Dude, Yes, I would agree with this statement. Peace is interactive. It does not occur in a vacuum. We must be more than peace, though. We must be generous, loving, and wise. These are most challenging. Our practice isto become these without an "I" as a referent. So, heres the thing, when we let go of our 'self' and allow whatever is there to teach us, then there becomes no real difference between teacher and student, subject and obje

Being Buddha in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Sangha, When we sit Zazen we gather ourselves together, fold our legs, and sit down. Our breath comes together with our mind, our skin, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Mind rises and falls, dances a fast dance, then slow dance, sometimes no dance. There comes a moment of integration. Stillness. Once again thi

A Full Cup in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Good Morning Sangha, There is a story about a scholar who visits an Old Zen Master to receive instruction. The Master pours tea into a cup for the scholar; full, the cup overflows until the scholar shouts "stop!" Unless we are willing to empty ourselves of what we think we know, there can be no room for what presents itself i

This Evening in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, An evening at the Zen Center spent in Zazen was very wonderful. A gentle person came to sit with us this evening. She is a peace activist who also is an art teacher, a mother, and a wife. She has organized a weekly peace vigil on a street corner by the federal building in the town in which we live. I sit at the peace vigil weekly with her.

Reply to Religion? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Thank you each for your thoughtful comments. Some of you took my point, others did not, so it goes. Zen is about practice, not beliefs. In fact, beliefs get in the way of true practice. They are real hindrances to clear understanding. This is why "religion" is useless or worse, an roadblock. I am not being disrespectful here, or as one put it, condescending. Practice brings a person to knowing their true self, empty, without s

Religion? What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! in Religion JoeUser Forums

So, I am a religious person. I wonder. What does this mean, really? Does "religious" point to something inside or out? A belief system? God? Practice? What? From a Zen Buddhist point of view, this Zen Buddhist, at any rate, its a no brainer. Religion is a silly thing. A bundle of beliefs propogated to make a person feel better. I don't give a wit ab

Living with Anger (Part One) in Religion JoeUser Forums

Part One With palms together, There is a deep blanket of snow covering ther refuge this morning. The air is thick with it. The pines trees, stout as they are, bend under the weight of it. And more is falling. Last night I sat zazen at our alter deep into the night. I lit stick after stick of incense. Bowed many times. But mostly just sat,

Reply to How Spiritual Are You? in Misc JoeUser Forums

Hello All, This sort of thing helps us to clarify things a bit. In my opinion, "religious" does not mean "spiritual," but they are not exclusive of one another, either. I think religion in some faith traditions is often about belief (and faith) and spirituality is about experience. Sometimes we are so bound by what we think we need to believe that we become (essentialy) spiritually constipated. To experience reality directly means

Reply to no gossip in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Dear Dharmagrl, A deep bow to you for taking on this practice. I wish you well. There are two Bodhisattva precepts that assist us with this. In brief form they are: I vow not talk about the faults of others; and I vow not to elevate myself by putting others down. Right speech is a complex thing, involving much more than watching what one says. It also comes from a commitment to cease doing bad stuff, to do good stuff

Reply to Is one justified in calling War right or wrong? (Final) in Philosophy JoeUser Forums

Hello All, My goodness. War, hmm, let's see, right? Wrong? It seems to me war has yet to solve any human problem. It has never stopped killing, only reinforces hatred, and creates more of the same. So, what is gained by all of the pain and suffering? Hitler. Now, there's an arguement. Clearly a bad guy. I wonder though. Killing has continued in Europe and throughout the world without him and he

Reply to Exploring the Possibility of Peaceful Living in Religion JoeUser Forums

Dear Dharmagrl, You are quite correct. There are certainly times when measures need to be taken to prevent harm. This must be done, hoewever, with the aggressor's welfare in mind. The Dalai Lama has an interesting book out on anger. It is based on "A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life" by Shantideva. I highly recommend this reading. When the world is aflame it is difficult not to feel the heat, nor should we try. The elements

Exploring the Possibility of Peaceful Living in Religion JoeUser Forums

Good Evening All, Over the last two days I have been away to our Zen Center offering opportunities for practice. Gathering together to sit zazen is a wonderful beginning. The sangha offers us an opportunity to share our energy and thoughts before and after zazen, as well as providing a source of inspiration. On the long drive back up into t

Reply to The Six Perfections in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Thank you. We honor the person Shakyamuni Buddha as one who found enlightenment and offered a path to the world as a model. The Buddha is not a god, but a person. Our honor is not to him, really, as a man, but rather to the ideal that we each possess within us if we practice. Your practice, my practice, no difference really. I think to live life mindfully, with compassion and a willingness to be i

The Six Perfections in Religion JoeUser Forums

On my wrist is a mala. In the Japanese, they are called Juzu beads. These beads are helpful reminders of my work. The first six beads recall my greatest vows: to the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha and to cease doing evil, to do good, and to do good for all beings. The next fifteen beads are for reciting mantras. The last six beads, however, are representai

Reply to A Day in the Life of a Mountain Priest in Religion JoeUser Forums

Dear Dharmagrl, I am in the midst of the Sacramento mountains of southern New Mexico. My Daihoji Zen Temple is part of our Rocky Top Refuge and part of Daibutsuji Zen Temple. Our main practice center is in Las Cruces. Our web address is: http://www.zencenteroflascruces.org I hope this helps. Please practice zazen every day Sodaiho

Reply to Walking the Four Great Vows in Religion JoeUser Forums

That is what mud is meant to do. It is a good thing to slow down from time to time, don't you think? Sooner or later, with no effort at all, the mud releases itself from your shoe and you are free. Be well, Sodaiho

Reply to Walking the Four Great Vows in Religion JoeUser Forums

Thank you.

A Day in the Life of a Mountain Priest in Religion JoeUser Forums

Hello All, Early this morning I woke to cold air and a warm tongue licking my hand. I opened my eyes to see one of my dog's large furry head and yellow eyes. He wanted to go out. So, I climbed down the loft stairs, crossed the wooden floor and opened the door. The cold morning air cuirled around my waist and I quickly, but mindfully, closed the door. It wa

Reply to Zazen: a practice for peace in Religion JoeUser Forums

With palms together, Thank you Dharmagrl. I will try to post something daily or nearly daily. I am a Zen Priest and I have many duties. But, I do what I can. Daily practice is very important even five minutes of zazen can make a difference. It is a commitment we make to bring peace to the world., I look forward to hearing from you again. Be well, Sodaiho

Walking the Four Great Vows in Religion JoeUser Forums

On today's walk, I recited the Four Great Vows over and over. With each step I was saving all sentient beings, extinguishing delusions, mastering the Buddha's Dharma and following the Buddha's Way...or so I imagined. Right. I was walking in mud, actually. My running shoes were sticking to the ground. I was pressing an inch or two into the mud with

Zazen: a practice for peace in Religion JoeUser Forums

Zazen, the practice of seated meditation is a powerful tool for the development of a peaceful universe. To practice, one simply finds a comfortable place, sits down on a cushion, crosses one's legs, and places one's attention on the breath. In this way, we are beginning to practice the Buddha's way. We come to realize that peace is not something e