Someone from the sangha asked me how to do tonglen in the circumstances that we are presently facing. To practice tonglen in a crisis is quite radical and hard to do. But who said Buddhist practice was easy? How can we react without pouring more kerosene on the huge bonfire of hatred and aversion that … Continue reading Post Election Practices
Blog posts
Mindfulness of Breathing #2
These are my notes from studying the end of Chapter 7 in Joseph Goldstein’s book “Mindfulness.” They are the second half of Mindfulness of Breathing. In the Satipatthana sutta, there is a series of progressive instructions regarding the breath, which is the first of the contemplations on the body. Why mindfulness of breathing is so … Continue reading Mindfulness of Breathing #2
Mindfulness of Breathing #1
These are notes from Joseph Goldstein’s book “Mindfulness.” This is the first part of Chapter 7 – Mindfulness of Breathing. This sutra has many avenues to take that will lead to awareness. Buddha had a great range of skillful means, tailoring his teaching to the particular audience or person he was addressing. It is helpful … Continue reading Mindfulness of Breathing #1
Abiding Independently and the Bahiya Sutta
These are notes taken from studying Joseph Goldstein’s book, “Mindfulness.” This is the last part of chapter 6. The last sentence of the refrain is: And one abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world” This line encapsulates the whole path. Abiding independently means that the mind is not attached to any arising experience, … Continue reading Abiding Independently and the Bahiya Sutta
On Establishing the continuity of Mindfulness
These are notes from Joseph Goldstein’s book, “Mindfulness.” These notes are from the first half of the chapter on Bare Knowing and the Continuity of Mindfulness. Bare Knowledge is to observe objectively without getting lost in associations and reactions. One of our missions in Buddhism is to establish a continuity of mindfulness. There are two … Continue reading On Establishing the continuity of Mindfulness
Satipatthanas sutta refrain
These are notes from Joseph Goldstein’s book “Mindfulness.” These notes are from Chapter 5 on Contemplating the Four Foundations. There is a refrain that occurs 13 times in the sutra. An abbreviated version is thus: In this way, in regard to the body (feelings, mind, dhammas) one abides contemplating the body (feelings, mind, dhammas) internally, or … Continue reading Satipatthanas sutta refrain
Concentration – The Collected Nature of Mind
These are notes from Joseph Goldstein’s book “Mindfulness”. It is the last of the section about the four qualities of mind: ardency, clearly knowing, mindfulness and concentration. One of the benefits of meditation is to find a clearer, calmer mind. This helps us in so many ways. It helps us relax and be present, and … Continue reading Concentration – The Collected Nature of Mind
Mindfulness, the Gateway to Wisdom
Continuing with notes from Joseph Goldstein’s “Mindfulness” book. We are working with the section on the four qualities of mind: Ardency, Clearly knowing, mindfulness, and concentration. Mindfulness is much more than what our pop-culture thinks of it, which is simply something about returning to the present moment. The media often says- this was a Zen … Continue reading Mindfulness, the Gateway to Wisdom
Clearly knowing
Notes from Joseph Goldstein’s book “Mindfulness; a practical guide to awakening” Clearly knowing is one of the four qualities of mind: Ardency, Clearly knowing, mindfulness, and concentration. Clearly knowing – Sampajanna This is translated in different ways as clearly knowing, clear comprehension or fully aware. This is a quality of mind that encourages mindfulness to … Continue reading Clearly knowing
Goldstein’s mindfulness, “Ardency”
Hi, it’s been quite a while since i posted a blog. I have had several big changes in my life. The main one is stepping down from the guiding teacher position at Clouds in Water Zen Center and teaching at a very minimal level. The open space that stepping down has created has been good … Continue reading Goldstein’s mindfulness, “Ardency”
Bodhidharma’s Outline of Practice
Bodhidharma lived in the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally thought of as the man who brought Buddhism to China and is called the First Ancestor in China. The “Outline of Practice” is his best known sermon. I was refreshingly surprised at how current this treatise feels to me. It is truly an outline … Continue reading Bodhidharma’s Outline of Practice
Book of Serenity #39 “Wash Your Bowl”
I love studying Joshu (Japanese) or in Chinese, Zhaozhou (778-897). He has been called the silver-tongued teacher because his koans are utterly simple and profoundly deep and instructive. Joshu’s instructions are so simple and ordinary that they feel like they are barely there, but I still love them. It is their nakedness that deeply instructs … Continue reading Book of Serenity #39 “Wash Your Bowl”
Intention and Vow, New Years
For the past many years, Clouds in Water starts the New Years off with an Intention and Vow Workshop. It was my answer to the failure, year after year, of my New Year’s Resolutions. Does Zen allow future goals? i.e. if you live in the present moment, can you have a future goal? Concurrently, there … Continue reading Intention and Vow, New Years
BOS. 25 Yanguan’s Rhinoceros Fan
Bos. Koan 25 from the Book of Serenity One day Yanguan called to his attendant, “Bring me the rhinoceros fan.” The attendant said, “The fan is broken.” Yanguan said, “If the fan is broken, then bring me back the rhinoceros!” The attendant had no reply. Zifu drew a circle and wrote the word ‘rhino’ inside it. … Continue reading BOS. 25 Yanguan’s Rhinoceros Fan
Practicing with Terrorism
Am I terrorized? That’s what the extremists want. They want the “other”, the West, to be paralyzed by fear. My husband told me a quote from the paper that the extremists said, paraphrased something like this: “The West is afraid of death. We are going to win because we are not afraid of death.” This … Continue reading Practicing with Terrorism
Four Noble Truths as Tasks
In studying the Four Noble Truths recently, I ran across some new terminology. We could say that the Four Noble Truths are four tasks- The Four Noble Tasks. These tasks need to be accomplished in order to find the peace and confidence the Buddha invites us to experience. In this teaching, there are three phases … Continue reading Four Noble Truths as Tasks
Projections and Essence
How can we understand a verse like this? From the Lankavatara Sutra XXXII: Nothing exists at all And these are nothing but words Studying the Lankavara sutra is bringing together a lot of the ideas I have repeated in my teaching over the years. I have often taught that language is the not the essence, … Continue reading Projections and Essence
Milarepa’s Song to Lady Paldarboom
Here is a beautiful excerpt from Milarepa’s Song that was posted on the Insight Timer app on the Clouds in Water group site. posted by Genjo. “Then she said, “Dear teacher, I have done nothing at all to prepare for the next life. Now I’m going to do so. Please, out of your great compassion, … Continue reading Milarepa’s Song to Lady Paldarboom
The Four Erroneous Perceptions
In studying the Diamond Sutra we come across the Four Erroneous Perceptions. These are: From Thich Nhat Hanh’s translation: A self A person A living being A life span From Red Pine’s translation: A self A being A view of life A view of a soul Why are these erroneous views? It seems in common … Continue reading The Four Erroneous Perceptions
Eight levels of Consciousness
One mindfulness practice is to be aware of what is coming through your sense gates. It is the awareness of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind. We become more present to what is happening — the objects of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thoughts. For each organ and object, there is a mind consciousness, … Continue reading Eight levels of Consciousness