I wrote this note to people who are doing the 10-week practice period at Clouds in Water Zen Center. I thought others might be interested in Katagiri-Roshi’s quote and encouragement … Continue reading Encouragement to follow through with practice commitments
Tag: Katagiri Roshi
The Self is Time
I am teaching a class on the Buddhist sense of Time. It feels like working with Time could be a complete avenue to awakening. We know that one of our … Continue reading The Self is Time
The Circle of the Way
Clouds in Water just finished a sesshin at Hokyoji Zen Community in Southeastern Minnesota. I have been coming to this land and this place for at least 35 years. This … Continue reading The Circle of the Way
The Smile of Composure
The third ancestor, Sencan’s famous quote from “Affirming Faith in Mind” : The Great Way is without difficulty; Just avoid picking and choosing. Just don’t love and hate And you’ll … Continue reading The Smile of Composure
What do we trust in?
“What do we trust in?” is a pinnacle spiritual question. In order to surrender, or let go of control by our so-called mind and “I”, we have to trust in … Continue reading What do we trust in?
Addendum to the 5 Ranks
After doing another lecture on the 5 Ranks of Dongshan, I found some good language to describe it. I talked about the 5 Ranks being the landscape of enlightenment that … Continue reading Addendum to the 5 Ranks
A serviceable mind is clear seeing.
We concentrate our mind and settle our mind in zazen. We do this not to get somewhere, a certain state, but to avail ourselves of the most useful and serviceable … Continue reading A serviceable mind is clear seeing.
Saying “Yes” to this moment!
It’s strange how many decades it takes to digest the simplest instruction. So many layers and “ideas” about the instruction have to be peeled off. Our intellectual understanding keeps us … Continue reading Saying “Yes” to this moment!
The emancipation of suchness
From Dogen, Bussho fascicle, Shobogenzo: Although with mu-buddha-nature (no- Buddha-nature) you may have to grope your way along, there is a touchstone — What. There is a temporal condition — You. … Continue reading The emancipation of suchness
“Entire being is the buddha-nature”
In the beginning of Dogen’s Bussho fascicle of the Shobogenzo, he quotes a famous passage from the Nirvana Sutra (ch. 27). All sentient beings without exception have the Buddha-nature. In … Continue reading “Entire being is the buddha-nature”
Zazen is to become one with process itself
This is the quote I read yesterday during my Sunday talk at Clouds in Water Zen Center. Katagiri Roshi (taken from “To live is just to live” from The Art … Continue reading Zazen is to become one with process itself