TREELEAF ZENDO PODCAST

Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (Part 2)

Continuing our series “Zazen for Beginners” (because we’re always beginners) ...
Here’s a basic perspective of Buddhism:
Our mind creates conflict and separation from this life/world because our mind is constantly filled with thoughts dividing this from that, worries and “what if’s“, desires and “if only’s,” judgments of good and bad and high and low, resistance to situations, fears for the future and regrets about the past … all kinds of junk in the mental trunk. In this way, our “self” creates an image of itself separate from, and in frequent conflict with life, the world, everything it considers “not itself” (and even conflict with its image of itself too!)
It is (as the old joke goes) a lot like your self mentally banging yourself with a hammer … Cause it is such a relief when you stop!
Reverse the process … drop the dividing thoughts, the fears and worries, judgments, the likes and dislikes, ideas of past-present-future, resistance and the rest … and all conflicts and separation drop away too. The self is no longer in conflict and isolated from all that it sees as “not the self” … the war is over … and (depending on how much those borders soften or fully drop away) this ’world-life-self-not self-reality’ is known and experienced in very special way(s) too.
Thus, in Shikantaza ‘Just Sitting’ Zazen we sit … allowing thoughts of this, that, past, future and all the rest to drift out of mind.
The hammer is put down.
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Sit-a-Long with Jundo: Zazen for Beginners (Part 1)

So, today, let's begin “Zazen for Beginners.” Because we’re always beginners.
We’ll talk the basics of “Just Sitting” Shikantaza Zazen… There’s a bit more to “Just Sitting” than “just sitting around.“
In a series of talks over the coming days, Taigu and I will discuss this and that about “Just Sitting,” which has much to do with dropping thoughts of “this” and “that.” We’ll talk about where you can expect to “go” in your practice, and what you can expect to attain, which is, of course …
ABSOLUTELY NOWHERE AND NOTHING!
Don’t think, however, that not thinking of “attaining” means that a treasure is not attained.
And freeing our “self” of all need to get somewhere can be truly getting somewhere.
These talks are meant for beginners in “Just Sitting” Shikantaza Zazen and newcomers to Treeleaf Sangha. Shikantaza is our central practice at Treeleaf. But I hope that both new folks and old timers will watch. We are all, of course, ever beginning now and now and now, with “Beginner’s Mind.“
Let’s start by seeing the mind as like a noisy kitchen blender… filled with all kinds of rattlin’ stuff.
Let it settle!
Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended.
(Using headphones? Do note that there is loud noise at times in this video!)
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The Ten Oxherding Pictures (XIII)

Rev. Taigu closes his series on the Ten Oxherding Pictures…
“In the world, entering the marketplace… as we get up  and leave our hermitage, we just don’t leave Shikantaza behind. If we do so, what would be the real meaning of our practice? Merging with people, being nobody, we disappear into the crowd. But we let the life of Shikantaza shine through and reveal the real face of this, every single sentient being is truly met and perceived. We don’t teach or instruct, but open our hands, our eyes and ears to the living teachings of the Buddhas which are found in every single form of this universe, from garbage to star. A very humbling experience, serving and being invisible. Our consciousness like clouds, rivers, wind, always passing, never fixed.”
(Click through for more, and to watch today’s talk and “sit-a-long.”)
Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended.

The Ten Oxherding Pictures (XII)

Rev. Taigu brings to life the 9th of the Ten Oxherding Pictures…
“Fabulous weather and great cherry blossoms. Loud and busy street, towers of steel and glass. We are reaching the source, or should we say that we are fully back to where we were originally? Anyway, the bull and the self have disappeared to fully merge with every single thing and being we meet. The ten thousand dharmas, the countless exixtences come forward. Seated in Buddha’s place, we are instantly actualizing Buddha.”
(Click through for more, and to watch today’s talk and “sit-a-long.”)
Today’s Sit-A-Long video follows. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended.

The Ten Oxherding Pictures (XI)

 
For the 8th of the Ten Oxherding Pictures, Rev. Taigu offers this from Master Dogen’s Shobogenzo Genjo-Koan: To study the Buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no trace continues endlessly. “The place where everything is dropped, the action-non action of dropping things and self away, is what the 8th picture is about. All things go through that motion and dance, the dance of impermanence, forms have to go through that gateless gate where all reference points vanish to arise again. To truly and absolutely meet a tree, a flower, a friend, a sound, you have to go through the process where you forget totally anything about what is a tree, a flower, a friend or a sound. Otherwise, you would only meet dusty labels, names, memories, beliefs.”
“Dropping body-mind, forgetting the self is the roundness of the moon, this fully ripe moon which is also the true face of sitting. No trace of realization to be found there, for you are sitting as the very moonlight. The light doesn’t see itself. But indeed, the light is seen all around, endlessly shining in countless things.”

The Ten Oxherding Pictures (X)

Rev. Taigu re-emerges with his next teaching on the Ten Oxherding Pictures. He writes:
“Once we  drop whip and rope, once we stop manipulating reality, it appears by itself and we understand that we are exactly at the same spot as we were when it all started. The ox has and has not disappeared, it is now perfectly merged with this life as it comes and goes, nothing special to chase or ride anymore, just this very being here and now ringing in all directions. We have given up the search and in this calm and serene scenery we can dwell. This is, in essence, a non dualistic stage, neither one nor two, ox and self just as this.”

The Ten Oxherding Pictures (IX)

 
Rev. Taigu again takes us for a ride with the next of the Ten Oxherding Pictures. He writes:
“Riding the bull home… As one mounts the bull, rides the bull, the world and practice itself  are not experienced as  obstacles anymore. The bull as an object to grasp, a goal to reach has disappeared. Practice and self are intimate. In this, carefreeness, detachment, joy arise from the silence space of sitting. The boy is not worried anymore about where he should go, where the bull takes him to, what the Bull-boy will become. As the comment sates: this struggle is over; gain and loss are assimilated. The song of the flute is played by ten thousand things met and released. Forms and sounds play and are played. This dance is nothing but the Bodhisattva stepping into the world, freely playing with what comes and goes, fully interacting with things and beings without being caught by any…”

The Ten Oxherding Pictures (VIII)

 
Rev. Taigu again take the reigns to lead us through the next of the Ten Oxherding Pictures. He writes:
“Taming the bull is the story of discipline. One has to take the lead and establish a regular and steady practice. That is, at least, the traditional reading of this image. I would like to come forward with something very different: taming the bull can also be giving a specific direction to sitting, having goals and aims, and therefore we loose the original freedom of practice trying to make it fit our plans.”