A Heng Sure Story

The ZAFU is the round cushion used in Japan as an aid in helping one to ease into sitting cross-legged on the ground. When one is accustomed to that posture, then he can progress to the half-lotus position, then to the full-lotus. As the zafu is an aid, so sitting in itself is just another aid to a relaxed posture, a balanced body, relatively unmoving, with the backbone straight, and thus sitting is an aid to meditation. Likewise, meditation aids one to concentrate and focus the mind inside so that the Dharma can be understood and practiced.

The abbot of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, the Venerable Heng Sure, tells a story (if I remember it correctly) of how he was accustomed to meditating on a zafu for many years, when one day he was suddenly surprised by Master Hua who yanked the zafu out from under him. Now without the support of the zafu, Heng Sure plopped flat on the ground. Master Hua explained that one is much better off not relying on a prop, because, though it was useful in learning to meditate, if Heng Sure could learn to sit without it, he would gain benefit in two ways. First, he would be free of the need for this prop, and second, he would be able to meditate anywhere.

This same lesson applies to those who use beads to count mantras. The beads are just an aid, likewise mantras are just an aid. So though beads are very useful in learning to count mantras, and in unifying body-speech-and-mind, there are times when the use of beads is not practical, or not possible, or an obstruction; or there are times when one is not in possession of a set of beads. In these cases, assuming one has already completed millions of repetitions, one should learn other techniques for counting mantras, such as with the fingers (using the opposable thumb and the joints of the fingers), or by placing each repetition at a different point in the body, or outside the body, etc.

MOUNTAIN RESCUE STATION

We built this building for Dr Ajari in 1975. It is at the 6000ft level on Mt Shasta. Driving 8 hours each way in the commune's caravan left only 4-5 hours on weekends for work, so that construction took 6 months to complete. Then once the building was finished, we never returned because the group was struggling with its business of manufacturing and selling Japanese bedding, there was never any mountain rescue, and no spiritual practices were ever done here (other than a partial retreat by Bishop Green of St Sophia's Church). The only merit went to Ladybear of Mt Shasta who kept an eye on the building for about 15 years before Dr Ajari defaulted on payments and was forced to sell it.

However, we did get some experience in construction work. You do know the definition of "experience," don't you?

EXPERIENCE, noun -- what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

On the other hand, according to a Japanese kotowaza, or proverb:

SEIKOU NO MOTO WA, SHIPPAI DESU

The origin of success is failure.

So the experience wasn't entirely wasted; it came in handy when constructing the goma-do at Cobb in 2006.

The Power of Love

In early 1966 I went down to the Jazz Workshop on Broadway in SF to hear John Coltrane's group. The club was jammed full so about 15 of us were out on the sidewalk and pressed up against the open door. The club was one long narrow room with the band at the far end, so the full sound carried out the door, and also, being tall and standing on my toes I could watch as well.

At that time the band had TWO drummers (Elvin Jones and Rashid Ali), had Pharoah Sanders (screeching as loud as possible, achingly beautiful to my ears) on tenor sax, and John Coltrane's wife Alice on piano playing full, round chords with both hands on the lower register. It was a raucous cacophony of sound and Coltrane's tenor was barely audible in the mix. I strained to hear Coltrane, and when that sound connected (not the melody, but his pure vibrato-less sound) it became a conduit of warm energy directly into my heart, filling it like a balloon with a feeling of love for the whole world, a feeling that expanded to the point of leaving me with only one option: stop everything I was doing in everyday mundane existence; turn my life around; and go SAVE THE WORLD.

About 10 years later when with Dr Ajari on a visit to the Coltrane Church, I listened as Bishop Franzo King described an experience almost identical to mine. He had gone to the Jazz Workshop to hear Coltrane's group, and the sound so filled him with love that on the spot he made a vow to restructure his life, start a church, and preach the Gospel. The John Coltrane Church is going as strong as ever today, Bishop (now Archbishop) King's family and friends and church members playing inspired derivations of Coltrane's music every Sunday:

http://www.coltranechurch.org/

That night in 1966 returning from the Jazz Workshop with a heart full of love to save the world, I was completely oblivious of all practical aspects, such as how to go about it, even the first step. I didn't account for my own complete lack of ability or knowledge or experience, or my own obstructive bad karma, continuing to accumulate day-by-day, not to mention the ineluctable modality of the bonds of society which prevent one from "leaving home." It would be another three years, including grad school at Cornell and employment as a civil engineer, taxi driver, and mail carrier before the actual "leaving home" could take place.

But the seed was sown in the power of love emanating from John Coltrane's heart to all who listened. Before that time I had been thinking about enlightenment, but the experience at the Jazz Workshop caused the Thought of Enlightenment to step up one level of intensity and become the Determination for Enlightenment.

Janey Trinkle And Master Lee

This is from 2007, my second visit to Kim Son Monastery as driver for Janey. It is now a 1 1/2 hr drive to pick her up in Healdsburg and another 3 hrs to Watsonville, and back the same day, 10 hours total. We arrive at about 10 minutes to noon, have a few sips of tea with Master Tu, and then his people ask him to come to the dining room and ring the bell so lunch can begin. So all that driving for just a 10 minute visit, but their lunches are worth the drive. They have a delicious vegetarian buffet, all you can eat, with a donation box inconspicuously off to the side, and four lines of tables, one each for the monks, the nuns, the laymen, and the laywomen. After the leisurely and silent meal, conversation slowly starts up, and after a while Master Tu rings the bell again and departs. Janey is now over with the nuns, and they are having a great time, laughing and talking, and she snaps some photos. The rest of us, after finishing the meal and conversations, all wash our dishes and depart, and I sit back down at the table, alone, waiting while Janey and the nuns finish their visit, which is another half hour or so. This elderly monk, Master Lee, seeing me sitting there, comes over and introduces himself and asks me some Dharma questions, which led to his very helpful teachings to me on how to overcome anger. Aside from the lunch, this advice was also worth the long drive. And then Janey, having finished her visit, came over to Master Lee and myself and asked one of the nuns to snap more photos.

Janey Trinkle And Master Tu

This is from 2003 the first time I visited the Vietnamese Master Tu at Kim Son Monastery in Watsonville. Janey Trinkle had known him for years, so I just served as her driver since the long drive was more than she could manage at her age.

Janey lived for 35 years in Japan, and when the Japanese Empress Michiko was in college (I think at Keio U. in Tokyo), Janey was her English teacher, and the two have remained friends to this day.

Master Tu is a venerable and virtuous abbot who has the support of large Vietnamese communities in San Jose and San Francisco.

A GHOST

This snow ghost may very well be Woody Woodpecker, not seen in these parts since the late 1950s.

(I put this miraculous natural phenomenon up for sale on eBay, but it melted before I could sell it)

"Looks Like A Buddha"

In 2002 with Rin-san and her friend Fuji-san, we stopped by to see the Buddhist sculptor Tachibana. During conversation, Rin-san told him she had set up a 5PM appointment with a nearby Buddhist master, and did Tachibana want to go with us. No, he didn't, he said, "And watch out for him. He is evil." "Why do you say that? He has an old established temple and appears to be a good priest." "Yes, he LOOKS LIKE A BUDDHA, but . . . "

According to Tachibana, professors from the University would recommend that students interested in Buddhism go to this temple as it was the closest. Tachibana was living at the temple at the time, and some of the students would subsequently become monks and live there also. But within one or two years, every single one of them had fled after getting to know the priest better. Presently, the only disciple was a woman who would cook and wash clothes. But the temple still had enough lay believers to support it financially.

We got there at 5 o'clock. Rin-san knew the master, but Fuji-san and myself had yet to meet him. He took us up into the dimly lit temple and he and Rin-san engaged in conversation. While they talked, Fuji-san and I, with the tales of Tachibana fresh in mind, heard the door creaking behind us, wind would occasionally whistle through the cracks, we watched his eyes narrow down and glance sideways, and he would furrow or raise his brow. While Rin-san blithely carried on, we were as if frozen, expecting that at any moment he would reach around for an axe, lunge at us, and bury the bodies under the floorboards with the skeletons.

After leaving the temple, it turned out Fuji-san and I had seen and heard and thought all the same things. But of course, these were just projections after listening to Tachibana's dramatic warnings of horror. The truth in the story was that there ARE people who look like Buddhas, who have round bodies and shaved heads, wear immaculate robes, sit perfectly straight, and serve tea in old temples, but when students live there awhile and get to know the master, they run away screaming. In common, less extreme cases, the Japanese have a phrase:

KATACHI DAKE

which means "form only," as in "That priest doesn't have the religious mind, but has the form only." I heard this phrase quite often in different places in Japan, but it always seemed that the group I was with were "real Buddhists" while the group over there was katachi dake. You'd think it would be more beneficial not to be so concerned with the group over there, and to devote more time to examining our own actions and studying the Dharma so that our own Buddhist life doesn't become katachi dake.

TENDAI BEADS

A Tendai set of beads is characterized by the flat shape of the beads, which makes the strand of 108 easier to count with while at the same time being more wieldy.

You'll see people wearing sets of large round beads around their necks in order to give themselves the appearance of a Holy Man, but the style pictured here is for counting repetitions of mantras, going deep within the heart, rooting out greed, anger, and ignorance, and serving the cause of all living beings.

The Lotus Sutra Was Written About Me

When Prof Carl Bielefeldt of Stanford met me for the first time in 2003, he asked, "You're not one of those guys who thinks the Lotus Sutra was written about them, are you?" Well, . . . actually, Carl . . . here it is, right here in the 25th Chapter. It nails me exactly.

NYAKU U SHU JOU

TA O IN NYOKU

JOU NEN KU GYOU

KAN ZE ON BO SATSU

BEN TOKU RI YOKU

***

NYAKU TA SHIN NI

JOU NEN KU GYOU

KAN ZE ON BO SATSU

BEN TOKU RI SHIN

***

NYAKU GA GU CHI

JOU NEN KU GYOU

KAN ZE ON BO SATSU

BEN TOKU RI CHI

***

"If there are any living beings with much lust and craving, and if they constantly keep in mind and respect Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, they will be set free from these desires.

If they have much anger, and if they constantly keep in mind and respect Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, they will be set free from their anger.

If they have much ignorance, and if they constantly keep in mind and respect Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, they will be set free from their ignorance."

"Much craving, much anger, much ignorance," that's me to a tee, Carl!

Painfully aware of this early on, for 40 years now I've been calling on all 33 forms of Avalokiteshvara for relief. And it HAS helped, lots, but even now we still see remaining greed-anger-and-ignorance. "You have really heavy karma," as Master Lee explained.

*

When Carl asked his question, I just laughed, and so it seemed I slipped past the interview and was set to give a single guest lecture in his class on T'ien T'ai Buddhism. However, Carl had one final concern: "I hope you're not going to talk about the Aquarian Age."

A TEACHING OF THE DALAI LAMA

MAY THE LIGHT OF THIS GREAT BODHISATTVA BE WITH US FOR YEARS TO COME.

"Religion does not mean just precepts, a temple, monastery, or other external signs, for these as well as hearing and thinking are subsidiary factors in taming the mind. When the mind becomes the practices, one is a practitioner of religion, and when the mind does not become the practices one is not."

*

There are three sources for getting to know one's mind: study the latest scientific research; inquire about the conclusions of the Buddhist sages of the past; and during concentrated meditation, examine the woundrous workings of our own minds from a subjective viewpoint and compare this with the findings of scientists and sages.

For One Who Walks On The Earth

The story of the Buddha's Last Days covers six months, starting in Rajgriha, spending the rains retreat outside of Vaishali, and ending his life in Kushinara. An incredible amount of teaching was transmitted during that time, the Buddha having informed the accompanying monks that his end was not far off. At twelve towns where he stopped along the way, he gave a unique profound teaching at each one, while at the same time he included a teaching common to all stops: the Buddha "gave a comprehensive discourse, this is morality, this is concentration, this is wisdom . . ."

While walking in a natural setting, this essential teaching is easily brought to mind. Looking downward we see the earth, solid and visually impenetrable, supporting all on its surface. Likewise, MORALITY is our support in walking the path of Dharma.

Looking ahead we see animals and people and think about their need for concentration. The animals need to concentrate their senses to locate food and also to recognize and escape when other animals want to eat them. People need to concentrate to get to work on time, pick up their paycheck at the end of the month, and negotiate traffic to get safely home. Likewise, CONCENTRATION is necessary to enter into and understand the Buddha's teachings.

Looking above we see the sky which not only touches, surrounds and interconnects all living things, but extends beyond into infinity. Likewise, we are surrounded by the Buddha's WISDOM which obliterates the "I" in the universe of shunyata.

To attain enlightenment, the Buddha taught us to rely not on our personalities, our talents, or our position in society, but rather to rely on morality, concentration and wisdom.

2 ft.

(see March 18 post)

Dengyo Daishi and Jikaku Daishi

The priest So-0 inaugurated the practice of kaihogyo based on stories of related practices which his teacher Ennin brought back from the holy mountain of WuTai in China. Subsequently, So-o developed spiritual powers and was able to heal the ailments of 3 generations of Emperors and their families. The third then gave postumous titles of "Great Teacher" to Saicho (Dengyo Great Teacher) and Ennin (Jikaku Great Teacher), the first time this honor was bestowed in Japan. It would be another 55 years before Saicho's contemporary Kukai would be similarly recognized as Kobo Great Teacher.

1000-DAY MARATHON

Of Gozen-sama's approximately 1500 disciples, both lay believers and clergy, Gyosho Ajari is the fourth of the "four great disciples." Here he has completed 700 days of the marathon, after which he immediately entered into a 9-day seclusion of no sleep, no water, and no food. This photo is taken after the fast, in 1992.

Ennin, Tendai Patriarch (794-864AD)

This is from a manga version of Ennin's life, based mostly on the diary of his ten years in China in Search of the Dharma, which was translated into English and published in 1955 by Edwin O. Reischauer.

Saicho welcomes the 15 year-old novice to Hieizan and explains the meaning of the characters for the name "Ennin" which he has granted:

"with harmony and amiability, to give comfort, sympathy and compassion to all creature, not just to humans"

EPHEMERAL

Choraku-In

Gozen-sama built a magnificent new temple on an isolated peninsula 3 miles from the Pacific Coast town of Owase. Construction wasn't far enough along to open it to the public yet, so Shodo-san and I were there caretaking, making the garden, and helping the construction crew when they would come. Viewing from the temple grounds, there was not a single building visible, just fishing boats far out in the bay, and steep cascading hills in back, reminiscent of the Chinese landscape painting style called "san sui," mountains and water. We had our own private beach, but also the highest annual rainfall in Japan, because this was the point where typhoons would make landfall, which also explains why this beautiful location was so isolated in super-crowded Japan.

Gozen-sama would visit about once every two months, a 3-hour drive from Sekizan. To avoid the interminable jamups on the highways around Kyoto, they would leave at 3AM, with Sakajiri-san driving and exceeding all speed limits at Gozen-sama's urging. On one visit they expressed the idea that Choraku-In should offer some benefit to the community, even though it wasn't open yet, and so they asked me to give an English class in town. Thus this photo of my English class.

2001

Gozen-sama had built a new temple called Choraku-in 3 miles outside of the fishing village of Owase ("Big Eagle"), but as it was not yet completed he sent Shodo-san and myself there as caretakers and to work on the gardens.

The Owase police chief, along with his wife, thinking we were overworked and stressed out, took us on a 3-day vacation to the Kumano area, including temples, shrines, restaurants, hotsprings resorts, and waterfalls (this photo).

WHISPY

Real Father and Adopted Father

This is my real father and my real daughter.

This is my adopted father and my adopted niece (both informally). Everybody calls him "The Boss" (shacho), but he has me call him Honorable Father (o-tou-san). He is The Boss in the sense that nobody messes with him, and though he is not yakuza himself, he has tatooed yakuza working for him.

At Sekizan he has been designing (along with Gozen-sama) and constructing the temple gardens for over 25 years, to the point where the moss hillocks and autumn maples have become a major tourist attraction. This photo was taken just a week before I returned to the US after 5+ years in Japan, and I said to Shacho, "You're almost finished with the gardens, right?" to which he replied, "No, only half done." 25 years! He would supervise a crew of 4 or 5 of us temple priests along with 2 or 3 of his own men in whatever heavy work needed to be done at Sekizan. Then he would buy lunch for everybody at this nearby cafe, where I was known as "A.B.C.O.G" which makes perfect sense in Japanese: Uncle ABC (oji=uncle) because during the time the girl's grandmother was preparing the food, I would teach her English, starting with the ABC song.

JENNY AT SEKIZAN

While on a home-stay program in Japan in 1998, Jenny visits me at Sekizan.

Mom and Pop

Today, March 10, is the 100th anniversary of my father's birth. Both he (1908-1992) and mom (1907-1991) lived 84 years and they died within a year of each other. They were both water signs, Pisces and Scorpio, so there was lots of emotion: they fought like hell, loved like heaven.
I hear other men talk about their childhood, saying like, "I knew if I did such-and-such, I was in for a whuppin from my dad," as if this were the same with every boy's father. And it dawned on me that possibly dad was unusual, lots of hugs, but never once did he strike me.

ARHAT

This ancient stone statue is from the set of sixteen arhats at Sekizan Zen-in, Kyoto

Across the Wide Pacific

1962 was my third trip to sea, the first for Eric Levin. In that era we had 3 months of summer vacation while going to college. So 7 years before becoming a Buddhist, I had a chance to visit most of the Buddhist countries of the Far East, and that subjective experience colored my view of the various types of Buddhism. Bangkok seemed decadent and its Buddha statues were gaudy and poorly maintained. Saigon was in an eerie calm under the Diem dictatorship, and the war had not yet reached the Capitol. Taiwan was in a state of fear, the military ready for an immanent invasion from Red China, but the people seemed to be more afraid of Chiang Kai Shek's government. Korea was still in poverty in the aftermath of its war, and the seaport of Pusan's people were struggling to make money any way possible, including thievery, robbery, and piracy. But Japan at that time was at the beginning of its "economic miracle," and the cleanliness of the streets, the kindness of the people, and the beauty of the Buddhist artwork all left an impression which made me predisposed to favor the Japanese style of Buddhism.

MORE CREATURES

Plus mole tunnels all over the hills

Two More Rubaiyats

COME, FILL THE CUP, AND IN THE FIRE OF SPRING

YOUR WINTER-GARMENT OF REPENTANCE FLING:

THE BIRD OF TIME HAS BUT A LITTLE WAY

TO FLUTTER -- AND THE BIRD IS ON THE WING.

Is one of your dreams to LEAVE HOME and set out on the Great Adventure, the quest for enlightenment? If for too long you delay your departure, if you daydream and don't DO, then in the blink of an elephant's eye old age and death will be facing you in the mirror, another lifetime down the drain.

THE MOVING FINGER WRITES; AND, HAVING WRIT

MOVES ON: NOR ALL YOUR PIETY NOR WIT

SHALL LURE IT BACK TO CANCEL HALF A LINE,

NOR ALL YOUR TEARS WASH OUT A WORD OF IT.

Most of Fitzgerald's ~200 quattrains (I don't know about the Persian originals) have a fatalistic ending not shared by Buddhism. Yes, time moves in only one direction. Ideas of going back in time and revising the outcome are truly fiction. But unlike the implication of the poem, the future is not fixed or predestined. YOU AND I CAN CHANGE! This is the most important message of Buddhism. The actions of the past can be remembered, recorded, studied. And by understanding cause and effect by studying the past, we can change our actions, change our course, and change our future for the better.

STEAM FIELD LOOKING SOUTH

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

Scholars say the Farsi-to-English translation of Edward Fitzgerald is more Fitzgerald than Omar Khayyam. I don't know about the Persian, but the English version is great stuff. Here's one of my favorites:

I SENT MY SOUL THROUGH THE INVISIBLE,

SOME LETTER OF THAT AFTER-LIFE TO SPELL

AND BY-AND-BY MY SOUL RETURNED TO ME

AND ANSWERED, "I MYSELF AM HEAVEN AND HELL."

THREE LOVEABLE CRAZIES

This photo dates before my entry into Dr Ajari's commune, so probably 1966-1968.
Alan Ginsberg is well-known. "Sufi Sam," Samuel Lewis, the Jewish leader of the Muslim Sufi's, has a recent biography by a disciple at:
http://www.mansurjohnson.com/
Less well-known is Ajari, also known as Bishop Lopon Dr Ajari (four titles but no name), in addition to: "The Bear" (Is the Bear Catholic?? Does the Pope poop in the woods??); Vajrabodhi; Neville Warwick; Evil Warlock; The Admiral of the Tibetan Navy; and One Of The Two Great Spiritual Geniuses Of The Western World (I believe he said the other was my friend Jack Goldberg, now in Crestone Colorado). But Gozen-sama recognized him as an emanation of Fudo-sama. After I became Gozen-sama's disciple in 1991, I showed him the photo of Dr Ajari with Lama Govinda in Almora India circa 1968, to ask if Gozen-sama knew Dr Ajari from Japan. He Said, "No, but in this photo your two teachers are En-No-Gyoja (indicating Lama Govinda) and Fudo-sama (pointing to Dr Ajari)." In the photo, Dr Ajari looks positively angelic, but somehow Gozen-sama knew.
A young journalist in Boulder Colo. is currently collecting stories for a book on Dr Ajari. You can observe or contribute at:
http://www.jennfields.com/dr-ajari/
The photo here was sent to me by an old friend of Dr Ajari's, Ladybear of Mt Shasta. Her blog, carrying the torch of the Woodstock generation is at:
http://ladybear.gaia.com/

A Sudden Slip on an Icy Rock

And a quick face-plant in the snow. The cause wasn't treacherous terrain. Although terrain was a factor, the cause was in my thought at that moment as I was dwelling on somebody else's slanderous words, making them my own. Wonderful instant karma!
In almost all cases there is a time gap between one's actions and the karmic result, which hides the connection between cause and effect. It takes deep meditation to get at the root cause of karmic retribution. So when something unpleasant happens, it is much easier to blame the immediate cause rather than to ask, "What in my past karma led to this situation?"
That is why it is always an amazing experience to see instantaneous karmic retribution: I said or did or thought something regrettable and immediately received the result. The workings of karma were clearly revealed.
In today's example the cause was minor and the effect was minor, but for one who invokes Fudo Myo-o as his tutelary deity, heavier cases of instantaneous karmic purification are not uncommon. If you take Fudo as your protector, you will be humbled in ways you never would have guessed. The rope and sword which Fudo wields are not to bind your enemy and cut off his head as a kind of jihad for Buddhism. Rather the rope represents concentration of one's own mind while the sword cuts the very roots of greed, anger and ignorance. If I make a serious karmic blunder, I can expect Fudo right in my face with his angry expression.
The slip on the ice brought to mind a Dharma saying based on the "four foundations of mindfulness:"

THE BODY IS UNRELIABLE

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE THE ENEMY

THE MIND IS EVER CHANGING

AND ALL DHARMAS ARE EMPTY

DAGCHEN RIMPOCHE AND DR AJARI

The Sakya Center in Seattle in 1977. The Pacioretti (biological) sisters are in front. Otherwise, from the right: Khadiravani, Nairatma, Marici (my wife at the time, in the first of our 13 years of wedlock), Variya, a friend of Variya's, Dr Ajari, and Mandarava. Mandarava and Nairatma are the remaining Sisters of the Order, now residing in L.A. Dagchen Rinpoche is in the center of the photo, and directly behind is Jayananda in goatee and glasses. The remaining folks are disciples and relatives of Dagchen.

"Let Me Tell You About My Troubles"

Actually, don't bother to tell people about your troubles because most of them don't care and the rest are glad it happened to you!
*
("And that's IT!?? That's the joke!?? " -- This is what Audrey Owen's husband Nat Katzmann always says when I attempt a joke.)

VEN. JOSHIN

Joshin Jon Driscoll, a Tendai priest, leads kinhin after morning zazen in Cerrillos, New Mexico

Tendai Calligraphy - III

This is the 3rd of the 37 works by Tendai priests. These here are the Chinese characters for the Buddha Shakyamuni's last instructions to his disciples before he passed into Paranirvana: "Strive with diligence!" And the brush work is in complete harmony with the words; the brush strokes are strong, deliberate, and with concentrated mindfulness.

FUDO MYO-O

Gozen-sama is adamant that the blue-black color of Fudo Myo-o, as in this classical painting, is the canonical color, and all others, the Red Fudo, the Yellow Fudo, etc, etc are only the personal meditative visions of various monks.

Tendai Calligraphy - II

Ven. Kobori, abbot of Sanzen-in temple brushed this, one of Dengyo Daishi's most renowned and important sayings, including the four characters MO KOU RI TA: forget self, benefit others.

*

In meditation, if you are able to calm the mind to the point where thoughts of self are not present, then what IS in your mind? Is it not either thoughts of others, or thoughts of the Buddha-Dharma-or-Sangha? In either case, this constitutes "right mindfulness," the 7th of the 8-fold path to liberation. Mindfulness involving thoughts of "me" and "mine" is not right mindfulness.

*

And you will also be thinking of others, not self, when invoking and visualizing Vaisravana ("extensive hearing") or Avalokiteshvara ("he who hears the cries of the world") or the Healing Buddha, Yakushi Nyorai.

ABBOT MONSHIN WITH 70 CLERGY & FRIENDS

Driving by Rte 295, this appears to be a well-maintained New England barn. But through the doors, you're inside a real Japanese temple. This photo is 2006 on the 1st Anniversary of its dedication.

Tendai Calligraphy - I

JISHIN
"Compassionate Mind"
This is one of 37 pieces of an exhibit of works by Tendai priests in Japan. The exhibit was shown at the Tendai Buddhist Institute in NY and we hope to bring it to UC Berkeley in Nov 2009.
Ven. Monshin Naamon, Abbot, writes in his introduction to the show:
"Shodo, the Way of Writing, as Japanese brush calligraphy is called, is the place where art and spirituality combine in a superlative fashion. The masters of this form demonstrate both their artistry and their spiritual foundation."

SHRINE ON COBB

This shrine on the top of Cobb has remained undisturbed since its placement in 1989, in spite of being on public land. The intention of the shrine, along with four in other locations, was to cause the mountain to be opened for spiritual practice. The prayers were successful.

All Sentient Beings

The Indians of California faced genocide when the Spanish arrived, reaching SanFrancisco in 1776. However, when Americans swarmed in during and after the Gold Rush of 1849, the natives' suffering was multipied many times. They were pushed off their lands, enslaved, decimated by new diseases, hunted like deer, starved, and broken in spirit. In one generation, 90% of the population was wiped out. Yet among the small numbers who survived and found ways to live along with the white man, the one thing they didn't lose was their sense of humor.

*

The Basque nobleman Jaime de Angulo did anthropological field work between 1911 and 1935 while living with various tribes and learning 17 languages in their cultural context. He was also an Army psychiatrist in WWI, which is why he is called "Doc" in the following story. From the appendix of his book Indian Tales, this is a record of his experience taking down the language of the Pit River Indians in 1921 in Modoc County, California.

*

. . . . Wild Bill arrived. He was a horse-breaker by trade and I had known him in the days of my venture in ranching. A delightful fellow, always full of fun and jokes, and a superb rider; in fact he was a crazy daredevil. We had always been friends.

*

Later that evening, as part of the language study, Bill told the story of how Coyote and Silver Fox made the world, and he ended the story:

*

That's the way they made the world, Doc. Then they made mountains and valleys; they made trees and rocks and everything. It took them a long time to do all that!

"Didn't they make people, too?"

"No. Not people. Not Indians. The Indians came much later, after the world was spoiled by a crazy woman, Loon. But that's a long story. . . .I'll tell you some day."

"All right, Bill, but tell me just one thing now: there was a world now; then there were lots of animals living on it, but there were no people then. . . . "

Wha' d'you mean there were no people? Ain't animals people?"

"Yes, they are . . .but . . ."

"They are not Indians, but they are people. they are alive. . . Whad'you mean animal?"

"Well . . . how do you say 'animal' in Pit River?"

". . . .I dunno. . . ."

"But suppose you wanted to say it?"

"Well . . . I guess I would say something like teeqaade-wade toolol aakaadzi (world-over, all living) . . . I guess that means animal, Doc."

"I don't see how, Bill. That means people, also. People are living, aren't they?"

"Sure they are! That's what I'm telling you. Everything is living, even the rocks, even that bench you are sitting on. Somebody made that bench for a purpose, didn't he? Well then it's alive, isn't it? Everything is alive. That's what we Indians believe. White people think everything is dead. . . ."

"Listen, Bill. How do you say 'people'?"

"I don't know . . . just is, I guess."

"I thought that meant 'Indian'."

"Say . . . Ain't we people?!"

"So are the whites!"

"Like hell they are!! We call them inillaaduwi, 'tramps', nothing but tramps. They don't believe anything is alive. They are dead themselves. I don't call that 'people'. They are smart, but they don't know anything. . . . Say, it's getting late, Doc, I am getting sleepy, I guess I'll go out and sleep on top of the haystack. . ." .

GREAT TREES

a book of wonderful photos and stories

The Buddha's Rain

falls equally on all beings. The rain of the Dharma refreshes the good and bad alike. But each grows according to his seed. Some grow like tiny weeds, some like shrubs, some like small trees, some like giant trees. This is the teaching of the 5th chapter of the Lotus Sutra.

"OL' SLEWFOOT"

High on a mountain

Tell me what you see

Bear tracks, bear tracks

Comin after me

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I walk the same trail every day, and here, in yesterdays tracks in the snow, ol' slewfoot (actually probably young slewfoot) had placed his paw in every one of my footprints for about 100 yards.

Longest Walk 2

On the 30th anniversary of the first one, Dennis Banks is leading the event which started Feb 11 in SF and will end July 11 in Washington DC. All nations are welcome, and some Buddhists from Japan, including 20 monks, are along. Click "Voices from the Walk" for participants' posts and photos.
http://longestwalk.org/

WINNERS -- OTHER CATEGORIES

The Jan 22 blog had one of the winners in the "plant" category, and here is the "bug" winner. For mammals this year it appears to be skunks, as I've seen about 15 in the last two weeks. Walking to or from the meditation hall at night we sometimes startle each other. When I shine the flashlight, they trundle off with tail raised but don't spray.

MYOAN'S CALLIGRAPHY OF "KAN"

Myo-an, Ann Miller is a professional calligrapher, and a member of the Nichiren-Shu of America, where her husband Nichiran, Lance, has served as a high officer of the church corporation.
KAN is the Sanskrit letter for Fudo Myo-o ("HAM" plus diacritical marks in Sanskrit), written in the Gupta Dynasty script, the predecessor of the modern Devanagiri script, which was transmitted to Japan in the 9th c. Since Sanskrit has 16,550 different letters, each with a unique pronunciation, every Buddhist diety can be assigned its own letter, with plenty of letters left over to assign to attributes, implements, actions, etc.
If a practitioner has recited millions of mantras, read all the Fudo sutras many times, imagined, visualized and drawn the image thousands of times, then meditating on this KAN becomes shorthand for that entire experience. The sound KAN is not unique, however, due to the nature of the Japanese language, but the written letter is unique.

Mantrayana -- Quotes From The Dalai Lama

The Mantrayana, as a path kept secret to protect it from misuse, is not devulged to people outside the path. However, the qualifications for entering the Mantrayana and some of its salient points are openly discussed, such as in "Kalachakra Tantra -- Rite of Initiation" by the Dalai Lama and Jeffrey Hopkins. Below, I excerpt and comment on a few quotes of the Dalai Lama, with his words in RED, first about the value of practicing mantra.
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The distinctive feature of the Secret Mantra Vehicle comes in terms of additional techniques for quickly developing the meditative stabilization that is a union of calm abiding [samatha] and special insight [vipasyana] --one-pointed meditative stabilization [samadhi] realizing emptiness [shunyata] . This mainly is achieved through diety yoga. . . . Secret Mantra is a case of using imagination as the path.
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Then he makes this astonishing statement one page later: To become fully enlightened as a Buddha, it is necessary to practice Mantra and, within Mantra, Highest Yoga Mantra; otherwise it is not possible to attain Buddhahood. Some explanation follows before he reiterates: Therefore, without depending in general on Mantra and in particular on Highest Yoga Mantra, Buddhahood cannot be attained.
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But the efficacy of mantra will only work for those who have the necessary qualifications, the proper motivation, the prerequisite understanding (dukkha, anitya, anatman), and the energy to carry through the practice (the generation of inner heat called tum-mo). Here are the Dalai Lama's words:
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The first step is for the students to adjust their motivation so that it is properly qualified. Most of you know the importance of kindness -- the special kind of altruism, called bodhicitta in Sanskrit -- and of wisdom, called prajna. The most important factor is good motivation. With this human body already attained, to do something meaningful, you should not be selfish but should generate as much as possible an altruistic attitude. Altruism is most important.
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The purpose is to serve other people, to help other beings, not just humans but all sentient beings, to bring about their welfare. The means to accomplish this is your own Buddhahood. This sequence of thoughts [omitted here] is how you come to determine that you must attain Buddhahood for the sake of others. The attitude generated is called bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to become enlightened, and it must be cultivated continually.
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"Coninually" would mean to practice on a daily basis, at the least. Making Buddhism a part-time endeavor in one's life would definitely be beneficial, but cannot bring about full enlightenment. Next, the Dalai Lama invites students to enter the Mantrayana, without being distracted by the wonderful things of cyclic existence, and he tells them about two mistaken motivations for practicing Mantra. They are mistaken in the sense that the person's desire is for his own welfare. One is the motivation of seeking the happiness of this life, such as entering a mandala in order to prevent disease or to achieve success in a certain venture. The other mistaken motivation motivation is to practice mantra for the accunulation of merit for the purpose of seeking a future lifetime of high status within cyclic existence. Proper motivation is explained in the root text:
"The intelligent should seek to enter the mandala with many acts of faith, seeking the aim of what transcends the world. They should not wish for effects in this life. Those wanting this life do not accrue the aim of what transcends the world. Those generating a seeking for what transcends the world gain expansive fruits even in this world."

TENDAI ABBESS

Setouchi Jakucho, who entered Buddhist orders ("left home") in 1973 at the age of 50, became an abbess of a temple in 1987, and continues today her very active schedule.

Setouchi Jakucho's book on Buddhism

The Tendai abbess Setouchi Jakucho is probably the single best known priest in Japan. She entered Buddhism at age 50 after a highly successful career as a novelist. In 2000 she published a 7"x10" 230 page soft-cover book on Buddhism as it is taught and practiced in Japan today. Also covering her own career, her wide range of Dharma activities always involving crowds of people, a line-by-line commentary on the Heart Sutra, and copius cartoons of great humor centering around an irrepressable 8 year old girl shown here in the center of her mandala of family and friends. The 'holy man' at the top is her unhinged, practical-joking uncle. If only this book could be translated into English and sold here, we would be able to share in its delights. Being a skilled and prize-winning novelist, she is able to make profound concepts simple and entertaining. There is nothing else like it.

RITSU-IN GOMA-DAN

A Mantra Translated

The Vajrasattva mantra is known as the "100-syllable mantra" because of that many Sanskrit syllables. In the Japanese tradition, the mantra has the same name (HYAKU JI MYO), however their pronunciation of the Sanskrit gives 121 syllables. The following is my version of the translation into English (not "transliteration"), based on the published version by Jeffrey Hopkins in "Kalachakra" p.403, and it yields 92 syllables:
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OM VAJRASATTVA, RESIDE IN ME, I'LL KEEP THE SAMAYA. MAKE ME STRONG, MAKE ME SATISFIED, MAKE ME FULFILLED, MAKE ME COMPASSIONATE, GRANT ME ALL THE SIDDHIS, MAKE MY MIND VIRTUOUS IN ALL ACTIONS. HUM! HA HA HA HA HOH!
VAJRA OF ALL THE BLESSED TATHAGATAS, DO NOT ABANDON ME. INDIVISIBLY UNITE ME WITH ALL THE GREAT SAMAYA BEINGS. AH! HUM! PHAT!

COBB MTN

Through the Looking-Glass

The White Knight gives Alice a lesson in Buddhist Logic. When an innocent questioner asks an experienced Buddhist questions about his religion, the answers must seem as confusing as the Knight's answers to Alice. Though his logic was impeccable, and his intentions were the best (to relieve Alice's suffering and cheer her up by playing a song), it just didn't make sense. The logic was baffling and the song was dull. What actually happened was a reversal of roles: by Alice enduring without complaint his bad entertainment, the White Knight's suffering was relieved -- temporarily.
*
"You look sad," the Knight said in an anxious tone: "let me sing you a song to comfort you."
"Is it very long?" Alice asked, for she had heard a good deal of poetry that day.
"It's long," said the Knight, "but it's very, very beautiful. Everybody that hears me sing it -- either it brings the tears into their eyes, or else --"
"Or else what?" said Alice, for the Knight had made a sudden pause.
"Or else it doesn't, you know. The name of the song is called 'Haddocks' Eyes.'"
"Oh, that's the name of the song, is it?" Alice said, trying to feel interested.
"No, you don't understand," the Knight said, looking a little vexed. "That's what the name is called. The name really is 'The Aged Aged Man.'"
"Then I ought to have said 'That's what the song is called'?" Alice corrected herself.
"No, you oughtn't: that's quite another thing! The song is called, 'Ways and Means': but that's only what it's called, you know!"
"Well, what is the song, then?" said Alice, who was by this time completely bewildered.
"I was coming to that," the Knight said. "The song really is 'A-sitting On A Gate':
and the tune's my own invention."

AUTUMN MAPLE

At Sekizan, Sakajiri-san's grandson Masa, same birthday as myself

Sanskrit and Japanese

Conveying the same Buddha Dharma, these two wonderful languages are very different in form. Japanese has a small variety of sounds, approximately 100 syllables. (Hawaiian has the least sounds with only 13 phonemes.) Using a syllabary rather than an alphabet means that consonants cannot stand by themselves but must have a vowel attached. Also different consonants cannot be combined. The result of having few syllables is numerous meanings per syllable. For instance, KOU is the sound for 1487 kanji and SHOU for 792 kanji. Along with various language devices for removing ambiguity, Japanese sometimes employ the hands in conversation. The right index finger writes the kanji on the left palm while the listener watches carefully.
Sanskrit, on the other hand, uses a large variety of complex sounds, combining consonants and distinguishing five separate locations in the mouth. (To a native speaker of Sanskrit-related languages, English sounds like mush-mouth.) The variety of syllables in Sanskrit is astounding, numbering 16,550. Here is a small sample, in roman letters minus the diacritical marks: BHRUM, RKHYAM, NKAU, RJVAI, STVAM, TTAH.

VISITING A TEA MASTER

This is Kobayashi Sensei, a tea master from Osaka who sets up a tent at Sekizan Zen-in in Kyoto every November, along with her senior students and the son of one of them. All month long people flock to Sekizan (free of charge) to view and photograph the maples in full color. Along with participating in the 7 Lucky Gods pilgrimmage, antique and food booths, fire ceremonies, and a one-day Rosary Offering Festival, visitors can relax at tables beside the koi pond and be served green tea and sweets.

The Japanese word EN

EN means "relationships," and for the people practicing the Buddhist tradition in Japan, good EN is the foundation. Practicing and serving in warm harmony with those you respect and trust is essential. But due to the subtlety of this essential point, many Americans do not seem to perceive Japanese Buddhism this way.
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They perceive it like the military, saying "Yes,sir" and "No,sir" and advancing up the ranks like a good soldier:
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Or like a business or politics, aiming to build a sangha with much wealth and many people;
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Or as entertainment, getting the customers to laugh before sending them back home;
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Or like a sports competition, where he who sits in lotus posture the straightest or for the longest time is the champion;
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Or as a job, in which one's books or charisma or fame will lead others to give enough money to make Buddhism one's livelihood;
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Or like education, where we take classes, study, learn, pass exams, and graduate.
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But Buddhist EN is not like this. It is like a fire burning in one's heart (bodhicitta), spreading from one heart to another, loving everyone, having no enemies, seeking only to benefit others and bring about our mutual Buddhahood.

MIDDLETOWN IN MIST MIDST