Good morning!
We have a calm clear Sunday morning after sittings and service. We are in sesshin, which means touching the heart (接心) and embracing it (摂心). The heart expresses an integral psycho-physical system and function, which we usually divide into mind and body. The best sitting, breathing, and mental state reintegrate into one holy (wholly wholesome) world in peace and truth.
Continued sitting practice can reach nirvana (unconditioned peace, lit. no wind of karma) and bodhi (awakening) of the Dharma of Dependent Co-origination (truth/law of all forms/phenomena that all are dependently co-originated on causes and conditions). This leads to the fourfold Brahma-vihāra (disport, monastery) or limitlessness of friendship, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
The present Vihara (in ancient Magadha) state in northern India had many Buddhist monasteries (originally disport place, recluses’s hut, developed into their meeting and then practice place), where they practiced sitting meditation and lived in limitless light, love, liberation, and life, concretely in the fourfold embracing matters of giving, loving speech, beneficial action, and sameness.
These lead to the eightfold awakening of the awakened way of great people of little desire, satisfaction, serenity, striving, mindfulness, concentration, prognosis, and no idle talk, which the Buddha, Dogen, et al. gave as their last admonition. Equanimity is literally renunciation (letting go of karmas of conception, emotion, volition, etc.) leading to harmony, health, and happiness.
7/31/16
