-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
Categories
- asamskrita
- Asankhata (asamskrita: unmade)
- Awakened Way (Buddhism)
- Birth/Death
- Bodhisattva way
- Buddha Mind Seal: Zazen
- Buddha: Shakya-muni/Sakiya-muni
- Buddhism
- Civilization
- Collusion
- Compassion
- Cultivation: culture
- cultivation: verification (修:証)
- Culture
- Dependent Origination (縁起: causality)
- Dharma
- dharma dhatu
- Dogen
- Ecology
- Equanimity: equipoise: upekhâ (sha: 捨: renunciation of karmas)
- Friendship
- from artificial pyramidal civilization to natural cyclical (Indranet) culture
- Function free and full
- Function free and full
- Global ethic
- Global problems
- Global warming
- Heart:Home:Pureland
- Holy: wholly wholesome: undefiled (vs. sinful: separated: selfish
- Home coming
- Impermanence
- Jihi: 慈悲: friendship-compassion
- Karma
- Karma World
- Law
- Life
- Light of purity/peace/prognosis
- Mind: World
- Nature
- Nirvana (windless: asankhata
- Nuclear bombs
- nuclear disaster
- Nuclear plants
- One world
- Paramount Truth (paramattha sacca/paramarth satya)
- Philosophy
- Practice
- Preparedness
- Rebirth/renewal/refleshing
- Religion
- Samadhi (concentration)
- Self
- Shikan-taza (只管打坐)
- Sitting/samu: two wings/wheels
- Store-consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna)
- Substancelessness (shûnyatâ)
- Supramundane (loka-uttara)
- System
- Transmigrating (Six Worlds/Ways)
- Triple Treasures (Buddha/Dharma/Sangha)
- True treasure
- Uncategorized
- unmade)
- Views
- Voluntary simplicity
- War
- Wholly Wholesome Way/World
- Zazen
- Zen
Meta
Tag Archives: karma
Vesak Day Dharma Vision
Thank you for your participation in the Vesak Day (commemorating Buddha’s Birthday, Awakening, and Parinirvāna, Perfect Nirvana) celebration! This is a good occasion for us to reflect and relive the Buddha’s Way. He opened the great gate of amrita, ambrosia … Continue reading
Posted in Asankhata (asamskrita: unmade)
Tagged amrita (ambrosia/immortality), Buddha, Buddhahood, Carl H. Busse (1872-1918), chan, Dharma Dhatu, dharma of dependent origination, dhyâna, Four Stages of Zen (Jhāna, happiness, karma, karma heir/relative/machine, live on joy, meditation, nirvana, Parinirvāna: Perfect Nirvana, Pure heart: pure land, tornado, Vesak Day, Vimalakirti, Zazen (sitting zen)
Leave a comment
From Ego to Eco
Good morning! Did you see the moon? It’s now the half moon. The new moon cannot illuminate the world. When there are clouds, we cannot see the moon nor the moon can illuminate the world. If we are not interested in the moon, we don’t see it and care about its phases. The full moon is compared to the Buddha mind or heart, full free functioning, brightly illuminating the world. King Âdassa, Mirror, might have had the mirror-like face, mind, or heart - like the full moon, perfectly round and brilliant, illuminating the world and reflecting reality. He summoned blind people, to feel an animal and report it. They reported it is like a snake, a pillar, a wall, etc., and started fighting for their own truths - all only partial views, unlike his seeing all of this. Decades ago a taxi driver came here to learn Zazen only a few times and said that he got it 95%. We shouldn’t claim that we got Soto tradition by glancing Dogen interpretations, or Zen tradition by learning some sayings of it, or Buddhist teaching by reading hearsays. As Dogen said, the true Buddha Dharma was transmitted by Bodhidharma with the actual attainment. Bodhidharma taught it and transmitted to the second patriarch Eka (Huike) Daiosho only after having shown his determination by presenting his severed forearm after waiting in the deep snow. Aspirants for attainment at practice places must show their determinations despite dismissals and after long waiting and at least a week long sitting in Tangaryō (旦過寮, Passersby Dorm). As you know well, we have all kinds of problems in our world - wars, global warming, mass extinction, etc., all coming from ego, I, Ich, aham. Only seeing the small self, we do not see the whole world, eco. Eco, oikos, home, became essentially economy (oikos+nomos, home economy, domestic economy) and evading ecology (oikos+logos, home truth, universal truth). That is why we have so many problems and sufferings simply saving private economies, externalizing and excluding the public ecology and global ethic. Last week I talked about Soto, Zen, Buddhist teachings and traditions. Dogen said, ”To learn the Awakened Way is to learn the self. To learn the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be verified by all Dharmas…” … Continue reading
Posted in Awakened Way (Buddhism)
Tagged and Degenerate Dharma (三時:正法・像法・末法), Bodhidharma, Buddha Dharma, Buddhism: Purity Path, Dharma, Dogen, domestic economy, dropping off body/mind, ego defilement or leaks (āsava), Eka (Huike), five-part Dharma body, from ego to eco, global warming, gobun-hosshin, home economy, home truth, Imitation Dharma, karma, King Adassa, live on joy, mass extinction, Mirro, mundane truth (sammuti sacca), muro, neither coming nor going: Tathā-gata:Thus-being/Being-in-Thusness (如存), Nyoko, Nyorai, oikos+logos, oikos+nomos, Passersby Dorm), Poverty Path, Shakyamuni, Shikantaza (只管打坐), Soto, supramundane paramount truth (parama-attha sacca), Tangaryō (旦過寮, Tathāgata: Thus-come (Tathā-āgata, Three Eras of True Dharma, Thus-gone (Tathā-gata, uddha, undefiled (an-āsava, universal truth, Xuansha, Zen, 如去, 如来, 無漏)
Leave a comment
Soto, Zen, Buddhism
Good morning! This is Mother’s Day. So, we celebrate not only our direct biological mothers, but also bigger basic Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Mother Dharma, Mother Home, our true home, which the Buddha witnessed and established. So, we not only present carnations to our biological mothers, but also present ourselves the broader based Dharma Dhātu, Domain, Truth Territory, nirvana, unconditioned peace, and anuttara samyak sambōdhi, unsurpassed right awakening. Twenty five centuries ago the Buddha sat in Zazen, settled in nirvana, witnessed this Dharma Dhātu, and was awakened to the truth beyond our ordinary biological living for the first time in the history of living beings, thus opened the Awakened Way for all. Nirvana means windless of karmas. We are all bound by karmas, actions, action results, and habit energies. So, the Buddha said that all living beings are karma machines, heirs, and relatives. He found the way to go beyond karma machines, karma life to Dharma life. It is from small skin sacks to limitless liberated life, like bubbles to a great ocean, as if we take off our skin coats and merge into the great space. So, when we sit, stop our physical, verbal, and mental karmas (creation, action, function), breathe deep, we become one with the selfless, supramundane space like great space, sky or sea. He found and founded the Dharma of Dependent Origination, that is, all phenomena are interdependently originated and operate, thus there is no independent eternal self. Usually we stick to small selves, in reality the sources of suffering. All problems in this world come from our sticking to small selves - global warming, mass extinction, etc. So, our ultimate solutions of them lie in selfless, supramundane Buddha Dharma life and living. The Buddha achieved the true Spiritual Revolution, the heart-mind- spirit revolution beyond materialism, militarism, money-ism, essential me-ism. Only there can we find true holy (wholly wholesome) harmony, health, and happiness. It is really unusual, but not abnormal. It is truly aboriginal and normal. When we stop our karmas, we see the Dharma Domain, and see the true nature of ourselves. Only in this way can we attain amrita, ambrosia of immortality. So, as long as we stick to our small skin sacks, decomposing and destroying, we can never attain it. The Buddha opened the Dharma gate of amrita, ambrosia of immortality. As in the common verse of the Seven Buddhas (quoted below), it really requires purifying one’s own heart, to do all good and to do no evil: … Continue reading
Posted in Awakened Way (Buddhism), Zen
Tagged "(Teach and transmit) from heart to heart." (ishin-denshin, "dignified form is itself Buddha Dharma" (igi-soku-buppō, "learning with the body and mind" (shinjin-gakudō, "Strive hard without indolence!", "the body and mind of the Buddha Dharma" (buppōno shinjin, "Transmit beyond scriptures. Don't stand on or set out letters." (kyōge-betsuden, "unicolor Buddha Dharma" (isshikino buppō, "unity of cultivation-verification" (shusho-ittō, action, action (cultivation), ambrosia of immortality, amrita, and in profound pro-gnosis, and ten grave prohibitory precepts, and unconditioned peace, and voluntary simplicity, anuttara samyak sambodhi, awakened way, awakening, becoming eco beyond ego, Bodhidharma, Buddha (Awakened One), Buddha (Mind) Seal: 仏(心)印, Buddha Dharma, Buddha Way: Purity Path: Purification Path, Buddha's last words, common verse of the Seven Buddhas, Dharma Dhatu, dharma life, dharma of dependent origination, Directly point to the human heart. See the nature and become Buddha." (jikishi-ninshin, Dogen, Domain, dropping off the body and mind" (shinjin-datsraku, function), Gennō-bichoku (The eyes horizontal, global ethic, Hanateba te-ni miteri (Off-hand, hand-full, holy (wholly wholesome) harmony/health/happiness, karma, karmaless, karmas (creation, Kūshu genkyō (Coming home empty-handed, Mother Dharma, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, Muichimotsu-chū Mujinzo (In nothingness is limitless stored, nirvana, nirvana (windless, Path or Practice Cycle (gyōji-dōkan, peaceful, pure, See the nature and become Buddha." (jikishi-ninshin, selfless, shikan-taza (只管打坐), simple strenuous sitting or complete devotion to sitting in Zazen, Six Paths/Ways/Destinies (samsara), Sixteen Precepts of the triple treasures, small self: source of suffering, Soto tradition, supramundane space, the nose vertical, the triple collective pure vows, triple maladies: materialism/militarism/money-ism(me-ism), triple pillars of the awakened way, Truth Territory, unconditioned peace, unsurpassed right awakening, Visuddhi-magga by Buddhaghosa, Zazen (sitting zen), 一色の仏法), 不立文字), 仏法の身心), 以心伝 心), 修証一等).", 威儀即仏法), 放てば手に満てり), 教外別伝、furyū- monji, 無一物中無尽蔵), 直指人心、kenshō-jōbutsu, 眼横鼻直), 空手還郷), 行持道環) of aspiration, 見性成仏), 身心学道), 身心脱落)
Leave a comment
Sea-seal Samādhi and Sky-seal Samādhi
Good evening! When we sit in Zazen, the Buddha Mind Seal, we can reach the Sea-seal Samādhi and Sky-seal Samādhi with penetrating peace and profound prognosis, as if settling deep into the sea and seeing high from the sky, without karma waves and karma winds. Only actual cultivation in seated solid and serene sitting, thus stopping karmas, makes actual verification of nirvana, unconditioned peace, and anuttara samyak sambodhi, unsurpassed right complete awakening, possible and perfect. Thus, we can live on joy, not on toys. 5/3/13
Supramundane Serenity and Satisfaction
Good morning! Our wisteria flowers have bloomed. ”Flowers blooming, the world has arisen.” The world arising, flowers bloom. Sitting is settling, with selfless serenity and satisfaction, in the wholly wholesome supra-mundane world. Sitting is stopping the self sense and strife, the source of sufferings for all sentient beings in this super mundane world. 4/25/13 National Geographic _____________________________________________________ KARMA and DHARMA Good evening! I saw wisteria blooming which I planted recently in my garden. There is another one which has never bloomed for decades. Whether blooming or not blooming depends on the transmitted dharmas, environmental, and one’s own karmas. The nirvana flower and the bodhi (awakening) fruit depend on the transmitted dharma, social karma, environmental dharma, and one’s own karma. So, let us make good karmas with the good dharma of Buddha Mind Seal to bloom and bear fruit like the maņi in the lotus flower. 4/25/13 Note: Maņi is gem, crystal, etc. It may be a dewdrop in the lotus flower, representing “the clear crystal ball” (ikka-myōju, 一顆明珠, a ball of clear crystal, cf. Jinjippō … Continue reading
Posted in Dharma, Karma
Tagged "The entire world in ten directions is a clear crystal ball" Xuan-sha, A Universal Recommendation for True Zazen, bodhi: awkening, Buddha mind seal: Zazen, Chintā-maņi (nyoishu, Dharma, Dogen, Fukanzazengi, Jinjippo ikka-myōju, karma, Shobōgenzō- nehanmyōshin, the right Dharma-eye stored in the exquisite nirvana mind, 如意珠), 尽十方一顆明珠, 普勧 坐禅儀, 正法眼蔵涅槃妙心
Leave a comment
Serene Satisfaction
Good morning! We have a nice, sunny spring Sunday with a serene atmosphere, especially after sittings. Now we can open the windows and hear the singing of birds, and even see them and flowers. In Japan they are going to have the Flower Festival, … Continue reading
Posted in Buddhism, Dharma
Tagged amrita (ambrosia, Buddha, Dharma, Dogen, Flower Festival (hanamatsumi, Fukushima, immortality, karma, triple learning, 花祭り)
Leave a comment
Straight, Strong, Balanced or Slant Sideways, Unbalanced
Good evening! The bell, the bell ringer, and the bell listeners are all different according to different conditions. So are the heavy snow, trees, and snow damage. I had two peach trees damaged by the recent heavy snow due to the different states of the trees, their covering nets, and covering snow. One tree was broken at the trunk, the other fell down, lifting its roots. The latter was pulled back to survive, but the former is difficult to revive. The surviving one had grown straight, strong and balanced, but the other was slanting sideways and unbalanced due to the neighboring trees. We must see our karmas, individual, social, and environmental, to grow straight, strong, and balanced, unaffected by them, inside and out. This sitting is to see all karmas and settle in holy (wholly wholesome) health and happiness in unconditioned peace and unsurpassed awakening. 4/4/13 NG wall paper, Michael S. Yamashita, trees-japan-yamashita_59071_600x450_
Bright Moon, Buddha Mind
Good evening! It is a little overcast, but we hope we can see the full moon, which represents the Buddha mind, the round, beautiful, bright moon. On the ground we still see some stored snow, but daffodils are reblooming and forsythias are just budding. The Buddha mind is free from stored-snow-like stored consciousness of karma, and the full-moon-like full function of dharma, beyond the apparent changing phases, functioning like the great round mirror in the great round ball of the clear crystal world. Dogen said, ”Awakening is not attained by the mind, but by the body.” It means that we must put our whole beings, body and brain, and the whole world, the true body, into free, full function, neither bubble-begotten nor boundary-bound, neither biased nor unbalanced. The Buddha mind is ”the exquisite mind of nirvana storing the right dharma eye” (shōbōgenzō-nehanmyōshin: 正法眼蔵涅槃妙心). That is why we must sit solid, still, and serene, stop our karmas, see the dharmas, and serve and save all beings in the unified wholly wholesome world. 3/27/13
Sesshin, Samyak-Sambodhi Seal
Good morning! We’re having the spring equinox sesshin. This is very auspicious, because the equinox is identified as equanimity. In the East we call this time higan (彼岸), the other shore, beyond the torrents and billows of this world. Further, the spring equinox is important as the night napping of plants and animals has ended and they’re waking up to start their new, free, and full lives. If we just continue our old habits, we must also continue our problems and sufferings. That is why we need sesshin, touching our minds (接心) and embracing our minds (摂心). Our minds are compared to the charioteers of chariots. Often our chariots are pulled by the “will horses,” or karmas. So, we must find our minds and control them, not be controlled by them. We need to embrace our minds. Often in the early Buddhist scriptures it is recommended that we protect our doors or gates (dvāra-gutta). Because we constantly leak through our sense organs and motor organs, especially leaks of conceptions, emotions, and volitions through the motor organs, we defile and destroy our world and ourselves. So, we must embrace our minds. We have a nice equinox day today in balanced day and night, chill and heat. Weathermen, however, have warned of a few to several inches of snow accumulation from tonight to tomorrow night. We have been having extreme weather due to global warming – droughts, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, even the globe itself warming to make more fluid magma movement. Recently we were warned about a Nankai (South Sea) Trough earthquake and tsunami, which could cause ten times more damage than the Great East Japan Earthquake. Scientists say the adjacent Tō-nankai (East South Sea) and Tōkai (East Sea) earthquakes may take place at the same time. Disasters happen not only in Japan, but all over the world with added human causes. Not only disasters, but disease, devastation from nuclear plants, and accidents by cars, etc., may happen any time to anyone. We must therefore be prepared for them and for deaths. We must solve our birth and death problems before our devastation and deaths. We must attain unsurpassed awakening in the truth of our life and living, and unconditioned peace, nirvana, … Continue reading
Posted in cultivation: verification (修:証)
Tagged Buddha, dharma dhâtu (domain, Dogen, embracing our minds: 摂心), higan (彼岸: the other shore), karma, paramount truth (parama-artha-satya), protecting doors/gates (dvāra-gutta), sesshin: touching our minds: 接心, supramundane (loka-uttara), triple learnings (sīla/samādhi/prajñā), triple maladies (me-ism/materialism/militarism), triple poisons (delusion/desire/divisiveness), triple treasures (buddha/dharma/sangha), unconditioned peace (nirvana), unsurpassed right complete awakening (anuttara samyak-sambodhi)
Leave a comment