Monthly Archives: January 2013

Daffodil Garden, Tsumeki Cape, Shimoda, Shizuoka

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Rosan Daido

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bmcEMe5xa-I#!     With the kind forwarding of the pictures and video by Otsuka Noriyuki, esq.

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Sitting in Stillness, Silence, and Serenity

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good morning!   Dogen said, “When we walk through mist, we become unwittingly wet.” I got up without my alarm clock.   When we make it a rule to wake up or work out something at a certain time, our body clocks ring.   I have been trying to make our safety light, detecting motion, not turn on, but it is difficult to do so. Just a slight movement brings it on.   That is why silence is golden. Sitting is golden. It brings on the triple treasures for anyone in stillness, silence, and serenity.   1/18/13  

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Neither Bell nor Wind Moves, but Minds Move

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good evening!   When two Indians were arguing if a bell was ringing or the wind moving, the Sixth Patriarch said, “Your minds are moving.”   When our minds are moving, worlds are moving. When our minds settle still and serene, the whole world stays stills and serene.   1/17/13  

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Castle Collapse

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good morning!   We have a very chilly morning here. In Japan they’re having a big snow storm with frozen, slippery roads.   It is difficult to come out in such conditions, but when we come here and sit, we can settle in one warm world.   Ikko Roshi said, “The collapse of a castle starts with whispering.” It starts with mistrust of oneself and others, miscommunication, and mismanagement.   When the inner or outer force of “divide and rule” comes, a castle collapses easily. So, we must settle together, safe from the chilly, slippery world.   1/15/13      

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Shakya Muni: Mindful from Shakya

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good evening!   Shakya Muni means the Mindful One from the Shakya Clan. Muni came from the root man, to mind, sharing the etymological cognate of mind.   When we sit still, we stop karmas, then dharmas manifest themselves and fill in our bodies and minds, filling the entire world.   We become mindful of the dharma, dharma-embodied. Our static sittings make our dynamic deeds dharma-embodied in our daily lives.   When we sit in Suchness, we become Such persons, and Thus-beings, Tathâ-gata, in Thusness, Tathatâ.     Whoever starts sitting, starts being satiated by the Dharma, becoming satisfied with and in the Dharma.   1/14/13  

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Mundane and Supra-mundane Mirror

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good morning!   I got a phone call from Japan last night, hearing of a big snow storm with piling snow. Unless we are informed, we cannot know about it here.   Unless we actually climb a mountain, we cannot witness the wide, far reaching views and wonderful, fine, refreshing air there.   Blind people couldn’t see an elephant’s full form and fought for their idea of it, but King Mirror could see and understand its full form and functions.   Unless we become like a perfect, pure mirror, not defiled by mundane dust, we cannot know the total truth of our worlds and lives.   1/14/13  

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Hummingbird Extinguishing Forest Fire

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good morning!   When we sit solid and serene, we stay in primordial peace, purity, and prognosis, in harmony with all throughout space and time. Anyone can enjoy them, extinguishing worldly fires.   The Buddha said, “The world is ablaze – our eyes are ablaze, our ears are ablaze, our noses are ablaze, our tongues are ablaze, our bodies are ablaze, our minds are ablaze.”   For a friend’s birthday, I sent an e-card of a hummingbird, saying the process here and now is important, not some far off goal. He responded that he would work as the little hummingbird to extinguish forest fires:   http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=580726245&m=3041&source=ag990   1/13/13 (at family sitting with the addition of the “Little Hummingbird” story and an e-card talked at the morning teisho. The card is addressed to all our readers now and in the future.)      

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Cutting through Karma Globe

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good evening!   We’re having unusually warm, wet days. Our actions, karmas, are creating such weather in the world. Our bodies, mouths, minds, and the whole world are karma machines. Who knows and quiets these karma machines?   How can … Continue reading →

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Truth in True Triple Treasures

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good morning!   Zendo, Zen Hall, is also called Senbutudo, Selecting Buddha Hall. The true truth seekers constantly come here for the true solution of suffering.   What Dogen means in his Inmo is that we never attain the true … Continue reading →

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Thusness and Thus-being

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Rosan Daido

Good evening!   We are going to read Dogen’s Inmo, Such(ness), a Sino-Japanese word. Its equivalent in Sanskrit or Pali is Tathatâ, Thusness. Both are expressions for the reality beyond description and discrimination.   Dogen’s Universal Recommendation for True Zazen … Continue reading →

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