Good morning!
We can now see bright stars in the cool, clear winter sky. Seeing such stars zen practitioners all over the world conclude the Rohatsu sesshin, a week of intensive sitting, and commemorate the Rohatsu, the 8th of the last month, for the Buddha’s awakening.
Siddhattha (Objective-attained) attained the Buddhahood on this day about 25 centuries ago. He was awakened from the long night of nescience and negligence in karma, seeing the morning star, leading to the daybreak of the bright world in holy harmony.
After six years of strenuous striving and in solid, steadfast sitting he stopped all karmas, surpassing all suffering of samsara – straying in the six (hellish, hungry, fighting, beastly, human, and celestial) ways. He made the awakened way available for all always.
Zazen – solid serene sitting meditation – is the core practice of the awakened way, as in the verse: “Doing all good; doing no evil, and purifying the mind is the teaching of all buddhas.” It is the path of purification in unsurpassed awakening in unconditioned peace.
11/12/8
