April 2008 Archives

Today, sitting under our town's landmark rocketship (Tsukuba is home to Japan's space program), I'll take on questions like these:

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We start with 3 floor prostrations (or deep Gassho), then chant Heart Sutra in JAPANESE only this week (we will alternate English/Japanese week to week), then sit about 40 minutes of Zazen, then 10 minutes of Kinhin, closing with the chant of the "4 Vows".

Please join in, one and all.

._______________________________________________

JAPANESE HEART SUTRA:

INO ONLY:
Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo*
(The Heart of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in JAPANESE)

EVERYONE:
Kan Ji Zai Bo Satsu Gyo Jin Han Nya Ha Ra Mi Ta Ji Sho Ken Go* On Kai Ku Do I Sai Ku Yaku Sha Ri Shi Shiki Fu I Ku Ku Fu I Shiki Shiki Soku Ze Ku Ku Soku Ze Shiki Ju So Gyo Shiki Yaku Bu Nyo Ze Sha Ri Shi Ze Sho Ho Ku So Fu Sho Fu Metsu Fu Ku Fu Jo Fu Zo Fu Gen Ze Ko Ku Chu Mu Shiki Mu Ju So Gyo Shiki Mu Gen Ni Bi Ze Shin Ni Mu Shiki Sho Ko Mi Soku Ho Mu Gen Kai Nai Shi Mu I Shiki Kai Mu Mu Myo Yaku Mu Mu Myo Jin Nai Shi Mu Ro Shi Yaku Mu Ro Shi Jin Mu Ku Shu Metsu Do Mu Chi Yaku Mu Toku I Mu Sho Tok ko Bo Dai Sat Ta E Han-Nya Ha Ra Mi Ta Ko* Shin Mu Kei Ge Mu Kei Ge Ko Mu U Ku Fu On Ri Is-Sai Ten Do Mu So Ku Gyo Ne Han San Ze Sho Butsu E Han Nya Ha Ra Mi Ta Ko* Toku A Noku Ta Ra San Myaku San Bo Dai Ko Chi Han-Nya Ha Ra Mi Ta Ze Dai Jin Shu Ze Dai Myo Shu Ze Mu Jo Shu Ze Mu To To Shu No Jo Is sai Ku Shin Jitsu Fu Ko Ko Setsu Han Nya Ha Ra Mi Ta Shu Soku Setsu Shu Watsu Gya* Tei Gya Tei Ha Ra Gya Tei Hara* So Gya Tei Bo Ji Sowa Ka Han Nya Shin Gyo

FOUR VOWS:

To save all sentient beings, though beings numberless

To transform all delusions, though delusions inexhaustible

To perceive Reality, though Reality is boundless

To attain the Enlightened Way, a Way non-attainable

Treeleaf lost another tree, an about 50 year old Japanese 'Matsu' pinethat someone had been shaping and tendingall its lifelike a sculpture. It is the second one cut down this year,a victim of hungry pine beetles.Here are two recent photos,including...

Today, I am joined for a quiet sitting by my mother-in law.Even Buddha had a mother-in-law. Her name was Pamitā, a sister of the Buddha's father, King Suddhodana(making Buddha's wife his cousin ... but that's how they did things back...

Buddha is calling ...Press on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE...

Our topic today is 'Samu' ... Work Practice ...... which is just Zazen working ...Press on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE...

Welcome to our Saturday "Live from Treeleaf" Zazen,We start with 3 floor prostrations (or deep Gassho), then chant Heart Sutra in JAPANESE only this week (we will alternate English/Japanese week to week), then sit about 40 minutes of Zazen, then...

It can't be said enough ...we must always come back to no wordsIF RECORDING WILL NOT START, PRESS THE SMALL,C-SHAPED ARROW UNDER THE SCREEN_________________________Accordingly, in the practice-enlightenment of the buddha way, to attain one thing is to penetrate one thing;...

The effects and benefits of Zazen are sometimes hidden to the eyes ...IF RECORDING WILL NOT START, PRESS THE SMALL,C-SHAPED ARROW UNDER THE SCREEN_________________________Accordingly, in the practice-enlightenment of the buddha way, to attain one thing is to penetrate one thing;...

As in gazing at the moon ...... it is a knowing not of intellectual knowledgeSomebody just sent a "moon" story so appropriate, I have to reprint it here ...In a moment of zazen, attainment drops away, and dropping away drops...

One knows it when one sees it_________________________Accordingly, in the practice-enlightenment of the buddha way, to attain one thing is to penetrate one thing; to meet one practice is to sustain one practice. Here is the place; here the way unfolds....

Just one thing ..._________________________Accordingly, in the practice-enlightenment of the buddha way, to attain one thing is to penetrate one thing; to meet one practice is to sustain one practice. Here is the place; here the way unfolds. The boundary of...

Before moving on, let's look once more at this section of Genjo Koan ...... and a bit of theatre ... All the world's a stage,And all the men and women merely players:They have their exits and their entrances;And one man...

Yesterday, we had video but no sound ...And today, for our Saturday "Live from Treeleaf" Zazen,we have SOUND BUT NO VIDEO!!!As in the Heart Sutra we chant ... "no eye no ear ... no sight no sound ..."If you would...

Well, gave a very impassioned talk today ... but apparently forgot to turn the microphone on ...I was gonna do it again ... but the hour is late, and its kinda cool to see my lips moving fast, and my...

a special guest today, looking the picture of health ...Press on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE...

Where and who are we in the universe if we drop all thought of:- great and small- ourself and not ourself- previously existing or now(PICTURE: View of Earth from Mars)_________________________However, a bird or fish that tried to understand the water...

.How to understand a book if not by reading it?How to understand the universe but by living it?Reading realizes the book.Living realizes the universe._________________________ So we can conclude that water is life and the sky is life; at the same...

We have some guest teachers today, gracing our altar via the garden ....Press on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE...

Please 'sit-a-long' with our April "Zazenkai" (running time: approx. 4 hours). The sitting schedule is as follows:00:00 – 00:50 CEREMONY (HEART SUTRA English & Japanese / SANDOKAI) & ZAZEN00:50 – 01:00 KINHIN01:00 – 01:40 ZAZEN01:40 – 01:50 KINHIN01:50 – 02:30...

Mono no aware (lit. "the pathos of things"), a Japanese term used to describe the awareness of "mujo" ... the transcience of things and a bittersweet sadness at their passing. The hue of the cherry fades too quickly from sight...

The Buddha's having a party, and we're invited!Please check out information for this Saturday's "Buddha's Birthday" Zazenkai:ZAZENKAI INFORMATION.Press on arrow for 'play'NOTE: IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE TO SEE THE SCREEN OR START BUTTON,PLEASE UPDATE FLASH. SEE HERE....