Treeleaf Zen

As Buddhas Do, So Should You

Friday July 3, 2009


(BENDOWA XXXVII)


Though every action may be said to be "Zazen" in its limitless meaning ... whether walking, standing, running, sitting or reclining ...

... there's something special about Zazen seated in the cross-legged position.

One reason is that it can be a position of ease and balance ...

... but also, since it is what all the Buddhas do ... so should me and you.
   

_____________________________

Question Six:


Q. [Someone asks], Among the four different postures (walking, standing, sitting, lying down), why does Buddhism encourage entering realization through meditation only in sitting?

 

A. It is not possible to thoroughly comprehend the path by which the buddhas from the past, one after another, have been practicing and entering realization. If you seek a reason, you must know that it is only because [sitting] is what has been used by Buddhist practitioners, and beyond this you do not need to search. However, the Ancestor [Nagarjuna] praises it, saying "Zazen is the dharma gate of ease and delight (nirvana)." So, couldn't we infer that it is because [sitting] is the most stable and peaceful of the four postures? Moreover, this is not the path of practice of one or two buddhas, but all buddhas and ancestors follow this path.

From: Talk on the Wholehearted Practice of the Way - Kosho Uchiyama (with Shohaku Okumura, Taigen Daniel Leighton)





(remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells;
a sitting time of 20 to 35 minutes is recommended)


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Comments
Greg
July 3, 2009 11:57 AM
http://gregorization.blogspot.com/

Thanks Jundo,

So far I've gotten my butt onto the cushion two days running now. :)

Good to be "just sitting" with you again

Naomi Michelle
July 4, 2009 2:35 AM

Two days for me too Jundo, even though today it is after midnight already.

I think this was the teaching I needed most. I prefer mindfulness practice to sitting because I lack discipline.

Thank you again.

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About Treeleaf Zen

Jundo Cohen is a Soto Zen Priest and founder and teacher of the Treeleaf Zendo--a Zen sangha (community) located in Tsukuba, Japan. Jundo was ordained in 2002 and subsequently received Dharma Transmission from Master Gudo Wafu Nishijima. He is a member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association and American Zen Teachers Association . His blog, Treeleaf Zen, was designed specifically for Zen practitioners who cannot easily commute to a Zen Center due to health concerns, living in remote areas, or childcare and family needs.

On Treeleaf Zen, Jundo provides Zazen sittings, guided meditation, retreats, discussion, interaction with a teacher, and all other activities of a Zen Buddhist sangha, all fully online. Members now sit in over 20 countries. The focus is Shikantaza "Just Sitting" Zazen, as instructed by the 13th Century Japanese Master, Eihei Dogen.

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