Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Study Hall

"If you set yourself out in Buddha's world and practice zazen, the way-seeking mind, the bodhi-mind, appears. This is mind arousing time as zazen. In the next moment you hate zazen and want to go back to sleep, so the way-seeking mind disappears. Where does it go? It disappears in timelessness. Later you want to do zazen again. That is time arousing mind as religious aspiration. So you sit down and come back to practicing zazen. Then the way-seeking mind comes up again. All you have to do is continue arousing the way-seeking mind. If you practice like this, this is arousing time as zazen. So do zazen as whole-hearted practice and become completely one with time as zazen. Then time takes care of your life.
The way-seeking mind is not something you try to get. You just set yourself out in Buddha's world and do zazen whole-heartedly. When the time is ripe and conditions are arranged, the way-seeking mind comes up in your life, blooms, and is the rhythm of the whole world. Then time is called zazen and zazen is the whole world of time.
The whole world comes together into your zazen, but it doesn't bother your zazen. The sound of a car doesn't bother you, the sound becomes one with zazen. People sitting next to you don't bother you. Zazen doesn't bother you, and your zazen doesn't bother others. You just sit, blooming your life. This is called satori, enlightenment" - Each Moment is the Universe, Katagiri Roshi. It only gets denser.

8 comments:

Daniel said...

He had such a way of manifesting teachings. They are physical but not solid and profound but not flighty. Like a well balanced meal.

Eli said...

Shundo,
You make study hall a GOOD thing. Like, if I were in your class I would want to break the rules just so I could get SENT to study hall... 'cause that's where all the cool learning takes place.

Shundo said...

Well the idea for study hall comes from the hour of the schedule after breakfast at Tassajara. I think it's a good thing.
Thanks for the great image Daniel.

Shonen said...

The Study Hall posts enable those of us who aren't at Tassajara to still feel part of that particular practice. For me, reading these posts has been inspiring and a great support to my practice and has given me a reading list that will keep me busy for a couple of years.

Thanks Shundo for bringing Study Hall to the virtual sangha.

Shundo said...

I notice they are not so popular with everyone, but I am glad to pass on the teachings that are inspiring me.

Shonen said...

you mean you actual get complaints (maybe that's too strong a word) about your Study Hall posts? I have to say I find that strange but much like being Tenzo, you can't please everyone!

Shundo said...

It's more that they consistently get fewer page views - my guess is that some people reading on a feed see the title and don't click through.

Daniel said...

Shundo,
You're welcome. Thanks for the blog.