giving and receiving audio

the link from Clearing Your Vison -- Giving and Receiving Audio -- our first experiment in recording the teachings at A Single Thread -- captures the spirit of our zendo.

The Day of the Dead Altar

 

Ancient karma

Six of sat this morning, together we chanted the ancient twisted karma for those who are no longer able to chant for themselves. Exchanging our self for them; taking refuge in awareness of letting go, seeing and knowing the impermanence of conditions, clearing away the karma...giving and receiving, giving and receiving.

They all whispered, O saki ni...sorry to go first. We thank them for being so kind and gracious and remind them we will have our turn.

The Day of the Dead Morning Service

 

Intimacy

I have been bathing in the beauty of the trees in color. Now they are letting go and their color lies at their feet. Late fall, November...I can see farther because the trees are baring themselves...see the contour of wooded hills, see farther down the street, see more sky. November (almost) trees are honest, no leaves, no extra color dressing them up. Just honest, naked, knarled, somtimes broken branches. What's under all those leaves...intimacy.

Silent eating

Everyday I eat at least one meal alone. I like to read and often like to read something while eating. I am realizing that reading can be a kind of noise that occupies my brain and I become disconnected with my body and the act of eating. So I am trying to be aware of nourishing my body while I fast my mind. Mind and body...one. I want to become more comfortable with this and continue it after the 60 days. I want to miss the silence of not reading.

During this 60 days

Every day I eat at least one meal alone. I love to read. Just eating, simply eating, without the distraction of reading something is a discipline for me. Makes me realize that reading even good things is a kind of noise. My mind wants the noise of information. So during these 60 days I nourish my body with food and fast my mind from stuffing intself with knowledge. This is something I want to continue in the future. This is my training period.

Silence

I am used to silence and comfortable with it - or so I thought. Most of my day is in silence as my work and study are at home. This fits well for me and I feel fortunate.

The silence at night, however, is different now. Since I have shut off the TV, the hum behind my routine activities of dishwashing etc is gone. So, without the exterior distractions, interior distractions become louder - more internal conversations and perhaps external conversations (gee - who should I call!!).

This new more intense silence is a challenge for me and is stretching me. I also recognize that it is quite a gift.

So, how is the silence for all of you?

meals

Being sick as practice

A cold has found its way into my lungs and I am down under it. I noticed while lying in bed not able to breath, sore throat, congestion how I get consumed by the aversion of this situation and then while sitting up trying to breathe without pain I heard a little rustle on the desk next to my bed...and I looked over and the wind from the open window was moving a small wrapper from a cough drop...it was hitting the lamp and making a tiny tap tap tap sound against the lamp...for those few moments I was saved from the misery of wishing the congestion would lift...the immediate present moment is a refuge. Resistance to what is causes much of our discomfort. How to relax and get comfortable with the sting at the back of my throat, the tightness in my chest....instead fear and resistance tighten and things get worse...but the dancing wrapper jigged me awake...now I am going back to bed to relax and get comfortable, to be friendly with what arises in my body....in between whining and sneezing.

Remarkable

buddhas see through every question without trying to discredit anyone or anything---without refutation---without establishing some other argument.

This stays with me...looking for the x-ray vision through the sticky stuff of mind and heart, finding the Way without positve or negative, without refutation...laying down arms, disarming and being open...

Thomas Merton's voice

I read this morning from Thomas Merton's Asian Journal...

...Filled with every possibility, questioning nothing, knowing everything, rejecting nothing, the peace not of emotional resignation but of ...sunyata...(emptiness)....buddhas see through every question without trying to discredit anyone or anything---without refutation---without establishing some other argument.

He was knocked over with a rush of relief and thankfulness at the obvious clarity of these figures...

Buddhas resting without question 

This is a Test

Testy Ansgar and Deborah are trying to see if this gets us where we need to be in the blogging world. Our retreat is quickly wearing off off off.......

I got in....

The sesshin is over and I find that I miss everyone. Work has seemed much more hectic than I remember...maybe it was the quiet of the weekend...I do plan to do the 60 days.

Now that I have gotten in...I will work on putting my plan together and posting it.

Open Sitting Wednesday 19th & Thursday 20th

Wednesday & Thursday Morning
5:30 a. m. - Sitting
6:10 a. m. - Chanting
Bow out
Wednesday & Thursday Evening
6:30 p.m. - Sitting
7:10 p.m. - Chanting
Bow out

The sesshin ends and transforms and we keep going

Back to this day of silence, sitting, studying what's up with our heart and mind. Clearing the shelves...dusting away. Fresh! Each with our own fingerprints, our own hands. Who else?

Thank you all for your generous showing up and sincere effort.
Liz

A Gift

Thank you Liz for the retreat. What a gift.

Another gift you've given:
I’d been chafing lately, wanting to set aside the distractions and escapes that kept me from living my life. But it’s like I had everything on a little shelf that I kept fussing with. I picked up TV, wondering if I should cut it down or throw it out altogether, dusted it off a little, put it in the place of a book, shuffled that with a magazine, no…hmm… maybe this… maybe that…

Then along comes Liz with her 60 days and sweeps her arm across the shelf, knocking it all off. “There. Nice and clear.”

Off she calmly walks and I stand there wondering at how simple that was.

Thank you.

Study in the Mirror

Study of any of the teachings is to study your self with a mirror. At least that is where you start; like a baby looking at the face of mother.

Practice, Life

Today there is only one open sitting at 6:00 a.m. Please continue your practice at home. Upright, flexible, harmonious. Non-thinking mind, open heart, steady and even in the seas of suffering. Let go of the habitual actions of wanting to get something or wanting to get rid of something...that is being upright.

The retreat starts on Friday. Blessed regards, Liz

Home practice

6:15 to 6:45 Sitting
6:45 to 7 dharma notes

>Continued study and memorization of slogans from Training the Mind

>Memorization of Discourse on Loving Kindness

Upright, Flexible & Harmonious

So...it is helpful to sit upright in the middle of your own life and face what you see. To be flexible without breaking and to experience the harmony of seeing where you are no matter where that is. Breathing and paying attention to one breath after another helps us sit upright, be flexible and experience harmony.

Flexibility will help us sit upright for the 60 days of practice. Variation and flexibility in our schedules, our heart and mind, in our life.

60 Day Practice

Schedule: will vary depending on which day of the week it is, but basically:

6:15-6:30 meditation
followed by 20 minutes of Qi Gong or 60 minutes of yoga
morning study—15 to 40 minutes of simplification texts
afternoon study—varied
evening—four 15 minute silent work periods
9:15 to 9:30 meditation

I am memorizing a chant whose name I can never remember, but starts “no mo san man…”

I have not chosen my sutra, but have narrowed it down to Actualizing the Fundamental Point or The Song of the True Black Beauty.
Marlese

Meditation Schedule

Hi - this is Ann Talbot
My meditation schedule (eastern time) is:
6:00-6:30 a.m.
11:30-11:55 a.m.
5:00-5:45 p.m.

I haven't yet decided what sutra to study. I'm working on it.

Monday Schedule Only

Sutra or Teaching Practice of Memorization

Zen is an oral tradition. The oral teaching way is very helpful. It helps us carry the teachings in our heart. There are a few steps to memorizing that might be helpful.

1. Please select a teaching and stay with that one teaching for the 60 days.
2. If you are studying the Mind Training, you could use the slogans as the teaching to memorize.
3. Write and re-write the words.
4. Repeat the words out loud to yourself throughout the day.
5. When you feel upset or too elated, pick up the teaching and read it and memorize it in the middle of the upset or elation. A teacher in any form helps us find the Middle Way.
6. Once you have taken in the words, re-write the teaching in your own words.
7. Please let us know what teaching you select to memorize.

I will begin to memorize the teaching by Kanchi Sosan, Faith in Mind.

Practice, Life

I will post my sitting schedule and practice schedule for the 60 days on this blog. You are welcome to post comments and add insight and lovingkindness to this blog.