Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Now is the Time
Be Present In Your Life.
SANSKRIT PROVERB
Look at this day, for it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the realities and verities of existence, the bliss of growth, the splendor of action, the glory of power.
For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today, well lived, makes every day a dream, a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day
SANSKRIT PROVERB
Look at this day, for it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the realities and verities of existence, the bliss of growth, the splendor of action, the glory of power.
For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision, but today, well lived, makes every day a dream, a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day
Monday, October 31, 2011
Beatles - Nowhere Man
Lyrics:
He's a real nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere Man, just listen,
You don't know what you're missin',
All the world's at your command.
(lead guitar)
He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?
Nowhere Man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all 'till somebody else
lends you a hand.
Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere man please listen,
you don't know what your missin'
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command
He's a real Nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Prohibition
If the words 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on.
- Terence McKenna
"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded"
"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded"
-Abraham Lincoln
Present! - Huston Smith on Death and the Near Death Experience - YouTube
Present! - Huston Smith on Death and the Near Death Experience - YouTube: ""
ded by KMVT on Feb 12, 2010
Mel Van Dusen interviews scholar of religion, Huston Smith, about death and the near death experience.
Paper Money
Poverty, Human Rights, protecting the Environment and working toward Sustainability are Mankind's greatest challenges in the 21st Century.
"Paper money has had the effect in your state [Rhode Island] that it will ever have, to ruin commerce, oppress the honest, and open the door to every species of fraud and injustice."
George Washington 1787.
Monday, August 15, 2011
http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma2/becono1.html
Buddhist Perspective on Right Livelihood contained in larger essay:
Buddhist Economics
A Middle Way for the Market Place
...Ven. P. A. Payutto, 1994
Right Livelihood is one factor on the Noble Eightfold Path. It is not determined by the amount of material wealth it produces, but rather by the well-being it generates. Many livelihoods which produce a surplus of wealth simply cater to desires rather than providing for any true need.
For the individual, the objective of livelihood is to acquire the four necessities or requisites of human existence: food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Again, the acquisition of these four requisites, be it in sufficient amount or in surplus, is not the ultimate objective. The four requisites are merely a foundation upon which efforts to realize higher objectives can be based.
Some people are content with few possessions and need only a minimum to devote their energies to mental and spiritual development. Others cannot live happily on such a small amount; they are more dependent on material goods. As long as their livelihood does not exploit others, however, Buddhism does not condemn their wealth. Moreover, people who are charitably inclined can use their wealth in ways that are beneficial for society as a whole.
In opposition to contemporary urban values, Buddhism does not measure a person's or nation's worth by material wealth. Nor does it go to the opposite extreme, as do Marxist thinkers, and condemn the accumulation of wealth as an evil in and of itself. Instead, Buddhism judges the ethical value of wealth by the ways in which it is obtained, and the uses to which it is put.
For the individual, the objective of livelihood is to acquire the four necessities or requisites of human existence: food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. Again, the acquisition of these four requisites, be it in sufficient amount or in surplus, is not the ultimate objective. The four requisites are merely a foundation upon which efforts to realize higher objectives can be based.
Some people are content with few possessions and need only a minimum to devote their energies to mental and spiritual development. Others cannot live happily on such a small amount; they are more dependent on material goods. As long as their livelihood does not exploit others, however, Buddhism does not condemn their wealth. Moreover, people who are charitably inclined can use their wealth in ways that are beneficial for society as a whole.
In opposition to contemporary urban values, Buddhism does not measure a person's or nation's worth by material wealth. Nor does it go to the opposite extreme, as do Marxist thinkers, and condemn the accumulation of wealth as an evil in and of itself. Instead, Buddhism judges the ethical value of wealth by the ways in which it is obtained, and the uses to which it is put.
Buddhist Talks
Dharma Talks with Kusala Bhikshu
Joined: Sept. 26, 2008
Website:
http://www.kusala.info
Ven. Kusala Bhikshu (Thich Tam-Thien) is an American born Bhikshu (monk) ordained in the Zen Tradition of Vietnam.
In 1979 Kusala became interested in Meditation, and found his way to the International Buddhist Meditation Center. In 1981 he took refuge, and accepted the five precepts of a lay Buddhist, and was given the name Kusala (skillful). In 1983 with a growing interest in Early Buddhism he began his studies with the Ven. Dr. H. Ratanasara at the College of Buddhist Studies, Los Angeles.
In 1994 Kusala took novice monk vows, and was given the Dharma name Kusala Ratana Karuna (skillful jewel of compassion). In 1996 he received full ordination as a Bhikshu (monk), and was given the name Thich Tam-Thien (heavenly heart mind).
Podcasts - http://www.DharmaTalks.info
Urban Dharma - http://www.UrbanDharma.org
http://www.kusala.info
Ven. Kusala Bhikshu (Thich Tam-Thien) is an American born Bhikshu (monk) ordained in the Zen Tradition of Vietnam.
In 1979 Kusala became interested in Meditation, and found his way to the International Buddhist Meditation Center. In 1981 he took refuge, and accepted the five precepts of a lay Buddhist, and was given the name Kusala (skillful). In 1983 with a growing interest in Early Buddhism he began his studies with the Ven. Dr. H. Ratanasara at the College of Buddhist Studies, Los Angeles.
In 1994 Kusala took novice monk vows, and was given the Dharma name Kusala Ratana Karuna (skillful jewel of compassion). In 1996 he received full ordination as a Bhikshu (monk), and was given the name Thich Tam-Thien (heavenly heart mind).
Podcasts - http://www.DharmaTalks.info
Urban Dharma - http://www.UrbanDharma.org
My Journey as a Buddhist - Posted 5/2009 - 43 min - 10.1 MB // My talk at 'Against the Stream / Buddhist Meditation Society' on becoming a Buddhist and what I learned along the way. I spoke at Against the Stream on March 29, 2009. The Path Is Not The Goal - Posted 8/2008 - 37 min - 8.6 MB // My talk at "One Spirit" Center for Conscious Living on why the path is not the goal. The featured singer was Margaret Owens, her web site is - www.margaretowens.com - and my harmonica tune was backed my Andy Howe musical director of "One Spirit". - www.OneSpirit.org The Four Immeasurables: Love, Compassion, Joy and Equanimity - Posted 8/2008 - 38 min - 8.7 MB // My talk at 'One Spirit' Center for Conscious Living on the Four Immeasurables and how to use of them in everyday life. - www.OneSpirit.org Pizza and Theology - Posted 5/2008 - 46 min - 10.8 MB // A presentation by Sister Benedicta and myself on meditation and contemplation in our religious traditions to the UCLA Catholic and Buddhist clubs. The presentations were made on 5/20/08 in the University Catholic Center at UCLA. It was an evening of pizza, friendship and dialog. The Carmelite Sisters web site - www.carmel-msh.org Chadwick School 5-2008 - Posted 5/2008 - 44 min - 10.3 MB // My talk at Chadwick School on Buddhist morality, the five precepts and human perfection. Enlightenment: What a Trip - Posted 3/2008 - 32 min - 7.5 MB // My talk at "One Spirit; Center for Conscious Living," on my understanding of Enlightenment according to Buddhism. Many thanks to Dr. Dennis Merritt Jones for the invitation to speak and Andy Howe musical director of the One Spirit band for making me look good. Web Site - www.onespirit.org /// Now available for Online listening - 'Flash Audio Player' - Click Here My Talk at Cal Poly Pomona - Posted 2/2008 - 1 hr 22 min - 18.8 MB // My talk in 2007 at Cal Poly Pomona to a comparative religions class on basic Buddhism... The format was more questions and answers, than a formal presentation. Web Site -Cal Poly Pomona My Journey - Posted 2/2008 - 32 min - 7.4 MB // My talk at the Church of Religious Science in Glendale, CA on 12/15/2007 Calm Over Chaos / Flash Video - Posted 1/2008 - 4 min // A video interview on meditation with Lissa Coffey for her web site Coffey Talk @ www.coffeytalk.com... From Lissa's web site / Welcome to CoffeyTalk, the online magazine by lifestyle expert Lissa Coffey. Whether you’re looking for dating or relationship advice, or the latest in home and fashion trends, CoffeyTalk is an inspiring blend of ancient wisdom and modern style! Bishop Montgomery High School - Posted 11/2007 - 1 hr 24 min - MP3 - 19.3 MB // My talk to a comparative religions class at Bishop Montgomery Catholic High School. I was invited to speak about Buddhism and found that many of the students had a fine understanding of basic Buddhism already, with many good questions. - Bishop Montgomery High School web site: www.bmhs-la.org/ A Path to Voluntary Simplicity - Posted 11/2007 - 32 min - MP3 - 7.4 MB // My talk at the 1st Unitarian Church of Los Angeles titled "Voluntary Simplicity" based on a book by Duane Elgin. First published in 1981 "Voluntary Simplicity" is about getting your choice back... Choosing simplicity over complexity, voluntary over involuntary... It's all about being free to choose. Many More Talks: http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma9/dharmatalks.html Page Two http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma9/dharmatalks1.html Page One
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- Visit Rev. Kusala's 
Haiku
Haiku which are short Japanese poems of 17 syllables which communicates a pristine insight into true reality. Haikus are rooted in Japanese Zen Buddhism and traditional Japanese culture. A haiku is realy a painting in words and the captivating beauty, clarity and spontaenity of their vision.
Classic Haiku poets: Matsuo Basho and Dogen Zenji, Japanese Zen Master
Classic Haiku poets: Matsuo Basho and Dogen Zenji, Japanese Zen Master
Modern Haiku poet Soen Nakagawa Roshi, Japanese Zen master and the driving force behind the introduction of zen buddhism in the west.
Thich Naht Hahn or Master Thay is Zen monk from Vietnam, Peace activist, poet and Buddhist teacher.
His teachings touches the heart and opens the moonlight path within to true experience through compassion.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXxPzqk4dDU
Kathy's Song
by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel
I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
Tapping on my roof and walls.
And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies.
My mind's distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
They lie with you when you're asleep
And kiss you when you start your day.
And a song I was writing is left undone
I don't know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can't believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme.
And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.
And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I.
Soen Nakagawa
Nakagawa, Soen
Print Articlesuccessor, Roko Sherry Chayat). Nakagawa was also an important figure in the formative years of several other American Zen teachers, including the late Robert Aitken roshi of the Honolulu Diamond Sanghaand the independent Zen teacher, Philip Kapleau. He is remembered for his many eccentricities, such as the time he performed the Japanese tea ceremony with distinguished guests using Coca-Cola cans.
Soen Nakagawa (中川 宋淵; ☸ March 19, 1907—March 11, 1984) was a Rinzai Zen roshi and poet, the predecessor to two influential Zen teachers in the West, Maurine Stuart roshi and Eido Tai Shimano, the now retired abbot of the Zen Studies Society (now run by Shimano’s Nakagawa was a Dharma successor of Keigaku Katsube and served as head abbot of Ryutaku-ji. In his retirement he resided on the temple grounds where people would report hearing classical music drifting from his little hut during all hours of the day and night. Classical music was an art form which Soen loved dearly. Nakagawa’s Zen lineage continues today through Eido Shimano’s Dharma successors, including Roko Sherry Chayat and Genjo Marinello, Osho, and others like Jun Po Denis Kelly, founder of Mondo Zen. His is one of the only Western Rinzai Zen lineages that continues to be passed down over generations, on into modern-day.
In 2010 Nakagawa’s lineage found itself in turmoil following public allegations and disclosures on how Nakagawa roshi’s primary successor teaching here in the United States, Eido Tai Shimano, had misused his position of authority and had engaged in harmful sexual misconduct over the many years he was teaching. This caused many prominent Zen teachers within America’s Zen community to write letters to the board of directors of the Zen Studies Society, expressing their displeasure and calling for a complete removal of Shimano from any position of teaching authority at any of the Zen Studies Society training locations. Eventually, the board of directors did decide to separate itself from the former roshi and one of Shimano’s Dharma successors, Roko Sherry Chayat, took over as head abbot.
Photo © Adam Genkaku Fisher
Biography
Soen Nakagawa was born Motoi Nakagawa on March 19, 1907 in Iwakuni, Japan. He was the eldest of three brothers and his father was a medical officer in the army. The Nakagawa family frequently moved in his childhood, with Soen having lived in both Iwakuni and Hiroshima. Nakagawa’s father died during his youth and his mother never remarried, so the family struggled to survive. Eventually Soen was admitted to Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied Japanese literature. He held a love and fascination for poetry, reading the works of Basho.
Influenced by his love for Basho, Nakagawa was ordained an unsui in 1931 by Katsube Keigaku roshi of Kogaku-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple. Much of his time was spent in personal retreat on Daibosatsu Mountain, located in Yamanashi Prefecture. Soon, some of his poetry started getting published in a Japanese magazine calledFujin Koron (or, “Woman’s Review”), a publication which Nyogen Senzaki read. Impressed by Nakagawa’s poetry, in 1934 Senzaki initiated a correspondence with Nakagawa and these formed the foundations of a lifelong friendship shared between the two.
It was around this time that he met Ryutaku-ji’s abbot, Gempo Yamamoto. Soen continued having his poems published in other publications and soon after became a formal student of Gempo Yamamoto roshi. This was followed by an apparent two-year retreat spent on Daibosatsu Mountain, which was followed by his return to Ryutaku-ji to resume formal Zen studies. In 1950 he took over abbotship of Ryutaku-ji.
Nyogen Senzaki roshi, over the years of their friendship, would sometimes mention that Nakagawa should come to the United States and teach. Nakagawa had planned to make his first visit in 1941, a visit which never happened due to complications arising out of World War II.
So it was that it wasn’t until 1949 that Nakagawa made his first trip to the United States, greeted by Senzaki roshi, who arranged for him to give a talk at the Los Angeles Theosophical Society. In 1950 Soen Nakagawa returned to Ryutaku-ji in Japan and, not long after, a young Robert Aitken arrived there (upon the suggestion of Senzaki roshi) to begin studying under him. Philip Kapleau, the independent Zen teacher, arrived in the next year to also train with him. In all he made thirteen trips to the United States in his lifetime, leading intensive meditation retreats and spending time with students.
In 1960 Nakagawa roshi sent a young monk by the name of Eido Shimano to Hawaii to assist Robert Aitken in running the Honolulu Diamond Sangha. Soon after, Aitken reports that Shimano’s presence in the sangha broke the group off into factions. During this time, two of Aitken’s female sangha members were hospitalized and it was later documented by Aitken that these hospitalizations were allegedly the result of sexual encounters they’d had with Eido Shimano.
Teaching Style
Dharma Successors
Nakagawa roshi given Dharma transmission to several individuals, one of which was done informally withMaurine Stuart roshi – an important woman who factors greatly into the advancement of women within the Western Zen mahasangha. Therefore, I’ve decided to include her name in the following list of Soen Nakagawa roshi’s Dharma successors:
Eido Tai Shimano, Maurine Stuart, Suzuki Sochu, Fujimori Kozen of Hokko-ji, Immari Beijo and Nakagawa Dokyu.
See Also
References
Zen Master Who? A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen by James Ishmael Ford
Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa by Roko Sherry Chayat
Endless Vow is the first English-language collection of the literary works of Soen Nakagawa Roshi. An intimate, in-depth portrait of the master of Eido Tai Shimano, his Dharma heir, introduces the poems, letters, journal entries, and other writings of Soen Roshi, which are illustrated with his calligraphies. In a postscript, some of his best-known American students—including Peter Matthiessen and Ruth McCandless—reminisce about this legendary figure of American Buddhist history.
also:
Shimano, Eido Tai
Mortensen, Denko John
Nakagawa, Kyudo
Chayat, Roko Shinge Sherry
Afable, Jiro Andy
Aitken, Anne Tanshin Hopkins
Zenrin Chido
Dae Gak Robert Genthner
Kelly, Jun Po Denis
SWEEPING ZEN
Established in 2009 as a grassroots initiative, Sweeping Zen is a digital archive of information on Zen Buddhism. Featuring in-depth interviews, an extensive database of biographies, news, articles, podcasts, teacher blogs, events, directories and more, this site is dedicated to offering the public a range of views in the sphere of Zen Buddhist thought. We are also endeavoring to continue creating lineage charts for all Western Zen lines, doing our own small part in advancing historical documentation on this fabulous import of an ancient tradition. Come on in with a tea or coffee. You're always bound to find something new.
Sweeping Zen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
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http://www.dharmanet.org/audiobdk.htm#p7ABc1_2
Introduction to the book
Some readings from the Dhamappada
The Life of the Buddha
The Last Teaching of the Buddha
Buddha's Compassion and Vows
The Fourfold Noble Truth
Causation
Dependent Origination
Impermanence and Egolessness
The Theory of Mind-Only
The Real State of Things
The Middle Way
The Middle Way (continued)
The Mind of Purity
Buddha Nature
Egolessness
Human Defilement
Man's Nature
Human Life
Reality of Human Life
Amida Buddha's Vows
Amida Buddha's Land of Purity
Come soon: further installments of The Teachings of Buddha.
The Teaching of Buddha is produced by
The Society for the Promotion of Buddhism (Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai)
The Teaching of Buddha
The Teaching of Buddha is a collection of writings on the essence of Buddhism, selected and edited from the vast Buddhist canon, presented in a concise, easy-to-read, and nonsectarian format. It also includes a brief history of Buddhism, a listing of the source texts, a glossary of Sanskrit terms, and an index.
The Teaching of Buddha was first published in 1925. Originally edited by Japanese scholars of Buddhism before WWII and distributed widely throughout Japan, the first English edition was published in 1934. The Reverend Dr. Yehan Numata brought out another English edition in 1962, and in 1966, after the establishment of the Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai (BDK) (Society for the Promotion of Buddhism), Dr. Numata assembled a committee of Buddhist scholars to substantially revise and edit a new English-Japanese edition. The Teaching of Buddha has undergone minor revisions and numerous reprintings since. It is now available in fourty-one languages and over 7 million copies have been distributed.
Haiku of Sôen Nakagawa (1907-1984)
http://www.daibosatsu.org/soen.html
Haiku of Sôen Nakagawa (1907-1984)
Bibliography
Shigan (“Coffin of Poems”), 1936
"Ten Haiku of My Choice", 1973
Endless Vow: The Zen Path of Soen Nakagawa (presented with an Introduction by Eido Tai Shimano, Shambhala 1996)
In his "Preface" Kazuaki Tanahashi writes: "Zen Master Soen Nakagawa was a key figure in the transmission of Zen Buddhism from Japan to the Western world. As abbot of the historic Ryutaku Monastery, he trained monks and lay practitioners. Among them were Robert Aitken and Philip Kapleau, who later became two of the first Westerners to teach Zen in the United States . . . Soen Nakagawa was also an extraordinary poet. In Japan his haiku are renowned, even though no substantial collection of his work has been made available to the general public."
Gratitude!
tears melting into
mountain snow
March 11, 1931
How solemn
each patch of grass
illumined by the moon
Autumn 1932
Having entered monastery
I now know
my life is less than a dewdrop
Autumn 1932
Splendid affinity
sun's great halo
green leaves
May 5, 1933
Straw sandals tossed aside
approaching distant mountain slopes
haze!
Spring 1935
Bowing to Hakuin's Stupa at Ryutaku-ji in Mishima
Endless is my vow
under the azure sky
boundless autumn
Autumn 1937
May this maple leaf
from Hakuin's stupa
cross the ocean
Autumn 1937
On the occasion of the Death of Inido Sensei
One note of the shakuhachi
resounds endlessly
piercing the winter clouds
Winter 1938
A nun has come to visit
now in the moonlight
how bright the icicles!
Winter 1938
Disappearing
snow on mountain peak
unfurls a rainbow
April 1938
Spring approaches
the Pacific Ocean
will be my sitting mat
March 1949
Vast emptiness
as the year comes to a close
I re-enter the mountain
December 1949
Your slightest sorrow --
how dense the summer forest! --
my sorrow deepens
Summer 1949
Wisteria blossoms
fading
saha world
Spring 1953
Step by step
a new-born lamb
eternal spring
Spring 1955
ZEN HAIKU OF SOEN NAKAGAWA
Endless is my vow
under the azure sky
boundless autumn
Out in the blizzard
a monk sits
life and death matter
Vast solitude
my thinning body
transparents autumn
Touching one another
each becomes
a pebble of the world
On his travels, Soen Nakagawa Roshi liked to pick up pebbles from the different countries he visited and place them in a bag. Swinging the bag around, he would listen tothe sound they made.
Snow of all countries
Melting into
Namu Dai Bosa.
Sound of mountain
sound of ocean
everywhere spring rain.
DANCE—
Into the zendo
Twilight maples
Come [dancing]
Soen—perhaps the zaniest Zen master of modern times—was, among other things, an accomplished haiku poet, and this was one of his favorite verses. It is featured in his book "Ten Haiku of My Choice." Soen often recalled the crimson leaves dancing in the twilight of the meditation hall at Ryutaku-ji in Japan, and he frequently brushed this poem. Here the character for dance forms a one-word barrier that is really moving.
HOME
Wherever I go
My HOME is here
This Boar Year!
The inscription, formed around the large character for HOME, is one of Soen's haiku. Soen spent much of his life traveling far abroad, but his real home was always Japan, and as he wrote in his poetic diary in January of 1971:
"Mine is a homeless home and a selfless self."
Find Your Own Walden
Ideas
- The search for ultimate begins with simplification and the dispelling of the superfluities of life, and with the desire for clarity of vision and spiritual alertness.
- There exists within each human being a moral sense and an intuitive capacity for the apprehension of spiritual turths.
- Trancendental spiritual truths are revealed through nature.
- The divine source of all things exists in nature, yet divine reality is not exhausted by nature.
- Reformation, even the reformation of society, begins with the reforming of the individual.
- Action from principle brings about change in institutions and governments.
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