Tuesday 19 October 2010
I am speaking live to you from a rustic cabin in Spencertown, New York, about two and a half hours drive north of New York City, the vast wilderness between New York and Montreal.
It's amazing how suddenly disappear all signs of human civilization completely once you're outside New York City. Well, good. Maybe not completely. But it is a massive contrast. About a half hour out of town I had to pee like crazy. I was driving on the Taconic State highway and I swear to God it did not even gas stations are found there. Where they were all gone? Where to get the people who drive down the Taconic Expressway gasoline come from? What the heck is a Taconic? Is this a condition of the highway? "I'm sorry ma'am, but I fear their highway is tacones.
Anyway, you see that Sock Monkey [sock] is here with me. He has themselves while I was in New York made from the dust. Apparently - and those who found him told me that, I did not invent it - he was there a mechanical bull ride. What a wild monkey! I have lost him for about three days and was actually quite sad about it. I am well aware that it is an inanimate object. Even Sock Monkey himself admits it. But it's strange how you can hang on a Stoffie especially if you have traveled so much with him.
I return to Montreal after five days in New York, where I had a Büchersignierstunde and a two-day retreat. People always ask me things like "How was the retreat?" And I find it difficult to answer. It was good. It was loud, as it was in the East Village, pounding jackhammers and sirens wailing. But I am now accustomed to the urban Zazen and that gives the area even now with it.
A couple of cool people showed up, that was cool. No one died. No one was seriously hurt. I suppose if I were Genpo Roshi I could have given all enlightenment experience. But I'm not. So I've got it behind. (Someone has a link to a nice podcast posted what Genpo mentioned disparagingly, but I find it no more. Perhaps you can post it again?)
It is strange to do what ever it is that I do. Basically I do what my father the last twenty or has done so years, I am a commercial traveler. My father sells chemicals in the rubber industry. I sell books. But we do much the same. We get into a car and drive very, very, very far to talk to people. Funny how everything goes.
OK. I said I would answer questions that people send me. So there you go.
After all your striking observations about the dangers of "teachers" who accept their students money in exchange for teaching, I find it somewhat surprising that you now offer:
" makes it a little as the reader feels like it would get something for his money I'm going to start to answer more of the questions you send me you out there. "
The clear choice is yours, but it seems to be a good idea .
I have not pressed the Donate button to your to get attention, I just wish that you still can do your work.
This raises a few issues. First, I did not want to get to answer the Donate button in direct connection with the questions as if you answer me the questions now could pay. I can understand but how could over come to this. However, this was meant sarcastically. Also, I am much too verpeilt rauszutüfteln to who sent questions and who has donated and then link. So even if that was my goal, I would fail. accept
The idea for the teachings of Zen money is already a little more problematic. I have already said that I tend to settle my own confusion in the field so in which I consider to be primarily a writer. Writer's writing to be paid for. Anyway, they are that if they are lucky. I do not feel bad to take any money for what I write. I do not feel bad while being paid by someone who has engaged me for a lecture on my books. Since I write mostly about Buddhism that my position makes this a little ambiguous. But I'll handle it.
I do not think that there is a very good idea is his living as a Zen teacher to dispute. But I do not want it wrong for Zen teacher her living as a Zen teacher to deny believe. The temptation to water down the scholars to get more butts in the seats is very high when it can pay the difference between renting or to be put on the street goes. You could even try a stitch in the rich people pay you € 50,000 for you to tell them they are enlightened.
the extremely dark side would be it. The slightly less dark side would be that by accepting money for you Zenunterricht sends students the message that they have the right to determine how they must inform Zen.
Apart Zen teacher must still eat and pay their rent and they should have the necessary resources. When a person devotes his life to the teachings of Zen, as he would finance his living if not by accepting the support of his students? In and of itself is no harm in it.
why I try as much as possible to separate the writer side of the teacher page. Although they are mixed together. ? しょうがない な
Next question:
I sit every day for 3 years and one year I have focused intensely on my first koan, "What am I? ". It was really interesting but I had to give up because I felt that energy came into my body / spirit out of control. There was this vibrating point of occasionally vibrated in my head and it feels as if it goes in the wrong direction or something.
So today I just sit and focus on my body and that feels good and grounded. But especially in stressful situations, the focus goes to the head and begins to vibrate with sound.
What do you think for example about the Hara? I was always told me I should focus on the Hara, but I have never learned how. I'm not sure what to make with respect to focusing the mind.
single sitting and feel only the body feels good and also a slight concentration on the lower back. Maybe I should just go on like this?
shikantaza zazen in its purest form has no particular point is focused. I know that many teachers say they will focus on the hara or Tanden which basically means a place somewhere a little below your chest. But my teachers have never taught and I've never done that.
When I sit, I sit really easy. Wherever my attention goes, it goes easy. The only thing I'm aware of is always ensure that my position is correct. I try not to remember too much things.
Dogen used the words 无 思 料 (mushiryou) and 非 思 料 (hishiryou) to describe what should be done during zazen with the spirit. 思 料 (shiryou) will "think" in Zenbüchern often translated. The determiners 无 (mu) and 非 (hi) describe various stages of denial. In Mike Cross and Nishijima Roshi's translation of the Shobogenzo is 无 思 料 (mushiryou) "Not thinking" and 非 思 料 (hishiryou) is "different from thinking" within the meaning of thinking completely differently.
But you, every Japanese / German dictionary say that 思 料 (shiryou) "consideration" means. "Thinking" is usually 考える (kangaeru). So I do not think that Dogen wanted that we should stop all thinking and our brains completely silent. He said more something like that we should avoid, are actively involved with the various thoughts that arise in our minds.
seems to focus on the hara me the opposite to be. It is a kind of conscious deliberation. You "put on" your stomach. The same applies to breath counting. And in particular the same as a koan is to use. That seems absolutely no doubt a form of consideration and definitely not in the least of which the Doge said.
Pooh! This was much more work than I had anticipated.
But continue to send your questions to askbradwarner@hotmail.com and I will do my best to answer whether you have now donated or not.
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