Saturday, August 13, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
What is pure awareness with Prajna Wisdom? and sunday morning meditation addition
In Chan meditation, the central function of practice is to apply Pure Awareness with Prajna Wisdom in every moment whether walking, standing, sitting, lying...But what is Pure Awareness? Awareness we can understand, but Pure??? In this case, it is best to use the description 'Non-abiding awareness'. We don't hang out in any structure of Dharma (teachings) or dharma (phenomena) form, whether it be thought, emotion, sensation.
And not only do we not hang out (attach) to any form, we use Prajna Wisdom so we do not discriminate. There's no craving and no aversion. Pain in the knee? Don't care. Someone yelling at us? Don't care. Win a thousand dollars? Don't care. Lose a thousand dollars? Don't care.
And where does all this come from? The Sixth Chan Patriarch, upon hearing a quotation from the Diamond Sutra, "Without abiding in anything, mind (illuminated) arises, lost all his self centeredness and entered the 3rd level of Chan Enlightenment: Complete Enlightenment. His foundation of his practice had been Non-abiding Awareness with Prajna Wisdom.
"At the very moment that all the mind's juggleries take a full rest, the prajna-wisdom manifests and simultaneously has an insight into ultimate emptiness" & "At that very moment, the skillful wisdom manifests from the self-nature of ultimate emptiness, and is simultaneously applied to all sentient beings for accomplishing liberation and establishing pure land."
-------------------------------------------------------------
Pics from the February 3 day retreat...the next 3 day will be May 13. 14. 15
-----------------------------------------------------
This sunday the 29th, there will be a sitting from 9 am to 12pm and coffee/tea afterward at 1460 Grieve Ave. in Courtenay. We will be sitting on the last Sunday of each month.
-----------------------
1.. MAIN WEBSITE: Cosmos Chan Zen Community at http://www.cosmoschan.org/
2. Master Cheng Yen in Facebook;
3. Listen to dharma talks with Gilbert Gutierrez http://dharmatalks.riversidechan.org/
4. Listen/download audio talks from the Tallahassee Chan group at http://www.tallahasseechan.com/talks.html
5. the Western Chan Fellowship at http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/
6. Questions? Adrian at 250 650 9055; adrian2@shaw.ca and this blog http://comoxvalleyzenchan.blogspot.ca/
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Upcoming Retreat and Local Advaita teacher Colin Mallard dies....
|
It’s a long time since “The Mountain Stream" was sent out. In February Colin was diagnosed with a virulent form of cancer caused by asbestos and given only a short time to live. He spent the next months writing the book Going to Gaza, Ten days that changed the World, which was a sequel to Stillpoint, A novel of war peace, politics and Palestine.
Colin knew that without awareness of the facts, what actually happened in Palestine and Israel, there could be no justice and no peace. He was interviewed by Sheryl McKay on CBC North by North West radio on November 1st 2015. I have included a link to the podcast. http://www.cbc.ca/nxnw/podcast/index.html
He was very ill at times but always lived with life rather than death, with the knowledge that the present moment is all that exists.
Many of those who Colin helped over the years came to support him with food, help in the garden, Reiki and sound healing and most of all, love. The garden became a peaceful place of healing and often of laughter.
But he left us one day in November. On that day he was mostly unconscious but opened his eyes with awe and wonder and just slipped peacefully away.
I intend to carry on with The Newsletter so that Colin’s wisdom, his poetry and his passion for justice remain alive.
Val Walton
------------------------------------------------------------
Chan 3 day Upcoming Retreat
Feb 12/13/14
1460 Grieve Ave., Courtenay, B.C., V9N 2V9
Cost will be approx $120 or less for the three days which includes food and sleeping space
5:30 am to 9:30 sitting/walking practice with scheduled breaks
Please contact me ASAP if you are interested in attending: Maximum 7 people
Adrian Symonds
250 650 9055
------------------------------------------------------------
1.. MAIN WEBSITE: Cosmos Chan Zen Community at http://www.cosmoschan.org/
2. Master Cheng Yen in Facebook;
3. Listen to dharma talks with Gilbert Gutierrez
4. Listen/download audio talks from the Tallahassee Chan group at http://www.tallahasseechan.com/talks.html
5. the Western Chan Fellowship at http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/
6. Questions? Adrian at 250 650 9055; adrian2@shaw.ca and this blog http://comoxvalleyzenchan.blogspot.ca/
|
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Please note classes start On January 7, 2016
Nyogen Senzaki on Sufism & Zen
Nyogen Senzaki on Sufism & Zen
(Just shy of a decade ago I published this fascinating account. And it seemed time to repost it. This essay, “Sufism & Zen” is taken from a collection of Nyogen Senzaki Sensei’s lectures and writings which was published in Japan in 1936 as ON ZEN MEDITATION by the Rinzai priest Nanshin Okamoto. It describes the Zen teacher’s encounter with the Sufi master Inayat Khan. As both teachers inform my spirituality, I’m particularly taken that there was a direct connection between them at one point in their lives. It should be noted that a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since this essay was written. Both Zen Buddhism in its many varieties as well as many, many schools of Sufism have begun to take root in the West in the ensuing years. And, frankly, it is unlikely that all the assumptions of this essay would be endorsed by most advocates of either the Zen or the Sufi schools. In some ways this essay should be seen as an artifact of a particular moment in time. But, I really feel it also speaks to deeper truths that one may encounter as one walks a path of open heart and open mind. And it is in that spirit I post it here…
by Nyogen Senzaki
When Inayat Khan, the Sufi teacher, came to America
some ten years ago, I met him in San Francisco and wrote an account of our
association for a Japanese daily paper of that city.
Inayat Khan succeeded in introducing Sufism into the
Western World. Although he passed away several years ago, his books on Sufism
as well as on other subjects have been well received in both America and
Europe. The Sufi movement, therefore, still survives in the currents of thought
to such an extent that it is now an important element in the world’s religion
of the heart.
The other day I found a clipping of the article which
I wrote, published in The Japanese American on May 11, 1923. Having been told
by one of the disciples of Inayat Khan that certain Sufi friends in Europe are
compiling a biography of their deceased leader, and that contributions of material
are therefore desired, I am going to send the translation of this article to
those Sufi friends through Mrs. Beth Rowland, an admirer and student of Inayat
Khan. The following is the translation:
Mohammedan Zen – Sufism in America
Zen is not confined to Buddhism. In Christianity there
is an element of Zen. It also appears in Taoism and in Confucianism, however
colored by those respective schools of thought.
Mohammedanism is supposed to be monotheistic, but its offspring which calls itself “Sufism” encourages introspection among its students so as to realize Allah, or God, within one’s inner self. If the thoughts of St. Bernard and of Meister Eckhart can be called “Zen”, then the ideas of Jalal-uddin Rumi of Persia, as well as those of Kabir, the Indian poet, may also be called “Mohammedan Zen.”
Mohammedanism is supposed to be monotheistic, but its offspring which calls itself “Sufism” encourages introspection among its students so as to realize Allah, or God, within one’s inner self. If the thoughts of St. Bernard and of Meister Eckhart can be called “Zen”, then the ideas of Jalal-uddin Rumi of Persia, as well as those of Kabir, the Indian poet, may also be called “Mohammedan Zen.”
I have been told that there is only one Sufi teacher
in America, a woman residing in San Francisco, though there are several
teachers of both sexes in Europe, mainly in England. The Sufi teachings, I
understand, also have some influence in India. The teacher in San Francisco is
Mrs. Martin, a Hebrew scholar, whom her students call “Murshida”, the Persian
feminine form for the word “Murshid”, which means teacher.
Inayat Khan is known to his followers as “Pir-o-Murshid”,
and they consider him to he the greatest teacher of this age. Since the latter
part of March he has been at the Sufi Temple, 153 Kearny Street, of this city
[San Francisco], engaged in lectures and the personal guidance of his students.
The Murshid was born in Baroda, India, having the well known musician, Maula Bakhsh, often termed the Beethoven of India, and also the saint, Jumma Shah, whom some Hindus even now worship, in his lineage.
The Murshid was born in Baroda, India, having the well known musician, Maula Bakhsh, often termed the Beethoven of India, and also the saint, Jumma Shah, whom some Hindus even now worship, in his lineage.
Inayat Khan is now 41 years old. He is a man of
commanding personality, being quite tall and stout, and wearing long hair and
beard. His bright eyes lend an air of dignity to his dark-colored face. He is
author of more than ten books, which range through such subjects as art,
philosophy, and poetry. He is also a poet and a musician in addition to his
other accomplishments, and he is now lecturing on Sufism under the auspices of
Paul Elder, the book-dealer, while the intellectual groups of San Francisco
crowd around him.
Mrs. Martin invited me to her home to meet her
teacher, and as I had benefited very much by the use of her library over a
period of several years, I did not hesitate in accepting her kind invitation.
On my way there, I met Doctor Hayes, my old friend, the psychologist.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“I am going to meet Inayat Khan,” I replied.
“Oh, that Sufi teacher?” said the doctor. “I attended
his lecture this morning at the Sufi Temple. It was such a tiresome ceremony –
the lighting of candles, much bowing, and all that. The lecture bristled with
too much about God and Love. There was nothing new in it, and I had to pay one
dollar for admission. I believe I will go along with you to meet him.”
“If you do not feel like going,” I replied, “you need
not come with me. I am not asking you to do so.”
“Well,” he said, “they may not charge anything for an
interview. I will come with you.”
Thus it was that the two of us went to the home of Mrs. Martin, the only Murshida in America. When we arrived we were ushered into the meditation room. It was dimly lighted by a lamp covered with green silk cloth, while fragrant Persian incense filled the atmosphere.
Thus it was that the two of us went to the home of Mrs. Martin, the only Murshida in America. When we arrived we were ushered into the meditation room. It was dimly lighted by a lamp covered with green silk cloth, while fragrant Persian incense filled the atmosphere.
After Mrs. Martin introduced us, and after shaking
hands in the American custom with the Murshid, we were seated at a square
table, Mrs. Martin facing Dr. Hayes, and the teacher facing me.
My friend the psychologist began talking to the
teacher by asking him how he liked America and its people, meanwhile selecting
a cigar from his pocket, which, however, he hesitated to light at such a
meeting.
Inayat Khan smiled at me and asked, “Mr. Senzaki, will
you tell me what the significance of Zen is?
I remained silent for a little while, and then smiled at him. He smiled back at me. Our dialogue was over.
I remained silent for a little while, and then smiled at him. He smiled back at me. Our dialogue was over.
The psychologist, not having recognized what had
happened, said, “You see, Mr. Khan, Zen is Japanized from Sanskrit. Its
original meaning was Dhyana, which means meditation, and-”
At that point, Inayat Khan waved his right hand gracefully, and stopped the psychologist’s conversation.
At that point, Inayat Khan waved his right hand gracefully, and stopped the psychologist’s conversation.
Mrs. Martin then interposed, “I will get a book which
describes Zen very well. It is an English translation from Japanese of The
Twelve Sects of Buddhism. I will get it for you.”
Before she could rise from her seat, Inayat Khan again waved-this time with his left hand-gracefully stopping the Murshida, then he glanced at me.
Before she could rise from her seat, Inayat Khan again waved-this time with his left hand-gracefully stopping the Murshida, then he glanced at me.
His eyes were full of water-not the tears of the
world, but water from The Great Ocean-calm and transparent. I recited an old
Zen poem-not with my mouth-not in thought, but with a blink, like a flash. It
reads:
No living soul comes near that water–
A vast sheet of water as blue as indigo.
The abyss has a depth of ten-thousand feet.
When all is quiet and calm at midnight,
Only the moonlight penetrates through the waves,
Reaching the bottom easily and freely.
A vast sheet of water as blue as indigo.
The abyss has a depth of ten-thousand feet.
When all is quiet and calm at midnight,
Only the moonlight penetrates through the waves,
Reaching the bottom easily and freely.
“Murshid,” said I, “I see a Zen in you.”
“Mr. Senzaki, I see a Sufism in you,” he replied. Both
of us then smiled at each other.
Mrs. Martin again interposed, “Mr. Senzaki, you should
practice your English. Why don’t you talk more about Zen?”
At this both the Murshid and I laughed loudly, in
which the Murshida and the psychologist both joined, without knowing why. The
happy interview was over. I should have gone home at this time, but the
psychologist seemed to wish to talk further with the Murshid and interpose his
whys and becauses, while the Murshida, our Hebrew scholar, must show us her
collection of books and documents. So we remained there the whole evening while
we discussed Life, Death, Humanity, and the Universe.
I noticed that the Murshid uses the Nyaya system of logic
in making affirmations, and this made me feel very much at home with him, as we
Buddhists use the same system.
The Murshid told us his ideal of a universal
brotherhood which he believes will be established, and which he thinks will
transcend all racial considerations, as well as harmonize all religions to the
extent that they will work together in harmony for the uplifting of humanity,
and for the advancement of the spiritual world.
“I am sure that Sufism can commune harmoniously with
both Bahai and Vedanta, but the question remains as to how it can associate
harmoniously with Christianity and Buddhism, both of which have their own
historical backgrounds. The Unitarians, the Christian Scientists, and the New
Thought people may understand Sufism easily, but all strictly sectarian people
will remain strangers to Sufism for many years to come. And as to the
Buddhists, those in Japan alone cannot work together harmoniously, even within
the same sects, so how Japan can ever see the dawn of unification, I do not
know. It is true enough that Japan has the true teachings of the Buddha hidden
away in the scriptures, but the old church systems there will prevent the
opening up of those treasures, even for the benefit of the remainder of the
world. Germany, though, has a new form of Buddhism which is related to that of
Ceylon and Burma. There I can see a few hopeful lights.”
Inayat Khan now has adherents in London, Paris and
Geneva. May his brotherhood become stronger, year after year-let us sincerely
hope for it.
One day, Inayat Khan expressed the wish to attend a
Japanese, concert. I could not find any that were billed for that week, so I
went to Madam Nakamura, who teaches the koto in her home, and asked her to
invite him to hear her play. She consented gladly, and I went to the Sufi
Temple to tell Inayat Khan about this arrangement. It was about two o’clock in
the afternoon, and the Murshid asked me to meditate with him in a secluded room
where his pupils received personal guidance. We sat down to meditate together,
but before even one stick of incense was consumed, both of us must have entered
into Samadhi, for Mrs. Martin suddenly called us, stating that it was already
dark, time for us to go home for our respective dinners. We looked at each
other with surprise, but nodded a knowing assent to each other. The incense had
been completely consumed so long that no fragrance remained in the room. Both
Sufism and Zen had become, after all, only yesterday’s dream.
It was the evening of May 4, 1923, that we, Inayat
Khan, accompanied by Mrs. Martin and me, went to Madam Nakamura’s studio. The
simplicity of Inayat Khan’s manners and conduct on the way reminded me of the
time when a certain Japanese high priest came to America, accompanied by a
flock of attending priests, with a great show of pomp and ceremonials–he could
not even move a hand without the assistance of his two chief attendants (the
chief and his vice-chief). This high priest was the abbot of a certain Japanese
sect, but with all his pomp and glory, his influence in America never reached
an inch beyond the Japanese immigrants, and his appearances here went entirely
unnoticed by Americans.
On the other hand, Inayat Khan’s influence was widely
spread among intellectual groups, both in Europe and America. He could have put
on a “big show” of himself alone, if he had wished to do so, but he was not
that kind of teacher. Wearing a Turkish hat and a long black mantle and
carrying a cane, the Murshid modestly rode in the street-cars, instead of in a
flock of honking automobiles.
The concert at Madam Nakamura’s was a success. The
first number on her program was Chidori (Plovers), played on the koto by
herself, accompanied by another koto and a shakuhachi, played by one of her
pupils and a Japanese youth respectively. The next and last number was The
Three Intimates (the pine, the bamboo and the plum tree), which Mrs. Nakamura
led on the koto, again accompanied by another koto and a shakuhachi. Although
the shakuhachi was played by the same youth as before, the second koto was
played by another of Mrs. Nakamura’s pupils.
That evening all the players wore American dress, as
it was an informal recital, but they sat on the floor in the Japanese custom
for such performances.
After definite expression, through keen attention and breathless
silence, of his appreciation of the performance, Inayat Khan warmly praised
Madam Nakamura, saying that she was music itself, not only with her koto but
also even in drinking tea or in walking around the room. Madam Nakamura should
appreciate this commendation very much, as the Murshid is a poet and a musician
who is not given to flattery.
Having been served with tea and cakes, and having been
presented with pictures of other performances given by Madam Nakamura, Inayat
Khan left the studio, saying that he would tell European musicians about the
deep impression this music had made upon him.
At the corner of the street where I was about to bid the Murshid goodbye, I remarked, “All sounds return to one, and where does that one go?”
Inayat Khan stopped walking and, shaking hands with me, responded, “Goodnight, Mr. Senzaki.”Now, Bodhisattvas, I have translated my old clipping. What do you think of Inayat Khan? If you wish to meet him today, just open the door and face the lovely shrubbery in front of this Meditation Hall....entire text and pics taken from james ford. More info in "Eloquent Silemce by Nyogen Senzaki.
1.. MAIN WEBSITE: Cosmos Chan Zen Community at http://www.cosmoschan.org/
2. Master Cheng Yen in Facebook;
3. Listen to dharma talks with Gilbert Gutierrez http://dharmatalks.riversidechan.org/
4. Listen/download audio talks from the Tallahassee Chan group at http://www.tallahasseechan.com/talks.html
5. the Western Chan Fellowship at http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/
6. Questions? Adrian at 250 650 9055; adrian2@shaw.ca and this blog http://comoxvalleyzenchan.blogspot.ca/
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Fashion Master Karl Lagerfeld on his Zen practice
Thanks to Nowness internet magazine, we hear that Karl takes his Diamond Sutra learnings to heart, "Without abiding in anything, mind arises." in https://www.nowness.com/story/karl-lagerfeld-zillions?utm_source=designboom&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=cp
We meet again this thursday evening 7 to 9 pm at Courtenay Elementary School 2nd floor.
1. MAIN WEBSITE: Cosmos Chan Zen Community at http://www.cosmoschan.org/
2. Master Cheng Yen in Facebook;
3. Listen to dharma talks with Gilbert Gutierrez http://dharmatalks.riversidechan.org/
4. Listen/download audio talks from the Tallahassee Chan group at http://www.tallahasseechan.com/talks.html
5. the Western Chan Fellowship at http://www.westernchanfellowship.org/
6. Questions? Adrian at 250 650 9055; adrian2@shaw.ca and this blog http://comoxvalleyzenchan.blogspot.ca/
Saturday, September 5, 2015
Syrian refugees: chan buddhists....can you help?
Syrian refugees:
Comox Valley Zen Chan would like help sponsoring a family. I have a house with two extra bedrooms that would be amenable to a share-house situation. I could take in a family of three. There would be no charge for the space.
I would need financial help with food and anything extra associated with the family’s living expenses.
As well as Chan, I have also studied Sufism for 15 years prior to my involvement with Chan, so I am quite familiar with Islamic practice, if indeed the three invitees would even practice. Religion is not ‘hot topic’ issue in my life.
Do you have any community members who would be interested in co-sponsoring 3 Syrian refugees, and willing to commit the time to organize this process. Can you forward this email to possible helpers?
Please contact me:
adrian symonds
1460 grieve ave.
courtenay, bc
v9n 2v9
250 650 9055
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)