Sunday service, April 3, 2022, doing our spiritual practices that return us to an immediate (present) experience, and begin to heal our broken hearts.
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/eMy4JGyopsf2BDIAeu_7w8r--FEuDJLtZukgThlFS-MWau6vF7X0u7GCd27tNg.euUpt_xQCqWzdlGa?startTime=1649009414000
Link to SoundCloud (audio-only): https://soundcloud.com/taizangendo/relocating-self-interest-to-a-vastly-larger-field-of-inclusion
TOPICS: some thoughts from David Hinton's "Existence": In Western philosophy, Descartes stripped away everything that could be doubted until he found a "beginning place", which he considered to be thought and identity, expressed in the phrase: "I think, therefore I am." But Chinese sages assumed differently--that the immediate experience of empty awareness was the beginning place, free of thought and identity, and dwelling there (as we do sometimes in meditation)is where we are most fundamentally "ourselves," able to glean deep insight into the nature of reality and our own consciousness; trouble is, letting go of identities goes against all cultures and threatens the control that culture imposes, which can be dangerous; perhaps a new culture is needed that includes ALL sentient beings, hence relocating self-interest to a vastly larger field (circle of inclusion)--can a new vegan Zen lead the way?
[Pic by Taizan of Dosha in redwood forest near Santa Cruz]
A morning of quiet stillness, multiple sittings and walkings, inside and outside, a service of chanting and bowing in gratitude, and a Dharma talk and discussion.
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Lj76-NhZxhz4F6sGhYfqqmEiVjgmjpoIFOjSHf0GEyjF8HChlKZB0EHjnf9Bbijg.MW6aXmxCL_r143t-?startTime=1648404241000
TOPICS: Amidst the thousand personal dramas in our world, we reflected again on “what is Zen?” Thich Nhat Hanh once defined Zen as simply “looking deeply.” And each person must return to this question, and it’s “fit” for your life. For me, the key is the Bodhisattva ideal and vow—the path and outline of a life “well lived”, in sweetness and sorrow, present for every moment; we talked also about the plague of “urgency”, which becomes incompleteness, inadequacy, and a miserable feeling of overwhelm, and the antidote to it…(you’ll have to listen to find out! 😉 Our Zen-zoom Sundays attendance has dwindled, but our recordings were listened to later by 49 others in one week alone. So we continue! And these recordings are now the seeds of my writing, a legacy that I hope will be helpful in living well long after I am gone.
[Painting called "Tzu-Jan"]
This Sunday we read together the Robe Chant, the Jukai Precepts, the Before Dharma talk and after Dharma talk (Impossible Bodhisattva) chants, drank tea, meditated inside and outside, sitting and walking, and the Dharma talk and discussion was recorded…
Link to Zoom recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/IyyS5Xe4O2qXp_DCk7HwrkfHW6yB9gVO_DVwshQvYXbcUDtW1kYWPqQRollf4PsY.EfJd6P6uU_ScE4ba?startTime=1647799644000
TOPICS: Hannah Arendt’s political insights that apply to individuals as well: to enable the possibility of a better future the traits needed are courage to persist, forgiveness of past deeds that cannot be undone, and the act of promising (building trust); the banality of evil seen in the example of Adolf Eichmann, his deficit of ability to think for himself, coupled with inability to ever see anything from another person’s point of view resulted in an interdependence of thoughtlessness and evil capable of wreaking havoc in unimaginably horrific ways (and widely seen today); this thoughtlessness is no different than what allows us to treat animals as "things"; an antidote to conspiracy theories is replacing “they” with “we”; Springtimes beautiful promise…and a few belly laughs thrown in for good measure...
Calligraphy by Taizan called "One Pithy Teaching"
The luxury of our WCZ Sunday service: 3 meditation periods, 2 walking meditations (one outdoors), a beautiful service of bowing and chanting, a silent tea, and then a Dharma talk and discussion...
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/hn_txSV_Og9kTLPwURgwSRWRnwgDzg2UU4suS2VHpphV09xgkP7PQAlzaAMhGSUn.ifALtirVG2mSVerP?startTime=1647194745000
TOPICS: Giving thanks for the wisdom traditions that help guide us with ethics relevant today; if religion has any value, it must be in service to compassion, and ultimately to love; love and loss intertwined in Maria Popova’s writings: “Love, but be careful what you love, for we become what we love”; and this, so appropriate for this moment, from “The Banality of Evil” by Hannah Arendt: “The root of tyranny and totalitarianism is making other human beings irrelevant.” And from me (Taizan Gendo): “The root of our acceptance and normalization of evils (like totalitarianism) is making other BEINGS irrelevant (not just HUMAN beings), and their suffering of no consequence.” I have come to see that the banality of evil, and our “Willing Blindspot” toward other living beings starts with exactly this…
Our Sunday, March 6, 2022 sangha meeting, containing a short bit of the guided meditation we began with, which you can pause and then meditate 20-30 minutes, then resume the recording which will be at the Dharma talk...enjoy!
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/rrDpANr4EuapiCP4Yp5CZ4QBrFEL95rP9H7bz-45UNKBeeNVNaJmx-kw-IYv2O2F.y4IAgkHv8VUbTUd2?startTime=1646586070000
Remembering our practice is heart-to-heart, a Dharma transmission beyond words; Thich Nhat Hanh's advice to not wait until things are perfect to be happy—enjoy the sunset, a child's laugh, to keep our spirit alive; a sentence by sentence exploration of the Metta Sutra, and it's encouragement to cherish ALL LIVING BEINGS--not just human beings; not being ruled by sense appetites (have-to's) so we can enlarge what brings us joy; keeping our loneliness warm (and sadness I would add); how we can practice all day; what is the meaning of being free from the duality of birth and death; rising to the challenge of making our Wild Country Zen practice of Zen-Zoom rich and connecting; and, as usual much more... ;-)
[Pic is called, "The Bells of Kathmandu"]
Two recordings this morning (Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022): a guided meditation you can listen to, then pause for as long as you want to sit, then, resume to listen to our tea time dharma talk and discussion.
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/6ynZX8Ca9r2ea1RrTVP7ZCdrV78Z5LmBJ3h2iCM02WMiRrmWKN9yz3TJ-1-4pT52.NmKchngqwMIKqSDF?startTime=1645981362000
TOPICS: How to cope with war, such as in Ukraine; the Metta Sutra's wisdom and suggestions; the Bodhisattva sacrifice to not pursue Nirvana until all can be included; inclusivity means enlarging the circle of "others"; returning again and again to breathing and our practice in times of overwhelm and agitation, and as always, much, much more...
[Pic: "A Few Wild Country Flowers"]
Link to Zoom recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/okS7dEyBBttLdDjjJEGdVERcMWKHK7ksjP6rLjbMdNpawrbDkJGFcPhISZiHUjgc.0hvUy8AWq1V0nhlT?startTime=1645383790000
Started with some praise for Thich Nhat Hanh and Sister True Dedication's new book, "The Art of Saving the Planet;” and some more praise for the book, “China Root: Taoist, Ch’an, and Original Zen,” by David Hinton; how a translator can have interesting differences with others such as Red Pine and previous translators; then I shared an episode of an argument between my wife and I, and how I tried writing down (without speaking more) “Maybe Words Are The Problem” and handing it to her--and something shifted, and we tried not speaking for the day but rather using sign language and if needed, writing down what needed communicating—and it made a huge difference...maybe something in that?; powerful Native American uses of the "talking stick"; we must remember "the words are not the thing"; the connection of stillness to shunyata (emptiness); and the path of wisdom in the 8-fold path; and more...
[Pic is called, "Full moon morning 6:21am at WCZ in Aromas Temple]
I read this 7 min. Guided Meditation from the "The Art of Saving the Planet," an encouragement to allow Mother Earth to do the breathing, the walking, the sitting, the BEing--healing our wounds from battles both inside and outside us. Play this before a nice long sit or walking meditation, and just allow Mother Earth to do her thing!
Link to Zoom recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/oORVMYWqZ9f4gWuu4VzTScB-waTinLa5XxnPbalYo2YNBmjMRv6j-iNk8N9Koyw1.OLGaWbpN9W2pXzr1?startTime=1645376437000
[Pic called, "Just a Blur--Almost Gone"]
Here's a recording made in preparation for our ShiKan Zazenkai on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022).
Lots of suggestions and instructions on forms, breathing, posture, and ways of letting go, even if just for a few hours, from the burden of constant judgement (I like this/ I don't like this, It's good, It's bad, etc., etc.). This might be helpful just on it's own, even if you don't join us for a morning of meditation...
Link to Zoom recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/gSHR0cuKf-dJps6eqk2aOO7SjQXAVAI0CoMMJkFn8VLfQkErElfbfL6KtEdUK6n_.CntmiZSxrcAAxfzt?startTime=1644723124000
[Pic is called, "A Mind of Ease"]
This is the last Wednesday night sangha meeting of Wild Country Zen as we transition to having Sunday Service only while I write my book...
Link to Zoom Recording:
TOPICS: Ending Wednesday sangha meetings is a lesson in impermanence; Time to wake up--we are too often sleepwalking through our life; thanks for your kindness and respect in allowing me to find my voice; what it means to be a truth teller and a beacon of change; taking care of yourself is taking care of others (not selfish); my role, my path will always be to enlarge the circle of "others" as in "Do Unto Others What You Would Want Done to You"; it MUST include all sentient beings (not just human beings); suggestion of other sanghas to replace our Wednesday nights; invitation to join me on Sundays; shared testimony of what our time together has meant...
Dharma talk and discussion
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/kmhhIuI03Ym8FY4nWZdhU0sQThb0asW_ktGCqL_F4PemtDNwcqjnpaAqxy59WsfW.WTETpYX8pwmX9StN?startTime=1644174582000
TOPICS: Description of a guided meditation through the forest; the Diamond Sutra and expanding connection to the 10,000 things; exploring equanimity seen as a middle way and limited, or as immeasurable as applied to letting go; our practice of acquiring skillful means and the "how" to inhabit a "life well-lived"; and much, much more...
[Painting is called, "Evidence"]
Wild Country Zen sangha recording on the Brahmavihara of Empathetic Joy, part of our continuing exploration of the "Four Immeasurables."
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/464kFRQ2lOCI4s5T7FYPTjDKqIUu1GkCptCceFU9mzIujofyQMcow8jTwOHUi6DD.0C30fAeD11X2C-Oj?startTime=1643858806000
TOPICS: Bringing our practice of focus to the Brahmavihara of Empathetic Joy; transforming envy--joy is not a zero-sum game; healing balm for sadness and heartbreak; don't wait for a better time--the present moment is the only time possible--ever; Bodhicitta and compassion are steps leading to this abode; the beauty of non-petitionary prayer; gaining comfort with uncertainty as the true state of reality; role of sleep, diet, exercise, and reducing hyper-vigilence to promote deep learning; recognizing tribal identities of all kinds as empty; cultivating an open heart with unlimited growth potential...
[Painting is called "Blood Mountain"]
On this Sunday we sat in the luxurious stillness of our practice, drank tea, and in the dharma talk and discussion explored ideas about how growing compassion might be called widening the circle of "others" in the motto "Do unto OTHERS as you would like done to/for you..."
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/EjCeSDK1LoBCRdHURAawYSrWeIHSpesHRqOQzhINOz4oAZHfMnnuq2YrT4ElJXV0.Sw8BC3cFOEfb9TLp?startTime=1643569841000
TOPICS: The Flexibility of our practice--not fundamentalism; Nirvana here and now as the ease of removing obstacles (like thorns and bee stings); detecting the "hooey" of religion but not letting it stop us on the path; reclaiming our "stolen focus" and with it our well-being; recognizing our own shadow and forgiving it (and other's as well); refraining from judging who's suffering is worse (but retaining compassion); the challenge of living with chaos; learning to be able to "be with what is" when situations are not fixable; and building healthy boundaries through our practice of returning again and again.
[Painting is called, "In Flow (Tao) of Absence and Presence"]
Tonight we transferred our focus to the heavenly abode of Compassion—the second of the Brahma-viharas Thich Nhat Hanh calls, “The “Immeasurable Minds.” We can choose to dwell there, but first, what exactly is Compassion?
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Ld-zz5VvISY6tFwjQkHavLerRpVGCE7cRyyUg6BMgdSW4evXBKvLDboRxnxPMOD-.64BIuqm1UUOCVllF?startTime=1643254018000
TOPICS: Revisiting the basics--the foundations of our practice; the Bodhisattva vows and the pathway of service; relieving the suffering of all sentient beings without the burden of grief and despair; keeping the “ira” energy directed with self-control, and not going soft; Question is “What Can I Do (with this life I have)?”; not running away from what is uncomfortable; deep listening sometimes enough; Poem: “Getting thru life is like fording a river—can joy come on its waters?”; and ladles of full-hearted sharing and wisdom by our loving sangha members… [Pic is called, "Shapes of our Practice"]
Recording of our Wild Country Zen Sunday service memorial for Thich Nhat Hanh, including the guided meditations, walking meditation, service of chanting & bowing, and a Dharma talk and discussion of this wonderful Zen teacher...with a deep bow, I offer a nearly complete morning of goodness and peace and inspiration--you can just turn it on, sit with us, and follow along. The only time-out was when I paused it about 10 minutes to go outside for outdoor walking/kinhin meditation. Dharma talk starts about 1:50 (1 hr. 50 min)
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/V1jJa0OYmlrhWOMypvAqTnptBJ666PzmIsN_TIz1SLOOP4Q0ZyPyB8zkPHQVWCf5.-N7XIlBk-cytlPRf?startTime=1642957244000
[Painting/calligraphy means "Evidence of Enlightenment"]
This night our sangha continued to explore the wide and deep field of loving-kindness, and the fortitude it takes to meet whatever challenges life throws at us…
Link to Zoom recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/8Giw9zhB-mdVF9aC5qU5QL6ETCDKH1CPAU9cUHwEYlRguFPNyIOk50dC2h6ryqMa.lNl4p7nXT6Oc08Sr
TOPICS: indispensable ingredients of spiritual maturation; cultivation of courage in adversity; strength and forbearance (self-control and restraint); patience (capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, and suffering, without getting angry); righteous anger is the most challenging emotion, yet it’s an affliction just like cancer; more accurate to describe things as wholesome and unwholesome than good and bad; character is built on practice; shared issues in the sangha, requiring creativity and put to the test in the mosaic of awakening. [Painting by Taizan called, "Cosmos Seen as Single Generative-Tissue"]
This Sunday we recorded a full guided meditation, a kinhin (silent & slow walking meditation), the robe chant, and the before and after Dharma chants, to allow more of a feel for our “luxurious” Wild Country Zen Sunday services. The regular Dharma talk part starts about 41:22…
Link to Zoom Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/cpg5BfN5U_WFEqzZIty0UkONMU2-er_xibNm9SsuG_wDikuuYxE_SXh9tKCD7g-W.BYPJdrJj22Yipmgp
TOPICS: We began talking about a definition of healing as “…coming to terms with what is”; and when full recovery is not possible or likely, to explore how to “keep company” with what is; working with agitation by increasing focus on the “adventure” of our breaths; importance of going outside and looking up, of re-connecting with the universe which we are; alternate metta phrases to recite such as “May I flourish in service of my intentions”; and, “May I leave behind in my wake beings whom I have had the privilege to benefit;” exploring the hindrance of ill will with loving-kindness meditation; expanding Zen practice going forward with Taoist landscape painting, haiku death poems, and much more…
[Painting by Taizan is called "Unwound & Unbound"]
Our topics on this Wednesday night (Jan. 12) circled around the very practical steps of meditation combining Tibetan Samatha, Vipassinna, and Zen methods, all to make our minds more fit for service.
Link to Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/4mt86tQKtgbT0ktJCj9-HTpo6NXuu55Vm18Qh5fyEzjQDCIDtEq6Sf8rHj61g_ia.fymURYGLq-6nrkMa
TOPICS: Before the recording started, I read a guided meditation of relaxation-stability-vividness; discussion of how our practices train our mind to be fit for service; the benefits of being able to focus where we choose; preparing this week to dwell in the first "immeasurable mind" called loving-kindness; stories we tell ourselves and others to make sense of this experience of being alive; but no escaping the 1st Noble truth; paying attention to the result of dwelling in this mind: perhaps less friction, less agitation, more ease?
The link button below will take you to 18 More Zoom recordings from 2021 (to a page called "Dharma Talks Oct27-Jan9") on a wide range of Zen topics--check out the titles and descriptions and explore!
all photos and Paintings by Taizan Gendo except where noted Copyright © 2021 Wild Country Zen - All Rights Reserved.
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