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Buddhist Studies Zen Buddhism

Koan, Japanese Kan, in Zen Buddhism of Japan, a succinct paradoxical statement or question used as a meditation discipline for novices, particularly in the Rinzai sect. The effort to solve a koan is intended to exhaust the analytic intellect and the egoistic will, readying the mind to entertain an appropriate response on the intuitive level. Each such exercise constitutes both a communication of some aspect of Zen experience and a test of the novices competence.

A characteristic example of the style is the well-known koan When both hands are clapped a sound is produced; listen to the sound of one hand clapping. Sometimes the koan is set in question-and-answer form, as in the question What is Buddha? and its answer, Three pounds of flax.

Koans (from Chinese kung-an, literally public notice, or public announcement) are based on anecdotes of Zen (Chinese: Chan) masters. There are said to be 1,700 koans in all. The two major collections are the Pi-yen lu (Chinese: Blue Cliff Records; Japanese: Hekigan-roku), consisting of 100 koans selected and commented on by a Chinese priest, Yan-wu, in 1125 on the basis of an earlier compilation; and the Wu-men kuan (Japanese: Mumon-kan), a collection of 48 koans compiled in 1228 by the Chinese priest Hui-kai (known also as Wu-men). Compare zazen.

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koan | Zen Buddhism | Britannica.com

Parnel Wickham is the only daughter in a family with roots in Cutchogue that date to 1699. Her father, John, was an iconic farmer who was widely known across Suffolk County. Her mother, Anne, a church organist, was the granddaughter of the minister at Mattituck Presbyterian Church, who was also a local historian.

Her brothers, Tom and Jack, worked the farm as they grew up. While Parnel did no farm work, she helped her mother manage the farm stand. She spent her high school years away from Cutchogue at a Quaker boarding school in Pennsylvania. By her own account, she was often homesick.

She married in 1967 and had a daughter named Julia. Parnels second child, a daughter named Diana, died at age 7 after years of extraordinary hardship for her and her parents that was rooted in serious birth defects. On top of that, her husband left her after 37 years of marriage.

In her marriages demise were a million questions and personal ghosts to deal with, which boiled down to key issues: How to find peace? How to deal with the suffering of grief and depression?

Today, at 74, Ms. Wickham finds herself looking back with a measure of honesty and candor about the life she has lived, the events she has dealt with and how discovering the practices of Zen Buddhism after her divorce brought her to a more peaceful place in her life. The journey of Parnel Wickham has come far.

Whatever I was yesterday, I am different now, she said.

She was interviewed at Cutchogue New Suffolk Library, formerly a church founded by Wickham ancestors who bolted from the Presbyterian church across the street in the 1860s in a bitter dispute over the issue of slavery. Or so the story goes. The first Wickham in Cutchogue lived in the house that stands today next to the library. Here, she is on family ground.

I have been incredibly fortunate, she said. I have met the most wonderful people who have been unbelievably helpful to me. Everybody has something to deal with in their lives. To have people who over and over I can go back to and say, Can you help me? and they say Yes, I can is very powerful and very world changing.

It is not as if the past has been magically scraped away. The past has made her as surely as her present defines her.

Its not that I am free of it. That is who I am. To put it in Buddhist terms, I am free of the suffering. It doesnt make me sad or angry. I am here. There is a little space now in between things. Thats what Zen practice is. I have what I need.

Ms. Wickham has formed a sangha, or group, called Peconic Bay Zen that meets in the historic Jamesport Meeting House on Monday nights. The group has taken the summer off and will begin meeting again in September. Meanwhile, as if a Buddhist moment has inexplicably arrived on the North Fork, another group led by two Sri Lankan monks has just begun meeting on Friday nights in the old Grange Hall on Sound Avenue in Riverhead.

This moment began on an April weekend in 2011, when Ms. Wickham brought a Tibetan monk named Lama Migmar Tseten to her New Suffolk house. Her house filled up with the curious. Many who met that weekend continue to gather for North Fork Buddhist activities in various sanghas that meet nearly every day of the week.

For Ms. Wickham, the journey to now can almost be told as a book on local history. Joseph Wickham arrived in Cutchogue in 1699 and bought what would later be known as the Old House on the Cutchogue Village Green, as well as all the land west of it to what is now the North Fork Country Club, and south to the bay. He also purchased Robins Island.

His grandson, Parker, lost all of that plus a large holding in Riverhead in the aftermath of the American Revolution because he was a supporter of the British against the insurgent colonists. A son of Parker bought land just west of the familys former Cutchogue holdings and several generations of Wickhams lived there until the early 1850s, when a James Wickham and his wife, Frances, bought the farm where the family lives now and has its Main Road farm stand.

In 1854, James and his wife, who had no children, were murdered in that house by a farmhand, who was later hanged in Riverhead. James brother William took over the farm; he died in 1881 of blood poisoning. His son James took over until his death also from blood poisoning in 1914. James son Parker took over until his death in a car accident on the Main Road in Cutchogue in 1930. His brother John Parnel, Tom and Jacks father then took over. John Wickham died in 1994. Tom has run the farm since his fathers death.

There is a Shakespearean feel to Wickham history. Some of the events in Parnels life seem to be a continuation of the past. She says she might not have sought out Buddhism had they not been visited upon her, in particular her divorce.

She speaks of karma the Buddhist principle that past and present actions and intentions have future consequences.

Certain things are set in motion before our lives come about, she said. They are all the things that make up who we are. However, karma also means nothing is set in stone. Every time we take a breath we have the opportunity to change the world. Thats liberating.

While these events in her familys history are not minor issues to Ms. Wickham, her life now, as she said, is in a different place.

I have to go back generations to talk about today, she said. I grew up in a family that valued the practices of religion. These practices provided very strong roots. We had to go to church. I had to sit there. I had to sing in the choir. I had to play the piano for Sunday school Buddhism is based on a different model. It is not a question of doing something because someone told you to do it, or belief in a creed. Buddhism has no creed. It is deeply personal.

Ms. Wickhams self-discovery continues to unfold through a daily practice of seated meditation, exercise that includes long walks and awareness of the workings of her mind and emotions as she goes about the daily routines of her life.

Its important for people to know that the process of self-discovery and personal liberation takes consistent effort over time, she said. I attend to the practice every day, in specific ways that have been taught by many generations of Buddhists of all traditions and cultures. This explains in part why I am a Zen Buddhist.

The Peconic Bay Zen group meets Monday nights in the historic Jamesport Meeting House. The group is taking the summer off, but meetings will resume in September. For more information, email peconicbayzen@gmail.com.

The Long Island Buddhist Meditation Center has moved into the mid-19th-century former Grange Hall on Sound Avenue in Riverhead. Considerable remodeling of the facility has already occurred, and the leader of the group, Bhante Kottawe Nanda, will also live in the hall. The group meets on Friday nights at 7 p.m. Tuesday night meetings will also be scheduled. For more information, visit libmc.org or facebook.com/LongIslandBuddhistMeditation/.

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Quiet your mind with meditation on the North Fork - Northforker (blog)

DEAR BONNIE: My father's birthday is coming up -- the first since he passed away last year. My father's birthday parties would always be huge family gatherings, with a big dinner and a birthday cake. It became an annual tradition to which we all looked forward. The family and I are thinking of throwing him his typical birthday party, but just wishing him happy birthday in heaven this year. What do you think? -- GRETCHEN IN LITTLETON

DEAR GRETCHEN: I think that's a great idea --and your father will love it! Honoring those who have passed on by holding a meal in their honor is a practice as old as time itself.

Almost every religious tradition holds a ritual offering of food to its departed loved ones and sacred spirits.

At Passover, Jewish families leave a seat for the prophet Elijah at their Seder table, pour a cup of wine (the "Cup of Elijah"), open the front door of the home, and recite several verses (mostly from Psalms) to invite Elijah inside.

It is a common practice in Zen Buddhism to make food offerings to hungry spirits. At formal meals during sesshin, an offering bowl will be passed or brought to each person about to partake of the meal. Everyone takes a small piece of food from his or her bowl, touches it to the forehead, and places it in the offering bowl. The bowl is then ceremonially placed on the altar.

But what I am most familiar with, and what your father's birthday party reminds me of, is the ancient tradition of "dumb suppers" -- these were meals held in honor of a deceased loved one.

While it is nice to keep chatter to a minimum at a meal in honor of a loved one, dumb suppers today no longer need to be silent. You may want to jot down your favorite memories of your loved one and read them aloud at the table, taking turns with your other guests. You may want to play his favorite music, lightly, as a dinner accompaniment. This is a special celebration in honor of your father. If you send out paper invitations to your guests, write out an invitation for your father as well.

Definitely consider serving your father's favorite meal. Make sure to put a place setting and a chair at the head of the table for him! By the place setting, you can put things that remind you of him, such as a necklace or photograph. For my purposes, I place the guest of honor's chair across from mine, so that I may gaze into the space there, like divination, during the meal. Ultimately, where you place them is not important. What is important is that you serve the guest of honor's chair first, your invited guests next, and then yourself. It's the intention of hospitality that matters most.

And when it comes time to blow out the candles and cut the cake, allow him to have the first slice of cake. Leave it untouched at his place setting until cleanup time. There is a similarity to the Buddhist tradition here: The guest of honor's meal is taken outside and left as an offering to them.

When I do a dumb supper, I like to keep the environment light, life-affirming and full of happy memories.

Gretchen, your father would be honored to have another birthday party. He will be thrilled to see the whole family around the dinner table again. Cheers!

Psychic medium Bonnie Page is available for private readings by appointment at Messages from Heaven Healing and Learning Center, 272 Central Street, Leominster, or by calling 978-297-9790. Email questions for her column to bonniepage@verizon.net and include a phone number (not for publication).

Originally posted here:
Dinner and spirits: Those who have passed can still receive meal invite - Sentinel & Enterprise

The mouths of babes

Independent.ie

Parents are often asked about the moral values and life lessons that they would like to teach their children. It's less common for them to be asked about the lessons their children have taught them.

http://www.independent.ie/life/health-wellbeing/the-mouths-of-babes-36022577.html

http://www.independent.ie/incoming/article35865045.ece/d6614/AUTOCROP/h342/chidldren-playing-stock.jpg

Parents are often asked about the moral values and life lessons that they would like to teach their children. It's less common for them to be asked about the lessons their children have taught them.

William Saroyan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, said, "While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."

Paulo Coelho, writing in The Fifth Mountain, was a little more specific: "A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires."

Here are a few other lessons we can learn from them.

QUESTION EVERYTHING

Children are always asking 'why?'. This never-ending inquisitiveness can exasperate parents, especially if they don't know why the sky is blue or why the moon is round. Yet every so often a child will ask a 'why?' that an adult can't deflect or defer. When a six-year-old wants to know why you're always working, or why you're always looking for your keys or why you smoke, you can no longer hide behind self-deception. Some adults discover great power in the practice of self-inquiry, which Sri Ramana Maharshi termed "the most sacred of sacred". Children practice it without even thinking.

GET OVER IT

A child can be having a mini-meltdown in the frozen food section of a supermarket one minute, and then chasing a butterfly down a pathway the next. In other words, they don't waste energy dwelling on perceived misfortune, constructing victim narratives or holding grudges, just as they don't hang around the climbing frame in the playground bemoaning their 'nightmare morning'. If a child could detail their approach to overcoming adversity, it would probably go like this: Deal with it, move on, get an ice cream.

PRIORITISE PLAYTIME

We all know the proverb 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'. The late play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith took it a step further when he pointed out that "the opposite of play isn't work. It's depression." Adults need playtime too, of course. And children can teach us how to prioritise it.

DON'T BE STATUS-ORIENTED

"Grown-ups love figures... When you tell them you've made a new friend they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, 'What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?' Instead they demand, 'How old is he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?' Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him." So goes a famous quote from The Little Prince. The point Antoine de Saint-Exupry was making is that children aren't status-oriented. They judge people on the work they do or the car they drive - largely because they have more important things to be thinking about...

JUST SAY IT

Every so often a child will leave everyone in the room red-faced when they innocently bring up a touchy subject. They have yet to realise that complicit avoidance and collective denial are the markers of adulthood Timothy Ferris, writing in the 4-Hour Workweek, says a "person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have." Children remind us that these conversations don't have to be so uncomfortable.

FIND STILLNESS IN NATURE

Many teachers of the Zen Buddhism school of thinking talk about becoming mindful through nature. Jack Kornfield says, "If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change." Eckhart Tolle says, "Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in being. Allow nature to teach you stillness." These teachings can seem abstract until you watch the way a child responds to nature. They don't just look at a flower - they experience it. Children teach us how to truly connect to the natural world, just as they remind us to stop and smell the flowers every now and again.

ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE JOYFUL

It's easy to spot the people who have retained a sense of their childlike spirit. When they get good news, they clench their fists and deliver an emphatic 'YES!' The rest of us learn to moderate our joy when we become adults. Rather than risk disappointment, we remind ourselves that good things don't last forever. Rather than allow ourselves to be exultant, we tell ourselves that things are too good to be true. Because they live entirely in the moment, children allow themselves to experience the totality of joy. Luckily for us, it's contagious.

BE SPONTANEOUS

I once answered the door to my nephew's six-year-old friend from across the road. He had in his hand an extra-large bar of chocolate and he wanted to know if my nephew could come to his house to eat it with him. I often think about that day and how much easier adult friendships would be if they were that spontaneous and straightforward. The busyness of modern life means most of us have got into the habit of scheduling our friendships. Children remind us that the best moments are often unplanned.

Health & Living

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The mouths of babes - Independent.ie

IN MY travels around Japan or anywhere else across the globe, have I ever seen a Zen rock garden? I honestly can't even recall. If I did, this one erased all my memories of the others, and if not, then Im in luck.

On my third stop for the day on the third day in Kyoto I found myself in the Ryoan-ji, an aristocrats villa during the Heian Period converted to a Zen temple belonging to the Myoshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism in 1450.

I sat before a most calming sitea Zen rock garden, said to be the most famous rock garden in Japan and considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui or "dry landscape" composed of large rocks formation and small, smooth and polished river pebbles which were carefully selected.

How the garden is designed in a 248 square-meter rectangular plot with 15 stones of varying sizes arranged in five groups: a group with five stones, two with three stones, and two groups of two stones. The groups float on patches of moss, the (only) vegetation providing the green against the sea of white pebbles, which is carefully raked daily by the monks.

As to what the garden means, no one really knows. Some say it represents the theme of tiger carrying its cubs across a pond while others claim its an abstract concept like infinity.

The veranda of the hojo (the residence of the abbot of the monastery) is the best seat in the house, or its the spot meant to view the garden.

Heres the interesting feature of the garden it reveals only 14 stones at one time when viewed at any angle from the hojo. To be able to view the fifteenth stone one has to attain enlightenment, so it is said.

Clearly, I won't be able to view all fifteen stones on this visit not unless I can fly over the formation, or I can take the realistic path and see the scaled replica.

Just as the gardens meaning is uncertain, so is its history. No one can peg the date when the garden was actually created (15th century, perhaps?) and who designed it.

The small garden at the rear part of the hojo bears another interesting feature the tsukubai, a round stone trough with a square water basin in its center. Tsukubai literally translates to crouch and because of the basins low elevation, the user must bend over to use it, a sign of reverence and humility.

The basin may look like an ordinary rock mimicking the shape of a Chinese coin, but if one knows kanji, the square is a part of a Zen inscription. With the four kanji inscription combined with the representation of the square on the basin, the characters will reveal I only sufficiency know, which can mean, I know only satisfaction. The saying is a part of the Buddhist teachings that one already has all one needs.

The temple grounds of the Ryoanji also hold a sizable park with a pond, the Kyoyochi Pond. It was built in the 12th century as part of the aristocrats estate.

Another one off the Kyoto significant places list. The Ryoanji temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

For more photos of this feature and other travel stories, visit http://www.jeepneyjinggoy.com. For lifestyle stories, visit http://www.ofapplesandlemons.com Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com

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In Kyoto: The Ryoan-ji and the Zen rock garden | SunStar - Sun.Star

Japanese monk Seigaku lives a Zen life with as little money as possible in Berlin. The desire for popularity led Seitaro Higuchi from Tottori on the Sea of Japan to Germanys capital, transforming himself along the way. He had sought to become an actor and instead became a monk. How did this come about?

I wanted to be popular with girls, Seigaku says over the phone, laughing. He is speaking from Kyoto, where he is shooting a movie over two months in summer.

As fate would have it, the 36-year-old monk is now also an actor, playing the role of a monk who was a student of poet Matsuo Basho in a fictional documentary by Swiss filmmaker Richard Dindo.

The documentary traces the life and times of the famous poet, who has since become famous for his haiku verses. Dindo wanted to use real monks in his production and so chose Seigaku to play the role of the student and another higher-ranking monk from a temple in Kyoto to play Basho.

Seigaku, who spends most of the year in Berlin since moving there in 2011, has quite a story to tell.

Born Seitaro Higuchi, he became a Zen monk at the age of 23 after graduating from Keio University with a degree in politics.

I couldnt find a reason to work for capitalism, he recalls, thinking back to his final years at university. Instead, he was looking for something he felt would be more fulfilling.

There was also the desire for popularity. He wanted to be liked and decided to imitate someone who was already popular.

Noting that a popular senior student in his ice hockey team was also an actor, Higuchi seized his chance when a friend invited him to take part in a theater production produced by Yoko Narahashi.

The internationally renowned casting director and film producer also headed an English drama theater group for students at universities in and around Tokyo. Higuchi realized this offered him a great opportunity.

However, Higuchis enthusiasm was soon brought down to earth by Narahashi, who told him not to do anything in front of the camera. Narahashi told him he was doing too much and trying too hard, advising him to undo what he was doing. Such advice tore Higuchi apart.

Up to this point, I thought that we have a purpose in life, and that we have to find this purpose by doing the very best that we can, Higuchi recalls. It was difficult for me to change my mind-set.

At the time, Narahashi was working on The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. Higuchi wondered why such a popular actor was into samurai warriors. He realized that the Japanese kanji for samurai () contains two parts: human () and temple (). This connection between a samurai and Buddhist ways of thinking led him to develop an interest in Buddhism and Zen.

A cousin of Higuchis father was serving as a monk in a Zen temple and so he asked how best to practice Zen.

His distant relative told him the best way to practice is to become a monk. And so he did.

Higuchi decided to practice as a monk for one year at Eiheiji, one of two main temples of the Soto school of Zen Buddhism. Eiheiji is located in Fukui Prefecture.

He enjoyed living at Eiheiji very much, although life in the mountains was pretty ordinary. A typical day would consist of waking up, eating, cleaning, sitting and meditating (zazen), and sleeping. All these activities especially the cleaning routine (called samu) would be carried out with mindfulness as a part of Zen. One year at the temple turned into three years before he even knew it.

Higuchi, who had by now adopted the name Seigaku, went back to his former life in Tokyo only to realize that he needed money. He tried to earn the minimum amount needed to survive, working in an izakaya pub as a bartender and chef.

Once I earned the minimum amount, the amount I saved grew larger, he recalls. At the temple I hadnt used electric appliances like TVs, laptops, mobile phones and so on. Once I saved a little bit of money, I thought I should get a phone so that my friends would be able to communicate with me. The more I earned, the more I started living like I used to before I lived in the temple.

Eventually, he worked less and only practiced Zen. He shared an apartment with friends, where they would sit and meditate together.

His next goal would be to attempt living this kind of lifestyle in other parts of the world.

By living like this, I could prove that this way of life is OK, he says. The Zen way of life could therefore become an alternative way of life to capitalism.

Seigaku had planned to move to New York in April 2011, using a scholarship for monks from the Yokohama Zenkoji Scholarship Foundation for International Buddhist Study that would grant him 1 million for one year.

But then the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in Fukushima occurred and he changed his destination. Seigaku had just married and his wife was expecting their first child.

Nobody knew what would happen next. The situation was changing a lot, he recalls. When Germany decided to phase out its nuclear power plants, we chose to move to Berlin instead.

He arrived in Germany with his pregnant wife in May 2011. The scholarship helped them get their first apartment in Berlins Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood and his wife gave birth.

I like the relaxed atmosphere in Berlin a lot, Seigaku says. It feels like people dont seem to depend too much on capitalism and on the economy.

In Berlin, Seigaku has been meditating every day. He first did it in his apartment. Then, friends started to join him in his home. One day an attendant invited him to do it in his cafe, and the word started to spread.

For nearly two years, Seigaku has been holding zazen classes in a yoga studio, owned by another attendant, where students give donations. He also holds zazen workshops in a salon space called Ryoko that is run by Ryoko Hori and her partner, Daniel Kula. Likewise, participants dont pay a fee for the service but instead offer a donation.

Berlin has changed me, Seigaku says. Im healthier today. I have met many different people and become confident that the Zen way of living could be a real alternative for the next generation. That said, its always difficult and never stable.

Sometimes he goes to a square dressed in his black robes. He just sits there and places a bowl in front of him. Occasionally, people put food or money in his bowl.

I want to stay in Berlin because more and more people seem to be interested in my way of living, Seigaku says.

It does indeed seem that a life with less can be so much more.

Name: Seigaku (Seitaro Higuchi)

Profession: Zen monk

Born in: Singapore (My father was working as a teacher at a Japanese school at the time)

Grew up in: Tottori, Poland, U.K.

Age: 36

Key moments in career:

2001 Meets Yoko Narahashi

2007 Begins training as a monk in Eiheiji

2011 Marries and moves to Berlin

Things I miss about Japan: The clouds and the water

36

2001

2007

2011

20112011

Link:
Zen monk Seigaku: A life with less can be so much more - The Japan Times

The abbot takes his time. Question number 1 on a childhood spent in the shadow of the Korean War is greeted with a smile.

Question number 2 on Zen Buddhism is greeted with silence. Eleven seconds, to be precise its in the recorder.

In that pause suspended by time, the entourage of interpreters, staff and Korean expats surrounding us in a softly-lit room at the InKo Centre sits still in the chairs, the ferns outside the glass window stir in the breeze and Abbot Soobul Sunim peers deep into my eyes.

Can you see your own eyes? he asks me in Korean. The interpreter translates in a hurried staccato. I shake my head. Then how do you know what your eyes see?, he asks again. I mumble an answer. The abbot throws his head back and laughs the kind of laughter that comes from trying to find answers to most of lifes questions and succeeding most of the time.

Sunim has been at it since he was in his teens, exploring religions outside of Chondogyo, a Korean way of life that his family followed when they lived in Daejaeon. In 1973, when he was 20, he decided to become a Buddhist monk, shaved his head and a year later received the novice precepts from Jimyung Sunim at the Beomeosa temple in Busan, the head temple of the Jogye order.

Four years later he graduated as a monk and over the next decade opened the Anguk Zen Center where he has been chief director since. The centre works at popularising Ganwha Seon, a deep earnest questioning and the official practice method of the Jogye order, to both lay and spiritual, young and old audiences across South Korea and the world.

So far Ive guided more than 25,000 people above the age of 18 to experience Ganwha Seon, says Sunim, author of Golden Light Phoenix and the Flying Bird Without Trace: the Dharma Summary of Delivering the Mind from the Seon point of view.

Mastering the art of Zen depends on the master, and Mahayana Buddhism calls for its practice over 24 hours. That is because work and study are not separate, says Sunim who has also helmed posts at Buddhist press organisations, media networks and universities. Interestingly, he has been both abbot of the Beomeosa temple, and the head of Buddhist policemen at Busans regional police headquarters.

Sunim says the US has many practitioners trying to explore the vast realms of consciousness that exist below the seeming calm and chaos of our lives. When you are pricked does your body or mind feel the pain first? he asks. The mind senses it, I reply, but my answer indicates that Im clearly yet to feel a sense of oneness with the truth.

Sunim, who has been a vegetarian for 43 years and counts among his interests the cultures of the world, says I love Indian food, but laughs when asked to name a favourite. The abbot who wakes up at 3.30 am every day believes that enlightenment isnt the end point. Its an emotion that pushes you towards a place you return to, time and again, a place of bliss. It gives you great hope and can bring world peace.

Sunim who is in the city on a private visit, presses his palms together to indicate the end of the interview. He carefully unwraps the seung-bok, a monastic grey robe made of fibre, wears it and floats out like a cloud into the garden for the photo shoot. I want you to be happy, he tells me as I leave. And, this time I dont need the translator.

Continue reading here:
Zen and the art of soul maintenance - The Hindu

Predictability gets kind of a bad rap. But, in fact, it makes life easy. It's comforting to know what to do and how to do it. It's kind of nice when things are proceeding in an orderly fashion. You become an expert on your routine. If it's Tuesday, it must be time for tacos! And there's nothing wrong with being comfortable, confident and organized.

Except that over time, focusing too closely on only the things we are good at things that are easy and familiar can actually start to weigh on a person, says Spokane psychologist Laura Asbell. "Challenging ourselves with new endeavors and new learning and new exposures adds to who we are."

But being challenged doesn't mean you have to do something rash or even dangerous. Asbell cautions against what she calls the current culture's "over-encouragement of adventure" the feeling that it is very nearly compulsory to have some incredible feats to post on social media or report to a listener who has just innocently inquired, "How was your weekend?"

"There's a cultural expectation that we create adventures, when people have different tastes. But there are benefits to expanding your world, at a pace that fits with who you are."

She notes that novel experiences can help us learn to "push through the status quo."

It turns out that living life only within our comfort zone serves to reinforce our skill at staying in a comfortable rut "Look how successful I am at avoiding stress!"

And we are drawn to repeating things we are good at. But by regularly avoiding things that carry a risk of discomfort or embarrassment, we can end up less skilled at tackling all sorts of challenges; after all, we never get to practice those coping skills. And that, in turn, leads to more avoidance.

"I see that people's circles get smaller," says Asbell. "It's too effortful to go out and do something, and people's lives can get more and more truncated. There's less and less there, over time, and I think they are missing out."

Looking for inspiration on how to change things up this fall? Read on to learn about opportunities for trying something new ways to challenge your mind and body and social skills. It may not be easy. "In the short run, the first step will require effort and maybe a little discomfort," says Asbell. "But there's a long-term benefit that enriches and corrects our expectations, so that we will want to venture out more."

Get Off the Ground

Mica Moon Zip Tours founder and owner Rik Stewart sees people get out of their comfort zones every single day he's at work: "That is probably our theme: elevate yourself up out of your comfort zone. When we zip people, they are all there for different reasons." But no matter why people show up to jump off the nine platforms on a trail through the forest canopy on Mica Peak, Stewart says they have one thing in common: "When they get out of the their comfort zone, they open. They flower. It's so much more than adrenaline."

The story of Mica Moon Zip Tours is in itself a study in moving beyond fears. "I had been fighting cancer for 18 years," says Stewart. "And it went crazy. The tumors all came back. I was in the middle of 12 months of chemo in a 15-month period, and I thought this was going to be the end. I decided if I lived, I was going to do the things I want to do." He survived, and "I quit my job and it was the best decision I've ever made."

He runs Mica Moon with his wife, Heidi, and doesn't deny that it's a big operation and a stressful one. But Stewart says his health is better than ever: "I attribute it to the clean air, the one-on-one contact, and the new friends I have made."

Zip tours last about three-and-a-half hours and are done in groups of 10 to 12. Some people bring a friend; others may be zipping with people they just met. Regardless, Stewart says there are two ways people seem to work through their nervousness. "Some just talk, talk, talk. And then there are some who are very quiet. But everybody in the tour intuitively encourages the others even though they just met this person 20 minutes ago, and by the end of the tour they are high-fiving."

Tours are open to most everyone, and there are often accommodations that can be made for various levels of ability and age. Stewart recently zipped a couple for their 60th anniversary. There is a weight limit of 275 pounds. Everyone gets weighed, with utmost discretion, Stewart says. "I tell them, 'Here's the scariest part of the event.'"

The newest zip line just opened, and at 3,500 feet long, with a 90-second zip, Stewart says it's one of the 10 longest zip lines in the world. It's not unusual to spot wildlife like moose and bear roaming unperturbed as people zip through the trees above them, and visitors also learn a little history of the area's moonshiners and speakeasies during the ride up the mountain.

Sign up at micamoon.com/tours/classic

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ADVENTURE DYNAMICS

Three-hour zipline adventure, vertical obstacle course, giant swing and more

12410 N. Red Fir Ln., Nine Mile Falls, Washington

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TIMBERLINE ADVENTURES

Seven ziplines, three sky bridges, at a beautiful location

210 W. Sherman Ave. #131,

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

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SILVER STREAK ZIPLINE TOURS

Two courses, up to 60 mph speeds, 250 scenic acres of mountain land

516 Pine St., Wallace, Idaho

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Lose Your Inhibitions

You should try dancing! Victor can lead anybody," exclaims Elizabeth Szombathy, an instructor at Spokane's Satori Dance Studio.

On a recent visit, and after a generally informative 30-minute interview, things now seem to be headed straight out of my comfort zone. Protests over improper footwear sound hollow, and moments later I find myself standing, with studio owner Victor Smith, preparing to dance. I stare at my feet.

"Don't look at your feet. There's nothing down there," he says. Memorizing steps is not what dancing is all about at Satori. Instead, he encourages freeing the mind to focus on the music. "The term they use in Spanish is 'falling asleep to the music.' There's a conversation to be had! You don't have to break it down mathematically," Smith says.

With just the simple instruction to bend one knee and then the other, and under the influence of Smith's subtle lead, pretty soon I do indeed seem to be dancing twirling even to a merengue. He proudly notes he got a "D" in ballroom dancing. That's because, for him, dancing is something completely different something that is at the very heart of his studio's philosophy. "Satori is a term from Zen Buddhism," he explains. "It doesn't mean I memorized a cool step. It means, 'Oh! I get it!'

"You did a very nice merengue!" Szombathy says as the song ends. She tells her own story of wandering in to Satori Studio out of curiosity after a stressful day at work, just to pick up a flyer, and how she found herself dancing within minutes. An interior designer by day, she now teaches at the studio in the evenings.

"The dance is sublime," she says. "Tango is a dance that just kind of transports you into this different realm of just joy. And there's such a nice crowd of people here who you come to be friends with."

At Satori, dancers can bring a partner, or not, and choose to dance with others at the class, or just with one person. There's no alcohol, and the goal is to make beginners comfortable. After a language lesson Spanish or French depending on the evening, because dance is all about communication, says Smith dancers take the floor. Sometimes there's a live band.

Wear whatever shoes you like, although smooth-soled shoes with some sort of heel counter work best. Or try out one of the many different heel heights from the sample shelves at the studio. Some dancers dress up and make it an evening, others don't. After an hour lesson costing just $10, you will be dancing.

"You spend the rest of your life getting good at it," says Smith, "but that's like anything." He notes a friend was invited to a get-together and was somewhat sad afterward. "It wasn't a party. No one was dancing."

View the schedule at satorispokane.com; for more info call 509-315-7691.

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SPOKANE DANCE COMPANY

Dance lessons for all ages in a fun and inviting atmosphere

2424 North Monroe, Spokane

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DANCE CENTER OF SPOKANE

Diverse range of styles, all ages are welcome

1407 E. 57th Ave., Spokane

dancecenterofspokane.com

DANCE CLASS SPOKANE

Anyone from beginner to expert is welcome

CenterPlace Event Center2426 N. Discovery Pl., Spokane Valley

Southside Senior Center | 3151 E. 27th Ave. Spokane

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Get Dirty

Some people are most comfortable when they know exactly what to do, how to do it, and the outcome to expect. They like to be in control. Success is clearly defined, and if something doesn't go as planned, well, that's a failure. If that sounds like you, then getting out of your comfort zone might entail doing something unpredictable and, well, messy.

For thousands of years, humans have been unleashing their creativity and individuality to create beautiful and often practical items from clay. Just don't think you're going to be totally in charge of what happens when you get your hands on that inert-looking blob of damp earth.

"The clay is going to talk to you," says JoDee Moody, a teacher and resident artist at Spokane's Urban Art Co-op. "It's gonna become what it wants to become. You think you're gonna make one thing, and it turns out to be something totally different."

There are two main types of clay work: Hand-building, which entails using slabs and coils of clay that are pressed and pinched together to create all kinds of things, and the more familiar art of throwing pottery on the wheel.

People of all ages, from kids and people under 30 to new empty-nesters, are coming to the Co-op to sample both styles in 5- or 8-week class sessions, says Moody. Demand has been strong, and in April the nonprofit moved to a new 3,000-square-foot location on North Monroe a space nearly twice the size of its previous home.

Clay art appeals to people who have worked with it in school when they were younger; some sign up with a friend or family members for something new to do together, or sometimes people sign up after they have "gone through a significant event in their life," says Moody. But regardless of what draws students to working with clay, to creating something with their hands, "what it does is it gives people peace of mind. There's no right and wrong, you can set away all your problems and just have fun."

Because basic clay is a relatively inexpensive natural material, there's plenty of room for experimenting. "With clay, it's just clay. If it breaks, you can make another one. It's very freeing. But I tell people, don't get attached to your piece. There's lots of things that can happen," says Moody, who hand-builds all kinds of things from wall art to birdhouses. Glazes can run and mix in ways you might not have imagined, and not every piece survives firing intact. But that's okay. "That's what's so good about clay. You don't have to make it perfect. If you want a perfect mug, go to Walmart and buy one."

Fall classes start in September, and after taking one class, the co-op offers memberships for $30 a month. Members get a locker to store their clay in and access to the studio, where resident artists offer tips and inspiration.

Sign up for classes at http://www.urbanartcoop.org or call (509) 327-9000.

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SPOKANE POTTERS' GUILD

A non-profit studio that promotes knowledge of pottery

1404 N. Fiske, Spokane

spokanepottersguild.org

THE CLAY CONNECTION

Friendly atmosphere that encourages new opportunities for everyone

714 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane

clayconnection.net

HANDS TO ART STUDIO

Helpful staff ready to help with design, colors, and painting techniques

3115 N. Government Way Ste., 4 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

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Make A Connection

Face-to-face meetings with strangers can be awkward. Talking to someone next to you, while you're both facing in the same direction, is often a lot more comfortable. It's probably why parents learn that kids tend to say the most interesting, often surprising, things from the back seat of the car while they're are driving them around.

But how are adults to achieve that form of easy, no-eye-contact-necessary conversation? Perhaps by striding next to someone.

"We started [the Lantern Running Club] when we first purchased the Lantern about five years ago, because we wanted to have something that brought the community together," says Lantern co-owner Melinda Dolmage. "We started with about 15 people in the neighborhood, and now we average about 93."

"Running club" may be a bit of a misnomer, however. "The nice thing about it is there is no pressure, it's more just get out and come... We have people who come with strollers, people with baby carriers, people with dogs, people who run, people who walk," says Dolmage.

Check out the group's Facebook page on Mondays to see the map for the upcoming Tuesday run/walk. Newbies are always welcome, and there are 3- and 5-mile routes to make the event accessible to most folks. After all that exercise, join other urban trekkers for a glass of one of the special $2.50 beers at the Lantern. Who knows? You might even enjoy a deeper conversation with a new friend face to face.

Meet on Tuesdays at 6 pm at The Lantern Taphouse 1004 South Perry.

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MANITO RUNNING CLUB

Saturdays, 8 am, 5-6 mile run

Meet at 18th & Grand Parking lot

manitorun.net

FLIGHTLESS BIRDS

Tuesdays from April to November, 6 pm, all skill levels

Zentropa Pizzeria & Pub, Cheney

facebook.com/flightlessbirds-runningclub

FLEET FEET SPORTS

A variety of training groups, 12 week programs

511 Sherman Ave., CDA, Idaho1303 N. Washington St., Spokane

fleetfeetspokane.com

See the rest here:
Bye-Bye Comfort Zone - Pacific Northwest Inlander

The practice of Zen meditation or Zazen is at the heart of the Zen Buddhist experience. Originally called Dhyana in India, Zen meditation is a very simple yet precise method of meditation, where the correct posture is imperative. The Room

Before starting your meditation, you need to find a quiet and peaceful place where you will not be disturbed. The room where you will practice in should not be too dark or too bright, too warm or too cold.

There are different ways that you can practice Zen meditation. Traditionally, only the full lotus position or the half lotus position is used. If you lack flexibility, it is also possible, yet least recommended, to practice Zazen kneeling or to sit on a chair.

Zazen is practiced sitting on a zafu, a thick and round cushion, in the full lotus (Kekkafuza in Japanese) or half-lotus position (Hankafuza in Japanese). The purpose of this cushion is to elevate the hips, thus forcing the knees to be firmly rooted to the floor. This way, your Zazen will be a lot more stable and also comfortable. Additionally, you need to have a zabuton, which is a rectangular mat that is placed under the zafu to cushion the knees and legs.

Ideally, its is recommended that you buy a zafu but, as a beginner, you can fold up a thick blanket to work as a zafu. Zafus are usually around 13-14 inches in diameter but can be found in a variety of sizes. You can also utilize a thick blanket as a homemade zabuton.

For the half-lotus position, put either foot on top of the opposite thigh, and place the other foot on the floor underneath the other thigh. For the full lotus position, put each foot on the opposite thigh with the line of the toes matching the outer line of the thighs. It is important to push the sky with the top of your head and to push the floor with your knees.

These postures might seem uncomfortable and unnatural for most beginners, but with practice, your legs and hips will become more flexible, your mind will relax, and you will find the posture to be quite comfortable.

If these postures are too uncomfortable, try sitting in seiza, the traditional kneeling position used in Japan for regular sitting in daily life. If that posture is also too uncomfortable, you can use a meditation bench. You can also sit on a chair without using the backrest.

The important point of this posture is to keep the body upright and well balanced; try not to lean in any direction, neither right nor left, neither forward nor backward.

Whatever the position you choose to adopt, make sure that your back and neck stay as straight as possible. Pull your chin in a little to erect the neck and try to push the sky with the top of your head. Do not be too tensed or too relaxed while you do this; try to find balance in your posture. Keep your mouth closed during zazen; your teeth should be together, and your tongue should be against the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth.

Traditionally in Zen, the eyes are kept open during meditation. This prevents the meditator from daydreaming or becoming drowsy. Without focusing on nothing in particular, direct your vision about one meter in front of you on the floor. Your eyes will naturally come to rest in a position that is half opened and half closed. When doing zazen in a soto dojo (meditation hall), the meditator sit facing a wall in order to avoid distracted by external movement. It is suggested to do the same at home.

The position of the hands during Zazen is the same for the full lotus, half lotus, seiza and chair positions. This hand position is called the Cosmic Mudra or Hokkaijoin in Japanese. First, put your left hand on the right one, and palms turned towards the sky. Now, make an oval by touching the tips of the thumbs together so that your thumbs touch each other and form a somewhat straight line. The tips of your thumbs should lightly touch each other. Both of your wrists should rest on your thighs; the edge of your hands should rest against your belly. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

There are two reasons for this hand position. First, shape of the hands harmonizes the condition of our minds. The meaning of the mudra is beyond duality. Secondly, if your mind is somewhere else when you sit, naturally the shape of this oval becomes distorted. This can be a signal for yourself that something is wrong with your meditation and for your teacher so that he can correct you.

Zen breathing cannot be compared with any other, and it is a fundamental part of the Zazen practice. The correct breathing can only be achieved through the right posture. During Zazen, breathe quietly through the nose and keep the mouth closed.

Try to establish a calm, long and deep natural rhythm. You should focus on exhalation while inhalation is done naturally. Zen breathing and martial arts breathing are similar, and they can be compared to the mooing of a cow or the roaring of a tiger.

As with breathing, the mindset is essential in the practice of Zen meditation. The right state of mind emerges naturally from a deep concentration on the posture and breathing. During zazen, it is normal to have images, thoughts and emotions coming up to the surface, appearing from the unconscious mind. Do not pursue them or fight escape from them. The more you try to get rid of them, the more attention you give them, and the stronger they become. Try not to attach to them. Just let them go without judgement, like clouds in the sky.

So, as soon as you become aware that you are interacting or grasping on thoughts, immediately bring back your concentration to your posture and breathing; your mind will settle down naturally.

With experience, you will have less and less thoughts during Zazen, and your mind will come to rest more easily and more quickly.

As Zen master, Taisen Deshimaru said: By simply sitting, without looking for any goal or any personal benefit, if your posture, your breathing and your state of mind are in harmony, you will understand the true Zen; you will understand the Buddha's nature.

Now its time to start Zazen. To avoid distraction, it is recommended that you practice facing a wall, as you would do in a training hall (dojo) or a monastery. Place your zafu on your zabuton so that, once sitting, your body is about one meter away from the wall. If you are using a kneeling bench or a chair, also try to position yourself a meter away from the wall.

Once you have taken the position that is the most comfortable for you, take a few deep breath. Close your hands into a fist with your thumbs inside your fingers and the back of your hands on your knees, with the fingers up. Now, slowly balance your body from left to right three or four times.

Next, do gassho. Place your palms against each other as if in prayer, and bend forward a few seconds as a sign of respect for the Buddha and the Buddhas teaching or Dharma. Finally, place your hands in the Hokkaijoin position, and keep your back and neck straight (push the sky with the top of your head) and start Zazen. As a beginner, it is advised to practice for 15 to 30 minutes. A good way to keep track of timer during zazen at home, instead of checking time constantly, is to use a meditation timer on your phone. I would recommend two timer: Enso for iOS and Undo for Android.

Once you have finished Zazen, do gassho again. Remain sitting on the cushion calmly and quietly for a few moments; don't hurry to stand up. Try not to talk for a few minutes after completing Zazen.

*These images were respectfully taken from the highly recommended book "How to Practice Zazen" by Gudo Nishijima and Joe Langdon.

Learn more about Zazen (video): How to do Zazen?

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ZEN BUDDHISM | Practice | Zen Meditation Guide (zazen guide)