Five remembrances and transition...

Hi.

This short Dharma talk is an discussion on what to recite upon an funeral/ remebrance ceremony. Mostly (or commonly) in the ZenBuddhist society you read the Heart sutra (se Below). But i would also reccomend the "the five remembraces" from the Upajjhatthana Sutta.

The Five Remembrances (from the Upajjhatthana Sutra)
I am of the nature to grow old.
There is no way to escape growing old.
I am of the nature to have ill-health.
There is no way to escape having ill health.
I am of the nature to die.
There is no way to escape death.
All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change.
There is no way to escape being separated from them.
My deeds are my closest companions.
I am the beneficiary of my deeds. My deeds are the ground on which I stand.

Birth will end in death.
Youth will end in old age.
Meetings will end in separation.
All things in cyclic existence are transient, are impermanent.

The Buddhas cannot wash our sins with water.
They cannot remove our suffering with their hands.
They cannot transfer their insights to us.
All they can do is teach the Dharma.
I am my own protector.

Actually as Thich Nhat Hanh put them forth in his book The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching it's only the first section that is "the five remebrances", but recommend the whole section.

As for the heart sutra it goes a little like this (the backslashes is for showing how to say it...):

The Heart of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
(Maka Hannya Haramita Shin Gyo)

A/vo/lo/ki/tes/va/ra/ Bo/dhi/satt/va/, A/wa/kened/ One/ of/ Com/pas/sion/,
In/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/, the/Deep/ Prac/tice/ of/ Per/fect/ Wis/dom/
Per/ceived/ the/ emp/ti/ness/ of /all /five /con/di/tions/,
And/ was/ free/ of/ suf/fer/ing/.
O/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, form/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ emp/ti/ness/,
Emp/ti/ness/ no/ o/ther/ than/ form/;
Form/ is/ pre/cise/ly/ emp/ti/ness/, emp/ti/ness/ pre/cise/ly/ form/.
Sen/sa/tions/, per/cep/tions/, for/ma/tions/ and/ con/scious/ness/ are/ al/so/ like/ this/.
O/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, all/ things/ are/ ex/pres/sions/ of/ emp/ti/ness/,
Not/ born/, not/ des/troyed/, not/ stained/, not/ pure/;
Nei/ther/ wax/ing/ nor/ wan/ing/.
Thus/ emp/ti/ness/ is/ not/ form/; not/ sen/sa/tion/ nor/ per/cep/tion/,
not/ for/ma/tion/ nor/ con/scious/ness/.
No/ eye/, ear/, nose/, tongue/, bo/dy/, mind/;
No/ sight/, sound/, smell/, taste/, touch/, nor/ ob/ject/ of/ mind/;
No/ realm/ of/ sight/, no/ realm/ of/ con/scious/ness/;
No/ ig/no/rance/, no/ end/ to/ ig/no/rance/;
No/ old/ age/ and/ death/,
No/ ces/sa/tion/ of/ old/ age/ and/ death/;
No/ suf/fer/ing/, nor/ cause/ or/ end/ to/ suf/fer/ing/;
No/ path/, no/ wis/dom/ and/ no/ gain/.
No/ gain/ - thus/ Bod/dhi/satt/vas/ live/ this/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/
With/ no/ hin/drance/ of/ mind/ -
No/ hin/drance/ there/fore/ no/ fear/.
Far/ be/yond/ all/ de/lu/sion/, Nir/va/na/ is/ al/rea/dy/ here/.
All/ past/, pre/sent/ and/ fu/ture/ Budd/has/
Live/ this/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/
And/ re/al/ize/ su/preme/ and/ com/plete/ en/light/en/ment/.
There/fore/ know/ that/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/
Is/ the/ sac/red/ man/tra/, the/ lu/min/ous/ man/tra/,
the/ sup/reme/ man/tra/, the/ in/com/pa/ra/ble/ man/tra/
by/ which/ all/ suf/fe/ring/ is/ clear/.
This/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ Truth/.
There/fore/ set/ forth/ the/ Praj/na/ Pa/ra/mi/ta/ man/tra/.
Set/ forth/ this/ man/tra/ and/ pro/claim/:

Gate! Gate! (Already Gone, Gone)
Paragate! (Already Gone Beyond)
Parasamgate! (Already Fully Beyond)
Bodhi! Svaha! * (Awakening, Rejoice)

But what the both texts really say is everything change, or do they?

May the force be with you
Fugen

Bookreview: The mind of clover

Hi.

Robert Aitken has practiced Buddhism for more than half a century. He is an American Zenmaster (now “retired”), a writer and teacher of vast reputation.
His beginning as a Buddhist resulted from being a prisoner of the Japanese in the Second World War, where he met R. R. Blythe and D. T. Suzuki as fellow inmates.
When he came back to america after the war he met Nyogen Senzaki, with whom he continued to study Buddhism. Aitken has returned to Japan on several occasions to study for a number of masters including Haku'un Yasutani.
He has written more than than 10 books on Buddhism, and resides on Hawaii.

Aitken's approach is clear and sure as he shows how our minds can be as nurturing as clover, which enriches the soil and benefits the environment as it grows.

The presentation written on the back of the book couldn't be more true.
Aitken states his aims regarding the book to beas "being to clarify the precepts for use by the Western students of Buddhism", “as a way to help make Buddhism a daily practice.” and prevent Zen from becoming a hobby, which is “made to fit the needs of the ego.” The mind of clover is a compilation of essays, some of which have been previously published.

The first chapter is an “overview” of the nature of the precepts, followed by 10 chapters on the the grave precepts, One precept per chapter. Aitken further points out, that the precepts are "not commandments etched in stone but expressions of inspiration written in something more fluid than water."
Aitken approaches these precepts, the core of Buddhist ethics, from several perspectives, offering many layers of interpretation.

The dharma is the law of the universe, a law that may be expressed simply: "one thing depends upon another".

His interpretations and explanations grows and widens, and his focus expands to include a wide variety of topics and views concerning the precepts.
After the chapters on the Ten Grave Precepts, we have ten further chapters, which are taken from Dharma talks or teishos given by Aitken Roshi. In these chapters he writes about everything from Ecology to religious activism, the self, and who to blame...

This is the great joke of Zen. It is the great joke of the universe. There is no absolute at all, and that is the absolute. Enlightenment is practice, as Dogen Zenji said.
And what is practice?
Getting on with it.

It is hard to find any good books on the ten grave precepts, this makes Aitkens book even more special. Not only does it take up the ten precepts, it also puts them under focus and puts new perspectives on them. And as a extra bonus you get some extra chapters all wonderfully narrated in that special style that Aitken uses about an variety of things.
All in all, a book to keep.

May the force be with you
Fugen

Bookreview: suffering is optional (att lida är valfritt)

Hi.

The author of suffering is optional, Cheri Huber has been studying Buddhism for over 30 years, written 19 books, started two zen centers, has an weekly radioshow and holds regular reterats and talks.

It takes courage to look deeply into oneself

What Cheri Huber writes in the Introduction to this book, can not be more true. If you are willing to take the step, this is the book for you.
This is a wise, practical and useful book without any esoteric influences, for all who are interested in Buddhist philosophy.
It is based on a Buddhist course, which the author held on the web with over 500 participants and it centers around three basic aspects of Buddhist practice: awareness, to abandon prejudices and not take things personally.
The book urges readers to be willing to be quiet and pay attention to the process of suffering in effort to see each moment as an opportunity to step beyond illusion into freedom.

We suffer when we resist life. We suffer when we believe life should be different. We suffer when we think there is something wrong with life that needs to be changed or fixed

Instead of taking up a subject in each chapter, it contains an assignment for the reader to do and investigate. It can be a simple task like taking a deep breath. She then goes on to add some comments made by the participants and by her self, neatly wrapping it all together, within a few pages for each assignment.
One of the many things that got me attracted to the book was that there was short "assigments" you could do and experience one by one in no particular order, almost anywhere, anytime. Another thing is that it seems written for "the ordinary people", without any prerequisites required. But don't be fooled, as the author points out:

I remind people with annoying regularity that if this practice were easy it would be more popular. Consider that, please. Look around and see what has thousands or even millions of 'adherents.' What do those things have in common? I would suggest that they all share the quality of people being exactly as they are while having something hopeful to believe. Very popular. Compare that with a practice that encourages people moment by moment to go up against, see through, and embrace the worst stuff in life.

All in all it is an good introduction and practical gateway to the buddhist world, and to see for yourself what needs to be done with your life.

May the force be with you
Fugen

The dharma is not something separate from ourselves

Hi.

We perceive Zen, the Dharma, and the Way to be outside of ourselves. But it is a serious error to create a distance between yourself and these things in this manner. If you make a separation between yourself and what you are looking for, no matter how much effort you make to lessen that distance, that effort will be in vain.

- The Essence of Zen, Sekkei Harada

Do not separate between hot and cold.
Nor between this and that.

May the force be with you
Fugen

Buddhism, Western Psychology and knowing

Hi.

One important question always seems to come up when Western psychologists begin to study Buddhism. Does one have to become a Buddhist in order to learn about Buddhism?
The answer is that of course one does not, but it must be asked in return, what does one want to learn?
What Buddhism really has to teach the Western psychologist is how to relate more closely with his own experience, in its freshness, its fullness, and its immediacy. To do this, one does not have to become a Buddhist, but one does have to practice meditation.
It is certainly possible to study only the theory of Buddhist psychology. But in doing so, one would miss the point. Without experience to rely on, one would end up simply interpreting Buddhist notions through Western concepts. A good taste of meditation is actually necessary in working with oneself and others.

-Chögyam Trungpa, The Sanity We Are Born With

This is a question also asked in Bärmarks "Jag vet inte" ("i dont know"), what do you need to do something?
In this case do you need to be a buddhist to study buddhism?
It's the same as asking "do you need to be sick to be an doctor and heal people" is it not?
You might know things "in theory", but can you really "KNOW"?

May the force be with you
Fugen

You're It !

Hi.

We have the habit of always looking outside ourselves, thinking we can get wisdom and compassion from another person or the Buddha or his teachings (Dharma) or our community (Sangha).
But you are the Buddha, you are the Dharma, you are the Sangha.

–Thich Nhat Hanh, Answers from the Heart

Its the same as hakuins poem:

All beings are Buddha by nature,
just as water and ice are the same.
Without water there’s no ice,
outside of beings, no Buddha.

The important point is to start with you.
Don't go looking elsewhere for it.
You're it.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

The Actualization of Enlightenment

Hi.
Hi.

Today we have a little bit on enlightenment, actually it's from the Dogen's Genjokoan...

When all things are the Buddha-dharma, there is enlightenment, illusion, practice, life, death, Buddhas, and sentient beings.
When all things are seen not to have any substance, there is no illusion or enlightenment, no Buddhas or sentient beings, no birth, or destruction.
Originally the Buddhist Way transcends itself and any idea of abundance or lack--still there is birth and destruction, illusion and enlightenment, sentient beings and Buddhas.
Yet people hate to see flowers fall and do not like weeds to grow.

http://www.terebess.hu/english/dogen2.html

Everything is as it is.
But what is it?

May the force be with you
Fugen