
Monday, December 14, 2009
close-up

Monday, December 07, 2009
Happy Bodhi Day!
Satoru has two meanings--one is “Amazing Friend,” and the other is more like “Awaken, become lucid, conscious, discover." 悟る。Words point to words.
The Meaning is usually felt beyond words.
However, in the case of Basho, his was a pond, a frog diving, mid air, and the sound of water.
古池
蛙飛び込む
水の音
Probably the most famous Haiku in Japan. Interesting sidenote: in traditional Japanese that reads up-down, the last character experienced is "Sound 音"meaningfully, "Standing 立 Sun 日" visually。
“The sound of water” has many different meanings now, and one of them is
last literary line of an Enlightenment Moment.
In any case, yesterday wasn't just a celebration of the Historic Buddha’s awakened mind. It was a celebration of the awakened mind happening inside all of us. (笑) It’s in celebration of The Enlightenment, or the Consciousness, which is effortlessly the essence of this moment from the very beginning anyway, でしょう?.
And even as a non-buddhist, we might feel thanks towards Shaka,, thanks for giving us a particular soul’s “enlightenment story,” It has left us with many practices (mainly meditation) that point to the beyond words supercompleteness (spontaneously )happening everywhere,
And for nothing else, it increased the diversity of myths, symbols, and lifestyles.
Finally, (to live the tradition), Thanks be to the morning star enlightenment!
(which was surprisingly celebrated by nearly no one yesterday.)
old pond 古池
Yesterday's post:
Happy Birthday Buddhism! Today is when many buddhists celebrate the anniversary of the historic Buddha's enlightenment or "Satori".
The story goes that he was sitting under the great bodhi tree, determined not to move until he achieved liberation. He sat through the night, unmoving. As the sun began to change all the infinite colors in the sky and world around him, he rested his mind single pointedly on the morning star-- that tiny, unchanging point of light in the vast, infinite sky. It is then that he discovered the nature of mind, 悟った。He found the always already unchanging essence and suchness of mind, and "woke up."
Today's Dalai Lama wisdom teaching:
If you want others to be happy,
practice compassion.
If you want to be happy,
practice compassion.
*
Be kind whenever possible.
It is always possible."
And here is one of my Dzogchen practices, for those of you interested....
Since all phenomenal appearances, limitations and liberation, from the very beginning are the pure realm of Emptiness, they are consequently perfected, purified and ripened into divinities, prayers, songs, temples, and truths; Great Completeness is free from the efforts of abandoning or adopting; the depth of intrinsic awareness is beyond mental fabrication and known experience; May I nakedly see Reality Itself in direct actuality.
実相 じっそう suchness
真如 しんにょ thusness
如如 にょにょ isness
ありのままのすがた
純粋な、自然な、自発的な意識。
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Another interesting difference
Some great live Bobby Mcferrin. I love his facial expressions.
And now, a Culture Lesson.
But then you go to the local mall, to the bookstore next to Tower Records, and find right in the middle of the store shelves filled with gay erotic novels for young readers, fully illustrated.
This genre, called yaoi or Boys Love (BL), is primarily intended for young girls and is popular all over Japan--these books are not hidden or banned in any way.
I asked one of my Japanese friends why these are so popular and he said, “Kids are very interested in gay love stories.” More info here.
This is a typical book cover. Fascinating, yes? It seems so liberated.
Monday, November 16, 2009
print-club


the tree was cold and wet, which made the bark a wonderful purple. And i got to see Terri play. It was her first time to The Tree.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Development
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Dalai Lama in Matsuyama
The Dalai Lama spoke to a few thousand people for two-and-a-half-hours in Matusyama yesterday. Actually it was more like three hours because he stayed after for questions.
It was so funny, at the beginning he asked in Tibetan (translated into Japanese) “Who here speaks English?” Only a few people raised their hands. Then he asked the question again in perfect English and many more people raised their hands. He laughed, sat back, thought for a minute, and then said, “When I get asked a question, sometimes the question itself gives me an entirely new perspective, or a new way of looking at things.” That was the little sermon he gave the English speakers. He also said in English at the end, “If you think anything I said today was useful, please think about it again. If you don't think it was useful, you can just forget it, no problem!”
The rest of his talk was in Tibetan and Japanese. Every once in a while he would use English to clarify a certain word for the translator, so it would be “blah blah blah interdependence blah blah blah basic mental state blah blah...” That was kind of fun...
This morning I remembered many dreams, and today I felt clear and energetic all day.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Dalai Lama Consecration
The Dalai Lama came to Niihama today to consecrate a new stupa! Here he is walking into the temple courtyard. Emily and I got to participate in this event and meet him afterwards! It was...
Everyone chanted the Heart Sutra with the Dalai Lama as part of the consecration. The Heart Sutra, (which represents the heart of buddhism and the heart of existence, "Emptiness is none other than Form, Form is none other than Emptiness") they say was expounded by Avalokiteshvara itself, (the bodhisattva of compassion). The Dalai Lama, if you forgot, is believed to an embodiment of this very deity, so I found it interesting to be able to chant the heart sutra with it's original author. =)
After the consecration he invited the monks up for a group photo. It was adorable! He also went around and met everyone who participated. The Dalai Lama held my hand, looked into my eyes, and said,
"Hah, where are you from? Europe?"
"America." I replied. He then looked into Emily.
"And you?" he asked.
"Yes, America."
"I see."
It was amazing. I am so happy.



