I have visited the Peoples Republic of China on four different occasions since 1996 and during these trips I must have visited more than fifty different temples. Each visit would envitably end up in the Gift Store where I would always buy too much stuff to bring back to the states. I still have stuff in boxes in my Garage. Anyway, in each of these temples there would be music playing very loudly, so I thought I 'd share a sample of the current music of Chinese Buddhism played in temples today in China.
I don't normally do this but I was so taken by this post that I am adding a link to it. I was very taken by the authors honesty and insight. I hope you enjoy.
Lifting a large, yellow pear from a bowl of fruit that someone had placed on the flatbed, Louie Wing said, “For example, this pear is one aspect of many things: a pear tree, sunshine, water, earth, time, and so on. What we call a ‘pear’ is not really a pear, but is just one aspect of all these various things, ultimately including all of time and space. If we took away any one of the things that make up this particular pear, this pear could not exist. I am sure all of you would agree that would be a pity.” …
Good friends, while such philosophizing can lead you to insight and knowledge, it remains an abstract theory until its reality, which this conceptual framework attempts to indicate, is intimately experienced. Talking about or describing the taste, texture, and refreshment of eating pears can only be truly understood by someone that has eaten pears. Zen is not concerned with abstract theorizing and philosophical erudition. It is the direct experience of reality or buddha-nature that Zen is interested in engendering within you. Once this is realized, the true power of words and doctrines become accessible in a meaningful, useful way.
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued,''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''
Beginning a sitting practice is tough work, particularly when we are burdened with wrong conceit. Wrong conceit is the view that someone (either self or other) is lower, higher or the same. Any of these views can be a big hindrance to practice. I know because I have experienced this first hand just observing my self. Especially when I hear someone say something like "I practice sitting for 15 minutes a day" and my comparing mind goes to work and tells me "oh I'm so much better than that." Or when some other sitting champion says "I sit four times a day." And the comparing mind goes to work and thinks: "Oh how can I compare to that, I'm not doing anything compared to that." Or it can even be something like oh I'm sitting the same as him so we are equals. I'm using sitting as an example but really this can apply for any aspect of practice/life. Thoughts that we are better, worse, or the same are not helpful and conversely can be harmful not only to your own practice but also to others. Take a moment to think about it and this becomes a no brainer, winning and losing can cause animosity, excessive pride, frustration, etcetera. Saying someone is the same when they are not can also cause animosity, excessive pride, frustration, etcetera. You have probably seen this too. This path to salvation is not a competition.
Keeping that in mind, something I have enjoyed recently, and would like to explore more, is sitting without a timer. Or allowing myself the room to sit without any specific time allotted for it. It has really had a freeing affect on my sitting. So I would like to recommend to everyone to try it sometime, Not necessarily all the time. But some time just don't rely on the clock, don't worry about the sitting being long or short, if your legs get tired feel free to stretch out or take a walk, forget about the rigid schedule and just enjoy the sitting doing itself.
*A note to folks with families who are early morning sitters, I highly recommend this be done waking up early in plenty of time for the family to sleep away while you get your cushion squashing on, and you may run in to problems getting to work on time if you try this on a work day morning. Running late to work could lead you to not getting your lunch prepared on time; which may lead to not getting the potatoes cooked prior to leaving; which may lead to you trying to cook them in the lunch room in a non-microwave safe dish; which may lead to a fire occurring in the microwave which could be unpleasant in a number of ways.
If you have just started sitting-Zen there are some useful instructions to be found here:
. Why is it than anyone might seek out the "ultimate truth?" Or the "relative truth," either, for that matter?
It seems to me that if such things were achievable, the best that could come of it would be an enhancement of the achiever's standing and thus a prolonging of suffering. .
A post in the blog All Considering came up with a quick and easy definition of what a "real" Buddhist is...
A real Buddhist, in my view, and in the Traditional Asian view, is someone who has taken refuge. That is, in a solemn ritual they have taken refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. I have not done that so I'm not officially a Buddhist.
Really? A ceremony makes a Buddhist real? While I won't stomp over some one's opinion or their personal definitions of Buddhism, I will make an attempt to better define what a Buddhist is. Although, granted, my definition will be as flimsy as any other definition offered. It is next to impossible to say what being a Buddhist means to such a diverse group of practitioners but I can go deeper into how I define myself as a Buddhist.
The ceremonial aspect of taking refuge in the 3 Jewels is important step in the practice of Buddhism but does not define a Buddhist as real or not. Most Buddhists will take those vows eventually in the evolution of their practice but it is by no means necessary to make it "official" by involving a monk or priest or piece of paper. I made those vows for myself one morning after a horrific event in my life. The bottom of my pail fell out and it was time to refill it. I took the vows and I began daily practice and I am a Buddhist. If I took those same vows in front of a monk or priest they would have meant next to nothing compared to when I was driven through my own experience to make them. Which would make me a "real" Buddhist, I wonder.
This is not to say that the "official" taking of refuge (or the precepts or intense meditative retreats) is without merit. They serve a purpose in deepening one's commitment to their practice and to Buddhism. Also, if one is looking for guidance with their own exploration of Buddhism then it is important to ascertain whether or not a teacher is "authentic". In the end it is really up to the individual how much emphasis they put on the ritualistic or organizational aspects of Buddhist practice. I put great emphasis on the ritualistic but very little on the organizational. This is not a definite - It is just my practice now.
Whether you want to call your self a Buddhist is up to you, the individual, to decide. If you are a practicing Christian or Jew and wish to label yourself as a Buddhist as well - then by all means - Do so. If it helps your practice and understanding of the Dharma then do it. If you don't feel that the label of Buddhist is right for you or if you think that your practice is contrary to the fundamental teachings of the Buddha then do not call yourself one. It means very little to me whether or not you consider yourself a Buddhist. If you are applying the Dharma to your own life in a way that fits your life - Then I couldn't be happier.
Now, I may be mistaken but a "solemn" ritual does not necessarily entail monastic representation for one to take refuge. I take refuge daily in my own practice but I have no specific ceremonial experience to speak of. Do I really need someone to tell me that it isn't "real" unless it is witnessed by a monastic or lay-ordained practitioner? I don't try to pretend to be anything that I am not. I am not lay-ordained or a monastic and I have very little experience in the realm of monastic practice. My practice is mostly home-centered and with a small lay sangha (mostly, two are lay-ordained). This does not make my practice and experience any less relevant compared to someone with more practice in a monastic setting.
My thoughts are simple in this manner - You learn from what resources are available to you at this time in your life. Don't spend your days wishing that you had a larger sangha or a monastery close by. Or a specific school or sect that is nearer to what you think Buddhist practice should be. Use what is available to you now. Your only enemy is a lack of striving.
Its really all just tools. We are trying to build something...why would you worship the specific hammer that you are using when the big picture is the process of building. Zen is my hammer for now but it may be that sometime in the future a new tool is needed...just have to wait and see.
Cheers,
[Jack Daw is a non-lay-ordained home practitioner of Buddhism. He has no specific lineage or teacher. Instead he grabs what he can like a crow picking a carcass. He currently practices Zen but that could change as the wind does not blow from the same direction everywhere. He does however think that all beings deserve compassion. He is also fighting a three day flu and feeling quite pissy right now - but this will pass.]
According to the Buddhist Dictionary, Jukai literally means “to receive” or “to undertake the Precepts”. It is the ceremony both of one’s formally committing to the Buddhist Sangha and to the practice of Zen Buddhism, and of one’s undertaking the Sixteen Mahayana Bodhisattva Precepts as guidelines for life.
Traditionally for Jukai, one receives from a teacher a rakusu, which represents the robe of the Buddha, a kechimyaku, written lineage chart connecting the recipient to the Buddhas and Ancestors, and a Dharma name selected by the teacher and representing qualities of the recipient’s personality and practice. The Soto Sect’s Shumucho (Religious Affairs Office in Japan) wrote:
Though people approach it with different motivations, all participants must realize that in Jukai-e they inherit the life and quintessence of Buddhism as passed down correctly by generation after generation of Ancestors since the days of ancient India.
When do you take Jukai?
Nishijima Roshi wrote that one should take Jukai at the start of their study of Buddhism:
When a Buddhist seeks to commence upon the study of Buddhism, there is first a ceremony which should be undertaken: It is called ‘Jukai,’ the “Receipt of the Precepts”, the ceremony in which one receives and undertakes the Precepts as a disciple of the Buddha. … Master Dogen specifically left us a chapter entitled ‘Jukai,’ in which it is strongly emphasized that, when the Buddhist believer first sets out to commence Buddhist practice ….. be it monk, be it lay person, no matter ….. the initial needed steps include the holding of the ceremony of Jukai and the undertaking of the Precepts.
I took my first Jukai after being a Buddhist for more than 15 years. For me it was not a really big thing, it just happened to be an option so I took it. But ultimately I believe you can take it anytime and any number of times for that matter.
So how does it work? What do you do?
The Jukai ceremony itself wasn’t so impressive. It was just me, my wife and a computer as we we’re doing the ceremony online. We did some ceremonies , some bowing, some chanting and some zazen. It was more or less like anything you do in life – ordinary.
The thing about Jukai is not the ceremony itself, that’s just the “end of the beginning of the journey”. In my lineage we we’re supposed to sew our own rakusu and study the texts about the meaning of the Precepts. It’s not just to step up and take a ticket, it’s hard work. Sewing the rakusu is a tremendously arduous endeavour, but also a very good practice: the rakasu is made up of a lot of little pieces of cloth which have to be handsewn together in preordered fashion.
The precept study on the other hand was made up as a book club, taking you through the Precepts one at a time, with lots of great discussions on the way. This is a helpful way to approach the Precepts. By not confronting them all at once. Slowly and steadily considering them, putting them up against each other so to speak, you realize they are not that different either in manner or goal.
Precepts are at the core of Jukai. In the chapter on Jukai in his work Shobogenzo Master Dogen pointed out that precepts were central to our practice:
Unless we accept the Precepts, we are not yet a disciple of the Buddhas, nor are we an offspring of our Ancestral Masters, because they have considered one’s departing from error and resisting wrong to be synonymous with practicing meditation and inquiring of the Way. The words, “They have made the Precepts foremost” are already what the Treasure House of the Eye of the True Teaching is.
What does Jukai stand for?
The representation of Jukaj and the Precepts are about us trying, as much as we can, live in a manner unharmful, healthy and helpful to ourselves and others, knowing that ultimately there is no separation between us and others. It is also equally important to understand that the precepts are not commandments in the Judeo-Christian sense, they are more like guidelines for us along the way. You won’t go to hell if you break them, but you might encounter some hardships.
Secondly, the Jukai ceremony is a commitment to live by the Precepts, “do the Dharma” and be “Buddhists” in a sense. It represents a vow to seek to remain within the Precepts although our human nature might push us sideways. The ceremony does not make you into a Buddhist, you already are. You might say that it celebrates the fact.
Thirdly, the Jukai ceremony stands for a commitment to continue the practice, to the sangha and to the teacher, knowing that ultimately there is no separation.
Fourthly, it is a statement to yourself and others that you are trying to “draw your straw to the anthill”, “do your part”, and try to do “good things”.
As I see it the Jukai puts an emphasis on a number of things, the precepts, a sort of confession/commitment, a statement.
I learned more from the journey towards Jukai than I have leaned during the rest of my “life as a Buddhist”. The question is if it will change anything.
Now, I may anger some people by saying that taking Jukai isn’t such a big thing. It was not for me. It doesn’t involve earthchanging moments, no strikes of lighting to the head or anything dramatic like that. It just confirms what you already know and do. For me it’s not a big thing, but for some it might. Ultimately, the real significance of Jukai will be that which every recipient finds for him/herself.
Have you noticed a great aversion to meditate? Have you seen it? Have you felt it – an inner resistance to meditate? Is not our resistance evidence of a subconscious fear that meditation will lead to remarkable change?
We have much to lose by looking inward – a deep-seated attachment to a false and complex identity that touches every aspect of our lives. What happens if that false identity begins to collapse? Who would not be afraid?
And yet we have much more to gain by looking inward - an immense and profound freedom/understanding that reaches far beneath and beyond our currently contrived sense of self.
So take the resistance as a good indication. It is a sign that your meditation is genuine, that your meditation is beginning to touch formerly unseen places. It is a sign that an amazing transformation could happen at any moment. It is to be sure, a very good sign.
A violent mob drove Buddhist monks and nuns from Bat Nha monastery in Vietnam over the weekend, according to several news stories. Agence France-Presse reports that more than 100 monks fled Bat Nha on Sunday when a mob armed with hammers and batons showed up and threatened then. About 200 nuns left Bat Nha earlier today.
The monks and nuns of Bat Nha are followers of the internationally revered Vietnamese Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Thich Nhat Hanh fell into the bad graces of the Vietnamese government last year when he told an Italian interviewer that His Holiness the Dalai Lama should be allowed to return to Tibet. The government of China then pressured Hanoi into punishing Thich Nhat Nanh's disciples living in Vietnam.
This is less about mixing religion and politics and more about well-respected religious leaders speaking out against brutality and ignorance. Many say that Buddhism is a docile and "removed" religion but its leaders will speak out when necessary and they do so honestly. But it should always be remembered that any "state-sanctioned" religion will lead to ignorance and intolerance even under the best of circumstances. Best of luck to those monks.
