I might be unjustly speaking for everyone here when I say: make long videos; no problem! I think we core audience peeps are just fine with this. We're at a whole different level where we are pinning for material. A 15 to 20 minute video from you flies by for us. At least, I don't think you need to be worried about length. Let 'er rip in peace.
Thanks for sharing you experience. I had/have aversion to the temple services and experiences I've had but I'm glad to hear your experience and it seems that you enjoyed it! Right on! 🤘🏽
Did you mean: Let me respectfully remind you. Life and death are of supreme importance. Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost. Each of us must strive to awaken, awaken. Take heed! Do not squander your life.
My home temple was “Deep Spring Temple” (Zen Center of Syracuse), headed by Kyoto Roberts who received Dharma Transmission from Nonan Chowany who received transmission from Katagiri Roshi. In any event, you reminded me of being a new student and participating in seshin and being an absolute nervous wreck during oryoki formal meal setting. Everything just so. And I barely ate because I was so attentive to Kyoki and aware that we were all supposed to be finished before or when the teacher is finished eating. And you had to eat everything of course. I felt so so bad and embarrassed for one woman who had piled so much on her plate that 15 or so people sat in silence listening to every mouth chew while waiting for her to be done. This was all part of the practice though. More recently I stayed at a temple in Kyoto where I was one of only 2 foreigners. There was a Japanese man on whose back the keisaku was broken. He was deeply moved to tears when they later presented him with the keisaku as a gift. It was immediately understood that they were also memorializing all the participants before him and that they were giving this object to the man for safekeeping and celebration. These were just 2 very powerful and life changing experiences of so many during sesshin. Thank you for the video. Great stuff!!
Hokoji was where I sat my first 7-Day sesshin! Interesting to hear how it has perhaps changed since the Summer of 2001. Back then, it was very rustic, with outdoor unheated showers, a kitchen tent structure on a raised platform, a zendo with a neat engawa (wrap around deck) for kinhin, some outhouses, and a field to pitch our tents. There was also this old house further down, and beautiful forest and hills, with cows mooing in a nearby valley. We had a full zendo and sat....a lot. Dokusan was inside the house. This was the retreat that seemed to imprint the value of continuous practice, as a young guy who couldnt stay away from Zen. I've since moved out West and have not been back, so it was fun to hear about a recent excursion out there. 🙏
It would be worth crossing the Iowa border to go check out Ryumonji near Decorah Iowa sometime. It’s very close to Hokyoji, and Dokai is dharma brothers with the abbot of Ryumonji. There is a lot of visiting between the two centers.
@@maarten404 Oh my! An actual snake, or are metaphorical one? There are indeed snakes down in the gullies there! I used to see them sometimes when I was running around that property or mowing or raking! But usually just harmless corn snakes and rat snakes. There are timber rattlers around, though, you’ve got to be careful!
I'm sorry my friend, you had missed my reference to a koan. Let me share it! So you and I both can suffer: Master Ungo once was at Ryumon (Dragon's gate) Temple. One day a monk was bitten in his leg by a snake. Butsugen, one of the monks, asked: "This is the Ryumon, why was he bitten by a snake?" The master, in reply, suddenly manifested the figure of the great man.
Whats the deal with socks in the zendo/during zazen? Some places forbid socks others don’t seem to have a strong opinion. A few years back, I heard a recording where the osho was going off about socks in the zendo.
Hey Brad, question. In the part where you said at the retreat you were chanting, and I will paraphrase, something to the extent of ancient karma needs to be resolved that has negative qualities of greed etc. Is this a common belief in most major Buddhist traditions? It does remind me of other religions that will say that we have fallen from grace or the garden or that humans are inherently bad and in need of a type of purification or cleansing. Thank you!
I might be unjustly speaking for everyone here when I say: make long videos; no problem! I think we core audience peeps are just fine with this. We're at a whole different level where we are pinning for material. A 15 to 20 minute video from you flies by for us. At least, I don't think you need to be worried about length. Let 'er rip in peace.
Agree! That’s why I miss his podcasts!
I agree
Totally agreed. I prefer the long format from brad, too!!
Thanks for sharing you experience. I had/have aversion to the temple services and experiences I've had but I'm glad to hear your experience and it seems that you enjoyed it! Right on! 🤘🏽
Did you mean:
Let me respectfully remind you.
Life and death are of supreme importance.
Time swiftly passes by and opportunity is lost.
Each of us must strive to awaken, awaken.
Take heed! Do not squander your life.
No! It's: Do not squander your liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii-oh-what-a-world-what-a-world-iiiife.
My home temple was “Deep Spring Temple” (Zen Center of Syracuse), headed by Kyoto Roberts who received Dharma Transmission from Nonan Chowany who received transmission from Katagiri Roshi. In any event, you reminded me of being a new student and participating in seshin and being an absolute nervous wreck during oryoki formal meal setting. Everything just so. And I barely ate because I was so attentive to Kyoki and aware that we were all supposed to be finished before or when the teacher is finished eating. And you had to eat everything of course. I felt so so bad and embarrassed for one woman who had piled so much on her plate that 15 or so people sat in silence listening to every mouth chew while waiting for her to be done. This was all part of the practice though.
More recently I stayed at a temple in Kyoto where I was one of only 2 foreigners. There was a Japanese man on whose back the keisaku was broken. He was deeply moved to tears when they later presented him with the keisaku as a gift. It was immediately understood that they were also memorializing all the participants before him and that they were giving this object to the man for safekeeping and celebration. These were just 2 very powerful and life changing experiences of so many during sesshin.
Thank you for the video. Great stuff!!
The second story sounds like it could be a case study.
Hokoji was where I sat my first 7-Day sesshin! Interesting to hear how it has perhaps changed since the Summer of 2001. Back then, it was very rustic, with outdoor unheated showers, a kitchen tent structure on a raised platform, a zendo with a neat engawa (wrap around deck) for kinhin, some outhouses, and a field to pitch our tents. There was also this old house further down, and beautiful forest and hills, with cows mooing in a nearby valley. We had a full zendo and sat....a lot. Dokusan was inside the house. This was the retreat that seemed to imprint the value of continuous practice, as a young guy who couldnt stay away from Zen. I've since moved out West and have not been back, so it was fun to hear about a recent excursion out there. 🙏
So interesting! Thanks for sharing! And some of us love longer videos (or podcasts … hint, hint). 😊
Master brad 🙏
It would be worth crossing the Iowa border to go check out Ryumonji near Decorah Iowa sometime. It’s very close to Hokyoji, and Dokai is dharma brothers with the abbot of Ryumonji. There is a lot of visiting between the two centers.
A friend of mine travels to Rymonji from Ohio a couple times a year.😊
When I went there I was bitten by a snake.
@@maarten404 Oh my! An actual snake, or are metaphorical one? There are indeed snakes down in the gullies there! I used to see them sometimes when I was running around that property or mowing or raking! But usually just harmless corn snakes and rat snakes. There are timber rattlers around, though, you’ve got to be careful!
I'm sorry my friend, you had missed my reference to a koan. Let me share it! So you and I both can suffer:
Master Ungo once was at Ryumon (Dragon's gate) Temple. One day a monk was bitten in his leg by a snake.
Butsugen, one of the monks, asked: "This is the Ryumon, why was he bitten by a snake?" The master, in reply, suddenly manifested the figure of the great man.
Probably Ryumonji has been named after this temple. I myself physically have never been near the one in Iowa or China.
sitting by yourself in a big zendo is one of the best experiences 😅
Yes, it feels like Buddhism.
One can appologise or express regret but one cannot unspeak one's words.
Wow. I think I'll do my own at home monk-ery, DIY style. Got any tips?
Just sit! ;-)
Missed a flight one time and the worst part was that I was missing my dog and my Girl.
Gather of Atonement is what we called it at the temple I used to practice at. I love chanting the Heart Sutra!❤️😎
Oryoki is fun.
Because you can do it well, or because its novel and mysterious? If you name another fun thing you like, that might help.
Did I see a Goodies book on your shelf once?
I've never had Dokusan - definitely feels like I've been missing out
Basically the same at Mt. Equity Zendo Jihoji.
Thanks
Viva Ziggy
Viva Boops
If "Kind of Wrong" isn't an Elliot Smith song, it easily could be.
Whats the deal with socks in the zendo/during zazen? Some places forbid socks others don’t seem to have a strong opinion. A few years back, I heard a recording where the osho was going off about socks in the zendo.
mega
Hey Brad, question. In the part where you said at the retreat you were chanting, and I will paraphrase, something to the extent of ancient karma needs to be resolved that has negative qualities of greed etc.
Is this a common belief in most major Buddhist traditions? It does remind me of other religions that will say that we have fallen from grace or the garden or that humans are inherently bad and in need of a type of purification or cleansing. Thank you!
Gaaa. Not warning us that we have to wait to next time for part two. :P IS there a link to the Hokyo ji? I had it somewhere but I lost it.
Was this the good night chant maybe?
Going to sleep at night,
may all living beings
put all things to rest,
with mind pure and undefiled.
Make mullets great again! Lol