Smile At Fear

Pema Chodron shares in a deep, clear and penetrating way on learning how to work with fear which can limit our True being and becoming. The video clip is slightly more than 6 minutes, but she expresses the message very well.





May We Practice Well,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Zen of Everyday Activity

Whether we know it or not, we have a lot of responsibility and activity, in our week-to-week and day-to-day lives. I myself have commitments to my Buddhist practice, family, projects, work, requests from friends and demands from a few other areas. It's incredibly easy to go into "planning" mode and constantly projecting into the "next" thing that's coming up and fail to arrive in the present moment.

Where my mind goes, when I go into hyper-planning mode, I have no idea. The only thing is that I'm sure of is that I am lost, lost, lost to the present moment. I may be physically present, but it can result in being mentally and emotionally unavailable.

Within our various tasks and responsibilities, it's really important to learn how to be skillfully present, alert and attentive to what's directly present, without drifting off. For me, this practice is exactly like practicing zazen (sitting in unification mentally and physically).

With whatever activity that I'm engaged in, I make the effort to be mindful and harmonize with it. When I take an inhalation and make an exhalation, my breath does not belong to someone or something else. I am the breath. Instead of coming to a activity or task and looking at it as "Out-there," I practice at removing the invisible walls that might cause me to think or feel that the activity is a burden. When I spin off, just come back to the activity that is in front of me. We don't need to cast admonishments or be unfriendly with ourselves, just return to the present activity.

Really, Really, really practicing arriving in the now... the present moment... We and the activity are one being. We and the activity have no distance. We and the activity have no gaps. We and the activity have no time. We and the activity, if we are genuinely harmonized are as my teacher states, "Zero."

In this way we can learn a great deal about our mind. In this way we have an opportunity to move beyond what we think we know and deeply engage and be the "experience," Itself. It is the Zen of everyday activity.

Unify Your Everyday Heart,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Open To This True Life

I felt that perhaps the perfect way to end the week, was by sharing a short 10 minute clip with Leonard Cohen and his teacher Kyozan Joshu Sasaki, Roshi. I found it precise when he described part of the student - teacher relationship as a patient in a waiting room, waiting to see the doctor. We notice a kind of sickness and we want to get better.





May All beings Be Free,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Choppy Waters of Life

This week, I've run into quite a few people who've seemed to relate a narrative that they feel as though they are somehow not measuring up to who they've seen their life. It's as though they've assumed a posture that is self-deflating, rather than self-helping and self-encouraging, contorted rather than Upright. Being in their presence, though they don't always verbalize it, there's the sense that they  are not just disappointed with their circumstance, but with themselves too.

When considering disappointment with oneself, I don't feel that's necessarily a bad thing in and of itself, if it spark or ignites a change in direction. The disappointment can actually be the motivation for change. But when we do nothing and just sit in it, perhaps wallow a little too long with it and are paralyzed, we need to look deeply and find a way as Shunryu Suzkui Roshi put it, "Resume" our True nature or Awakened Mind.

There there will always be disappointments with certain aspects of our life, this does not imply that we are the disappointment itself.

Some time ago, my teacher, Genjo Marinello Osho gave a Dharma teaching that I've been digesting, ever since he uttered the words, "We must learn to swim in choppy in choppy waters." These words from a "Master Swimmer" might seem simply, easy, nonchalant, but the truth is, everything about ourselves is 100% exposed by this so-called, "simple" sentence.

Sitting with this, I've noticed that life of it's own accord has choppy water. It's not a joke to say, it's a miracle that we are all alive. Despite the moments of naturally choppiness, there moments when with what might be described as overly self-involved, self-centered or egoistic mind set that I have taken choppy water and turned it into a tsunami. It's kind of comical that our mind has this capacity, but it's true.

The practice of Zen... Way of unifying Heart-mind, it to sit, sit, sit and stop stirring, stirring, stirring. No need to add to the choppiness whatsoever. Put in another way, there's no need to pour a tanker truck full of gasoline on a house fire.We can decide something other than self-defeating thinking and behavior.

The moment naturally choppy water appears in our life, we don't have to take it personal, as though it was some indicator of something that's defective about ourselves. When I stop taking the choppiness personally, my anxiety, anger and sense of disappointment drops. I can then treed-water. When I learn to harmonize with the waves, just a little, then I can start paddling. Becoming the waves itself, then it's all surfing and the choppiness seems to dissolve, even if just for a few minutes and we realize we are okay. No hands required.

In the moments of our day, I'm hoping that we are learning enough, to swim with the choppy moments. It wouldn't make sense not to do so, after all we are each very capable Buddha's or at least I'd like to feel so.

Yours In Zen,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Study Yourself - By Shunryu Suzuki

Peter Coyote narrates the chapter entitled, "Study Yourself," by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, from "Zen Mind, Beginners Mind." He discusses and exploring the meaning of our everyday activity, so that we have an opportunity to come to the truth of ourselves. It's slightly less than 8 minutes, but there is a lot of content, helping to guide our mind Home.





May All Beings Practice Well,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Refusing Change

We all have people in our life, including ourselves that have things that need to be changed and yet we refuse. These so-called "Things that needed to be changed," come in all shapes, sizes, colors, textures, but they all serve exactly the same result. They cut the connection with our genuine heart of being, leaving a plastic figurine in it's place. Despite the fact that these things undermine the quality of our life, we can literally resist change, holding on and causing harm not just to ourselves, but others too.

Being specific those that we are close with, who stubbornly refuse to change, refuse to examine themselves or their life, what do we do? Do we stay? Do we go? Do we give up? Do we stick with it despite the refusal, possibly enabling their unsoundness of mind? How do we help those to change that refuse it? This is a very common and difficult challenge, and I face it myself with some who are in my life, at this very moment.

For many years now, I've said the words, "Shu Jo Mu Hen Seigan Do," which means, "However innumerable all beings are, I vow to help them all." It's my promise, my vow and my commitment. It's the focus of a directed mind. It tells me to be present with and for others, as close to 100% as I can, and push myself if necessary to do so. This is my way of unifying mind, not just on the cushion, but out in the traffic of my life.

Speaking of traffic we have these people that we ride with, in the vehicle of our lives. We both see and know the clearly displayed road signs, "Be honest and trust worthy, Communicate honestly, It's better to be a part of the solution rather than the problem, If you won't help - at least don't hurt, It's better to be caring - rather than uncaring." Those we are with may see these traffic signs, but being that they are at the steering wheel of their life, actively or passively can and do decide to turn away for for any number of reasons. We are powerless over the actions of others. Ouch.

These "reasons" are as Zen Master Rinzai described it, "Diseases of the Mind," causing mental and emotional instability to the extent that we find it difficult to master our "True," life. Today we call these same things, "Mind viruses," or "Memes." Damaging pieces of mental malware that cause us to act against ourselves and others.

Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi once said, "Zen Buddhism is a good house cleaning for the mind." Sometimes people decide they don't want to clean their house. It's as simple as that.

As I experience interactions with those who refuse to change, I find my first responsibility is to diligently carry my practice forward, carrying them in my mind in a way that is loving as possible. The second is to do my best to be open and available, whether they are "ready" for change or not. The truth however may be, that readiness for change may not come in this life time, but the next. The third thing is improve on not being distracted by the negatives that I see and feel. They might say, "I hate you, I'm angry with you, I like being destructive," but I can work to manage the emotional hook... "Shenpa," and remain emotional available as possible. And four, is to remember that life is not emotional ballet. Sometimes it's slam-dancing in the pit of life.

People can refuse change. It's their right and prerogative, but they may change their mind tomorrow too, so be ready. Talking with @Ohiobuddhist yesterday she said, "You can lead a horse to water, but can't make 'em float." True, true, true. But the nature of Zen Mind is unifying all Being in such a way that things which might not ordinarily float - in fact do, even stubborn horses, refusing to do so. Just as Jizo Bodhisattva. I wish you good skill as we work this out.

May Your Life Go Well,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO

Upright Body and Mind

Hopeful to Start off Monday on a helpful foot, I'm sharing a clip of Zen teacher, Brad Warner. It's about 10 minutes long. He gives really nice insight in the "balance" of our posture and the effect on our mind. I really appreciated when he said, "Putting your body right is the same as putting your mind right."





May Your Posture and Mind Be Upright,

Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO