What is Zen?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 лип 2024
- To donate by PayPal - hardcorezen.info/donate
My Patreon page - www.patreon.com/user?u=4874189
My books - hardcorezen.info/store
My blog is at - hardcorezen.info/
Angel City Zen Center - www.aczc.org/
It Came From Beyond Zen audiobook - www.audible.com/pd/Religion-S...
Sex Sin & Zen audiobook - www.audible.com/pd/Self-Devel...
Don't Be a Jerk audiobook - www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Sp...
Hardcore Zen audiobook - www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Sp...
Sit Down & Shut Up audiobook - www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Sp...
There is No God & He is Always With You audiobook - www.audible.com/pd/Religion-Sp...
You can email me directly at bw@hardcorezen.info
Someone asked for a transcription of Gudo Nishijima Roshi's words in this video. Here it is:
Our mental situation is always related (to) our physical posture. So, to regulate our physical posture is the best way to throw away thinking. When we practice zazen, and (by) making our spine straight vertically, we can be identified with the rule of the universe. And in such (a) situation I think we feel some kind of supernatural (feeling). So not supernatural, but real may be the state.
(I would rephrase the last line as: “This feeling is not supernatural. It is a real state.”)
We can never live (in any time) other than the present moment. This is (a) simple fact. But many people do not recognize such (an) important fact. Gotama Buddha found such (a) simple fact. So we should be sincere in our conduct at the present moment.
A Zen master once said, "If I speak of Zen, Zen wont be what I'm speaking of".
What is Zen?, The endless path of awareness. One becomes a traveler of the Present Moment.
I know this might seem over the top or cheesy, but I LOVE you Brad. Like, I really love you. You've had such a positive impact on my life since I read Hardcore Zen two years ago, and helped me stay grounded and focused on what matters. Thank you so much for all that you do. I really appreciate it. (I realise I don't REALLY know you, so "all that you do" might be a bit much, but you get the idea, hopefully :P ). I also know this probably made you squirm, so sorry for that. But I had to say it. I had the biggest smile while watching this. "Good 'ol Brad".
Aw. Gee, thanks.
Same Here Brad.
Thank you.
"meditation sucks, being in the moment is mediocre at best." -John Mulany. (comedian) I think he does actually hit it right on the head. Even Brad will tell you in his book Hardcore Zen that meditation is often boring, and dull and drags on and on and leaves one feeling drained, frustrated and dumb. And It has changed my life irrevocably for the better!
Love the simplicity of your few on Zen, Brad. Thank you for creating and sharing. 🙏
Great video, Brad. And love the edits featuring Gudo. That final bit itself is so wonderful. Cheers.
Love your work, sir. I first found and purchased Hardcore Zen abt 8 years ago, mainly because I am also a bassist and I was becoming fascinated with Zen....and thought that maybe I had found a kindred spirit to learn from. How incredibly right I was. Your work inspired me and has stuck with me to this day. Admittedly, I have abandoned my sitting practice for years.....until yesterday. So grateful that you are still teaching, and that I can watch your videos. Please keep up the good work, it means a lot to me.
Gracias hombre,
Phil
Thanks!
...baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more.
Thank you for this Brad. You were able to give a frame to some ideas that was going around in my mind. I love your style and your intellectual honesty. You are being a very inspiring model for me at this stage of my life. Just thank you.
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I sometimes start thinking about what I'm doing practicing Zen and my mind wanders off looking to feed my ego. Then something wakes me up and I sit back down, thanks Brad.
Good video as usual. For me, being a Zen Buddhist means believing in the 4 Noble Truths, following the Eightfold Path and doing Zazen. That's it in a nutshell. Nothing more is needed and it has made me a much better person.
agree!
Yes, the 4 NOBLE TRUTHS. But his statement that Buddhism is not interested in the Truth....is a complete fallacy.
Hey Brad, nice video man! We in the Mokusho Sangha (Deshimaru - Mokusho Zeisler linage located in Eastern Europe) have a pretty similar view. Kodo Sawaki, Deshimaru, Rempo Niwa, Gudo Wafu Nishima, all of them are connected to that view: "Zen Simply Sitting". Best regards from Romania.
From hearing you and reading about half of two of your books I have begun doing Zazen. Before I have been doing diffrent sorts of meditations a couple of years. I have read and listen to Shinzen Young, Bernado Kastrup and Donald Hoffman. Doing Zazen seams to be good for nothing and I realy like it!!!
Love that enso shirt!
It's from Tassajara.
Direct mind to mind transmission outside the scriptures
Hi Brad. Interesting video. Thanks for making it. You discussing a focus on truth, harmonizing with it and your discussion of whether or not Zen is a form of Buddhism was interesting. It makes me think of what I had been assuming Zen was - the merger of Buddhism and Taoism. I see such a blending as being almost as great as mixing peanut butter and chocolate. What are your thoughts on either of these blends?
For me as a german dude with english as my second language I find it unbelievably hard to understand Nishijima, a japanese dude talking english with an hilarious distinct japanese accent. Or with other words: I don't understand a word. Nothing. And I even understand Irishmen!
Besides that: Good video as always!
In the beginning he basically says that regulation of physical posture is the best way to throw away the mind.
At the end he says we can not live in any moment other than the present, and that this is such a simple fact that many do not notice.
@@paradoxicalocus3761 thank you for translating. That was helpful (:
❤
You realise as soon as you’re talking about Zen it’s not Zen! ;)
Love the book bro. My first zen read
Brad, what's the best way to purchase your books so that most of the dinero goes to you?
I make the most money when you buy them directly from me. There is a "store" page on hardcorezen.info. BUT, there is no way we can offer them at a price and speed of delivery comparable to any online seller. So it's not a cheap option. I try to make up for that by signing each one we sell. If you buy the books from Amazon or another online seller, or if you buy them from a bookstore, I get the same amount. I like independent bookstores, so I think it's nice if you buy them from your local shop. I get paid and they can stay in business too. Then when I visit your town, there will be a bookstore I can go to.
Is zazen a way to integrate the shadow that jung spoke about ? Or would it be bad practice to approach zen with this idea in mind
I have not studied Jung. I have only a very vague idea what "integrate the shadow" means. You can approach Zen with any idea in mind at all. We all have a lot of ideas. The value of Zen practice is that you learn how to drop all of your ideas. Even ideas about "integrating the shadow."
@@HardcoreZen Thanks integrating the shadow is something I have recently come across , I take it to mean something like "discover the parts of you you have pushed under conciousness or face the less good parts of yourself .
Not really related, but how did you like Firefall?
Interesting that you relate zen with the Catholic church. I sat zazen at home for two years before venturing to a zen center. I happened to choose one of the largest zen centers in the US and during that week-long sesshin was quite aware of the similarities between the daily service and the Catholic mass. Well, I had left Catholicism behind decades before, and pretty much thought that I probably didn't need the organization of Zen to sit zazen. So I continued sitting zazen at home, alone. Time passes, I meet some people who sit twice a week, maybe a little chanting, a bit of incense, nothing formal but a cozy habit. That was good. So, my question - how do we decide if the local zen group with their traditions and services and ways of doing things are more beneficial than simply sitting at home with a regular practice?
It's hard to say. Some people will find different sorts of places more appealing than others. I think it's good to have a community of some kind to sit with. You may not need to be with them all the time. Often it's enough to just visit every once in a while. Personally, when I was living in places where I didn't have a regular teacher, that's what I did. For example, when I lived in Chicago for about 3 years, I would visit 2 of the centers there every couple of months or so. Or I'd sit with a group every week for like 3-4 weeks and then maybe not go again for a few months. Sitting at home every day is the most important thing, I think.
It's common for people to engage with things aesthetically. What you're saying is that Zen or Buddhism is not an aesthetic, a style. It's not a look for showing off. That doesn't bring understanding ( unless, maybe if it's you're original motivation but you move past it). In think this is the meaning of Gutei's student's dinner amputation story. To me that story is about the violence with which nature disabuses us of our illusions. But they are soon replaced by the mind, one by one until the end unless you stay and witness without turning away. The story for me is a metaphor for meditation itself. It's only violence though if you resist.
“Such a teaching with which one does not quarrel with anyone in this world . . . [a teaching where a person] who lives uninvolved with lust and who is free of doubt, worry and craving for any existence does not cling to concepts. This is what I teach." Rather than teaching a doctrine that can be debated, the Buddha here teaches the importance of not clinging to concepts. In other words, he is not interested in doctrines as much as how people relate to them. Freedom isn’t found through doctrines, though it does require not clinging to them.”
Excerpt From: Gil Fronsdal. “The Buddha before Buddhism.” Apple Books.
Good quote!
(From Lise Hull) Brad, thanks for a very interesting video. I am curious (and I hope I don't sound too stupid when I ask this) - does Zen accept and apply the Four Noble Truths and Eight-fold Path, or does it diverge from them?
The 4 Noble Truths and 8-fold Path are part of the Zen tradition.
In some of his books he talks about them and how zen sees them. Guido Nishijima m, his teacher, had a special view of them.
@@ytonaona True. Nishijima's interpretation of the Four Noble Truths is pretty interesting. I've tried to explain my understanding of N's understanding in a few of my books and blogs.
If you are unable to find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it? Dogen
Third eye dilation
In this eternal moment
There is only this
Jinen ken gedo
No need of formality
Zen orthodoxy
What about start accepting Bitcoin?
While I mostly agree, I do think we need to see the value of the Sotoshu in context of Japanese history and specifically BECAUSE of the Meiji restoration.
Christianity, racism, "true religion" in the post-war period according to the western architects to their constitution, the state of japanese-american rights to practice buddhism, even the existence of Soto Zen as a tradition coming into the modern era...
This list could go on and there are many very good texts on the subject, but structures need to change as society and foreign influences change. They (indeed WE) were not trying to "imitate" the vatican. We were trying, as a - which you so eloquently explained - community of guardians for this legitimate system of ancient inquiry, to SURVIVE.
Sotoshu is amazing. I am proud of it, and us.
Brad, I appreciate your vids and would like to express my gratitude with some bucks.
But : Paypal seems to require a phone number with a US phone number extension (it ignores my French one...) and Patreon seems to only work with regular paiement which is hard for the scrooge I am.
Do take care,
Patrick
This is a great question. I've watched all your videos Brad. I've also watched a lot by Hyon gak Sunim. I sometimes wonder if you are talking about the same thing and how much the two of you would agree on! It can be confusing. I know you are from different schools of zen but it's clear that ultimately you are talking about the same thing. He talks about the point before thinking, which I think is what you are describing here as ultimate truth. I heard someone say (maybe yourself), as soon as you think a thought or say a word you are wrong. All sects of zen (and religion for that matter) are products of thinking and therefore, although they are all pointing at the same thing, none of them can be right. Thanks for the videos!
Thanks. I don't know Hyon gak Sunim. But Korean and Japanese Zen are very similar.
I'm surprised you haven't come across him. He has two pretty heavily produced videos on UA-cam. 'What is zen' and 'what is true practice'. He's American- student of seungsahn who has a few books out. I'd love to hear your opinion on those videos.
Zen is the (self) realization of Unbound Telesis, a primordial realm of unbound potential from which the universe arises via the self-restriction on unbound potential (aka perception). The direct realization of "unbound potential" is the realization of Zen.
it's also important to realize that ancient Zen masters lived in a period prior to formalized and universal scientific theories. From their ancient perspective, only by silencing the mind is the true nature of reality to be realized. Ultimately this is true, however the distinction between "universe" and "observer" is largely irrelevant where "truth" is resolved by an *arbitrary* system, as per independently derived scientific confirmations of theory.
"Arbitrary" is an important term here because it means both "random" and "determinative", bridging the conceptual gap between "random" derivation (chance) and "choice". Such a conceptual gap plagues the so-called "theory" of Evolution, where "cause" is suspiciously absent from any analysis and has been replaced by "chance", which is utterly undefinable in the context of a "theory" lacking an exact coherent history and therefore not scientific.
The good news is all of these erstwhile intractable conceptual conundrums have been solved by the CTMU. The bad news is the Satanic Pedophiles who run the world already knew this stuff (more or less) and rigged society to actively reject the solution (sheeple).
If the sole purpose of Zen is to harmonize with the singular truth, then why all the formalities and traditions? Shouldn't those have also been stripped away?
The classical answer is that all the ceremonies and cultural trappings have the goal of supporting zazen and general mindfulness. Of course you would be right to question if they still have that effect or if they are just a distraction nowadays.
Christopher Lizama's answer is basically what I'd say. The formalities are there to support the practice. They're part of what I call "research and development." Over the years, various sorts of problems and difficulties have arisen for practitioners, and the formalities and traditions were developed to address those problems and difficulties. My solution has been to practice some of those traditions and formalities, but not to get too worked up about them. I do some of them sometimes when it seems useful to do them.
How are you going to say you dont care what this collective group of SZBA is saying Zen is? Is it because You know for sure what Zen is? You know the absolute truth of Zen and your right because you say you are? You have to remain open minded to continue to learn. You cant be the only one to own the truth of Zen.
It’s ironic because if Zen/non Ana means blowing out or cooking the passions (passions inducing anger, craving, aversion, etc.) then striving for enlightenment establishing an organization is exactly the oxymoron of passion for no passion/craving nor craving.....
It’s ironic because if Zen/nirvana*
cooling the passions*
Jeez the typos!
~if you see it then you did not look for it~but if you look for it you will not see it~see?~
Is the Truth beyond zazen?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Keep it simple stupid. Words to live by in any setting.
keeping it simple is a goal , therefore it is not .
So if the best way for you to harmonize with the Truth is shikantaza(sp?), how is that not a goal of sitting?
Not trying to be argumentative, just looking for clarification.
@@freezingmountain5409 sorry, edited. My phone screwed up the grammar
People get hung up too much on the precise language of "goalless" meditation. It's like if I told you to walk down the hall without trying to walk any particular style, you might be like "well if I am not trying to walk a certain way, don't I have to *try* to do that?" When in reality, if someone asked you to do that you would just start walking. Hope that helps.
I like shikantaza. I can't think of a better way. If I could, I would do it that way instead.
Brad, if all we are searching for is truth, how will we recognize it? How do we? And if we do, how will we even know it's "the truth?" Ultimately, how can it be claimed that it even exists if Buddhists have been searching for it for centuries but it's nowhere to be found? It's like the question of God's existence, I have not seen God, but I know he exists. Now were in the realm of belief. Am I making sense?
It’s impossible to miss the he truth. The problem is we don’t accept what we already know. It’s not that the truth is nowhere to be found. The truth cannot be put into words. No matter what words you use to try to express it, they won’t be right.
So why did your teacher go renegade? Seems to be a common theme with Zen.
I don't think he "went renegade." He just disagreed with the institution that claims to represent Soto Zen in Japan. He thought they were more interested in politics and money than Buddhism.
I'm konfused.....do you mean he accorded to conditions, and thereby didn't deviate from Dharma?
Brad, so zen is about harmonizing with that one truth but what is that one truth ?
Saying there is one truth doesn't really say anything. Christians and Muslims also say that.
The thing is, what is that truth ?
Yes
Gotta practice zazen to find out ;)
@@chrislasagna I agree, that to *experience* it for oneself, it must need zazen practice. That doesn't mean it can't be *said* in 2-3 sentences. Even if it will be theoretical.
I don't expect Brad to give me the experience of it.
But a video on What is Zen, saying there is only one truth, and in the end not talking about that truth is a bit empty for me.
I think what Brad is saying is that there is a truth out there but you must experience it for yourself and that trying to explain it with words can't do it justice. I know that sounds like I'm being evasive but I'm not trying to be. I feel when I sit Zazen that I "know" the truth while doing it but I can't articulate it. That's my 2 cents worth.
It's hard to say...
~what is ZEN*?~ZEN* is the other side of everything that nothing sees perfectly~
Zen must mean ununderstandable English speech.
true enlightenment is the possession of "one truth " by an individual
Maybe this guy is trying too hard. Sometimes we fall into idea of "go hard or go home", we try to push, we aim something and try to get it at all cost. Which isn't a healthy way to do whatever, including zen. When you lose your balance and something starts to become ultra-important, you tend to lose it. You can kill any opportunity in life with this wrong intention. I don't know what zen is, but i know that everything is empty anyway. Every human idea is empty and every civilization falls. Every great empire dies, no matter what. It's history and you can google it. :) So zen, at least, is something intelligent and beautiful, peaceful. We live in world where the brutal wild force always wins in the end and this is wrong, but it's life. Zen maybe empty, maybe pointless, but makes people better with each other. Makes them deeper and more peaceful. War is empty idea and stupid idea too, but, oh boy, we are at war all the time and we just can't get enough, aren't we? :)