Tag Archives: practice

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right effort

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Jaye Seiho Morris DigitalZENDO posted a talk by Sogyal Rinpoche which not only comforted me but also reminded me gently that right effort is also strong effort.   “Happiness is up to you.”  When the waves are high and I feel swamped, it’s not easy to remember I am water.  Regardless, it is up to me.

Then on Wild Fox Zen‘s Genjokoan webinar, I read

Mayu was fanning himself. A monk approached and said, “Master, the nature of wind is all-pervasive and there is no place it does not reach. Why then do you fan yourself?”

“Although you understand that the nature of the wind is all-pervasive,” Mayu replied,” you do not understand the meaning of its reaching everywhere.”

“What is the meaning of its reaching everywhere?” asked the monk again.

Mayu just kept fanning himself. The monk bowed deeply.

Ah, this wonderful mind!  What a wonderful way to meet a new beginning at the horizon of dawn.

Thank you for practicing,

Genju

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sword dance

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If you are making subjective, personalized judgments about events in the past and present but have not been through the process of refining and purifying your insight, you are doing a sword dance without first having learned how to handle a sword.

Master Fa-yen Wenyo (885-958) from Selfless Insight by James Austin

This little nook is way too small a space in which to swing a sword.  And I love my kitties too much to swing them by the tail… maybe except for one.  But that’s the problem, isn’t it? There’s always someone for whom I’m more than willing to compromise my practice (synonymous with ethics). Learning how to handle this  mind-sword has left me with a number of scars – most of which I’m quite proud of.  They remind me to tread lightly, breathe deeply, and know when to sit as a mountain.

For now, I leave you with these two little nooks we have inhabited for the last week.  Thank you for joining us here.

May your practice be a light handed sword dance,

Genju