“There’s short distance between first and last breath.”
It’s the end of our Autumn sesshin - a 7-day silent meditation retreat. 28 of us have been sitting together practicing zazen. Some full time and some part time. I share with you my thoughts on Day 5 of the retreat:
We meditate….we focus the light inward.
We have a schedule…..we focus on following it…..we pay attention to whatever we are doing..…we notice where our mind is…..we gently bring it back to the present…..we repeat.….over, and over, and over, again…..
The weather seems like it has been taking a breather too. The temperature has been in the 70’s with gentle breezes, blue skies, fluffy clouds. Mild and gorgeous, after a very hot spell. So too, we lower our heat.
We slow down…..we practice doing one thing at a time with awareness…..when we sit, we sit…..when we sweep the floor, we sweep the floor…..when we weed, we weed…..when we eat, we eat…..when we rest, we rest…..
Recently, I’ve been studying Dogen’s Mountains and Rivers Sutra. Dogen is the 13th century founder of Soto Zen Buddhism in Japan. Zen master and scholar Norman Fisher provides wonderful commentary.
Fisher shares that when the Chinese encountered the word dhyana, the Pali word for meditation, they translated it into something that sounded like ‘dhyana’ in Chinese. They chose the word chan which became zen in Japan. But chan or zen doesn’t mean meditation, it only sounds like the Pali word that means meditation. The literal meaning of chan is “to bow before mountains and rivers”.
As I read those words, tears came to my eyes. Zen also deeply understands nature and gives it the respect it deserves. Dogen said that mountains and rivers, by just being who and what they are, are Buddhas. In other words, by being who or what they are, their full potential unfolds.
We, like mountains and rivers, can also be who and what we are. We can trust that our full potential will unfold.
Have faith in yourself…..be gentle and kind and take care of yourself…..be brave and be authentically who you are…..see and let go of your harsh inner critic…..take care of that which requires your care…..know that everything is good, even hard things…..
Appreciate your one precious life…..
There’s short distance between first and last breath.
Malama pono (take care of body, mind and heart),
June Kaililani Tanoue
Kumu Hula, Roshi
P.S. Watch these recent talks:
June Tanoue's talk, "Mountains & Rivers Sutra" https://youtu.be/sLs4LYHDGoY
Diane Bejcek's talk, "Chiyono's No Water, No Moon" https://youtu.be/p-keil9dJJY