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Sila: Walking The Talk

Unshin Sangaku

My Teacher, Taiun-Roshi speaks about the patriarch of our Order, Matsuoka-Roshi always wearing formal attire. By wearing our "Zen Garb," we profess and display our commitment to our practice. This fundamental, clear, and skillful communication is Buddha's flower. The second of the demonstrations of actualizing "Vow," is Sila. The term means conduct. Further morals refer to character while ethics refer to a system of demonstration. In Zen we say the Dharma is before the word. It is always there and unfolds through independent co-arising. So each moment we select actions based on Karma and producing Karma. Shakyamuni Buddha taught how to do this in the face of Dukkha/suffering. Everything focusing on what we do/become moment by moment.

Living the life of a Bodhisattva is unfolding the Dharma each moment, constructing compassion-walking in Vow. We see this in action sometime as a person opens doors for others, similes and says hi, seems to be really listening as we speak, does what he says and the cumulative result enables compassion, loving-kindness, joy, and equanimity. The construct of Buddha's teaching is a path, not a word. Again, Zen is action even pausing is action! So we walk the Middle Way both on and off the cushion.

Some time back I suggested we shift form the greeting, "How are You Doing" to "Tell Me What you've Learned since last we met"-which is a paraphrase of Emerson. Walking the path is noticeable, it is constant (almost perfect), as the Dharma unfolds lotus pedals in front of each step. When this is fully afoot, there are no questions just uprightness over 8,000,000,000 times a day (Master Dogen) constantly turning the Dharma Wheel...

MARK YOUR CALENDAR:

  • May 16, service will be on The Six Perfections and the second Prajna- Sila.

Our Beach sitting on the Bike-Path at Oyster Pond and Surf Drive has begun, from 6:30AM until 7:00AM then we all go to PIE-IN-THE SKY in Woods Hole for coffee.

1. During May, we will explore The Six Perfections, or paramitas that are guides for Mahayana Buddhist practice. They are virtues to be cultivated to strengthen practice and bring one to enlightenment. The Six Perfections describe the true nature of an enlightened being, which, in Mahayana practice, is to say they are our own true buddha-nature. If they don't seem to be our true nature, it is because the perfections are obscured by our delusion, anger, greed, and fear. By cultivating these perfections, we bring this true nature into expression. For an excellent overview go to: https://www.thoughtco.com/the-six-perfections-449611

2. Like String for Beads, is a compilation of my Dharma talks, notes, poems and Facebook comments I have produced over the last five years. Special thanks to Enjitsu-san Chris Charyk for pulling the pieces together in this book! There will be copies available every Tuesday night, or let me know if you want me to mail you a copy. The book is $15 per copy.

3. Visit our new library named for Diane “Yugen” Tucker. The cart was a donation to the Sangha by Kyoshin Elin Kinney as Dana for her Jukai on November 5, 2016…many bows! The books will be added over the next few weeks and Kyoshin-ni has agreed to be our Librarian. A donation of $1 is recommend to check out books and magazines for up to three weeks. It really is a cute cart drop-by and see it soon. Oh, we wheel it out each Tuesdays and for zazenkai and sesshin, or if you would like to see if we have a book you want, get in touch with Elin <elinkinney@gmail.com>.

4. Meditation is also held each TUESDAY at 10:00AM at the Falmouth Senior Center.

5, Our next book selection for the Buddhism Book Bunch is a wonderful treatise on The Bodhisattva Precepts. We will read this for both April and May, 2017 discussing the first half of the book, chapters 9-23 on May 21. Remember we'll select a book for our summer reading (June-September) at our BBB May 2017 meeting.

6. Our Zendo is open at 6:30PM (good time for newcomers to get aquatinted) at the UUFF, 840 Sandwich Road, for our weekly service which starts at 7:00PM.

Silent Thunder Order (STO) ACTIVITIES: See our website for details


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