study buddhism

This week the sangha hosted visiting teacher Dairyu Michael Wenger. It was a wonderful week. I learned about the Heart Sutra and heard the story of Seiko and the dragons. The group discussed the importance of Sangha and how we can support and learn with one another.

I learned about Bodhisattva Never Despise and Bodhidharma and had a beautiful, and, for me, emotional lesson during zazen. I also finally got up the nerve to try and chant along today. And today I had my first dokusan.

It has been a long and inspiring week. I am actually a little sore from all the zazen.

How I am choosing to think about things right now:

Things are not truly as I perceive them, good or bad. Things just are without qualifiers.

A small group last night. I really enjoyed it. The regulars of the group are so kind and the discussion is always so helpful in my practice.

Last night we discussed, amongst other things, “the myth of enlightenment” from a reading of Toni Packer. I loved people’s insights. I also love that Buddhism encourages questioning and exploration.

I love that laughter is such an important part of the practice. I love that people can joke and tease and play with it.

I leave the sitting with such a great mindset, more awareness, and a feeling of community in something positive.

Also, sitting is becoming more intuitive for me. It really is a joyful practice.

A lovely practice. I really liked the traditions like the bowing and the cushion fluffing. Quite a long sit, though. I need practice.

As a disclaimer to what I am about to write, I know, of course, that Buddhism is considered both a religion and/or a philosophy, and I’m just comparing the amounts of tradition and ritual, here, not doctrine.

This is my interpretation of Buddhism “services” as I understand them so far, having grown up in the West and in Christianity: if Tibetan is to Buddhism what Greek Orthodox is to Christianity, then Zen is to Buddhism what Episcopalian is to Christianity. Zen is pretty “high service.”

The Mediative Inquiry that I do on Sundays would be sort of Unitarian, and that’s where I am most comfortable so far.

Meditative Inquiry is a good match for me, and I will be augmenting with the Zen sitting.

The Buddha gave a parable comparing a new student of his teachings to a wild elephant. When a wild elephant is being tamed, it is harnessed to a tame elephant who trains it. Likewise, a person new to Buddhism should be helped by an older Buddhist.

I kind of like being compared to a wild elephant. It makes me feel fiesty, like I might accidentally stomp something.

I really like the feeling of community at and the learning that I receive through the sangha.

Last night’s sitting and the discussion topic hit all the pertinent chords for me. I am starting the week with a more peaceful mind and the framework for a more accepting self.

A much better group match for me than the Tibetan group. Though I liked the Tibetan group very much, the style and intention were not for me.

The orientation was very helpful in my practice. I was shown several postures to work with.

The group does a thirty minute sitting and then a ten minute walking meditation. Then they pour tea and listen to a recorded lecture followed by a discussion and another ten minute sitting meditation.

The lecture was on acceptance. It felt very applicable to me, and I enjoyed and learned from the discussion as well.

I am looking forward to my orientation to Meditative Inquiry. It seems so decadent to me sometimes to take time to meditate and just be, which indicates to me that I really need to pursue it more actively. Stopping and being calm is not a luxury.

I am going to a meeting of a Meditative Inquiry Group, and I have ordered some books to read by Toni Packer (specifically to learn more about Meditative Inquiry) and some others that are generally on Buddhism and also on meditation.

I would also like to go to some other meetings, to gain broader understanding, perhaps Pure Land or Zen practice.