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Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Intimate

Dogen Zenji says intimate enlightenment.  The most intimate to you is enlightenment. If I say within you, it is not intimate enough to you. It is [laughs] hiding within yourself. If so, it is not intimate. Of course, if it is something beyond you, that is not intimate. Even if it is something to attain, it is not intimate. He says intimate enlightenment. This intimacy to the enlightenment is our practice.-----------------

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-21A as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

Monday, June 29, 2015

Dropping

Starting from the lonely feeling of the evanescence of life, Dogen attained the most powerful experience of enlightenment. This is his enlightenment. He says, “I have dropped off my mind and body”. He has no mind, no body. Because we think we have body or mind we have a lonely feeling, but when you realize that everything is just a flashing into the vast universe you become very strong and you become a very meaningful existence. This is his enlightenment and this is our practice too. ------------


Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-20 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Marpa Searches

Marpa search method is billed as: An entirely new way to interact with rich information which parallels how people think about things, rather than making people try to think like a computer. The people who host this application started with a basic Historical Buddhism Library which will grow. Take a look here, and if you wish, bookmark this page hosted on the Mnemotrix Systems Inc website:

Paradox again

When I say I there is no you. You are independent and I am independent too, but each exists in another quite a different realm, quite different moment. But it does not mean we are quite different beings. It is very paradoxical, but actually it is so. Because we are quite independent being. Each one of us is a flashing into the big phenomenal world. -----------------

Excerpt immediately following yesterday's from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-20 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

Going to Singaraja

As mentioned before here on Saunters, I'm going to Singaraja to a ten day Vipassana retreat leaving Monday morning at 10am. Returning Thursday eve the 9th of July, a day before Katrinka and my wedding. Thanks to Peter Ford having set up Blogger to take the What's New posts, I can pre-date them. So there should be a Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpt every day I'm away. Enjoy. - DC

Saturday, June 27, 2015

No I

When I say you, there is no I. We are the same being but we are the same and different. It is rather paradoxical but it can’t be helped.  --------------------------------


Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-20 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

Back in a Flash

Followup to last two days' Saunters posts. Just got up from a nap after on the spot laser surgery today to reconnect retina.  Optometrist met here told Katrinka that couldn't be done. Doc said it could if it's just separated a little. Cost 1,638,000 IDR - $122.86  Hurt a tiny bit. Was three hours at the hospital in Denpasar. In two days there only maybe saw one foreigner in the corner of the eye that was still flashing. Not much English today. I understood most of what the doctor told me afterwords. She was nice. Wants me to come back for her to take a look in two weeks.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Utility

We should not try to utilize Buddhism for our life. If your attitude is based on utility you will not attain Nirvana. We do not ignore our life but we should take the right viewpoint and we should accept truth as the truth. When we accept the truth as it is, we cannot accept a viewpoint based on this life only. Our selfish idea should be ignored. Then we can understand Buddhism.----------------


Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-13 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

At the Sick House

Continued from yesterday's flashing crescent story. Called our doctor this morning and he came right over and talked to me a bit. He suggested I see an opthamologist at an international hospital - they'll take you right away and specialize in dealing with foreigners. I said they were too expensive and I wouldn't learn anything. Wanted to go to one for locals. He asked if I wanted a free one. No - how about something in between? We'd heard of one in particular - Sanglah. He said yes it's good. It or Indera. But you may have to wait a long time there.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

A Good Place to Start

We should start from death -- not from this world -- but from death. The starting point of our religion is to not to forget we will die sometime. From that point we should start to understand our everyday life.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-13 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

Independent Meditation Center Guide

At go sit dot com - thanks Peter Ford

Crescent Flashing

I was going to stay home and keep working, let Katrinka bring me take out, but got to a nice stopping place and decided to walk over to Annapurna to join her in dining on their great Indian style buffet. Out the door noticed strange flashings of bright light. Kept walking and looking around for what it was. Like lazer lights zipping by in the corner of my eye. Circular - part of a circle - crescent.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Different I again

Today I am sitting in this way in Los Altos. Tomorrow morning I shall be in San Francisco. There is no connection between I in Los Altos and I in San Francisco. I am a quite different being. Here we have freedom of existence -- absolute perfect freedom.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-20 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC - Photo of Suzuki and Richard Baker from shunryusuzuki.com photo archive. Click to view larger. - Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more. - Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts

Teeny Tiny Ants

Ants rule. There are so many types of ants around here in Sanur - or anywhere. One type that really puzzles me are these teeny tiny ones I see mainly on the porch if a drop of something sweet has fallen. Many will be right at the sweet spot but others will be running around. What gets me about them is the speed they move. If it was us it might be like 150 miles an hour. And why are most of them running around in imperfect circles? What could be accomplished by that? Anyway, I leave them alone.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Tim Buckley Poetry



Tim Buckley Cancer Poems

John Bailes accompanying note at bottom of page.

Tim Buckley cuke page

******************* 

No Connection

Each moment we change to something else and there is no connection. Strictly speaking, there is no connection between I-myself in yesterday and I-myself in this moment. There’s no connection whatsoever.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 66-01-20 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC 

Photo from shunryusuzuki.com photo archive. Click to view larger.

Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more.

Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts.

Censorship at Rally

There have been marches, demonstrations, and public events in opposition to "reclaiming" a protected mangrove area, Bali's Benoa Bay, to build hotels, golf course, theme park, etc. when there are already way more of that than they need. There are large posters all over against it - have been for over a year. People don't want it but some rich powerful people do. That poster says to Stop the Reclamation! Here's an article on it from a year ago. Not sure about details but something like - Musicians at  a rally against it at the local month long Bali Arts Festival have been told not to include any songs or lyrics against that project. Gee - what about free speech in their constitution.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Main Point

We, ourselves, is Buddha and Buddha is not some particular object of worship. We, ourselves, are Buddha. This is the main point. Buddha put emphasis on subject of worship which does not mean to emphasize an ego centered idea.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture
 66-01-13 
as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC 
Photo from shunryusuzuki.com photo archive. Click to view larger.

Shunryu Suzuki lecture excerpts on cuke.com - from there links to much more.

Go to cuke.com What's New [now at blogger] to see more daily posts going back to 1999.


Kites way up

Mentioned that kites are back the other day. Sometimes we see boys making big ones - like six, eight feet long - out of thin bamboo strips. They come bigger and smaller. We see them close up at the beach and up up and away. Actually, any day year round one may notice a kite or two in the sky. But now it's kite season - till it starts petering out in the fall. I love to see them far away, reminding me they're up there doing what kites do - so far away I can't tell what type they are, just that they are there, watching over us. Can you see them?

Saturday, June 20, 2015

Oh yes - almost forgot

Earth 'entering new extinction phase' - US study - BBC

[and we, as in we humans, are included in the trajectory according to this landmark study]

Now back to the archiving.

Subject of Worship

Buddhism is, maybe, rather difficult to understand for you because Buddhism is not monotheism or pantheism. It looks like pantheism because we say everything has Buddha nature so in this point Buddhism is pantheism. It may be better to forget all about idea of atheism or pantheism or monotheism because we don’t know in what category Buddhism can be put. We do not emphasize the object of worship rather we emphasize the subject of worship. 

Local Justice

Talking to Ben of Warung (restaurant) Annapurna about a recent murder here in Bali. There's suspicion it may have been a murder for hire by a local mother whose eight year old adopted daughter had inherited a lot from her expat father. I said if it were America that the prosecutors might be offering the confessed killer a better deal if he implicates the mother. Ben said here people frequently get only five years for murder so they can wait that long to get paid. I mentioned that the son of an American woman here just got twelve years for a joint. Ben said, sure - you can get life for a joint. But in the recent case there's a public outcry. We'll see what happens.  

Friday, June 19, 2015

Oneness and Variety

Sometimes some people put the stress on oneness but this is not our understanding. We do not emphasize any point particularly. Oneness is valuable and variety is also wonderful.

Bali Kites

The kites are back - layang layang. It's windier these winter months. Some kites are small with little kids on the end. Some are really big. Almost always can see a few way up and way way up these days. Especially at the beach. Kite festivals soon.

Saunters posts on cuke blog go back to mid January this year. Saunters on cuke.com goes back to 2013 December.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Don't be Interested

When we study science we become drowsy quite soon, but we are very much interested in self-centered thinking. So, enlightenment is first. To believe in nothing is enlightenment. To believe in something which has no form or no color and which is ready to take form or color by some immutable truth - that is our enlightenment. So enlightenment, our activity and our thinking -  our practice, and then thinking -- if it is necessary - if you are not interested in it, that is our way.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.comEdited by DC

On Posture and Abdomen and more

Swimwear

We see Muslim families at the beach here in Bali.

Check below for more.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Rain and Shine

While we were practicing zazen we heard rain dropping on the roof -- in the dark. I think soon we will see the wonderful mist coming thru the big trees, and later, before people start to work, we will see the bright sunshine rising from the east, and we will see the beautiful mountains. But for some people, if they hear rain drop, in their bed, they will be annoyed. Later they will see the beautiful sun rising from the east. If our mind is concentrated on our selves we will have this kind of worry, but if we accept ourselves as temporal embodiment of the truth, we have no worry.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Cucumber Enso

A cuke reader sent this image of an enso cucumber. An enso is usually called a sumi circle in English.

It started off with an email which read:

I’m in the middle of a third reading of Crooked Cucumber, and at the same time an intense reading schedule at cuke.com. At the cuke website I’ve read lots of testimonies on the part of students about Shunryu Suzuki that lead one to think “Wow! What a man!”
But I personally can’t help but think “Wow! What students!”

Facebook No No

Katrinka read an article in Vogue online by a woman about why she stopped wearing the hijab, the head covering worn by some Muslim women. She put it on Facebook but it soon disappeared. She couldn't get it to stick there. Twitter worked for her. Was that from Indonesian censorship? There is no requirement that Muslim women here wear the hijab called jilbab in Indonesian

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

DC Favorite SR Quote

I found out that it is necessary -- absolutely necessary to believe in nothing. 

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-30 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Not edited by DC

Of course he goes on from there, but to me that's a good start.

Metta Sutta and versions


From an email sent to a friend today:

That image from here is someone's idea of Buddha giving a discourse on Loving Kindness.

I'm including some versions of the Metta Sutta (Sutra in Pali).

Monogamy in Bali

Bali Bill has been here in Bali since 71 and he early on eloped with a Bali princess. As I mentioned the other day he said that marriage here was about having babies. I asked him well, isn't it also about monogamy and you choose this person. He sighed and said maybe for some, but the people here he said are traditionally promiscuous. His examples were tantilizing but not recent. Reminded me of something a shopkeeper said to me while she was talking to Katrinka. "And you - be sure to wear a condom. Don't want to bring anything home to this lovely lady." What would tempt me? I thought.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Nothing to do with Belief

I think some of you who practice zazen here may believe in some other religion, but I don’t mind whatever you believe in.  Our practice has nothing to do with some particular religious belief.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Spell Check from Alert Reader

Alert reader sends in corrections. Thus awarded the cuke Gold Star which consists of me writing this sentence. Here's our exchange:

Venue for Wedding

We're not getting married at the Diamond Chapel pictured here though it's a short walk from where we are being betrothed.

Below is a photo of the inside of the Diamond Chaple and then, thanks to Google image search and all the nice people taking photos of everything on earth and posting them, various shots of the hallowed ground where we will plight our troth.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Blanche Hartman in Hospice

Waited till the family and the SFZC was was ready to make this public.

Boundless Life - a chronicle on Blanche from the SFZC

A report on Lion's Roar: Thinking of Zenkei Blanche Hartman

Boiler Plate Zen

When you bow you should just bow. When you sit you have to sit. When you eat you eat. If you do so, the universal nature is there. We call it Samadhi. We say ichigyo sanmai. Samadhi is concentration. Ichigyo is one practice -- one practice Samadhi.

Excerpt immediately follows yesterday's excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC


Where or what does the term boilerplate come from?

When Balinese Got Married

Talking to Bali Bill about how open the Buddhist priest's attitude toward marriage was. The priest said that a lot of men who get married have girlfriends at the time, even ones that come to the wedding and that the true test is in your heart, not in the ceremony or certificate. Bill said that in Bali they don't get married till the woman is pregnant. He said that the purpose of marriage here is to have children and if there aren't going to be any children then there's no need to get married and the family will urge the man to find another candidate or fiance - same word.

Friday, June 12, 2015

Tackling What's at Hand

When you’re wandering about you have no chance to express yourself, but when you limit your expression of the universal nature, then there we have the way to practice. This is our way. 

Why this photo? Keep reading.

Wedding Liturgy

Traditional Bali wedding photo from Bali Wedding Organizer. We'd do that but we're scared of heights and Katrinka's the organizer.

Romo Handy, the Buddhist priest who's performing our marriage ceremony, emailed the liturgy - what he and we will say and what happens. It seems pretty good.

Average Citizen's Influence in the US

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Worship

In our practice we have no special object of worship.

Excerpt is the opening line from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-23 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Not edited by DC


that photo lifted from this interesting blog page on Korean monks bowing

Notes from the Funeral for Daigan Lueck

Get me to the Court on Time

 I was in a minor auto/motorbike accident this morning and it affected my tennis game. It was nothing mentally or emotionally, but my body was shook up. I was a little queasy. Bali Bill said it was good I'd gotten out of there quick or they might have figured out a way to blame it on me.

I'd wanted to be early for tennis today cause I had an opened can of balls that had been used only once and someone had opened a can after that accidentally and I knew that if I were late that another fresh can would be opened and was worried that by the time we used these balls they'd be too dead. It's a fifteen minute walk to the court and it was fifteen after 7am - we play at 7:30 - so I took a taxi - there's a taxi stand just around the corner from our place. It's less than a one dollar ride but he wouldn't go for less than two so I said okay, just get me there quick.

Ever Hear of James Last?

One of the most successful musicians of all times and surely you're heard is music without realizing it. Over 200 gold and platinum albums. Read about him here.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

No Preperation

To cook is not preparation according to Dogen. It is practice. It is the expression of our sincerity. To cook is not to prepare food for someone or for yourself. When you cook, you should express yourselves in your activity in the kitchen. You should take plenty of time to do it and work on it without expecting something, without something in your mind. You should just -- cook. Even cleaning is not preparation for rituals.

Intriguing Comic

Bring Me the Head of David Dixon

Got a request from this gentleman for the username and password to shunryusuzuki.com [sent to dchad at cuke dot com] and saw this link at the bottom. Most cool. - dc

Rock to Uncle

In response to the post on theft in Bali and how they used to stone thieves here on the spot, Gregory Johnson wrote: Been keeping up a little with your "monk" adventures in Bali, the gist of which - humans are humans, the good, bad and the ugly everywhere! My god - stoning someone to death, yikes!!! When I was in India trekking in Kashmir, a fight broke out in a mountain village between two family rivals for who would get to serve us tea that resulted in a young man throwing a rock, hitting an elder in the temple knocking him unconscious rupturing an artery. 

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Trungpa on Suzuki from Garuda

Chogyam Trungpa on Shunryu Suzuki 

from the spring 1972 Garuda with the Solitary Rock calligraphy

A JPG presentation of the tribute, better quality than the PDF. - thanks to _________ (soon to come)

Cover image larger with source and more at bottom of page linked to above.

Rare

Our human life is so rare, and so wonderful, and when I sit I want to remain in this way forever, but I encourage myself to have another practice, for instance, to recite a sutra or to bow. And when we bow, I think, “this is wonderful”, but we have to change our practice for reciting sutras. I don’t feel to like talking after reciting a sutra. So the purpose of my talk is to express my appreciation, that’s all. Our way is not to sit for something, it is to express our true nature. That is our practice.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-16 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Torture in US Prisons

Solitary confinement as torture exposed in Breaking Down the Box, the new NRCAT film, a 40-minute documentary for communities of faith, to expose the torture of solitary confinement in the context of mass incarceration in the United States. NRCAT is the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

A Good Day

Met with Made (2nd born) of the Sindhu Banjar - Sindhu is the area next to where we live and banjar is the traditional local authority. Lives on a narrow side street. Walked through the little store in front to the courtyard of his villa now with a half dozen rooms with porches for tourists. He was rather imposing with tattoos covering his arms and chest. Sort of like the photo but in front, on the arms. Couldn't find an image on the web that was right so chose this one. Told him we wanted to get married on Sindhu Beach on July 10th. We thought he said that was no good, can't do it till July 25th - or, he pointed to June 23rd through 25th then August. At one point he suggested we check we the officiating Buddhist priest caues maybe they have other good days and bad days. Katrinka perked up and said, "He said the 10th would be a good day." Oh - no problem then. We'd almost left, thinking that we wouldn't be allowed on that day for whatever local Hindu Banjar reasons, but he was only talking in terms of propitious days and assumed that's how we'd choose the date.

Monday, June 8, 2015

Difficulties in Zazen

When you practice zazen you will of course have physical pain in your legs and mentally you will have some difficulty. You will find it difficult to be concentrated on your breathing. One after another images will come into your mind or your mind will go out for a walk and wander about. I have many difficulties in my practice, so I think you, too, will find it very difficult to sit in good zazen.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11A as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Obituary for Don Koue

Don was married to my sister Susan and died recently.

Here's his obituary - thanks Camille Koue, niece exemplary.

and here's the cuke RIP post from May 13th..

Looking at the photo makes me a little sad. Sharp guy with no malice who despised injustice..

VIHARA BUDDHA DHARMA

In looking for a Buddhist priest to conduct our wedding ceremony, we checked out Vihara Buddha Dharma  because it's somewhat near and what we read here (sent by Alice) about it on the web looked good. 

"The temple was newly built in 2007 and ever since has become an important center for local and international Buddhist community activities in Bali. The temple is open to every Buddhist and everyone for meditation, ceremonies, or spiritual teaching, with several monks from all different Buddhist tradition coming to give teaching at the temple."

Saturday, June 6, 2015

yesterday was World Environment Day

UN invites world’s seven billion people to become agents of change on World Environment Day - from United Nations News

Helped to organize a World Environment Day celebration in San Francisco in 1979 working with a dynamic woman named Isabel Wade who founded Urban Resource Systems and was the first board president of Friends of the Urban Forest.

Got the poster of the event we did off the Oakland Museum collections site - see it larger there.

Poster reads, "A celebration/ world environment day/ tuesday 5 june 79/ Embarcadero Plaza 12 noon to 1:30 pm/ Music booths speakers/ Governor Jerry Brown/ Huey Johnson (State Secretary for resources/ Tower of Power/ New Generation Singers."

Idea of self or not

When we have the idea of self we want some reason for why we work on something. But if you do not have the idea of self, you can remain silent and calm whether or not you work on something.

As Promised

Here's Katrinka's engagement ring in front of our altar which she devotedly attends to. 

Friday, June 5, 2015

Just to Sit

We say “just to sit.” And if you do, you will find out that Zen practice -- just to -- is not easy. Just to sit may be the most difficult thing. To work on something is not difficult. To not work on anything is rather difficult.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-11 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Now Available

Fil Lewitt's books now available in Kindle.

Fil is living in Bangkok after some decades in Japan.

Here's his cuke page.

Vipassana Retreat in Singaraja

Thought it would  be good to take a break from cuking etc so I've signed up for a Vipassana retreat for ten days starting June 29th at

Brahmavihara Arama Buddhist Temple

Here's the code of conduct.

That image and more from here. - dc

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Most Important in ZMBM

Meg Doshin Gawler checked Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind for this phrase and created this analysis.

Linking to this from the cuke page on Shunryu Suzuki's use of the phrase "most important."

Meg's Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses for Mapping the Path of Practice in ZMBM

Meg Gawler cuke interview  - ZMBM cuke link

Marriage in Indonesia

Got our Affidavits for Eligibility for Marriage at the American Consulate in Denpasar today. It's so close walked home along a kilometer or so of lush nurseries on both sides of Huang Tua street for about a third of the way. Katrinka's wearing her engagement ring. I proposed to her in classic form and she accepted. In our twelfth year together, seemed like a good time and place for it.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Leland Smithson's Aurelia's Fountain

Aurelia's Fountain [Kindle Edition] by Leland Smithson



Check it out. - dc

***


Zen MoirĂ©s by Leland in ZC Stories



Calmness

Calmness of mind does not mean to stop activity. In activity there is true calmness. So we say it is easy to have calmness in inactivity, but it is hard to have calmness in activity. But calmness in activity is true calmness.

Excerpt from Shunryu Suzuki lecture 65-12-02 as found on shunryusuzuki.com. Edited by DC

Rubber Time

They call it rubber time in Indonesia. If you tell someone not to do that, jangan jam koret, it means don't be late. But it's not like Mexico here to us. The people we've dealt with are not really on time - they're early. Our drivers, Nyoman and Ketut come thirty minutes early. I serve them something on the porch and they're happy to wait. Maybe we're just lucky. - dc