Tag: hakone-zendo
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What is “Mu”?
Shared by Ann. Mu is a koan associated with Rinzai zen. In one story associated with this koan, a monk asks a teacher whether a dog has buddha nature, and the response is “Mu!” – (No). Later, the monks ask the teacher the same question and get the opposite answer – “Yes”! (Note: this article references a book focused on…
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Omotenashi おもてなし
Shared by Kaz Omotenashi has been part of Japanese culture for a long time. Omote means front, nashi means nothing. Omotenashi means from the bottom of the heart, sincere. Omotenashi is an important concept from the tea ceremony which is closely related to zen. The host who is serving tea and the guest are treating…
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Empathy
Oscar talked about empathy. With the current state of the world and our country, I find myself feeling angry at myself and feeling useless and powerless for nothing being able to make any changes. Through meditation I found out that the difference I can do is to reduce hate in the world. But how do…
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Desire
Talk by Chris What is the source of desire? How are we to act on our feelings of desire – how we want ourselves or others to behave? Chris shared a story about a neighbor who, many years ago, hosted a loud party. They informed Chris the day of the event that they would be…
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wa kei sei jaku 和敬清寂
This sign used to hang outside of our gate to the zendo. “Wa, Kei, Sei, Jaku,” famous Sado (tea ceremony ) word describing four essential elements of Sado. 和(Wa) Harmony 敬(Kei) Respect 清(Sei) Purity 寂(Jaku) Tranquility So why this word for tea ceremony relates to zen? It is believed that Eisai, who established the Rinzai…
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wabi-sabi 侘び寂び
Jia found this pottery in the clearance section because of imperfections. He loves this piece. We talked about wabi-sabi. In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered on accepting transience and imperfection.
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How do I stay in the present moment when it feels unbearable?
Garden started to bloom. Sue shared Thich Nhat Hanh’s video recording answers the question How do I stay in the present moment when it feels unbearable? Here is the video from Thich Nhat Hanh.
Hakone Zendo 