Podcasts about hakuin

AI is rapidly changing the way we train, learn, and analyze Judo. Peter breaks down the fundamentals of AI, how machine learning can enhance coaching, and its potential applications in skill development. Shintaro explores practical uses, from video analysis to training optimization, while discussing AI's limitations and ethical concerns. They also touch on the future of AI in Judo, including data-driven strategies and predictive modeling. Whether you're curious about AI's role in martial arts or its broader impact on sports, this conversation offers valuable insights and thought-provoking takeaways.00:00:00 Introduction00:00:30 Peter's research and collab with IJF00:06:33 Research timeline00:08:10 Applications of this Research00:15:00 What's next?00:17:29 Hakuin.ai (Sponsor AD)00:17:57 Commentators vs AIIf you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

In this episode, Shintaro and Peter dive into the role of weight training for grapplers, especially when dealing with injuries. Shintaro shares his personal experiences managing knee and shoulder issues while maintaining a consistent lifting routine. They discuss modifications for common lifts, strategies for working around injuries, and the importance of balancing weight training with grappling practice. The conversation also covers Shintaro's approach to dieting, his weight loss progress, and his ideas for future fitness content.(00:00:00) Introduction(00:00:34) Shintaro's Knee and Shoulder Injuries(00:01:36) Adjusting Workouts for Injuries(00:03:42) Shintaro's Full-Body Workout Routine(00:08:53) The Role of Diet in Weight Training(00:13:59) Fitness as Part of a Grappler's Routine(00:15:48) Using Grappling for Fitness Training(00:16:55) Judo-Focused Fitness Class ConceptIf you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

The ecological approach to coaching has sparked intense debates in the grappling community. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter break down what the ecological approach really means, how it differs from traditional coaching methods, and whether it's truly the best way to train. They explore the balance between structured instruction and discovery-based learning, discussing how different learning styles impact a student's ability to absorb techniques. Shintaro also shares his perspective as both a coach and an athlete, weighing in on the controversy surrounding this training philosophy.(00:00:00) Introduction(00:02:36) What is the Ecological Approach?(00:04:40) How It Differs from Traditional Coaching(00:07:20) Why Is the Ecological Approach Controversial?(00:13:14) Making Training Fun for Different Learning Styles(00:20:33) Blending Ecological and Traditional MethodsIf you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

Grappling in Japan has a rich and diverse history, spanning judo, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and even sumo. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter dive into the unique structures of these grappling disciplines in Japan, discussing their training systems, cultural differences, and how jiu-jitsu is rapidly growing as a hobbyist sport. Shintaro shares insights from his recent seminar in Okinawa and explores the potential for bridging the gap between Japanese and American grappling communities. They also touch on the lack of seminar culture in Japanese judo and wrestling and speculate on what could happen if Japan's various grappling styles began to cross-pollinate. If you're interested in martial arts in Japan or the future of grappling, this episode is packed with valuable insights. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:32) Differences Between Judo, Wrestling, and BJJ in Japan (00:02:00) Japan's Judo Training Pipeline (00:04:28) The Decline of Judo Participation After 25 (00:04:42) The Unmatched Efficiency of Japan's Wrestling Program (00:06:17) The Popularity of Judo vs. Wrestling in Japan (00:07:28) The Unique Demographics of Japanese BJJ (00:08:33) Why BJJ and Judo Are So Separate in Japan (00:11:00) Shintaro's Seminar Experience in Okinawa (00:11:41) The Lack of Seminar Culture in Japanese Judo and Wrestling (00:12:44) The Demand for American BJJ Athletes in Japan (00:13:59) Techniques Covered in Shintaro's Seminar (00:14:29) The Future of Grappling Cross-Pollination in Japan (00:15:49) Possibility of a Seminar Tour in Korea If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

Large language models like ChatGPT are transforming the way we interact with AI. Peter explains its inner workings, how it understands language through probabilities, and its applications across various domains. Shintaro brings relatable scenarios, exploring AI's practical uses, its limitations, and ethical concerns like bias and transparency. They also touch on the future of AI, from prompt engineering to potential advancements like agentic AI and multitask robotics. Whether you're curious about how ChatGPT works or how it might shape the future, this conversation offers engaging insights and practical takeaways. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:45) What Is ChatGPT? (00:02:19) Language Models and Probabilities Explained (00:05:28) Making AI Understandable for Everyone (00:06:43) ChatGPT's Limitations and Real-World Use Cases (00:13:17) Ethical Concerns and AI Bias (00:17:36) What Is Prompt Engineering? (00:20:58) AI in Specialized Applications (00:25:21) The Turing Test and AI Sentience (00:30:31) Full Self-Driving and AI in Robotics (00:44:33) What's After ChatGPT? (00:50:50) Closing Thoughts If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

Grappling is much more than perfect throws or traditional techniques. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discuss rethinking training methodologies, from static uchikomi to positional and grip fighting. They address the criticisms of traditional approaches, explore the ecological training model, and share how tailored drills can accelerate learning and creativity. This episode offers valuable insights and practical strategies for improving your training. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:31) Critiques of Traditional Uchikomi (00:02:23) Nuances of Basics and Context in Grappling (00:07:17) Importance of Grip and Positional Fighting (00:11:56) Ecological Training and Mini Games (00:17:41) Competition Mechanics vs. Traditional Drills (00:23:40) Building Personalized Games and Creativity (00:27:10) Closing Thoughts on Modernizing Training If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

Shintaro and Peter explore the dynamics of organizing Judo events, reflecting on the challenges and benefits of building a thriving judo community. They discuss the importance of dojo collaborations, creative ways to host training sessions, and nurturing a supportive environment for all practitioners. From Judo field trips to inter-gym partnerships, this episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to enhance their martial arts journey. Plus, they share personal anecdotes about balancing judo, family, and professional responsibilities. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:06:29) Motivating Gym Members for Events (00:08:13) Concept of Judo Field Trips (00:10:16) Challenges of Organizing Multi-Gym Workouts (00:13:26) Creating a Collaborative Judo Community (00:15:28) Advice for Finding a Gym in a New Area (00:19:39) Addressing Gym Culture and Membership Challenges (00:23:22) The Benefits of Open Mat Partnerships (00:25:34) Leveraging Events for Content Creation (00:28:03) Planning Judo Trips and International Seminars If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

In this episode, Shintaro learns about peer review from Peter. They tackle common misconceptions, explain how peer review parallels qualifying rounds for Judo competitions, and discuss the strengths and flaws of the system. From navigating PubMed to addressing the challenges of reviewer anonymity, this episode offers an engaging and accessible take on an often misunderstood topic. Whether you're a researcher, a student, or just curious about how science works behind the scenes, this discussion will leave you with a clearer understanding of what makes peer-reviewed research tick. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:56) PubMed and Its Role (00:04:02) Understanding Peer Review on PubMed (00:05:41) Comparing Journals: The "Olympics" of Academia (00:08:41) How Peer Review Works: Submission to Acceptance (00:13:12) The Role of Peer Reviewers (00:16:02) Challenges of Reviewer Anonymity (00:21:34) The Debate Around Funding and Conflicts of Interest If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

Shintaro recently caught some strays from the popular video “The Lies Behind Judo Basics”. In this episode, Shintaro gives his real first-time reactions to the video. Shintaro shares his thoughts on the nuances of teaching traditional Judo basics versus practical competition techniques, while Peter adds context about cultural differences in teaching and training approaches. They discuss the value of traditional drills, address critiques about Uchimata instruction, and reflect on the importance of adapting techniques for real-world application. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:00) Shintaro's Teaching Philosophy on Uchimata (00:03:30) Critiques on Traditional Uchimata Drills (00:06:15) The Role of Basics in Modern Judo (00:08:50) Debating Practical Applications of Uchimata (00:11:30) Traditional vs. Competitive Techniques (00:13:45) Cultural Perspectives on Judo Training (00:16:20) Shintaro's Challenge to the Video Creators (00:18:00) Reflections and Closing Thoughts If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

The new IJF rule set has sparked significant debate in the Judo community, with controversial changes and intriguing predictions about the sport's future. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter talk about the details of the rule updates, including the return of Yuko scoring, adjustments to head safety rules, and the evolving stance on leg grabs. Shintaro shares insights from his commentary experience at the Tokyo Grand Slam and provides his predictions for the future of leg grabs in Judo. The discussion also explores changes in gripping rules, passivity penalties, and their potential impact on match dynamics. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:11) Shintaro's Commentary Experience at Tokyo Grand Slam (00:01:52) Predictions on Leg Grabs Returning (00:03:24) The Return of Yuko Scoring (00:04:49) Changes to Head Safety Rules (00:07:17) Bear Hugs and Adjustments to Gripping Rules (00:07:33) New “Leg Grab” Rules (00:10:05) Clarifying the Out-of-Bounds Rule (00:11:47) Kansetsu Waza Applied During a Throw (00:13:07) Changes in Newaza Rules (00:14:38) Potential Conflicts Between New Rules (00:17:05) The IJF's Iterative Approach to Rule Changes (00:18:32) Future Speculations: Leg Grabs After World Championships (00:19:22) Spotlight on American Competitor Yang at Tokyo Grand Slam If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

In this episode, Shintaro shares his experience at the Tokyo Grand Slam, where he was one of the IJF commentators. From meeting Olympic champions to exploring the nuances of Japan's Judo culture, Shintaro reflects on his growing role as a commentator and influencer in the Judo community. Meanwhile, Peter catches us up on his PhD journey, including passing his thesis proposal and attending the prestigious NeurIPS conference. He explores exciting ideas about combining Judo video datasets with AI research and the challenges of working with video-language models. Whether you're passionate about Judo or curious about the intersection of AI and sports, this episode dives into a unique mix of sports, research, and travel stories. (00:00:00) Introduction  (00:01:27) Commentating at the Tokyo Grand Slam   (00:03:23) Behind the Scenes with Olympic Champions   (00:06:50) Japan's Judo Culture and Tokyo Grand Slam Insights (00:08:48) How the Grand Slam is Accessible for Fans   (00:10:58) Changes Shintaro Noticed in Japan   (00:12:24) New IJF Rules   (00:13:27) Peter Passes His Thesis Proposal   (00:14:29) Peter's Research Idea with Judo Videos (00:19:54) What's Next For Peter In His PhD Journey (00:24:50) Shintaro Makes a New Friend During Flight Delays   (00:28:31) Shintaro's Daughter's Dance Recital Highlights  If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

In this episode, Peter and Shintaro shift gears from grappling to dive into Peter's current main focus: earning a PhD. They explore what it means to pursue a PhD, the challenges faced by doctoral students, and how this journey parallels competition in sports like judo. Using vivid analogies and insights, they discuss the structure of PhD programs, the peer review process, and the impact of publishing research. Whether you're curious about academia or intrigued by its connections to grappling, this episode offers a fascinating look at the life of a PhD student and the pursuit of independent research. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:48) The Role of a PhD Student (00:03:25) Universities as Dojos (00:04:25) Publishing Papers as Competitions (00:06:04) Master's Degrees vs. PhDs (00:08:40) Understanding Peer Review (00:20:30) PhD Program Milestones (00:23:37) Completing the PhD and Next Steps (00:27:31) Critiquing Published Papers If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

Shintaro just returned from an international seminar trip in the Netherlands and Germany. In this episode, Shintaro recounts the challenges of organizing international seminars, navigating new countries, and sharing his Japanese-style judo with enthusiastic European practitioners. From the unique Dutch judo culture to logistical hurdles like finding reliable transportation, this episode offers a mix of travel tales, cultural insights, and practical tips for hosting successful events abroad. Plus, Shintaro shares his vision for the future of judo and grappling in Europe. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:42) Recap of the trip (00:02:29) Challenges of International Seminars (00:05:12) Navigating Dutch and German Cities (00:06:53) Staying in a Rural Dutch Town (00:08:15) First Impressions of the Netherlands and Germany (00:12:46) Current Status of Dutch Judo (00:15:02) Athlete Development in the Netherlands (00:18:14) Financials of Dutch Judo (00:27:18) Reception of Japanese Judo Techniques in Europe (00:29:14) Insights from Dusseldorf's Historic Judo Gym (00:31:15) The Future of Grappling in Europe If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

DOGEN ON ZAZENUpon returning to Japan from China in 1227, at the age of 27, Master Dogen composed the first draft of Fukanzazengi, the tract in which he outlines the principles of seated meditation, or zazen, that he had learned under the tutelage of Master Rujing. In one of the English translations, about two-thirds of the way through the text, he asks a question of the reader: Now that you know the most important thing in Buddhism, how can you be satisfied with the transient world? Our bodies are like dew on the grass and our lives like a flash of lightning, vanishing in a moment. At this point in the piece, he has said many things about the physical method of meditation, interwoven with suggestions of the philosophy, attitude adjustments and correctives to conventional wisdom that accompany the practice. So what he means to indicate as the most important thing is subject to speculation. This may reflect a translator's choice anomaly, a known issue in the art of interpreting ancient teachings. To home in on this most important thing more closely, let's look at a brief, pointed poem, “Zazenshin,” that Dogen paraphrased from a Chinese version. It means something like “Acupuncture Needle” or “Lancet” – a very sharp instrument – for or about zazen: Zazen-shin - Shohaku Okumura, trans. The essential-function of each buddha and the functioning-essence of each ancestor.
Being actualized within not-thinking.Being manifested within non-interacting.Being actualized within not-thinking, the actualization is by nature intimate.Being manifested within non-interacting, the manifestation is itself verification.The actualization that is by nature intimate never has defilement.
The manifestation that is by nature verification never has distinction between Absolute and Relative.The intimacy without defilement is dropping off without relying on anything.The verification beyond distinction between Absolute and Relative is making effort without aiming at it.The water is clear to the earth; a fish is swimming like a fish.
The sky is vast, extending to the heavens; a bird is flying like a bird. So from this we may take it that the most important thing has something to do with not thinking and non-interacting, and not distinguishing between the absolute and relative. It is pointing at something intimate, undefiled by conventional wisdom, and that has nothing to do with our reliance on common understanding, and goal-oriented efforts. To which we can only respond, “Hmmm. Thank you Dogen, for clearing that up.” MATSUOKA ON DOGENClearly, this message is about something beyond words, that language can only point at, if it is beyond thinking itself. Let's explore some more contemporary quotes from Matsuoka-roshi to see if we can zoom in on the meaning of these passages. O-Sensei simplified Dogen Zenji's instructions for his American students, condensing them into three discrete areas: posture, breath, and attention. The following are three expressions he would use frequently, addressing questions about zazen: Keep aiming at the perfect posture never imagining that you've achieved it You have to work your way through every bone in your body When your posture is approaching the stage of perfection, it will feel as if you are shoving your head against the ceiling The first, about aiming without achieving, makes Dogen's “making effort without aiming at it” a bit more concrete by narrowly defining “it” as the upright posture. This is in keeping with the Zen premise that the zazen posture is the full expression of enlightenment, not merely a means to the end of enlightenment. It also reminds us that there can be no separation of body and mind in Zen, nor, indeed, in reality. And that the natural process of Zen is open-ended, based on aspiration as opposed to expectation. The second indicates that this is going to be a steady, slow process on a visceral level, sitting “with muscle and bone,” as my senior dharma brother in Chicago, Kongo-roshi, titled one of his talks. There are a lot of bones in your body. And the bones, of course, are not separate from the skin, flesh, and marrow, the connective tissue, as Master Bodhidharma taught. “Working your way through” recalls the famous dictum from the poet Robert Frost, paraphrasing, “the only way out is through.” The third seems to contradict the first, when Sensei describes what he frequently referred to as the “sitting-mountain feeling” that eventually comes from zazen. We are to aim at it without concluding that we've achieved it, because “Zen goes deeper,” as he would often say. No matter how seemingly complete and transcendent our immediate experience, it is not the end of the process, an attitude adjustment first articulated by Buddha himself in the “Fifty False States” section of the Surangama Sutra. The main admonition is that, no matter what happens in your meditation, not to imagine that you are now completely enlightened. Even Buddha returned to meditation for the fifty years of his life following his profound insight. But this “shoving your head against the ceiling” sensation is something that I can personally attest to from my modest experience on the cushion. I suspect that when we pull back on the chin, stretching the back of our neck with strength, a specific detail of the posture emphasized by Matsuoka-roshi, it has the effect of shoving our skull against the scalp, which would then feel like the resistance of a solid, external surface like a ceiling. The entire body is a tension-compression structure, much like a camping tent, where the bones of the skeleton are the compression members under stress from the surrounding membrane of musculature, tendons and ligaments, like the canvas and ropes of the tent. HAKUIN'S GAS PEDALThe other end of the “tentpole” is the base of the spine, connecting to the coccyx, or tailbone. Hakuin Zenji, a famous Rinzai priest whose life span bridged the 17th and 18th centuries, from 1686 to1769, recommended that we push forward and down on the lower spine until we feel a bit of pain there. That sensation derives from stretching the hard tissue of the discs between the large lower vertebrae. Even more today than in his time, our posture tends to be c-shaped, sometimes referred to as a “cashew,” when we sit in the driver's seat of our vehicles on the expressway, or the chair at our desk. The natural position of the spine is an “S-shape” curve, bending the lower back in the opposite direction, like a cobra rising from the floor, dancing to the tune of the snake-charmer's flute. I call this Hakuin's gas pedal. Like the accelerator of your car or truck, if you keep your foot on it, pressing forward and down, the vehicle moves. If you let up on it, it slows to a stop. On the other hand, if you go pedal to the metal, it speeds out of control. The Middle Way again, in all its manifestations. So the most important thing, as regards the posture, at least, may be keeping these two pressure points in play while sitting. If you do so, you can't go far wrong in terms of sitting upright. Breathing and attention also come into the picture, but that may be a subject for another UnMind. Let me close this segment with a couple of aphorisms that have come to me in my practice. ME ON ZAZEN I do not claim to have the depth of insight and understanding of our ancestors, and recognize that context, while not determinative of Zen experience, certainly counts. What Buddha, Bodhidharma, the great ancestors in China, and Dogen himself managed to accomplish under relatively primitive conditions in no way compares to what we may expect to realize under relatively cushy but geometrically more complex circumstances. But as they did in their times we must do in ours — namely use what we know to inform our efforts in exploring what we do not know, and cannot know, in any ordinary sense. So, here, I want to introduce two terms that may have no counterpart in their language. PROPRIOCEPTION MEETS VERTIGOProprioception is a term from modern physiology, defined as: Perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body Vertigo is defined as: A sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height, or caused by disease affecting the inner ear or the vestibular nerve; giddiness. In terms of our experience in zazen, then, proprioception would be akin to samadhi, or at least its early stages, when, as Matsuoka-roshi said: When posture, breath, and attention all come together in a unified way, that is the real zazen. Now, if there is “real” zazen, it implies that there must be “unreal” or “fake” zazen, or the false impression that we are doing zazen when we are not, really. Samadhi is a jargon term that I hesitate to use, as it implies that I know what it means while suggesting that you probably do not. Which sets up the false dichotomy of “you and I,” “us and them,” the in-group cognoscenti versus the great unwashed. Sensei also pointed out, at the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, paraphrasing, “When you become dizzy, concentrate on your knees.” And “When you get nauseous, concentrate on your forehead.” Or it may have been the other way around. The main point is that you probably will get dizzy, and you probably will get nauseous, in zazen. This brings up another coinage, for which I claim authorship: Let not the spiritual be the enemy of the practical I detect a vestigial strain of puritanism in the American culture that can infect our understanding and presentation of Zen, as a kind of belief system, a set of doctrines that one must subscribe to, in order to penetrate the inner sanctum of Zen's purported spiritual secrets. This is anathema to the real Zen, as I understand it. All of Master Dogen's instructions in Fukanzazengi are physical, not mental, as Carl Bielefeldt points out in his “Dogen's Manuals of Zen Meditation,” a wonderful, incisive line-by-line analysis of Dogen's two extant revisions compared to the Chinese original. So let's stay focused on the physical, and not get distracted by any woo-woo “spiritual.” If we continue sitting without expectation, implementing the two pressure points until we feel tMatsuoka-roshi's “sitting mountain feeling” of great stability — our head “pressed against the ceiling” — the body and mind will take us where we need to go. We trust our teachers' intent and wisdom, and we trust our Original Mind, as indicated in the title of Hsinhsinming, the earliest Ch'an poem chanted in Soto liturgy. If we sustain this posture — sitting still enough and straight enough for long enough — it will work its magic. Equilibrium will set in in the tension-compression system of muscle and bone of the body, leading to equipoise of the mind. Sustained for some time, the constancy of our proprioception will inevitably lead to vertigo — the flip side of solidity. “Mountains are always walking” — the planet is falling through space. There is “not even a toehold.” Emptiness is innately form, form innately emptiness. In the next segment of UnMind, we will put a cap on “Election Year Zen,” my tenth and final concluding commentary on the 2024 campaign, now that we know how it all turned out. But like a centipede, or millipede, there are surely many more shoes to drop.

Join us on this enlightening episode of the Wellness Curated podcast, part of our 'Lessons from Ancient Philosophies' series, as host Anshu Bahanda talks about the teachings of Buddhism on the nature of suffering. Our guest, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a renowned meditation teacher and master of the Karma Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. He offers profound insights on how Buddhist principles can assist us in navigating the inevitable challenges and pains of life.Drawing from his personal journey and insights from his bestselling book, The Joy of Living, Rinpoche discusses effective strategies for managing anxiety, the importance of embracing impermanence, and how meditation can foster deep-seated gratitude and compassion. The episode kicks off with an intriguing tale of Zen master Hakuin's interaction with a samurai, which illustrates the impact of our responses on our perceptions of heaven and hell. Rinpoche explores Buddha's first Noble Truth about recognising suffering and comments on the influence of modern digital lifestyles on mental health, particularly among Gen Z. He also unpacks the Buddhist concept of Nirvana and provides actionable advice for cultivating joy and resilience in our daily routines. Tune into this episode of Wellness Curated to learn how ancient Buddhist wisdom remains extraordinarily relevant today, providing essential tools for alleviating suffering and enhancing our capacity for joy and compassion. Whether you are facing personal struggles or seeking more harmony in your life, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and practical tips for incorporating Buddhist teachings into your everyday experiences.For a transcript of this show, go to https://wellnesscurated.life/exploring-buddhist-teachings-on-suffering-with-yongey-mingyur-rinpoche-wellness-curated-2/If you liked our episode, you can subscribe to our podcast on any of the major podcasting platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. Please leave us a review on Apple iTunes and help others discover this podcast. You can visit wellnesscurated.life and follow us on Twitter @WellnessCurated, On Instagram @wellnesscurated.life,On Facebook @Wellness Curated by Anshu Bahanda,On LinkedIn @Wellness Curated by Anshu Bahanda, And on YouTube @wellnesscuratedbyanshubahanda. for more wellness tips to help you live your best life.

Zen Buddhism can be understood as a form of performance art. In this recording, Sono performs the song by the 17th century monk Hakuin, called “Song of Zazen”.

"There's gonna be some people that I'm their cup of tea and some people they're not."In this episode, Jennie Wolfe shares a powerful story of a Zen monk named Hakuin who remained calm and compassionate despite being falsely accused. She explores the importance of staying centered and responding with grace in challenging situations. Jennie provides four practical steps: knowing your truth, accepting what you can't control, practicing compassion, and choosing your story. These steps help cultivate a calm and centered response, improve relationships, and navigate difficult situations with ease. By focusing on what you can control and shifting your energy, you can show up as your best self and lead others well.Listen in to hear:The power of staying calm and centered.The connection between well-being and effective leadership.Practical steps to know your truth and accept what you can't control.How to choose empowering narratives that shape your reality.Takeaways:Staying calm and centered allows for clear-headed decisions and graceful responses in challenging situations.Accepting what you can't control and focusing on what you can control, such as your own reaction, empowers you to shift your energy.Practicing compassion by believing that everyone is doing their best helps you approach situations with empathy and understanding.Choosing empowering narratives that align with who you want to be shapes your reality and supports your growth.LINKS + RESOURCESBook a call to work with us here (https://wellwolfe.com/call)Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to get the Custom Project Management Tool Template (https://wellwolfe.com/thewell)Take the Work-Life Style Quiz and receive a GUIDE TO CREATE BALANCE for FREE! (https://wellwolfe.com/quiz)FOLLOWwellwolfe: @wellwolfe_____This podcast was produced and edited by Intent Media

Trong bức tranh này Hakuin vẽ ngọn núi hình một con chim ưng lớn, tượng trưng cho núi Linh Thứu, Vulture Peak, nơi Phật giảng kinh Pháp Hoa. Và bên dưới là một làng đánh cá nhỏ với dăm ba mái nhà nằm rải rác, với những chiếc thuyền chài, biểu tượng cho một đời sống bình thường. Trên tranh ông viết, “Nếu bạn nhìn lên, núi Linh Thứu. Nếu bạn nhìn xuống, những chiếc thuyền đánh cá bên ngôi làng Shigeshishi nhỏ.” Những lời dạy của đức Phật, dầu cao xa đến đâu nhưng bao giờ cũng đang có mặt với chúng ta, trong mỗi bước mình đi, mỗi việc mình làm, mỗi lời ta nói. Đạo bao giờ cũng hiện hữu trong cuộc sống bình thường hằng ngày của mình. Đỉnh núi Linh Thứu và một làng chài nhỏ bé, chúng rất gần gũi và hòa hợp với nhau.

Vầng trăng vừa lên sau dãy núi phía đông. Cụ già và đứa bé rửa những củ khoai. Trong tranh, có một cụ già và đứa bé rửa những củ khoai nước (taro root) bằng hai cây xào và thùng nước trong một ngày mùa thu, bên cạnh một dòng suối. Trong phút chốc, cả hai chợt dừng lại, để ông lão có thể ngước nhìn lên ngắm một vầng trăng thu thật đẹp. ­ Trong cuộc sống bận rộn hằng ngày, thỉnh thoảng ta nên dừng lại mà nhìn thấy cái hay đẹp có mặt chung quanh mình. Dầu hoàn cảnh ta có như thế nào, cũng có những cái hay đẹp chung quanh ta. Có lẽ Hakuin muốn nhắc nhở chúng ta rằng, dầu bận rộn với bất cứ một công việc gì, dầu hoàn cảnh ta có như thế nào, chung quanh ta bao giờ cũng có một vầng trăng đẹp hiện hữu. Và thỉnh thoảng ta hãy dừng lại và ngước lên để nhìn đi. Giữa những phiền não và mệt nhọc của cuộc sống, cuộc đời cũng vẫn có một vầng trăng trong sáng.

Bức tranh này Hakuin vẽ từ công án thứ 38 trong Vô Môn Quan. Một con trâu nhảy qua khung cửa sổ nhỏ bé, đầu sừng, thân, bốn chân đều vượt qua hết. Nhưng chỉ kẹt lại cái đuôi không qua được. Tại sao vậy?Con Trâu qua được hết mà chỉ còn có chút xíu cái đuôi đó thôi mà không qua được. Và cả thân đầu chân gì đều bị mắc kẹt lại, cũng tại cái đuôi đó! ­ Trong cuộc sống, nhiều khi điều đơn giản nhất lại là việc khó làm nhất, một lời tha thứ lại là lời khó nói nhất. Cái nhỏ nhất đôi khi lại là điều mình khó xả bỏ nhất, vì nó có chứa hết cả cái tôi của mình.

Bright on Buddhism - Episode 86 -What is "un-knowing" in Buddhism? Is it the same as Agnosticism? What is its relationship to faith? Resources: Robert Buswell; Donald Lopez (2013), Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, ISBN 9780691157863; Conze, Edward (2013), Buddhist Thought in India: Three Phases of Buddhist Philosophy, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-134-54231-4; Edelglass, William; et al. (2009), Buddhist Philosophy: Essential Readings, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-532817-2; Gethin, Rupert (1998), Foundations of Buddhism, Oxford University Press; Harvey, Peter (1990), An Introduction to Buddhism, Cambridge University Press; Peter Harvey (2013), The Selfless Mind: Personality, Consciousness and Nirvana in Early Buddhism, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-136-78329-6; Keown, Damien (2013). Buddhism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-966383-5.; Trainor, Kevin (2004), Buddhism: The Illustrated Guide, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-517398-7; Williams, Paul; Tribe, Anthony (2000), Buddhist Thought: A Complete Introduction to the Indian Tradition, Routledge, ISBN 0-415207010; Ajahn Sucitto (2010). Turning the Wheel of Truth: Commentary on the Buddha's First Teaching. Shambhala.; Bhikkhu Bodhi (2003), A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Pariyatti Publishing; Chogyam Trungpa (1972). "Karma and Rebirth: The Twelve Nidanas, by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche." Karma and the Twelve Nidanas, A Sourcebook for the Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies. Vajradhatu Publications.; Dalai Lama (1992). The Meaning of Life, translated and edited by Jeffrey Hopkins, Boston: Wisdom.; Mingyur Rinpoche (2007). The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness. Harmony. Kindle Edition.; Sonam Rinchen (2006). How Karma Works: The Twelve Links of Dependent Arising, Snow Lion.; Waddell, Norman (ed. & trans.), Hakuin's Precious Mirror Cave: A Zen Miscellany, 2009, p. 83. Do you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by tweeting to us @BrightBuddhism, emailing us at Bright.On.Buddhism@gmail.com, or joining us on our discord server, Hidden Sangha ⁠https://discord.gg/tEwcVpu⁠! Credits: Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-Host Proven Paradox: Editing, mixing and mastering, social media, Voice of Hermit, Co-Host --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brightonbuddhism/message

Steve grew up in a Christian family on the Shetland Islands (off the northern coast of Scotland) and was very involved in church growing up. This provided the foundation for a life-long interest in spiritual investigation, philosophy, world mysticism, and body-awareness realms of practice. He has an interest in extreme outdoor survival, and works closely with the well-known therapist Michaela Boehm. Steve teaches a wide range of movement and meditation practices and works with leading figures to develop their performance and interpersonal skills. He also presents the popular Guru Viking Podcast, specialising in in-depth interviews with leaders and teachers in the world of meditation, spirituality, and self development. In this interview touching on Steve's broad experience and wisdom for dealing with difficult people, he highlights the Buddha's teaching on the ‘Eight Worldly Winds' (pleasure and pain, gain and loss, praise and blame, fame and disrepute). The Buddha taught that we suffer because we cling to the positive ‘winds' (pleasure, gain, etc) and resist the negative ones. In dealing with challenging situations, Steve has found these to serve as a very helpful antidote to sense of shock or injustice of a difficult encounter. He has observed that wise people don't celebrate a given situation, but instead take a more equanimous attitude. One such example is a story relating to the famous Zen master Hakuin that Steve has often meditated on and draws deep inspiration from: Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbors as one living a pure life. A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child. This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin. In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say. After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbors and everything else he needed.A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back. Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"– “Is that so?”, from “Zen Flesh Zen Bones” translated by Paul Reps--DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE RETREAT11-14 July 2024, Derbyshire, UKhttps://zenways.org/event/dealing-with-difficult-people-retreat/--Support the showThis podcast is sponsored by Zen Minded – an online lifestyle store offering you the very best of Japanese craft, incense & other Zen-inspired home-goods. Check it out at www.zenminded.ukWe're also sponsored by BetterHelp. BetterHelp offers convenient and affordable therapy online, helping match you with the right therapist from their network. They've extended an offer of 10% off your first month of therapy if you sign up via https://betterhelp.com/zenatthesharpendIf you liked this podcast, consider: Sharing it via social media Signing up to my email list www.markwestmoquette.co.uk

In this thought-provoking talk, Padmasagara, shares three impactful stories that have significantly influenced his life and quest for meaning. Beginning with "The NeverEnding Story," a tale of a boy's escape into a fantasy world, the speaker resonates with the desire for adventure beyond the ordinary. Transitioning to the Vimalakirti Sutra, a Buddhist text featuring a sick bodhisattva imparting wisdom, Padmasagara explores the significance of imagination and the delicate balance between history and myth in shaping one's reality. The third narrative centers on Zen Master Hakuin, a monk afflicted with Zen sickness, cured through introspective meditation by a hermit. The speaker draws parallels between Hakuin's journey and his own experiences of dizziness, emphasizing the need to ground vision in body and energy. Concluding the talk, Padmasagara engages the audience with reflective questions about their own stories, thresholds, and imagination. Encouraging individuals to become authors of their narratives, he invites them to explore these tales within the Buddhist center, fostering a collective journey towards self-discovery and meaning.

Meningen med livet är något även Elon Musk funderat på. Här bemöter jag vad Elon säger och förklarar varför han söker på fel ställe. Hakuin zenjis sång om zazen: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/monkeymind/2017/08/hakuins-song-zazen.html Andlighet på olika plattformar Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andlighet Korta klipp: https://www.youtube.com/@andlighetextra Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/andlighet/id1603002647?l=en Google podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy83OGI5MjVmOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CIB4x6sOyceoxShQvnKpZ?si=Hyo1wvOqTqCIKj5-BIXowQ

Welcome to the third podcast episode of Padmasagara's 4-week meditation course, exploring 'The Essence of Meditation.' This week, we delve into the second line of the Zen tradition saying: "No dependence on words." What does this mean for our lives, and how does it impact us? Join us as we explore these questions, guided by mindfulness of breathing meditation and the captivating story of Zen master Hakuin's quest for healing from 'zen sickness.' As we unfold Hakuin's journey, discover how it sheds light on essential aspects of meditation for your own practice. This is week two of our 4-week course, focusing on the Zen saying: "A special transmission outside the scriptures. No dependence on words. Direct pointing to the mind. Seeing into one's own nature, realizing Buddhahood." Don't miss out – tune in and join the exploration!

Welcome to the first podcast episode of Padmasagara's 4-week meditation course, exploring 'The Essence of Meditation.' This week, we delve into the second line of the Zen tradition saying: "No dependence on words." What does this mean for our lives, and how does it impact us? Join us as we explore these questions, guided by mindfulness of breathing meditation and the captivating story of Zen master Hakuin's quest for healing from 'zen sickness.' As we unfold Hakuin's journey, discover how it sheds light on essential aspects of meditation for your own practice. This is week two of our 4-week course, focusing on the Zen saying: "A special transmission outside the scriptures. No dependence on words. Direct pointing to the mind. Seeing into one's own nature, realizing Buddhahood." Don't miss out – tune in and join the exploration!

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 11/5/23 - In this story, from The Hidden Lamp, an old woman hears and breaks though Hakuin's teaching: "Your mind is the Pure Land, and your body is Amida Buddha. If you want to understand, look into your own heart.” Hojin weaves a tapestry of intimate expressions encouraging practitioners to heed the Buddha's words: “Dwell! You are the light itself.” — the light reaches everywhere. Trust this!

Thiền sư Hakuin Ekaku thường được dịch là Bạch Ẩn Huệ Hạc. Những bài pháp của Ngài Hakuin thường được biểu hiện qua những tranh vẽ và thư pháp của ông. Ông dùng những tranh vẽ như là một phương tiện truyền pháp và giảng dạy Thiền, “visual sermons”, cho những người không biết nhiều về kinh điển hay là văn tự. Thiền Sư Bạch Ẩn chủ trương thiền tập và tuệ giác phải được khám phá ngày trong đời sống, trong những sinh hoạt hằng ngày của ta, chứ không phải trong sự tĩnh lặng. Có lần có người hỏi “Thiền là gì?” Ông đáp, “Thiền là làm sao cho mọi việc mình làm: ho, uống nước, đưa tay lên, cử động hay ngồi yên, nói năng hay làm, được thua, thành công thất bại, hảnh diện hổ thẹn… tất cả đều cùng là một công án.” Ngài Bạch Ẩn dạy rằng những trải nghiệm giác ngộ phải được ứng dụng vào ngay trong cuộc đời, thì nó mới thật sự là tuệ giác, và mới có khả năng nở hoa kết trái và giúp đở cho mình và mọi người, trên con đường chuyển hoá khổ đau.

In the introductory segment to this UnMind series, we posited that amongst the many dimensions of everyday life, there are several contrasting pairs and sets of ideas that may be usefully employed to illustrate how our pursuit of a more comprehensive Zen life might be framed, including:— Lifestyle: Monastic versus Householder — Physical: Zazen versus the four Cardinal Postures — Biological: Meditative breathing versus everyday situations— Psychological: Shikantaza versus ordinary attentionOf course, it is impossible to truly separate these dimensions in the living dynamic of daily life, as will be seen, but it is necessary in order to simplify the presentation. In this segment, as promised, we will primarily discuss one of the physical dimensions: the zazen posture: upright sitting versus the four Cardinal Postures: normal sitting, standing, walking, and lying down. In context of the complexity of physical existence — which of course includes the biological and psychological, which we will take up at a later time — for now we want to focus simply on posture, specifically the zazen posture, which is very specific in itself. But we will get into its relationship to other aspects of posture, such as sitting at your desk, driving in traffic, running and crawling. Remember where this all begins. It is something of a stretch to even regard the proprioception of an infant — their awareness of the disposition of their body in space — as a “posture.” Swaddled in their mother's or father's arms, lying in the crib, et cetera, the baby is probably only dimly aware of its separation from the environment, let alone the various postures its body assumes. Then as we grow, we learn to raise our head, prop our shoulders up off the mattress with our arms, turn over, sit up, and eventually stand, pulling ourselves up with the side of the crib. Eventually we escape the crib onto the floor, where we gradually learn to stand without assistance, and take the first tentative steps of our larger sweepout into the world. Recall that before we sit, we are lying down; before we stand, we sit; before we walk, we crawl; before we run, we walk. There is a natural hierarchy of posture development, mostly determined by that relentless teacher, gravity. We will return to an examination of gravity on the cushion. Sitting, as Zen's primary posture, is not an arbitrary choice.Consider lying down as our initial posture, and when we are most at rest. It is the least aggressive of postures, an attribute captured by the common trope, usually expressed as an admonition, not to “take it lying down.” In other words, to not let yourself be a “doormat,” letting others walk all over you. This is the typical stance of the self-reliant, American cult of the individual, and sometimes takes a dark turn these days, when someone feels “dissed,” especially in a public situation. All too often ending in deadly violence, with guns a-blazing. So, “posture” can have a non-physical, or psychological connotation as well: the posture, or stance, that we take up in social situations.But let's keep it simple for now. Consider the supine or prone position of lying down. Surprisingly to me, “supine” means face-up, and “prone” means face-down, according to the dictionary. Then we have the well-known “fetal position,” and all the “tossing-and-turning” variations associated with sleeping, or the ravages of insomnia, fed by anxiety.However, as I mention in “The Original Frontier,” when lying down to sleep, we can shift gears from our usual approach to getting some shuteye, to one informed by zazen. When we engage the upright sitting posture of Zen, the main physical difference between it and lying down is the axis of the spine and spinal cord in relation to gravity. This may seem unimportant at first glance, but I think it is critical to the way zazen works. Coming into balance, direct vertical alignment with gravity, is one of the “secrets” of zazen. “Samadhi,” a jargon term of the meditation business, means, roughly, “balanced” or “centered,” or both. Sitting up straight is also characteristic of most styles of meditation on offer, but other approaches do not emphasize it as much as does Zen. This explains the stress — no pun intended — on arching the small of the back, pushing forward and down; while stretching the back of the neck, tucking the chin in with the face slightly downcast; thus creating two pressure points, one in the base of the neck pulling upward, the other in the base of the spine where it joins the tailbone, pushing forward and down. Maintaining these two pressure points keeps the spine aligned in a rigorous, and vigorous pose that feels more like a comfortable, refreshing stretching action than ponderous, muscular resistance training. It has been likened to a lion or tiger ready to pounce (like the lion asana in yoga, but not as exaggerated). I like my own analogy of a cobra rising off the floor — ready to strike the unwary, maybe — but perhaps only dancing to the music of the snake-charmer's flute.The horizontal positions — prone or supine — obviously change the relationship of the spine to the effects of gravity. We all know that we shrink with age, owing to our vertical stance, which began long ago on the savannah, ever since we stopped running on all fours. At a certain point in my life, it became clear that taking naps in the daytime might be a good idea. When I first attempted to sleep when tired, either physically or mentally or both, I found it very difficult. Everything, from the relatively bright daylight, to the ambient sound, was a distraction, and struggling to sleep in the midst of it just wore me out even more. I tried tamping down the volume to a dull roar, by wearing a blindfold and earplugs, which only seemed to make things worse I began to wonder why I could not sleep when I wanted to, when at other times it seemed relatively easy to nod off. I began to look for the “switch,” that cellular-level toggle that the brain throws when it switches from conscious awareness to the unconscious, or the dream state. I resorted to just paying full attention to whatever was happening — the random airplane flying over, traffic on the street, sounds emanating from the neighbors, the birds, peepers and crickets — and especially to body sensations. At first, it was easy to concentrate on one part of the body at a time: my head on the pillow, which felt surprisingly heavy, once I lifted it and released it. The relatively lightweight impressions of the extremities — hands and feet — was also a bit of a surprise, while the mass of the trunk, and upper legs and arms, seemed to be where the unrest was centered. I had learned of the “relaxation response” during my past engagement with hatha yoga, so I began running through that in an orderly fashion, squeezing and relaxing various muscle groups one at a time. But the intentionality of the exercise seemed to keep me awake. It was only when I surrendered to the totality of what was happening — seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and thinking — sound familiar? — that I began to doze off. So yes, not zazen, but perhaps “neruzen” (in Japanese, za is “sit”; neru is “sleep”)Later I learned a method which Hakuin Zenji, the famous 18th century Rinzai master, taught to his students, which you can find in either the first or second of Trevor Leggett's early Zen readers. It is called “Naikan Tanden,” and has to do with synchronizing the breath with an exaggerated supine position. I will not go into detail here, but if you are interested in following up this thread, please let me know. Suffice it to say that one thing I discovered was that by stretching the body in an extreme, symmetrical supine position — flat on your back and extending the lower legs with feet pressed together, intoning the four visualizations Hakuin learned from his teacher — sure enough, after some time you begin to drop off. At the end of a long exhalation. Which we will talk about more in the segment on Zen breathing.Recall the details of Master Dogen's instructions for assuming the zazen posture, which we still follow, virtually verbatim, eight centuries later. Again, we will not go into detail here, assuming you have heard the instructions more than once by now. If not, again, do not hesitate to contact me. For now let's look at another situation in which we find ourselves sitting: driving in rush hour traffic. The first podcast I ever recorded was called “Stress and Choice,” under the rubric of “Drive-time Zen.” I reasoned that the most stressful and common experience most of us have in modern times is the commute, to and from our place of employment. With the surge in remote working arrangements, this is changing somewhat, but in any major metropolitan area, is still predominate. The advent of self-driving vehicles may make a further dent in this dilemma, but that has its own stress-inducing aspects as well, so far as the technology has been refined to date.So the amount of transfer, or halo-effect, that zazen can have on the driver's seat may seem insignificant, especially if you haven't tried it. Along with other Zen practices that we may take up later in the series, such as breathing, and even chanting, minor adjustments to your posture while driving can have an outsized effect. Simply sitting up straighter, applying the petal-to-the-metal approach to the lower spine, and pulling back on the chin to achieve the cobra posture, can help keep you alert and attentive to what is happening in front of your vehicle, behind it, and on both sides. Our attention expands in zazen to take in everything, mitigating the possibility that you may get fixated on one aspect of the dangerous situation you are in — on the modern expressway at full speed — and helping you to maintain a degree of calmness while fully aware of the clear and present danger. It can also help you recognize that everyone else around you is in the same boat, but they may not have the advantage of training in the alert, upright posture of zazen. That is why they are doing foolish and dangerous things like speeding, jumping lanes, cutting others off, and generally making a bad situation much worse, in their heedless hurry to get where they are going. It reminds me of the line from Hsinhsinming—Trust in Mind:Living in the Great Way is neither easy nor difficultBut those with limited views are fearful and irresoluteThe faster they hurry the slower they goAnother specific suggestion will suffice to wrap this segment up; I will leave it to your creativity to conjure and discover more grafts from Zen practice, such as how your daily walking may be informed by your experience of walking meditation, or kinhin. The next time you find yourself doing some heavy lifting, such as yard work on a hot and muggy day, as I have been doing this summer, when you take a break to cool down and catch your breath, instead of slumping in a lawn chair, set a stool or bench in the shade and sit in the zazen posture, removing your work gloves and dropping your hands into the mudra, eyes downcast, et cetera. You should be able to feel and/or hear your heartbeat right away, if the exertion has been extreme enough, and you are probably panting at a rapid rate. You might want to begin with counting the breath, but if and when you can hear or feel your heartbeat, count your pulse beating instead, and notice how many beats per cycle of breath, counting only the out-breath. If you are like me, you will notice that your breath soon slows down, and with it, your heartbeat. With each exhalation, let the lungs empty out as completely as comfortable; and allow a little pause before inhaling. As that moment becomes longer with each cycle, the inbreath becomes fuller, giving the body the oxygen it needs; and the exhalation becomes more like a sigh of relief, relaxing the body, the breath, and your heartrate. Soon you will be good to go again.In the next segment, we will take up the unique approach to breathing characteristic of Zen. Meanwhile, keep breathing, of course, and slow down to the rapid rate of change of the present moment. You will be safer — and happier — because of it.

Form Is No Other Than Emptiness, Emptiness No Other Than FormA nice hot kettle of stew. He ruins it by dropping a couple of rat turds in. It's no good pushing delicacies at a person with a full belly. Striking aside waves to look for water when the waves are water.Forms don't hinder emptiness; emptiness is the tissue of form.Emptiness isn't destruction of form; form is the flesh of emptiness.Inside the Dharma gates where form and emptiness are not-twoA lame turtle with painted eyebrows stands in the evening breeze.-from Zen Words for the Heart: Hakuin's Commentary on the Heart Sutra(Normal Waddell, trans)Support the show

Dive into a thought-provoking exploration of life's meaning in "What's the Point of Thinking?" Join us as we challenge the notion of predetermination, embrace acceptance, and go with the flow. Drawing inspiration from Zen master Hakuin, Albert Camus's interpretation of the myth of Sisyphus, and Sam Harris's profound quote, "The only freedom a puppet has is that he learns to love his strings," we examine the significance of predetermined actions and the human condition. Experience an intellectual journey that invites you to contemplate accepting life as it unfolds. Discover the wisdom of Hakuin's Zen teachings, finding serenity amidst challenges. Explore Camus's perspective on finding meaning in seemingly futile tasks. Reflect on Harris's insight into embracing freedom within our limitations. Join us on this mind-expanding expedition, as we unravel the mysteries of existence. Subscribe and hit the notification bell to embark on this thought-provoking journey together. ••• #PhilosophyMatters #ExistentialThoughts #DeepContemplation #MeaningOfLife #Predetermination #AcceptanceAndFlow #ZenWisdom #SisyphusChallenge #EmbracingLimitations #FindingFreedom #ExistentialJourney #IntellectualExploration #LifeReflections #ThoughtProvokingContent #MindExpandingIdeas Joliartist.com YourOneBlackFriend.com

Designing BuddhaBuddha was the firstTo define design intent —It hasn't changed much.* * *In the next three segments of UnMind Podcast we will consider the Three Treasures of Buddhism — Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha — from the perspective of design thinking. That is, the method of Zen as consisting of Buddha practice: time on the cushion; Dharma study: researching and interpreting the teachings of the lineage masters; and Sangha service: the place and importance of community. We will devote one podcast to each of these three legs of the stool, as the saying goes, stabilizing the process of living a Zen life in our times. Anyone-anytime-anywhere Zen. One of the premises of Zen practice is that it starts out as a specialized method, upright seated meditation, or zazen in Japanese, consisting of discrete periods of time in “silent illumination,” which is not necessarily silent and often not very illuminating. But over time we develop patience with it, which means patience with ourselves and our own impatience. Over time the halo effect of zazen begins to expand beyond time on the cushion to subsume all of our other activities in daily life until it is virtually 24/7. But don't get ahead of yourself; this usually takes some time. You may be a prodigy or genius of Zen but you may be carrying more baggage than you imagine so better to err on the side of modesty and not develop grandiose expectations, and best to entertain none at all. However, the benefits of zazen will probably blossom in your life in unexpected ways. One of our more recent members who is a poet amongst other skills sent the poem below, which testifies to the remarkable accessibility of Zen meditation under any and all circumstances:Waiting Room Zazen Waiting room zazen— Quiet as a zendo, Almost. Each patient in a chair Staring at a cell phone Or reading. Sitting upright, I lower my gaze. Such stillness In the midst of it all. Too soon they call My name. —Renee WalkerZazen is so simple in design that it is virtually irreducible. It doesn't require a lot of equipment, other than a human body. The upright posture and natural breath can be employed anywhere, and this has an immediate and dramatic effect on attitude and attention. But this is more likely to come true after long practice on the cushion, preferably in a controlled environment such as the zendo. So both things are true at the same time. It is optimal to sit in a setting more conducive to meditation, but it is possible to meditate in environments not designed for that purpose.Soto Zen's worldview and approach is often compared and contrasted to other practices. There are many styles of meditation competing for attention these days, including “mindfulness” meditation, which differs in one key physical aspect from zazen: they recommend sitting with the eyes closed. Which raises a question of how mindful that can be, if it doesn't even include the sense of seeing, our greatest source of sense data. Historically Rinzai and Soto Zen were often positioned at odds with each other, though many exponents of one school or the other, including Matsuoka Roshi, dismissed any difference as superficial or pedagogical in nature. Their historical provenance was probably largely politics. From my perspective as a professional trained in design thinking, Soto Zen appears as simply the simplest. That is, we rely on the method of Zen meditation itself to carry the bulk of the load, less so on the influence of the teacher and other dimensions of the practice. The trappings of ritual, study and other appurtenances are supportive but not critical to the essential process. Again, the design of zazen is ingenious and deceptively simple: just sit still enough, long enough, and observe what happens.Proponents of Soto Zen view Koan practice as somewhat superfluous or extraneous as well, in that in zazen, we are sitting smack dab in the middle of the real koan: the riddle of life itself. This does not mean, however, that the method of penetrating the illogical mysteries presented by koans, under the tutelage of an accomplished master, is not appropriate for some students of Zen. I have heard that some Rinzai teachers consider koan practice to comprise preparation for shikantaza, the experience of just sitting. So there is no real conflict between the two great schools in terms of meaning or objectives. All roads lead to nirvana if pursued with sincerity and diligence.Matsuoka Roshi's appreciation of Rinzai Zen was amplified by his respect for Hakuin, as indicated by his praise of Zazen Wasan, the great Rinzai master's paean to zazen. In such considerations, we should keep in mind the all-inclusive embrace of Zen's worldview, rather than falling into comparative thinking, or indulging in attitudes of exclusion. There is no my way or the highway in Zen; no absolutely right way or wrong way. Even if one wastes an entire lifetime in futile pursuit of a Zen fantasy, rebirth will provide the necessary course correction, just as the planet Earth will eventually recycle all of the waste matter with which the human species has polluted it. Zen takes the long-term view, but there is no time to waste. The underlying impulse to practice Zen is sometimes characterized as “Buddha seeking Buddha.” This means that it is not exactly our personal mission to wake up to realization of the sort promised by Zen. Zazen is already the full expression of enlightenment, not something we “do” to attain enlightenment. We may regard it as “assuming the posture” of enlightenment, just as we assume the posture of surrender when we are arrested by the police. The cross-legged or kneeling postures traditionally associated with meditation, including Zen, are clearly non-defensive. One cannot easily flee or fight from this position. But what we are surrendering to is not an attack from outside, but the internal struggle with existence itself, with all its maddening contradictions.The idea of innate enlightenment does not mean that we do not have to do any work to realize it, but that what realization reveals is, in some sense, already true. That we are already “buddha,” already awake, but not yet cognizant of the fact, is something like the difference between potential and kinetic energy. Matsuoka Roshi described zazen in an analogy that points to this dynamic, saying that it “looks like a mountain, but actually it is a volcano.” The underlying caldera of magma is building to a climax that will one day erupt. But he also described the experience of realization as something more subtle than a volcano erupting, more like the “parting of clouds to reveal the sun” than a sudden lightening bolt from the sky.Which brings us to the subject of Samadhi, a jargon term in Buddhism that is so revered that it is usually capitalized in text. In Hakuin Zenji's Song of Zazen he praises the Samadhi of zazen effusively:Thus one true Samadhi extinguishes evilIt purifies karma dissolving obstructionsThen where are the dark pathsTo lead us astray?The Pure Lotus Land Is not far awayPowerful stuff. If we experience genuine samadhi in our zazen, it apparently has a direct effect upon not only our immediate awareness and appreciation of the determinative causes and conditions of our existence, but also expiates or atones for our karmic actions of the past and mitigates any consequences in the present and future. Samadhi is the secret sauce of Zen meditation. It is our ticket to the Pure Lotus Land of legend. Which raises the question, just what is this samadhi and where can I get some? The answer in Soto Zen is, of course, in zazen. My model of zazen samadhi consists of – surprise – four points, the inevitable, fundamental tetrahedron. I suggest we think of samadhi in four dimensions: physical, emotional, mental, and social.The physical posture of zazen is a model of balance, sitting upright in the midst of gravity, “leaning neither to the left or right, front or back,” as Master Dogen puts it with his usual spareness of expression. Where does that leave us? Exactly in the middle. Without going into his excruciating detail on the proper establishment and maintenance of the posture, we can see that it is essentially centered and balanced, as symmetrical a pose as possible for the human body, as clearly illustrated by the vast body of iconography — imagery and statuary of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas — as well as portraits of the known Ancestors of Zen. The most visible thread running through the entire history of 2500 years and counting is this singular, central posture of the seated buddha. The other aspect of note is the non-binary or androgynous nature of these artistic representations, and their resemblance to the local population, rather than rendering and accurate ethnic representation of Shakyamuni, for instance. I understand that these illustrate the principles of buddha-nature being non-gendered, and as a potential to be realized by all human beings.So once we have begun to experience what it means to enter into this exalted physical state of upright seated samadhi, the inevitable and predictable side-effects begin to set into place. Since the mind (J. shin, C. hsin—“heart-mind”) and body cannot separate, notwithstanding the Western view of mind over matter or the spirit as opposed to the incarnate body, emotional samadhi manifests to ever-greater degree with the normalization of physical samadhi: less anxiety, more natural calmness. Mental samadhi likewise begins to manifest as more clarity, less confusion — particularly in regard to the reality that the Buddhist teachings are pointing to. We begin to experience in a direct, sensory (or better, trans-sensory), and concrete way the actual meaning of such seemingly obscurantist phrases as “form is emptiness; emptiness is form.” Eventually, by becoming more grounded in reality on the cushion, we begin to enjoy what I refer to as a kind of “social samadhi,” — less friction, more harmony in relationships with family and friends, professional associates and even strangers. In developing patience with ourselves on the cushion, we find we naturally have more patience with others. Take my word for this until it becomes true for you.In the next segment we will take up the Treasure of Dharma, usually listed second of the three. Like buddha, dharma, and sangha will be seen to be forces of nature, operative dynamics of the universe. * * *Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Shinjin Larry Little

In this Teisho, given on March 8th, 2023, Rinzan Osho examines The Hidden Lamp: Satsujo Overthrows Hakuin. This teisho explores working with and utilizing koans (case examples). When koans are seen not simply as tools for helping us unpack ourselves but as the very expression of Dharma reality itself, we can dive more fully into the direct experience of koan, becoming intimate, connected and responsive.

Bài chia sẻ 03 "Âm thanh của một bàn tay" Khóa tu "Con đường chuyển hóa". Tháng 3, 2022. Tại Trung Tâm Thuận Pháp. Houston, Texas. . Thiền sư Hakuin Ekaku thường được dịch là Bạch Ẩn Huệ Hạc. Những bài pháp của Ngài Hakuin thường được biểu hiện qua những tranh vẽ và thư pháp của ông. Ông dùng những tranh vẽ như là một phương tiện truyền pháp và giảng dạy Thiền, “visual sermons”, cho những người không biết nhiều về kinh điển hay là văn tự. . Thiền Sư Bạch Ẩn chủ trương thiền tập và tuệ giác phải được khám phá ngày trong đời sống, trong những sinh hoạt hằng ngày của ta, chứ không phải trong sự tĩnh lặng. Có lần có người hỏi “Thiền là gì?” Ông đáp, “Thiền là làm sao cho mọi việc mình làm: ho, uống nước, đưa tay lên, cử động hay ngồi yên, nói năng hay làm, được thua, thành công thất bại, hảnh diện hổ thẹn… tất cả đều cùng là một công án.” . Ngài Bạch Ẩn dạy rằng những trải nghiệm giác ngộ phải được ứng dụng vào ngay trong cuộc đời, thì nó mới thật sự là tuệ giác, và mới có khả năng nở hoa kết trái và giúp đở cho mình và mọi người, trên con đường chuyển hoá khổ đau. . Hình ảnh khóa tu: https://photos.app.goo.gl/NxtGZwrTYvsGQKe4A

Hakuin by Ordinary Mind Zen School

Busshō Lahn is a Zen student and teacher, and the guiding teacher of Flying Cloud Zen Spiritual Practice Community. He's also a popular speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director, author, and a Senior Priest at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center. Busshō has just published his first Zen book, Singing and Dancing are the Voice of the Law, by Monkfish Publications. In this episode we discuss this book and its exploration of the Zen poem, The Song of Zazen, and other things such as how we first connected at SDI, persevering with ideas we feel called to create and make, paradoxes such as giving up safety in order to find Safety, the Nature of the Universe – you know, the things we commonly talk about here on this podcast. Bussho is a friend and a lively conversationalist and deeply contemplative - I hope you enjoy the conversation. Singing and Dancing Are the Voice of the Law introduces us to one of the great works of Zen literature, “The Song of Zazen.” Zen teacher Busshō Lahn illuminates Hakuin's enigmatic poem in plain language, unpacking it and applying it to contemporary life. His book offers a wealth of information on the context and content of this eighteenth-century work, clearly evoking its themes of abiding wisdom, meditation, compassionate self-regard, and our own everyday life's potential to express deep spiritual truth. Learn more about the book, and purchase links, here: Singing and Dancing Are the Voice of the Law - Monkfish (monkfishpublishing.com) Busshō first came to Soto Zen Buddhism in 1993, was ordained as a novice in 2009, and received Dharma Transmission (authorization to carry the lineage and teach independently) in 2015. Busshō remains rooted in his Zen tradition but cultivates an openness to the beauty and wisdom of other faiths. Through appreciatively understanding other paths, he feels that he becomes a better Buddhist.

Bassui Tokushō (1327–1387) was a Rinzai Zen Master born in modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture who had trained with Sōtō and Rinzai Zen-masters. Bassui was unhappy with the state of Zen practice in Japan during his time, so he set out in life with the mission of revitalizing it. The problems he saw were really two sides of the same coin. That is, he saw both too much attachment by some monks and masters to ritual and dogma as well as too much attachment by some monks and masters to freedom and informality. Bassui was one of the "wild men" of Zen—along with such masters as Hakuin, Basho and Ryokan—who existed outside the institutional system. His spirited teaching of the Way as the immediate, personal experience of buddha-nature has inspired Zen students for hundreds of years as well as Zen masters such as Hakuin.

  A monk asked, "What is the true monk's eye?"  Changsha said, "So vast and wide that you can't leave it."  Changsha also said, "Those who become buddhas and ancestors can't leave it. The six realms of transmigration can't leave it."  The monk said, "I don't understand what it is that they can't leave."  Changsha said, "In the day, see the sun. In the night, see the stars."  The monk said, "I don't understand."  Changsha said, "The lofty mountains are colored green upon green."-from Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy FergusonSupport the show

This is a guided meditation on the soft butter method introspective meditation as detailed by Zen Master Hakuin. It was taught to Hakuin as he was suffering from "Zen sickness" (exhaustion) caused by over-exertion and extreme austerities.

  Someone asked Yangshan, "What is the difference between heaven and hell?"   Yangshan drew a line on the ground.-from Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy FergusonSupport the show

In this 2008 talk on the nature of the self Michael considers a framework of “four selves,” the Buddha's teachings on not-self, and Hakuin's assertion that, with practice, the self becomes wisdom and compassion–as spontaneous as “beads rolling on a tray: sudden, ready, uninhibited.” Recorded on November 8, 2008.

Dharma talk by Myogen of Eiryu-ji Zen Center in Wyckoff, NJ, USA on 8/7/22

  A student asked Yunmen, “What's the particle-by-particle samadhi?” (Another translation: "What's the deep state of mind in which, through any moment, you can enter all deep states of mind?")  Yunmen said, “Food in the bowl, water in the bucket.”Case 50 of the Blue Cliff RecordSupport the show

Genjo Marinello Osho gave this Teisho on the middle day of Summer Sesshin, 2022. This talk explores the truth that the light of Dharma shines everywhere, no exclusions! (Not for radio broadcast - coarse language.)

Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede. Automated Transcript The post Master Hakuin's Chant in Praise of Zazen, Part 2 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

Teisho by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede. Automated Transcript The post Master Hakuin's Chant in Praise of Zazen, Part 1 appeared first on Rochester Zen Center.

04/13/2022, Marcia Lieberman, dharma talk at City Center. Using the examples of Dogen, Suzuki Roshi, Hakuin, and Nun Abutsu, Marcia describes how koans, sutras, letters, and the notion of “only a Buddha together with a Buddha” permeates and informs everyday practice.

Hey Fellow GNTers! So, this is first of My Solo “Shot Of Spirit,” shorter episodes where Daniel and I get to share a little bit more about aspects of Spirituality With A Twist.

Zen koans, beginning some 1500 years ago, refer to stories or questions arising in encounters between monks and old Chinese and Japanese masters, and include commentaries designed to help the Zen practitioner awaken. Koans like Hakuin's What is the sound of one hand clapping? are well-known, and the word koan has even gone mainstream. The koans deal with the challenges of relationships, raising children, work, money, love, loss, old age, and death, and come from practitioners across three continents, and with commentaries by two Western teachers. The collection is based on the premise that our lives as householders contain situations rich with challenge and grit, the equivalents of old Zen masters' shouts or blows meant to sweep the ground right from under their students. They become koans, or koan practice, when they jolt us out of our usual way of thinking, when we're no longer observers of our lives but plunge in, closing the gap between ourselves and the situation we face.

A simple yet profound guide to establishing a transformative and sustaining Zen meditation practice. Zen master Julian Daizan Skinner guides the listener through a sequence of meditation techniques that can safely lead even a complete novice through to advanced levels. Based on his own long experience of the Rinzai Zen tradition, as taught by the great 17th-century masters Hakuin and Bankei, Daizan highlights the key points for success and addresses the pitfalls. Structured around a traditional teaching framework called 'The two wings of a bird', Daizan clearly lays-out how these methods build and combine to create a transformative and sustaining practice. The work of a master, the audiobook speaks at a deep level, with utmost simplicity.