Abbot's Teaching
by Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston, Sensei
New:
Many of the abbot's teachings are now available online. Below are introductions to several of Elliston-roshi's monthly Dharma Bytes and his nameless Blog.
Please check regularly for new content. We look forward to your questions and comments, which you can submit by sending an email to the abbot.
Dharma Bytes
Introductions to a few of Elliston-Roshi's most recent monthly Dharma Bytes. Clicking on the links will take you the the full article, including an archive of over twenty others, on the Silent Thunder Order website, STOrder.org.
Still Point
Soto Zen was traditionally called the practice of "silent illumination." This tasted like a pejorative in the mouths of Rinzai proponents, and perhaps followers of other sects, who must have seen themselves as competitive with Soto advocates. Soto folks would return the favor by criticizing Rinzai as kanna, or word Zen. Meaning that it was caught up, or bogged down, in mind games. Seeking to force enlightenment by sheer effort of will.
During a series of interfaith meditation sessions we hosted in Atlanta over the last few years, the main progenitor and visionary of the project, a retired seminarian from the Columbia Theological Seminary, spoke of meditation as "entering into silence," and asked us to help himself and his followers to understand how it is done. The various representatives from Christianity, Judaism, Islam and others who attended, would sit in silent meditation for a half hour or so, with minimal instruction from us as to posture, breath, and attention. Then one designee would tell her or his story of faith. Very interesting.
ELUSIVE / DELUSIVE SILENCE
But this idea of silence in Zen is a misconception. Or may be misconstrued as a goal, or presumed requirement, of meditation.
Posted on 29 April 2012 | 12:00 am
The Three Treasures thank you, I am sure
Appreciation and Recognition in Zen
We all appreciate being recognized for what we do, as a senior student recently reminded me. In ordinary walks of life, expressions of appreciation are often in the form of money, such as getting that promotion, and/or a raise. Sometimes, in business, we get a "sideways" promotion—meaning additional duties, but no additional compensation. More prestige and status, perhaps. Often, appreciation is expressed in the form of gifts, as during the holiday season. As with gift-giving, such expressions can get out of hand.
As a cultural phenomenon, gift-giving is an ancient custom, and has historically had many different functions in the development of society, such as broadcasting to all who is the most prosperous, and can afford to be most generous. These undertones tend to reinforce unconscious memes, and underpinning economics. The requisite new car for the sixteenth birthday comes to mind.
Posted on 29 February 2012 | 11:00 pm
New Year Revolution
Yes, revolution, not resolution. A difference of two letters of the alphabet, s and v, separated by tu – Latin for "you." Apropos of the orientation of this article — it is all about you. Herein we want to concern ourselves with revolution in the new year, not the mere resolutions that we may make for the new year (or make up as we go along). We will come back to the idea of revolution, but first a diversionary foray into the vernacular: Why not resolution?
RESOLUTION
Resolution has the root resolve, which boasts multiple and varied connotations in its definitions set, according to the version of the New Oxford American Dictionary residing somewhere deep in the silicone bowels of my desktop Mac:
One meaning of resolve, the verb, is to "settle or find a solution to a problem, dispute or contentious matter." Another is musical: "of a discord lead[ing] into a concord during the course of harmonic change." Yet another goes to intent: "decide firmly on a course of action," hopeful thrust of most New Year's resolutions.
Posted on 30 December 2011 | 11:00 pm
the nameless Blog
Introductions to a few of Elliston-Roshi's most recent Blog posts. Clicking on the links will take you the the full article, including an archive of older posts, on the Silent Thunder Order website, STOrder.org.
THE TRUE FORM OF BUDDHA
On or about my 60th birthday, when I first heard that the Taliban had destroyed the monumental Buddha statues at Bamiyan, my first thought was, “How ignorant!” Not in the sense of the kind of arrogant ignorance (or ignorant arrogance) that leads to religious prejudice, the mere preference for Islamic teachings over those of Buddhism. Not even the ignorance that leads to the interpretation of the statues as “graven images” of a God, apparently prohibited by Islamic teachings. Buddha is not a god, not even in Buddhism.
Taliban Destroy Buddha Image — 2001
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km (140 mi) northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 meters (8,202 ft). Built in 507 AD, the larger in 554 AD, the statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art.
Posted on 14 April 2012 | 11:10 am
MONKEY MIND—MONKEY BODY Part 3
This is the third—and hopefully last—installment of Monkey Mind—Monkey Body (MMMB). If there are any further comments calling for a response, we will publish an appendix to honor those. In the prior installment, one of the last things I mentioned is this issue of people publishing commentary about meditation who apparently have not done much. Let’s dispose of it early on, so we can get to some of the more interesting and germane aspects of the Zen monkey.
ZEN AS THEY UNDERSTAND IT
It is troubling to me when some leading lights in psychiatry publicly caution against practicing meditation without access to a therapist. It seems a bit self-serving, from the perspective of an admitted amateur. The concern, as I get it, is that individuals may confront negative emotions, suppressed memories, and aggravate latent impulses, which may lead to negative consequences. This may be a legitimate point, for fragile individuals, but I think not for the great majority.
Posted on 29 January 2012 | 11:00 pm
MONKEY MIND—MONKEY BODY Part 2
Before continuing the exegesis of what is meant by monkey mind in Zen, and its intractable condition of being imbedded in what we are coining as the corollary, monkey body, let us consider a couple of comments contributed to the dialog by dear readers of this blog, earnest practitioners and students of Zen, followed by my comments in response:
I wonder if after repentance comes forgiveness? Sort of a Christian notion, except for Christians God forgives. I think I forgive myself and go on. I'm sure not going to ask if that (going on) is "ok" of anybody. Sincere repentance, then we go on. Another patch in the robe to remember not to do it again. I think I'm more patient with people for my practice, less judgemental about them and me. From what I read here, I'm inevitably going to disappoint myself, probably soon, so I'll have more practice in repentance and forgiveness, and going on. So what does Zen say about forgiveness, is it ok to forgive yourself?FORGIVENESS
I think forgiveness has a place in the Buddhist context, but it is not given the warm and fuzzy or near-magical powers attributed to it by other worldviews, philosophies and religions, reaching its apotheosis in the doctrine of the absolution of one's sins (by a priest) in the Catholic doctrine.In Zen, the effect of forgiving another for transgressions might amount to extracting oneself from the exacerbated karmic entanglement that ensues when one obsesses over the "somebody done me wrong" song. However, we would never arrogate to that act the power to absolve the offending person(s) of the karmic consequences of their actions, though we might intercede to mitigate the social and legal consequences (rejecting the injustice of humankind's "justice").
Posted on 16 January 2012 | 11:00 pm