Bright Way Zen

Sejiki is our annual Soto Zen "Festival of the Hungry Ghosts." Mythologically, "hungry ghosts" are beings who have been reborn after death in a hungry ghost realm because of their past stingy, selfish, or grasping actions. We summon the hungry ghosts with a loud "quatz". Our chanting invites the ghosts to come and partake of all the delicious treats on the altar, and then we send them on their way again. Traditionally, Sejiki is also a time to remember people who have recently passed away, praying that the recently deceased have peace and are not in the hungry ghost realm.

Every so often, our teacher opens the floor to answer questions from Sangha. We began with a guided meditation, then allowed whatever question or subject that arose to reflect upon and discuss. Today's topics included: What would it feel like to be a Buddha?, the tension between detachment and non-separation, the weight of regret, the three bodies of Buddha, and when memories and emotions arise during Zazen.

Vow and Paths of Practice & the Equality of Lay and Ordained: From the beginning, Buddhism has included both lay (or householder) and ordained/monastic practitioners. Each path is very different, but in our lineage both paths are regarded as completely legitimate ones if you wish to accomplish the Buddha Way. We will talk about the tension created by the existence of multiple paths of vow, but also the benefits.

At our annual Continuous Practice retreats, we study excerpts from Dogen's Gyoji, which includes a section that seems to suggest that we abandon all worldly entanglements...but is this what is expected of us all? Through formal practices, we can, either short term or long term, choose to become monks of body who enact literal renunciation. However, we also can continuously enact internal renunciation by being monks of mind, without leaving home. To be involved in our lives on the dusty householder path isn't easy, but it is just as valuable a choice to make.

Authentic transmission of the Dharma through the generations requires teachers – lay or ordained – who have verified the truth through their own direct experience, and have demonstrated to their teacher that they embody the training through time and proximity. You can't learn the essential matter of Zen from books, or even from wise peers. What is this about?

Using Tang-era Chan master Guifeng Zongmi's "Five Zens" framework, Anjo explores our relationship with zazen and the way it can change over time.

In this recording, Sangha holders Guzan and Jinryu discuss the important role of Sesshin in our Zen practice and invite fellow sangha members to speak to their experiences in Sesshin.

The Buddha knew it can be very difficult to forgive others, but taught that it could be done. Domyo offers that forgiveness begins with willingness, and has nothing to do with the other person. It is ultimately, simply letting go - but, to find our way there, we may need to get creative. We can turn to the teachings, as well as reflect on our own experience, for ideas as to what works best for each of us.

What Characterizes Our Dharma Cloud Lineage? An overview of twelve things that characterize our lineage. These are things we emphasize, value, or offer; we employ the "Dharma Rain" approach to everything, using the metaphor from the Lotus Sutra of the rain of Dharma (teaching/truth) falling equally on all the plants in the forest, from small herbs to giant trees, and each plant takes up just what it needs. Similarly, we honor each person's unique path without judgement, and invite people to participate in whatever aspects of our offerings they want or need: Zazen, Precepts, Sangha, Vow, Dharma Study, Chanting & Ritual, Retreat & Sesshin, the Reality of Awakening, Samadhi Power and Karma Relationship as the two sides of practice, Priest and Monastic Training as an option, honoring Lay Practice as a complete path, and honoring the Dharma Transmission Lineage.

In Fukanzazengi, Dogen says "Learn to take the backward step that turns the light and shines it inward." In this, he indicates the essential point of our practice: studying the self, and turning your awareness toward your own heart-mind. Redirecting our focus from external conditions to the essential internal work, we can then gain insight into how to deal with our own circumstances and Karmic entanglements. It all begins, and ends, with Right View. Those in attendance share their own experiences of when a realignment in view made a positive difference.

In this Tuesday talk, Sangha member Tyler leads a Sangha discussion around our personal Zen path and our relationship to it over time. Using prompts from Dogen's Uji, as well as his experience reflecting on his Zen path while hiking a familiar trail in the woods, we examine our personal path and the path of our lineage and what "trail markers" we use and have developed to guide our understanding of this path.

The Zen Buddhist instructions to let go of ideas of right and wrong, true or false, good and evil, love and hate, and deluded or enlightened, might sound familiar to you - if you've read through everything in our chant book! But what is this not "picking and choosing" that the Zen masters recommend? Are we aiming toward becoming a Zen zombie? At a more subtle level, we can still be fully engaged in living our external lives while letting go of our internal commentaries, attachments, preferences, and judgements. A thoughtful discussion follows.

In this episode Domyo talks about the establishment of Westside Zen Circle in 2009, incorporation as Bright Way Zen, the evolution and mission of our Sangha. This talk includes pictures, as well as words from BWZ members who date back to the early days.

The Buddha's basic teaching is that life is marked by Dukkha, often translated as "suffering", and the cause of that is Tanha, sometimes translated as "craving" or "thirst". However, in order to practice and maintain our bodhicitta, or way-seeking mind, we actually need to thoughtfully cultivate some desire. Using the five wisdom energies from Vajrayana teachings as a lens, Domyo describes the five kinds of appropriate longing that can give us insight into our personality type and what we need to nurture in ourselves: red (intimacy), yellow (enjoyment), blue (knowing), green (effectiveness), and white (transcendence).

In this episode, using journal enteries and poetry from her early life, Domyo guides the Sangha through her path of Soto Zen

Why are we intensifying our practice during Ango? In Zen, the question of effort vs. non-effort in practice is, in itself, a Koan. Should we aim for vow, intention, motivation, with the urgency of "putting out a fire on your head"? Or, would we be better off settling into equanimity and radical acceptance, just "resting in the Samadhi of all the Buddhas"? Domyo takes input from Sangha on the positives and negatives of each approach, and further discussion follows.

Bright Way Zen's Sangha opens a new season of practice with acknowledging all who have practice roles, chanting the Heart Sutra, and singing "Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva."

In the second week of our study series on our Bright Way Zen Linieage we look at the Dharma Cloud lineage including Sanghas established by Kyogen and Gyokuko Carlson and their students. We begin with Roshi Kennett and talk about the Carlson's training, their move to Oregon, the establishment and evolution of Dharma Rain Zen Center, and end with some audio of one of Kyogen's talks.

Our guest speaker leads Plum Blossom Zendo in Vancouver, Washington, and is a teacher and resident of Great Vow Monastery. Here, she shares a little bit about vows and how her community works with them, the difference between a vow and a goal, and the various kinds of vows and how they operate. Small group discussions follow - what might our own life vows actually be?

In this episode, Domyo has returned from her sabbatical and begins our series on The Bright Way Zen Lineage. Starting with the Bodhi Dharma, Domyo begins tracing our lineage through China and Japan and it's move to North America by Jiyu Kennett.