The Marvelous Workings of the Buddha Mind...

"Because the Buddha Mind is present in each one of you, there is no question of my giving you the Buddha Mind.  Listening closely to this sermon, realize the Buddha Mind that each of you has right within himself, and from today on you're abiding in the Unborn Buddha Mind.  Once you've affirmed the Buddha Mind that everyone has innately, you can all do just as you please: if you want to read the sutras, read the sutras; if you feel like doing zazen, do zazen; if you want to keep the precepts, take the precepts; even if it's chanting the nembutsu or the daimoku, or simply performing your allotted tasks - whether as a samurai, a farmer, an artisan or a merchant - that becomes your samadhi.  All I'm telling you is: "Realize the Buddha Mind that each of you has from your parents innately! What's essential is to realize the Buddha Mind each of you has, and simply abide in it with faith..."


This is quoted from "Bankei Zen" translated by Peter Haskel.  Mr. Haskel was a student of Prof. Yoshito Hakeda during his tenure at Columbia University.  Prof. Hakeda was the author of both "Kukai: Major Works" and "Awakening of Faith" as well as a personal friend of Ajari Tanaka.  Professor Hakeda assisted Mr. Haskel and is named the Editor of this book.  It is a really wonderful read and continually echos Kukai's teaching on achieving buddhahood in this very body...

(Bankei Zen, translated by Peter Haskel, edited by Yoshito Hakeda, Grove Weidenfeld, 1984, p.49)

More Dhammapada...

Better than on hundred years lived
With an unsettled [mind],
Devoid of virtue,
Is one day lived
Virtuous and absorbed in meditation.

Better than one hundred years lived
With an unsettled [mind],
Devoid of insight,
Is one day lived
With insight and absorbed in meditation.

Better than on hundred years lived
Lazily and lacking in effort
Is one day lived
With vigor and exertion.

Better than one hundred years lived
Without seeing the arising and passing of things
Is one day lived
Seeing their arising and passing.

Better than one hundred years lived
Without seeing the Deathless
Is one day lived
Seeing the Deathless.

Better than on hundred years lived
Without seeing the ultimate Dharma
Is one day lived
Seeing the ultimate Dharma.



From "The Dhammapada" translated by Gil Fronsdal, published by Shambhala Publications, Inc. (2005, p. 28 - 29)

Samplings from the Dhammapada; Part #1

Not long after Ajari Tanaka moved back to Tokyo in 1999, after his twelve year stay in Vermont, he was awarded a post at Waseda University.  Waseda is a very large and prestigious institution of higher learning and Ajari's position was in a vibrant continuing education division that serves all kinds of students, but especially older folks who have retired from busy lives in business and raising families.  These students want to reignite learning and enrich their lives now that their obligation to family and society are fulfilled.

Naturally, Ajari Tanaka teaches on Buddhist topics exclusively.  Since the very beginning of his tenure at Waseda, Ajari has regularly devoted many semesters to teaching his university students about the Dhammapada, one of Buddhism most fundamental texts.  Far from his own tradition and training in Japan's quintessential esoteric, tantric tradition, this effort on the part of Ajari Tanaka reflects his deeply held feeling that the orignal teachings of Shakamuni are of central importance to all students of Dharma.

Below are a collection of excerpts from a high quality English language version of the Dhammapada.  Though there are many wonderful translations of this core Buddhist text the one in use here is translated by Gil Fronsdal published by Shambhala Publications Inc. in 2008.

Enjoy...

One who recites but a few teachings

Yet lives according to the Dharma,

Abandoning passion, ill will, and delusion,

Aware and with mind well freed,

Not clinging in this life or the next,

Attains the benefits of the contemplative life.

From the chapter entitled "Dichotomies", p. 7

Absorbed in meditation, persevering,

Always steadfast,

The wise touch Nirvana,

The ultimate rest from toil.

From the chapter entitled "Vigilance", p. 8

The restless, agitated mind,
Hard to protect, hard to control,
The sage makes straight,
As a fletcher the shaft of an arrow.

From the chapter entitled "The Mind", p. 11

Do not consider the faults of others,
Or what they have or haven't done.
Consider rather
What you yourself have or haven't done.

From the chapter entitled "Flowers" p. 15

The way to material gain is one thing,
The path to Nirvana another.
Knowing this, a monk who is the Buddha's disciple
Should not delight in being venerated,
But cultivate solitude instead.

From the chapter entitled "The Fool", p. 19

Virtuous people always let go.
They don't prattle about pleasures and desires.
Touched by happiness and then suffering,
The sage shows no sign of being elated or depressed.

From the chapter entitled "The Sage" p. 21

Calm in mind, speech, and action
And released through right understanding,
Such a person
Is fully at peace.

From the chapter entitled "The Arahant", p. 24

Though Ajari Tanaka has not specifically taught much on the Dhammapada here in Vermont, his focus with us has been to plant firmly the teachings of Shingon practice.  Despite that, some of his students have undertaken the study of the Dhammapada in its various English translations.  The more our familiarity grows with the view, priorities and guidance in the Dhammapada the more clearly we see our own teacher.  Ajari's behavior, demeanor and personality are all wonderfully reflected in the text's passages.  The utter simplicity, the crystal clear sanity, the genuine openness and quiet strength that the Dhammapada projects are all effortlessly manifested by Ajari Tanaka.   As the years of training with Ajari Tanaka pile up, our gratitude for who he is, how he's trained us and what he has shared only magnifies.

We all hope that many more interested students get to experience what we have and please know you are all welcome...

   

Awakening of Faith #2

How does the permeation [of Suchness] give rise to the pure state and continue uninterrupted?


It may be said that there is the principle of Suchness, and it can permeate into ignorance.

Though the force of this permeation, [Suchness] causes the deluded mind to loathe the suffering of samsara and to aspire to nirvana.

Because this mind, though still deluded, is [now] possessed with loathing and aspiration, it permeates into Sucness [in that it induces Suchness to manifest itself].

Thus a man comes to believe in his essential nature, to know that what exists is the erroneous activity of the mind and that the world of objects in front of him is nonexistent, and to practice teachings to free himself [from the erroneously conceived world of objects].

He knows what is really so -

From "The Awakening of Faith", attributed to Asvaghosha, translated with commentary by Yoshito S. Hakeda (p. 58, 1967, Columbia University Press)

Note - the breaks in the above quoted text do not reflect the original presentation.  They have been added in hopes that they assist the reader in following the progression and logic of the quoted text.  Any and all distortion of the original meaning is the fault of the transcriber.

Awakening of Faith, #1

How does the permeation [of ignorance] give rise to the defiled state and continued uninterrupted?  

It may be said that, on the ground of Suchness [i.e., the original enlightenment], ignorance [i.e., nonenlightenment] appears.

Ignorance, the primary cause of the defiled state, permeates into Suchness.

Because of this permeation a deluded mind results.

Because of the deluded mind, [deluded thoughts further] permeate into ignorance.

While the principle of Suchness is yet to be realized, [the deluded mind], developing thoughts [fashioned in the state] of nonenlightenment, predicates erroneously conceived objects of the senses and the mind.

These erroneously conceived objects of the senses and mind, the coordinating causes in [bringing about] the defiled state, permeate into the deluded mind and cause the deluded mind to attach itself to its thoughts, to create various [evil] karma, and to undergo all kinds of physical and mental suffering.



"The Awakening of Faith", attributed to Asvaghosha, translated with commentary by Yoshito S. Hakeda (p. 56 - 57, 1967, Columbia University Press)

Note - the breaks, bolding and layout of the above copied text do not reflect the original published presentation.  They have been added in hopes to help the reader follow the linked progression and logic of the selection.  Any distortion of the original meaning is mine and my own.

Shingon goes north...

Ajari Tanaka has a wonderful student (Mat-san) who lives just over the border from Ottawa, Canada's capital, in a lovely town in western Quebec.  Besides working hard and raising two daughters he has been committing considerable time to training in Shingon for a growing number of years.  In addition to Ajari's Fall visits, Mat has become a regular Mandala Vermont Sangha member, visiting throughout the year to receive instruction and practice intensively with our long-time Vermont practitioners.

Not long ago we hatched a plan with Mat to see if folks in the Ottawa area might be interested in giving Shingon practice a try.  As luck would have it both fantastic folks and a very conducive place were discovered for us to have our first Shingon practice seminar in this fantastic part of Canada.

So we packed up...

...and headed out.

An additional stoke of luck allowed us to scoop up one of Ajari's senior most students, Pete-san.  With over 21 years of practice and study under his belt we were happy to have his experience to share with these new students in this new place.  He also made us laugh for almost the entire six hour trip.

We arrived without event at Mat's home in a quaint Quebec suburb of Ottawa.  His home was not only inviting but we were greeted by his two daughters who could not have been any more cute.  Relaxing, we had a nice snack and eased back after the long drive.

Not long after we had to say goodbye to the girls and get ready to go see the city.  Another friend who was traveling with us asked Mat to tell his daughters that we were happy to meet them and that they were beautiful.  As they only speak French, Mat relayed the message and no sooner was it deliver than they turned to us and in unison said, "Merci" in the sweetest little girl voices you could ever imagine. Utterly fantastic...

And with that we were off to tour Ottawa....

Ottawa is beautiful, set on the convergence of three rivers and filled with history.  We walked Parliament Hill, saw where the various ambassadors to Canada had their residences, strolled downtown a bit, saw some stone lions Mat's ancestors helped carve and ended at an Irish pub.  It was a great outing.

Strangely enough we connected with another Mandala Vermont student of Ajari Tanaka's (Jamie-san) who happened to be in Ottawa for a professional seminar.  We not only convinced him to join us for our dinner that night, but to stay for our meditation seminar on Sunday.  We were not only happy to run into our old friend but stoked to enlist another experienced student to help share the practice with the new folks Mat had assembled.  So now we had four sangha members to help establish the new northern frontier of Shingon.  That run of good luck signaled that it was time for sushi...

Lots and lots of sushi, and sashimi, and crazy appetizers and as you might notice in the foreground, very tall Asahi's.  After more than we probably needed we headed back to Mat's house to rest up for the the next day's events.  The trip up and the day spent with old and new friends in this amazing Canadian city could not have been better.

Up early the next morning, we had a good and bumpy drive through fantastic Quebec scenery to our practice place.  Our dojo for the day was a place called "Chez Alice" in the very cool town of Wakefield Quebec.  Wakefield is a super funky artist's enclave and remote vacation destination.  Very small and wonderfully cozy, Wakefield sits right on the Gatineau River.  The town is just a sliver of civilization on the southern side of the river which is broad and surrounded by rugged land - rocky outcrops, steep hillsides with deep patches of evergreens.  Chez Alice is primarily and artist's studio, but doubles as a Karate Dojo among other things.  Today it is our Pure Land.

Ten people came to Chez Alice for the morning session. Without hesitation,we dove right in.  Over the course of our morning we sampled and shared a selection of meditations, sutra recitation, mantra and mudra.  The morning flew by and folks shared their great attention and energy for our practice.  At the end of this first session there was a palpably happy feeling in the room.  

And nothing signals its time for lunch like a bunch of happy people...

For lunch, the local fare was yummy and the conversation was even better.  The more we got to know the folks Mat had gathered the more we both felt at home and a real, growing connection to the people and place.  But before long, completely due to having to much lunch fun and ordering dessert, we were late for our afternoon start time.

So we bolted back to Alice's place and started up.  

Two folks from the morning couldn't stay for the afternoon, but two new folks joined our practice so we were again at ten practitioners.  The afternoon went by in a blur of instruction, meditation, mudra, visualization and recitations.  Everyone was both wonderfully receptive and made a fantastic effort in the practice.  But, before we all knew it, our time together was at its end.  

In our closing comments to the group, Mat offered to make group practice available for local folks who were interested.  The travelers from Mandala Vermont committed to coming back anytime our new friends in Shingon's northern most outpost want to practice together again.  We are so grateful to both Mat and all the folks we met on this trip for making us feel so welcome and sharing their spirit with us.  

Totally can't wait to go back...

P.S. - a group practice lead by our local student (Mat-san) has happened recently inspired by local interest - oh yeah...  

Yay, yay, yay...