Sokukoji Buddhist Temple Monastery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuFc3mmGMG4

The first of the four noble truths is the truth of sufffering (dukkha). Why are we suffering? Because we want something else; this is the second noble truth. Trying to be happy and trying not to suffer can tie up your whole life and it will persist if you try to stop it. There’s no particular way to deal with this other than to just see what it is through the simple practice of shikantaza or zazen. Even a basic mindfulness practice can be helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O09SZM69VO0&t

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Are you ready to step into this kind of training, working with your opinions and preconceptions, your judgements, your beliefs, your unexamined conclusions? If you need to step on the path, it will be obvious to you. It will probably be necessary to meet someone who sees what this is and can teach it out of their realization, out of what they see. If you are ready to be a student, not just someone who collects information and knows things, you become liberated from what you know. It’s an incredibly vast and open territory, where there’s no one there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXFfAR-d7-A

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Quite often we hear this from others: “Just let go.” The very nature of self-centeredness is to manipulate or take control of something. It just reinforces the self-centeredness. You don’t have to let go. Rather, see the way in which you hang on. It’s about looking at that area that’s not very pleasant to observe. In Trungpa Rinpoche’s words, be genuine, get to know yourself, and make friends with yourself. Everything is basically good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZL6CVKCboA

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Whatever shows up in the mind stream, don’t second it, agree with it or go along with it. The added commentary tends to validate and personalize it as somebody who feels this way. That “me” feeling is unreal – it’s a collection of ideas and opinions, hope and fear. Don’t try to fix it, and don’t set up standards to try to protect yourself from the open dimension in which everything is arising without reference points. If it’s coming your way, just receive it and allow the consciousness to be flooded with that feeling. This approach is the beginning of humility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf2Ofw33Hbw

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We constantly do things we don’t have to do because of paranoia about what might happen. The idea is to put a little bit of tension on our impulsiveness to act. When you do that, there is much more clarity around that which you are doing and what you actually have to do. Hopefully, it’s to train your mind. Don’t go in any direction unless there’s some kind of understanding. Less is better. This is why it’s so important to receive what’s happening. https://youtu.be/ZNWYTNeYefI

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In this five minute excerpt of Sokuzan's full talk, he explores the idea of "I don't know." All Sokuzan - no Q&As. Please let us know if you are enjoying these short talks and whether they are of value. We listen to and appreciate your feedback! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUWOYJ5Ry0k

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Zen master Seung-Sahn talked about “only don’t know mind.” This whole area is very powerful if it comes out of your awareness. Knowing and not knowing is something the egoistic mind creates. It is necessary to go into not knowing first and not to panic into your ego with, “I know.” The grasping mind will not allow an open dimension. In the area of consciousness that is without form, your knowledge will begin to crack apart. Depending on your attachment to intellect, you may eventually have to come to this “I don’t know” bardo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq5quljRvV0

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