{"id":882,"date":"2015-10-31T22:18:31","date_gmt":"2015-10-31T22:18:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zenwest.ca\/site\/?p=882"},"modified":"2016-06-13T20:42:35","modified_gmt":"2016-06-13T20:42:35","slug":"zenwest-newsletter-november-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenwest.ca\/site\/zenwest-newsletter-november-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Zenwest Newsletter – November 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"
Newsletter for August 2015 \nIf what you’re mostly after is the sitting schedule, scroll down a tad.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Zenwest Fall Harvest Potluck November 7<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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At the Harvest Potluck, Eshu might very well overcome his innate shyness and grab a microphone. (He’s done it before.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Ky\u014dk\u016b will also battle his extreme shyness at the Fall Harvest Potluck.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Nov 7: Zenwest Fall Harvest Potluck 6\u201410pm \nNov 21: \u00a0Volunteer Work Day at Kokizanji \nKokizanji Training Period 3 continues right through November \nNov 29\u2014Dec 7 Choboji Rohatsu Sesshin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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Meet A Member: Kozan Nishigaya<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
When did you start on the path? And where?<\/em><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0If you mean formal Zen Buddhism with a teacher as a “path”, this began for me about eight years ago here in Victoria with Zenwest (the Victoria Zen Centre, back then). However, I’ve been interested in zen for a very long time, since my early twenties when I started to read about it. Before that, my father being a Nichiren priest, I lived in a Buddhist temple until the age of three, so I’ve been exposed to Buddhism from a very early age. I’ve been seeking after the meaning of life in one form or another since a very early age. I remember taking myself to a Southern Baptist temple at the age of eleven by myself, and have been a member of various organizations and groups over the years. But Zen has been in my life the last eight years and is now a foundational part of my life.<\/div>\n
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What, in terms of life challenges, brought you to the practice of meditation?<\/em><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0I started sitting at home after reading Brad Warner’s first book. Nothing in terms of life challenges really brought me to the practice of meditation, I started it on my own because I was curious and full of tales of enlightenment and thought that it would be really great to achieve that myself. So I started sitting at home on a pillow, staring at the wall. I did not start sitting with a group, however, until I had a mountain biking accident and broke my back. I decided then that life was short and I really needed to get serious and find a real teacher and find out what zen was really about, and so I found myself in the Orientation to Zen Buddhist Practice course with Eshu.<\/div>\n
Why do you continue?<\/em><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0It’s funny. I continue because I have faith that this practice works and will keep working and that I am benefiting from it. I have never had any mystical experiences, entered any higher states, or even noticed that much has changed at all. But my life is radically different from where it was eight years ago, and I am stepping into my life more and really engaging with things in a way that is surprising. So maybe it is all working, but it is so gradual that I don’t notice anything changing. I am the frog sitting in the slowly boiling pot of water. So without noticing any change, it seems crazy to continue\u2014where is the proof? So I guess I am doing it because I have faith in this practice that is thousands of years old, and my gut is telling me to continue.<\/div>\n
What do you find, at this time, is your greatest challenge in walking the way?<\/em><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Integrating zen practice so that it is not just thirty minutes a day, but rather the entire enchilada, is my greatest challenge. Bringing practice into each moment, and remembering to do so, is very hard. I am also finding that new life challenges and commitments are requiring me to choose between those things and being directly involved with Zenwest sits and sangha events. I used to be on the path toward eldership, but now have stepped into the role of being a householder. Redefining yourself in terms of practice and commitment to practice can be very hard when you have to discard or change roles. But life is constantly changing, so this too is very good zen practice.<\/div>\n
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If you could share one bit of practical advice about sitting zazen what would it be?<\/em><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Keep at it! Even though it may hurt, the body will adapt, so keep at it! If sitting is relaxing and grounding, keep at it! Once the busy mind is starting to slow down and gives you room to just be, stuff may start coming up that will be hard and painful. This is the stuff you need to get through, so keep at it! If you find you sit day after day after day and nothing at all comes up, keep at it! There is nothing to do or expect\u2014just sit.<\/div>\n
Finally, in three words can you express what Buddha, Dharma, Sangha means for you?<\/em><\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0No, I can’t.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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XYZen: A Transformation for Zenwest\u2019s Women\u2019s Social Group<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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