The Zen View of Death 

Enjoying the music and finding the talks as interesting as always and really liking the new book. Thank you Brad!

I know we're all here for the profundity of Zen and stuff, but Brad's got pretty cool taste in music too

“Everything is perfectly resolved in the Unborn.” ~ Bankei 🕳

Have been following your videos for quite a while and I love them. Thank you for explaining this point. Reminds me a lot of the Zen advice of when you're hungry eat, if you're tired sleep. I've been wondering for a while now, I've been practicing for more than ten years now but recently most of my breakthrough moments happen during sleep. I don't always remember what the dream was about but the feeling stays, long enough to improve my life and make things easier overall. So, is it possible to have enlightenment experiences in a dream? Did Dogen or any of the Zen masters write or say anything about it? That would be my question. Thanks again for your excellent work!

I think you nailed the explanation of the topic with the opening song. Thanks Brad

Well said! Uchiyama Roshi has a wonderful little volume, translated by Okumura Roshi, all about life and death that I have found meaningful.

I came here for the Zen and a cover tune--and got Buc-ee's too! Gravy. Pure gravy. Mahalos! 🤙🧘‍♂️🧘‍♀️🧘

That song at the beginning sounded really cool

Would you consider the Zen view of death to be different from the Buddhist one? (I’ve come across some Zen authors who say that the view of Zen is different from or transcends Buddhism)

I had a near death experience (NDE) before I was born. I’ve met plenty of people who had NDEs after they were born but never before. I also remember my birth. I strangled myself with my umbilical cord in my mother’s womb. That’s how I died, albeit briefly. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. I was peacefully floating in space, with the stars and planets wizzing by. I gradually travelled towards a light that slowly engulfed me. A female voice (at least I think was female) telepathically told it was too early for me to be there. That I had to life this live. So, here I am. I’m grateful for that experience. It made me a deeply contemplative person and much less afraid of death than most people I know. I wonder what Dōgen would say about my experience?

Wow Brad that is one sweet Tele. 🎸👀

love these intros lol

It's: "Let go, and let God".

Danke für den Hinweis, dass die chinesischen Schriftzeichen in dem erwähnten Dōgen-Kapitel, das oft mit "Geburt und Tod" übersetzt wird, eigentlich die Schriftzeichen für „saṃsāra“ darstellen. Man lernt nie aus. Ich freue mich darauf, deinen Dharma-Vortrag hier in Deutschland zu hören.

That would have been the breakout hit for 0DFX. It was fun. “Nirvana is found in this life.” That is a good brief summary. For me, a problematic part of certain belief systems is a belief that the soul is separate from the body. This leads to quite a few pitfalls (I’ll leave it there). Keep rockin’, Brad. Ziggy forever!

Teaching lessons and rockin faces.

Soul Asylum was lfr, i think. Hardcore came into my life late (in my middle of college years, Zen end HS/Start college HZ came later still) so I may be wrong, or misremembering; but when I have an interest I go deep and try to learn view and feel any info out I missed; and in the later 80s-early 90s a lot of bands some on Mtv even, were like hi we're [name] used to be a hardcore band, now a regular band

Your 'question' line is of course from the Star Trek episode 'The City on the Edge of Forever'. Right? Poor Edith Keeler!

i got it,,, and now its gone...

9:25 metallica is soothing !!!!!!!!!

I've been reading alot of Sri Ramanas books lately, he's a fascinating person to me. I think he said something like birth and death are but illusions upon the screen of consciousness. Forms appear and dissappear but consciousness always remains. That consciousness is the Self and is our true nature. He goes on to make this point by getting us to pay attention to are 3 states of consciousness. Waking, dream, and deep sleep. Every night mind and body subside, with dream a subtle body and mind, waking gross body and mind. But I exists throughout all 3 states. I exists beyond body and mind. If not how could we be conscious of the state where there was no body and mind? How can we be conscious of state that science calls unconscious? So it seems consciousness flows from one state to the next, one moment life the next moment death, around and around this cycle goes until we break the wheels and become Buddha's of are own.. By the way Brad if you read this, do you ever host retreats in the states?

Dogen seemed wedded to the idea of rebirth in the chapter, "Deep Belief in Karma." Any comments?

I'm not that worried about it, and am kind of doubtful that you would be able to give an example, but I thought I would ask: Could you give an example of how we have a tiny amount of free will? I personally believe that we don't have free will, and also that since we feel that we have free will, that we do have free will. The idea of free will affects the actions that we take, and we would take different actions if we thought we have free will versus if we thought that we don't have free will, therefore I think that we do have free will. :) But I have heard you say many times that we are able to have a small effect on things, that we have a small amount of free will, I have always wondered what you meant by that, are you able to clarify that a bit? :)

@Hardcore Zen sorry dude, typo , please forgive me 🙏. If I'm not mistaken, you have pointed out their differences many times but not as much as their similarity. You claim that the Buddha didn't claim to be a prophet or savior ( placing all your problems in his house) and that the Buddhist nirvana and samsara cannot be paralleled exactly to the Christian heaven and hell. A unique feature of Buddhist heavens and hells is that they are temporary : " both heaven and earth shall pass away" - Jesus " You will not get out of jail until you repay every last cent" -Jesus

Isn't it three books ago?

I'm ready for hardcore Brad unplugged tbh. ;-). Brad works hard on these things. Grab a subscription on Patreon.

I think the phrase you were looking for is "Let go and let God."

I think that Christians say that God's already got everything all planned out - so chill, have a little faith, no need to struggle so much.

Hinduism and Paganism have reincarnation so it's hardly just an idea that came from modern pop culture.

Turn it over.

Hi Brad. I'm not sure about if you talk about this or not, so I'll just say it anyway. The early Zen masters made it clear that all opposites are nothing but concepts which, in actuality, do not exist. If we are facing each other and I say point left, we both point in opposite directions. "Left/right" do not exist outside of our heads. (Though the concepts of opposites can be useful, they are not true.) Same goes for birth/death. They are just concepts we use (maybe helpful but I doubt it), and aren't really true (yes the body dies). This seems to me another way to look at it.

This dud continually points to alleged differences between Buddha and Jesus: if ever there were two similar beings , I e. The Father Tathagata & son

Brilliant example of the uselessness of Dogen. A lot of confusion and practical insignificance.