Why Do Zazen? 

"[zazen] takes you out of the world of loss and gain." Love that!

10:02 Ziggy heard that sitting is good for nothing & got up.

If you have a pure mind you turn the wheel. If you have an impure mind the wheel turns you.

I’m relieved that zazen has no goal! That’s what I’ve been experiencing.

Stumbling across your videos got me interested in 'switching to the dark side' from Vipassana, but it was Okomuru Roshi's "Zazen is good for nothing" clip and the way he talked about his younger self that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and sealed the deal for me. It came across as oddly punk the way he put it. Thank you both either way.

I do meditation and at the end of it i found clarity in my mind.

Physiologically, I wonder if the act of softly gazing at a neutral point recalibrates the emotional responsiveness to what is seen toward neutrality. As my practice expands to morning and evening times consistently for a change, I notice when I and other people have an automaticity look in their eyes. A look of being on script for whatever “previously” encountered situation they are in. That alone, is worth it to me. To see my perceptions change in that way. To find more life where previously I had the fast forward button on and just didn’t realize.

Thank you Brad 🙏

I always enjoy your videos but I particularly enjoyed this one.

Thanks Brad! :)

The "X" flying away leaves no trace. I wonder if Ziggy realizes how lucky he is. What a wonderful life he seems to have.

Nothing, no-thing, no-thing-ness is beyond conventional value. It is priceless.

Yesterday I read this book. Sawaki was a great teacher.

I love the Great Gazoo t-shirt! "Hello, Dum Dums" 😆

"Just as a man whose clothing or hair is on fire will, to extinguish the fire, with strong resolve, apply all his effort, vigor and exertion, mindfulness and clear comprehension; even so should that monk resolutely apply all his effort... for discarding his evil and unwholesome qualities. But if, on reflection, that monk realizes there are in him no such evil and unwholesome qualities that might be a hindrance to him if he were to die tonight or during the day, then he may well feel gladness and joy. By day and night he should train himself in everything that is beneficial. If, monks, mindfulness of death is cultivated in that way, and is frequently practiced, it will bring great fruit, great benefit, and it will merge in the Deathless, will end in the Deathless." -From the Anguttara Nikaya I'm always intrigued about this passage. Buddha is describing the importance of aspiration towards a great fruition, great benefit...but the benefit is to merge in the deathless.

For super powers of course.

Did Dogen believe Zazen is good for nothing? Here is a different translation of Bendowa's first paragraph by Anzan Hoshin Roshi. "The Buddhas and Thus Come Ones have all simply transmitted an unfabricated wondrous means of realizing complete and utter Awakening, the teaching of wonder. In transmitting it from a Buddha to a Buddha, its standard is self-enjoyment harmonization. To enter this through sitting up straight in zazen is the main gate. This Dharma is present in abundance in each person, but it is not actualized without practice or lived without realization. When you let it go, it fills your hands; it transcends the one and many. When you speak, it fills your mouth; it is beyond horizontal or vertical. All Buddhas continually abide here without fragmented perceptions. When all beings are active here then perceptions and recognitions are without fixation. The practice of exertion that I will now teach manifests the ten thousand events and experiences in original Awakening and actualizes the singleness of reality as the path which leads out. When you clear all barriers and release all limitations, why pick at sections of bamboo?"

I have come to a realization that i can do almost anything, things have stopped being hard to do, to a certain degree. But now I am absolutely unsure on what to do, I'm not confused because I have a feeling that it's all the same, but still what to do?

No project or projection. Sometimes its called mental elaboration.

Personally, I'm less of a jerk when I Zazen. Culturally, to mine which has very strict protocols on the types of energy we should expose ourselves to, it's a safe way to slowly sip the type of energy which causes us damage if we gulp it down.

Why do Zazen after enlightenment... A question none of us need an answer for 🤪✌️

A way to escape legal fiction?

Try not to be rough on your students.. congratulations on your job..

Do you dye your hair?

I don’t like it when you call yourself boring!

Have you read Collision with the Infinite by Suzanne Segal and her experience of noself? It's a must read!

Who‘s the guy on the t-shirt?

I don't get why Sawaki says the first character "ben" stands for "power/energy". It means speech or dialect. In my line of work, it means a "valve". An actual, physical valve. And a bento is a Japanese box lunch!

Wasn't that Dogen's question and the reason why he went to China? -Why we have to do zazen if we are already enlighten?

What do Zazen?

🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮🌮😊

"You are always trapped in the past and future" People with advanced Alzheimer's are outstanding at maintaining the 'just-now' mind. They have been known to flip through an entire magazine, page after page til the end...and then start all over.

Buddha continued his meditation practice after enlightenment...he was nothing to do.

the problem i have with "zazen" and "prayer" is this notion of "method" to infinity or god what method can there be ? to what ? if you say there is no method, then what are you doing ?