Where's the Real Mirror? (In Which I Turned 30, Ate Meat, Drank Alcohol, and Danced with Beautiful Women)

When you are asking me, that is your mind. When I am responding to you, that is my mind; from the ancient, beginningless time, each and every movement in all different times and places is your original mind and also your original Buddha. - Bodhidharma, "On Lineage"

This past week, I celebrated my 30th birthday. I had a great celebration with family, friends, and half of the metropolitan Baltimore area. I had an amazing dinner of delicious jagerschnitzel at Old Stein Inn, and then met up with friends to see a band play. I have to thank my friend Maynard and his band, Flipside, for doing a great show. It was definitely the best party I've been to in 30 years. I think I danced for at least 2 hours straight.

Before the evening began, I went through the ritual of shaving and showering, getting dressed, putting on a new suit. Throughout the process, there were numerous occasions when I checked my appearance in the mirror. Did I shave my goatee just right? Is my tie straight? Do I have random nose hairs sticking out?

Later on that evening, I danced with a young woman. She had brown hair, tanned skin, dark eyes, and a broad smile. She wore a blue sleeveless top. If I describe her in greater detail, the Precepts Squad will start grabbing pitchforks. Oh well, I already admitted to eating meat...and it was 21 year MacCallan if you have to ask. If I'm gonna break a precept, I'm gonna make sure it's worth it.

As beautiful as she was, I didn't see her. As good as I looked in that suit, the mirror image was not myself. Pohwa-seunim likes to say, "We have never seen ourselves."

So what did I see?

Coming up this weekend at the BZC!

Half Day Sit
Date: Saturday October 3, 2009
Time: 9am-12pm
Donation: $20

Half-Day Sits are great times for beginners to really dig in to their practice with the rest of the sangha. It's also a great time for experienced practitioners to continue moving forward. It's a great way to kick off the weekend and move into the next week.

The retreat will begin with a short Dharma talk & instructional. Each sitting meditation session will be 30 minutes long and separated by 10 minutes of walking meditation. Before the final sitting session, we will perform the 108 prostrations, an incredible practice, useful for centering both body & mind. The sit will be followed up with a brief Dharma talk & discussion session over a light lunch & traditional tea.

Four Truths & Eight Steps
Date: Saturday October 3, 2009
Time: 1pm-3pm
Donation: $20

The foundation of our practice comes from Buddha's core teachings, known as the Four Noble Truths & the Eightfold Path.

The Four Noble Truths are the observations that the Buddha made about the world around him, its nature, and its affect on us and how we relate to it. There is suffering in life, our suffering is brought about by our cravings, there is freedom from this suffering, and we can find freedom by following the Eightfold Path of wisdom, conduct, & meditation.

During this introduction class, we'll discuss how the Buddha's observations can be seen in our own lives, and how we can begin to practice the Eightfold Path.

This class is the perfect opportunity for those just beginning their Zen practice. It covers the fundamentals upon which our practice rests. For those who attend the morning Half-Day Sit, this continuation will allow you to reflect on how your meditation practice can apply to what you do in daily life, transforming your life to one complete practice.

For those not attending the Half-Day Sit, this is still a wonderful introduction to the fundamentals of what we practice at the Baltimore Zen Center.

For those only attending this Basic Training Class, we ask for a $20 donation to help cover expenses.

Harvest Moon Festival
Date: Saturday, October 3rd, 2009
Time: 3pm-2am

In cultures around the world, the time of the Harvest Moon is a time of thanksgiving. We invite you to join us for a mix of modern & traditional festivities here at the Baltimore Zen Center.

Known as Chuseok in Korea, the Harvest Moon Festival is a time to remember our ancestors and pay respect to those who have had an impact on our lives. The Dharma Hall will be open all day for those wishing to honor their ancestors in the traditional fashion with food & incense.

In the evening, we have fun activities for family & friends alike, including games like tug-o-war. We'll have great foods, including Korean cellophane noodles, beef barbeque, fruits, & Harvest Moon rice cakes.

After dusk, we'll continue with a bonfire & moonviewing. We'll also be featuring poetry readings from famous local poets.

We'll also have a Sake tasting for the adults after sunset!

This is guaranteed to be a fun event for everyone, so don't miss out!