Raising Thought - The Baltimore Zen Center: September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

October's Events at the Baltimore Zen Center

Harvest Moon Festival, October 3rd!!!

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!

Later on in October:

Mind-Body Oneness: Zen Practice Within Taekwondo
Date: Saturday, October 17th, 2009
Time: 12pm-5pm
Donation: $50

During Korea's Shilla Dynasty, Buddhist patriarch Wonhyo spoke the teaching, "心身一如". This teaching, pronounced "Shim Shin Ilyeo" means "Mind & Body Oneness". In our Zen practice, we begin to realize that we have created dualistic barriers between our bodies and our minds, between our rational thoughts and our emotions, between our flesh and our spirit. Through Zen Body Practice, we look to tear down these barriers, to realize that we were whole all along, as Wonhyo said.

In this martial arts retreat, we will examine this through the modern Korean martial art of Taekwondo. Wonhyo's teachings were fundamental to the development of this style of fist & foot fighting. We will examine a high-level Taekwondo form named after Wonhyo's teachings, called "Ilyeo". Through mind-body awareness, we will learn to engage ourselves fully as we practice the movements of this set. Finally, we will examine the combative applications of Ilyeo, and how the teachings of Wonhyo are seen in the body & mind's reaction to combat.

Ilyeo is considered one of the highest forms of Taekwondo, and achieving the Mind-Body Oneness spoken of by Wonhyo is considered the central goal of all Taekwondo training.

This seminar is open to all, though it is recommended that students have some level of experience in the martial arts.

A donation of $50 is requested for this retreat.

The seminar will be lead by JB MuSsang Jaeger. Mr. Jaeger is the first American to be licensed in Cheolryun Gwonbeop, a progressive Zen system of self-defense. He has lectured on Wonhyo's teachings of Mind-Body Oneness at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Shaolin Warriors in Baltimore!
Date: Sunday, October 18th, 2009
Time: 130pm-8pm
Ticket Cost: $25

The Baltimore Zen Center traces its teaching lineage back to the fabled Shaolin Temple, origin of Zen, and home to some of the greatest martial artists to ever live. This center of spiritual development provided shelter to those oppressed by the government, and was the birthplace of teachings of peace, alongside of methods of protection. The Baltimore Zen Center is proud to trace not only our Zen practice, but our martial practice back to this inspirational group of warrior-monks. We believe that a true pacifist is not someone who cannot fight, but someone who can, but chooses not to.

"The internationally acclaimed Shaolin Warriors will present a fully-choreographed performance showcasing their discipline and skill as martial arts masters at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Sunday, October 18 at 3:00 p.m. The Shaolin Warriors-who train for several hours each day in kung fu and meditation-are disciples of the Shaolin schools in China, founded under the Buddhist philosophies of non-violence and non-aggression."

Tickets are $25. If you are joining us, please RSVP by October 5th by either clicking "Attending", emailing me at jaeger@baltimorezen.org, or calling me at 4103532387.

Updates will come as we close in on October 5th.

After the performance, we'll enjoy a dinner of Korean BBQ at Baltimore's famous Jong Gak restaurant, specializing in live-coal Korean BBQ.

Plan on meeting at the BZC by 130pm that afternoon!

October Half-Day Sit II
Date: October 31, 2009
Time: 9am-12pm
Suggested 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.

Entering the Stream
Date: October 31, 2009
Time: 1pm-3pm
Suggested Donation: $20

This class is a discussion on how to bring your Zen practice outside the walls & activities of the Baltimore Zen Center & into your daily life. We'll look at the importance of community, not just here at the BZC, but in every aspect of our lives, and how we relate to that community. We'll look at how the things we encounter in daily life; addiction, money, & sex, can have an impact on our practice. We'll look at how our Practice can revolutionize our interaction with those facets of our lives, and how we in turn, can affect the world around us for the better.

Hope to see you at the Baltimore Zen Center in October!

Sunday, September 27, 2009

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!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

What's in your head?

Former & later Buddhas have transmitted mind to mind without depending on the written word. - Bodhidharma, "On Lineage"

Have you ever gotten into a debate with someone, on politics, sports, religion, anything, really...and after hours and hours of argument, realized that you were both talking about the same thing, just coming at it from completely different angles?

Or have you ever read a book about a subject, and thought you had a good grasp of it, only to talk to someone who is an expert on that subject and realized you completely misunderstood what it was you were reading?

We come at the world with everything we "know", everything we've "learned", all of our "experience". We like to think we "keep an open mind".

Let's look at that argument that you and your friend were in. You were in agreement on the subject, but came at from different angles. The problem wasn't the subject matter. It was you. Coming at something from different angles means you aren't starting from the subject itself, but from your own preconceived notions of the subject. Your grasp of the subject isn't the subject itself. Your words are not the subject. They are your attempts to communicate your point of view of the subject.

Your friend has the same problem. He is only communicating his point of view of the subject. However, you both run into an additional problem. When your friend presents his argument, you aren't actually grasping what he's saying. You are taking in his words, not his thoughts, not his understanding. You hear what he says, and you run those words through your own perceptions and conceptual ideas. You judge them based not on the subject itself, but your conception of the subject.

It's a miracle we can communicate anything at all.

This is the same with our Zen practice. I cannot teach you Zen. I cannot explain Zen to you. You can read all the books, go to all the Dharma talks, meet with all the great teachers out there. None of it will give you any knowledge of Zen.

Although I encourage you to purchase my book when it is published next year, and please, stop by the Baltimore Zen Center some time soon. I'd love the company.

So, when Bodhidharma said that former and later Buddhas have transmitted mind to mind without depending on the written word...why did he say that?

Next time you find yourself in one of those debates, or in an argument with a friend or a loved one, stop and ask yourself, "Why did they say that?"

Don't look for the intellectual answer, don't look for understanding.

Look for your friend. Look for your loved one.

Then answer.

Upcoming events at the Baltimore Zen Center:

October 3rd is going to be a busy day at the BZC! It's time for our annual Harvest Moon Festival! Check out the great events we have going on all day!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Zen in the Martial Arts: Yesterday's Lesson

On my personal blog, I detailed our Aikido lesson that focused directly upon the role of the mind within physical conflict. You may read it here: Zen and Aikido: An Exercise

Aikido, like many martial arts, is often simply understood as a system of self-defense. We cannot say that this is erroneous since, in fact, that is often how it is taught. In my own view, though, Aikido is essentially Zen practice under duress, the study of one's self within the context of physical threat, built over a framework of physical jujitsu techniques. Just as Zen koan practice seeks the spontaneous and appropriate response that resolves a question, Aikido seeks the spontaneous and appropriate response that resolves a physical threat. What would stand in the way of success in either is a matter of our study at Sword Mountain Aikido at the Baltimore Zen Center.

Please feel free to read and comment here or there, and consider joining us in our practice!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

"Pain Don't Hurt"

The name...is Dalton.

Patrick Swayze will probably be remembered best for mainstream hits like Dirty Dancing or Ghost. At least that's probably what the ladies will remember him for. One of his lesser roles has become a cult hit, among action movie fans, guys, and a smaller segment of society, bar and club security. Whether bouncers, coolers, or doormen, ask any of them, and they'll tell you that they couldn't be portrayed better than Patrick Swayze did in the role of Dalton.

Not just a typical meathead, Dalton has a degree in Philosophy from NYU, and is a well-trained martial artist. As a bouncer who graduated from UMBC with a Philosophy degree, I'll admit that I held a certain fondness for the character of Dalton, and have had a chuckle in the past when the inevitable comparisons have come up, as recent as last Friday's shift. Dalton's philosophy of bouncing prefered to talk people down, to "cool off" situations rather than resorting to violence. When violence came though, he held his own.

In one of the film's most noteworthy scenes, Dalton lays out his groundrules for bar security to his new staff. It's made up of three simple rules.

#1. Expect the unexpected. Never underestimate your opponent.
#2. Take it outside. Don't fight in the bar.
#3. Be nice.

The scene is here. Just a warning, it includes some foul language:

Dalton is questioned by his staff about Rule #3. What if they insult us?

"It's just two nouns strung together designed to elicit a response."

It's movie Zen to be sure, but no less true. When someone insults us, their words only have meaning if we give it to them. We have to self-identify with the description they are putting forward of us. This is true on a micro-level, in personal relationships, and on a macro-level in cultural and national interactions. Words and symbols may be used by one party because they desire a certain response from another party. If they second party is unaware, and attach to those words, they've allowed the first party to win. Insults and epithets hurt us not because the words have power in themselves, but because we allow them to have power over us. We are attached to our own egoistic vision of ourselves, and cannot abide by someone degrading that vision.

Through the practice of gongan, we question "What did he mean by that?" When Master Yunmen responded to his student, "Mount Sumeru!", why did he respond like that? In doing so, we search for Yunmen's mind, for our own mind. Pohwa-seunim, our teacher, says that every interaction with the people we meet is like a gongan. When we're in an argument, rather than looking at the words at face value, to delve into "Why did he say that?" or "Why did she say that?" It's not just enough to have a rational understanding of it, but to push beyond that to attain the mind of the person we are arguing with, and to realize that there is no thing between their mind and ours.

In my time as a bouncer, I've been called more names than I can count, some quite creative. Pohwa-seunim's teaching of "Why did he speak like that?" transforms those interactions from an egoistic struggle for dominance, to an opportunity for mind-to-mind transmission, a chance for understanding and compassion, even in a dark, noisy pub, and not a quiet, serene temple.

Dalton would get it.

Upcoming events at the Baltimore Zen Center

October 3rd is a huge day at the Baltimore Zen Center, we hope you're here!!!

Half-Day Sit

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.

Suggested donation: $20
Time: 9am-12pm

Four Truth & Eight Steps
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.

Time: 1pm-3pm

Harvest Moon Festival

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 after sunset for the adults!

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

Time: 3pm - 2am

October 9th, 2009
Autumn Seobsim Retreat

Seobsim means "To gather the mind". It refers to an intense period of practice, devoting yourself almost entirely to meditation. The Seobsim retreat is designed to allow practitioners the chance to cut off outside distractions as much as possible.

This is a silent retreat, designed to give practitioners the chance to focus completely on their meditation. It is recommended for anyone who feels they are ready for an intense & deeply personal experience of themselves. It is not for the faint of heart. The seobsim is an opportunity to practice with other members of the sangha and encourage each other.

Those wishing to participate in the Seobsim are recommended to have taken part in one of the BZC's monthly Jwaseonhoes as a way of preparing themselves.

The seobsim will begin at 7pm Friday evening with bonfire meditation at the temple's outdoor fire pit. It will continue throughout the day on Saturday, ending at 5pm.

This is an overnight retreat, and as such, space is EXTREMELY limited. Please RSVP as soon as possible to reserve your space.

Schedule
_______

Friday:

Sitting Meditation (50 minute sitting/10 minute walking intervals): 7pm - 12 Midnight

Saturday:

6am: Wake-up call
630: Morning chant
6: Meditation
730: Kigong
8: Breakfast
830: Sitting meditation
11: 108 Prostrations
12: Lunch
1: Sitting meditation
4: Concluding Dharma talk & discussion

A donation of $75 is requested to cover expenses.

Starting time: 7pm, Friday, October 9th, 2009
End time: 5pm, Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Remembering the Face of Tragedy

The morning of September 11th will be forever etched into the memories of countless people across the United States and the world. For some it was a personal loss, for others, a glimpse of the mortality of our safety. This picture evokes emotion in us, for many, in a way nothing else has ever touched them. Across the country, we pause today to remember, and well we should. It was a day that all Americans felt deeply.

It was a day when there was panic for those waiting to hear from loved ones in New York, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon. My father was scheduled to have been in the wing of the Pentagon that was struck. His meeting had been cancelled, and he watched the events from a building less than a mile away, while we waited for hours to find out he was alive. One of our neighbors was not so lucky, and like many others I visited his memorial this week, to remember. For his family and countless others, it was a day of loss. From old men to three year old children, from heroes in uniform to everyday heroes, it was a day of sacrifice and mourning.

It was a day of introspection and conversation. We all had questions, we all wanted to know why. We could look in each other's faces, no matter who we were, and see our thoughts mirrored in those of the person looking back at us. We saw others feeling the same suffering that we were, and how we acted toward them changed. I watched a barista in a coffee bar giving free coffee to anyone in a uniform; Fire, Police, EMS, military. I watched people who normally spent every day at work back-biting and infighting, hold each other , comfort each other through their grief. We looked at each other, and we realized that we all suffer.

It is a day that many of us looked into the face of tragedy.

It is perhaps even more tragic that we ignore that face every other day.

We soon forgot how 9-11 brought us together, and say "Remember" one day a year. Remember the tragedy, remember how we suffered.

Yet we neglect the suffering that affects us daily. It should not take 9-11 to remind us that we are all carrying the same pain. Who among us has not lost a loved one? Who among us has not been touched by pain? Who among us has not been ill?

Who among us will not die?

We do not need 9-11 to remind us that we looked into the face of tragedy.

We need only to look at the person next to us on the Metro.

The person on the other side of the counter as we buy our coffee.

The person sitting at the side of the road we have walked by every day since 9-11.

The person at work who always annoys us.

The person who has said hateful things about us.

The person across the dinner table from us.

The person in the mirror after we wash our face.

Remember.

And act.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

A Zen Note on Dana - Generosity and Giving to Find a Cure

My son and I had the opportunity to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and the Baltimore Fire Department to kick-off their "Fill the Boot" fund-raiser for Jerry's Kids. As you may recall from my earlier posts, my nine-year-old son, Joseph ("Joby"), has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (MDA link)---he is one of Jerry's Kids. Joby and I volunteered to do our part.

As volunteers, it would have probably been sufficient that we simply showed up, playing the role of a real-life dog and pony to which the other speakers could point as an example of a family that benefits from this good work. But this would have missed an opportunity.

From my own perspective, little could be worse than my leaving our firefighters with the image of pain and suffering and then sending them out beg for money on the streets with this in mind. Instead, what if we could have the firefighters contribute their joy and energy with full confidence in knowing that the MDA itself would take the product of their good work and use it to ensure the best possible life for those children and families affected by these neuro-muscular diseases?

This is a non-trivial point for the Patriarchal Zen practitioner. After all: What truly are disease and healing? What is the outcome of the pursuit of money? Should we cause a more deadly disease than we hope to cure in our actions? Is there a way to objectively help my son without relatively wounding a firefighter?

It is one of my many koans...

I hope this post will inspire Zen practitioners to consider these very important questions before I follow-up with a post about how my son and I navigated the day. In the meantime, for more details about our day in the city, please visit my personal blog here.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A Scene from Sunim's Visit to BZC

The wristwatch belonged to his master. Self-winding with motion, it tends to lose time in his current job; yet, to him it is priceless. His master donated his watch as an auction item, he told me. Saddened that the item was receiving no bids, the monk placed his own and won the watch for himself.

As with any watch, over time the wristband wore and needed to be replaced. During these two days of his visit to Baltimore Zen Center from Seoul International Zen Center at HwaGyeSa Temple, when not performing the requisite ceremonies, hosting visitors anxious to see him, or taking calls from friends who could not visit, the monk returned to one of his two or three apparent missions for this trip: to replace this watchband. He explained to me the night before that, serving as the head monk at the temple, he has almost no free time; it would be nearly impossible to take the time to tend to this task there.

Earlier Monday, the monk and his entourage made an outing to the shops to find a suitable watchband. In time, they left, and I arrived. He and I sat upon the cushions at the low table through the evening. I checked email, sent updates, sorted pictures, handled some correspondence for him, and so forth, while the monk worked mostly quietly at his task for well over an hour. Every once in a while he would engage me in simple small talk, a polite matter I'm sure. Once or twice he broke into song. Once he leapt up to prepare a snack. Once he stopped to play with the cat. Each time though, he returned to the watch...

And once it was done, he went off to his room to nap. I interrupted him briefly there before he fell completely asleep to say my good byes for this visit. What more need have been said between us?

Now, some questions

The monk's devotion to his master and how much he cherishes this watch: are these attachments?
Was the monk's activity a good lesson in Zen?
In my place, would you have interrupted his work or his nap to ask questions?

How would you answer?