Raising Thought - The Baltimore Zen Center

awesome post- Tony.

2011-08-22T09:38:24.788-04:00

awesome post- Tony.

I will be there at 11:00. I've never worked wi...

2011-08-12T11:02:30.851-04:00

I will be there at 11:00. I've never worked with drywall and, having a few areas that need fixing at home, this is a good opportunity for practice.

"Favorite" cleaning supplies? Hmmmm.

- Dan

^thats me... Tony

2011-08-12T10:30:00.130-04:00

^thats me... Tony

I have some brushes for painting and I should have...

2011-08-12T10:29:00.921-04:00

I have some brushes for painting and I should have some sandpaper for the drywall that I can bring. I prolly have a spare peice of drywall that may cover that hole. 11am is cool with me. See you there.

Cool, Tony! Keven has the yard in good shape, so ...

2011-08-12T09:10:52.521-04:00

Cool, Tony!

Keven has the yard in good shape, so we're focusing on the dharma hall and the house common areas. There may be some painting touch-ups and even a drywall repair (three's about a one sqft hole in the dharma hall from JB's martial arts class).

I'm thinking we'll probably get busy around 11 am , assess, make a supply run, and get busy.

If anyone has any favorite cleaning supplies and tools they'd like to bring, please do! :-)

I am down to help tommorow.- Tony

2011-08-12T07:34:37.842-04:00

I am down to help tommorow.- Tony

with brush, ink, paper / we drew lines and circles...

2010-01-21T00:51:07.729-05:00

with brush, ink, paper / we drew lines and circles / each seeking perfection / and each so perfect / in its perfection seeking

I want a funny hat.

2010-01-14T15:04:06.301-05:00

I want a funny hat.

I agree with Shaun that enlightenment should be at...

2010-01-14T12:51:29.918-05:00

I agree with Shaun that enlightenment should be attainable without the ritual. Anyone who says, "this is the way you have to do it, and if you don't, you're wrong/it won't work," only limits their own experiences. Ritual is an experience that helps to teach the history and beliefs of a religion; it provides a starting point for those who need it. Additionally, many (most) individuals do not begin their practice with the perseverance they require to move forward. Practicing rituals allows them to explore and grow at whatever pace they need, adding depth to their experience as they are ready.

Maybe it's not what they need, though. Maybe it's just what they want to make themselves more comfortable.

Ritual or no ritual. There are many roads but only...

2010-01-14T12:37:55.221-05:00

Ritual or no ritual. There are many roads but only one Way.

Well, I would think that the enlightenment is just...

2010-01-14T11:14:25.708-05:00

Well, I would think that the enlightenment is just as easily attainable without the ritual. However, it is ritual and community that, I believe, allows one to feel harmonic with the company of their fellow people.

Allowing a monotone chant (or music) to enter your mind and propel the soul is the most spiritual event (or non-event) that I experience in life. Now, that may stand to reason that if I am not playing my drums, is that an absence of the musician OR the absence of the music itself?

Sometimes the best way to look at the situation is upside down.

- Shaun

MOUNT SUMERU! Actually, well put if it must be pu...

2010-01-08T16:15:22.017-05:00

MOUNT SUMERU!

Actually, well put if it must be put ans as humans we must put to get unput.

I've rejected a reader's comment to this p...

2009-12-01T13:17:22.678-05:00

I've rejected a reader's comment to this post related to the "Law of Attraction / The Secret." It is not that the topic itself is uninteresting; rather, since it linked back to a questionable site (now off-line), it was not clear if it was an example of "blog spam."

We are naturally open to discussions regarding the Law of Attraction and Zen. So, if the reader would like to try again, we're all ears! :-)

If we beat reverence into you, jrf, then wh...

2009-11-17T20:10:10.252-05:00

If we beat reverence into you, jrf, then what would we do to get it out? Did I not mention that we were busy? ;-)

I suspect JB will enjoy handling the other questions :-) Thanks for checking in!

Thank Goodness you've posted updates! I was w...

2009-11-17T20:02:54.177-05:00

Thank Goodness you've posted updates!

I was worried that Zen had gone out of business. What kind of bad economy could do that?

Plus, November began and you were still listing October events! I wanted to know when Buddhists celebrate Thanksgiving. Also, when are you scheduling the BZC Christmas Party? I was afraid I'd miss that...

Hopefully one of you guys will have a chance to beat some reverance into me soon.

Glad to see the site updated!

Now, some answers: Are these attachments? Only if...

2009-09-03T20:35:22.016-04:00

Now, some answers:

Are these attachments? Only if he lets them be

Evertything is a good lesson in zen if you listen and watch and understand.

If I were in your place, I would not be in my place.

Many who begin Zen practice attach to a notion of ...

2009-09-03T19:05:15.314-04:00

Many who begin Zen practice attach to a notion of non-attachment as a goal of the practice. It is a curiosity... something to be investigated in the practice, the attached or not attached, right and wrong, etc. We can certainly chat about those anytime, but in the meantime, it's still true that I like corn, but I don't like peas.

As to whether the monk's activity was a lesson at all, who knows? I suppose I could interpret it that way, no?

In both questions, though, we find ourselves wondering if there is meaning in what we observe---but what is the meaning of this wondering?

Was Sunim lost in thought? There's not necessarily an external indicator. The way to find out would have been to have challenged him---a time-honored tradition in this lineage, after all ;-) But should you challenge him or should you not challenge him? What is the right way to proceed?

As for me, I had plenty of discussion with the monk Sunday night; this time Monday was just time to hang out and to see if he needed any help with anything before leaving Tuesday morning. If either of us had something to do or to discuss, I suspect we did it without hesitation. And when it was time for him to rest, he rested, and when I got the message that dinner was almost ready, I left.

Nothing but fun! :-)

huh. Nice questions, Joe. I'm sorry I wasn&#...

2009-09-02T20:55:10.238-04:00

huh.

Nice questions, Joe. I'm sorry I wasn't able to drop in on Sunday.

Yes, the devotions are attachments. But we may mean different things by this. We'll have to talk next time I see you.

Yes, the monk's activity was a good lesson in Zen. Is he not human, living in the world, with a need to attend to those matters that are necessary? If you said he spent the whole visit in meditation, chanting syllables, and perhpas lifting X-wing fighters out of a swamp... I'd say something was amiss. We live in the world, not a movie.

If I were in your place... I don't know. Did you have questions that needed to be answered that badly?

Something to ponder.

Everyone is welcome to attend!

2009-08-27T13:48:10.047-04:00

Everyone is welcome to attend!

This is excellent! I've never visited, is this...

2009-08-27T13:22:20.122-04:00

This is excellent! I've never visited, is this something you'd recommend for a first-time visitor?

I feel cheated. Where is the salute to Japan? We...

2009-07-19T20:43:00.945-04:00

I feel cheated. Where is the salute to Japan?

Were there ninjas? You know I love them ninjas.

I have often felt like Animal during "med-i-tay-shun" practice. I have yet to see the white eternal light coming out through my toes even though I have looked many, many times.

Awesome stuff. I can't wait for the Salute to Japan.

ZM Pohwa Sunim comments from Seoul International Z...

2009-05-25T08:17:43.928-04:00

ZM Pohwa Sunim comments from Seoul International Zen Center in South Korea:

"Who am I? Who am I."

Sometimes, no posting is the posting... Som...

2009-05-20T12:29:24.859-04:00

Sometimes, no posting is the posting... Sometimes, there is nothing to be said. In truth, though, in this case we've been preoccupied :-)

Knowing that there are readers does inspire writing though, so: Thanks for the feedback, Gil!

Is it just me, or is dust beginning to settle on t...

2009-05-20T07:26:50.637-04:00

Is it just me, or is dust beginning to settle on the blog postings here?

Something new to think about... pretty please?

It's my pleasure, JRF. I often find that the discu...

2009-05-06T17:37:00.000-04:00

It's my pleasure, JRF. I often find that the discussions on other blogs contain some finer Zen content worth discussion, though possibly not there where they may not be appreciated. I'm thinking these cases might make for an interesting feature here, so, if you happen to spot any... ;-)

I'll stop this post here before I'm tempted to go too far into Zen and Etiquette---another topic so full of potential!