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Home , Dharma talk, Impermanence, Jisha, Sangha

milwaukee center newsletter

volume 23, no.6 November 2006

Duhkha to painful experience, and exception, slips through through our need for the DUHKHA (; living a life of unbroken our desperate grasp. present realization of lofty , Dukkha): “The serenity until the moment The Second Noble goals. Suffering of this first of the Four Noble of death (which we mostly truth identifies our type can actually dissuade Truths and the corner- refuse to think about.) clinging and craving us from doing what is stone of the ’s Our desire that the as the source of duhkha, possible, for it does not teaching...... There is no dream be true adds and we most readily think seem to be enough. word in English covering to the suffering. We of those longings that Finally, there is the the same ground as don’t want to experience we find negative: greed duhkha of no-self. The duhkha in the sense that painful things. We wish for material things and fact that “I” arises from it is used in .” to control our lives so for money, the longing the coming together of This definition is that painful things do not for higher social status, causes and conditions in drawn from the Oxford happen. And still the leg cravings for food, alcohol mutual interdependence Dictionary of Buddhism, gets broken, the friend and drugs, the craving for and that “I” am subject which goes on to examine dies, the job is lost. We fame or for reflected glory to change is not what “I” several understandings of do not get our wish. in association with the want to hear. That “I” am duhkha, all of which are At the heart of this famous, and our despera- merely a coming together painful responses to the understanding of duhkha tion to hang on to the of the five aggregates human condition. And is our desire to be in good times at all cost. of form, sensations, yet, I believe that duhkha control. This takes not There is also a form perceptions, formations is also the fertile ground only the form of wishing of the duhkha of imper- and consciousness is not from which arises the to prevent what we don’t manence in which we acceptable to “I”. How ’s great com- want, but of desiring to cling to our desires for can “I” be in control passion and thus is to get what we do want. outcomes that will benefit of everything if “I” am be appreciated as such. Our greed, envy and the world in a positive not separate and master The First Noble Truth possessiveness seem way. We agonize over of everything? says: “There is duhkha.” boundless. Our emotions our limited ability to Duhkha is our This is a blunt statement get into the act and we stop wars, to feed the response to of of the all-inclusive wish to possess what we hungry, to eliminate all an uncertain nature of the state of duhkha; love and to harm what we poverty. We desperately living in a world no one is exempt. hate. And yet, nothing is cling to the desire to of uncertain substance. Duhkha is the universal permanent and everything have our actions rewarded The Buddha’s Third experience of human is in a constant state of by positive outcomes. Noble Truth says there is . Sometimes change. We cannot hold Duhkha arises from the a way out of the dilemma. translated as “suffering”, onto what we get, nor of a world The Fourth Noble Truth it refers to the pangs of keep the things we love. in which all things are proposes a Path: Right being human: loss, grief, Our hatred and anger constantly changing and , Right Resolve, Right pain, illness, death, that have no permanent effect. in which our personal Speech, Right Action, break cruelly into our This is the duhkha of actions for the good Right Livelihood, Right dream of being immune impermanence, in which never seem fully effective. Effort, Right everything, without Duhkha comes into being continued on page 2 continued from page 1 them. How can the CHINA and Right . bodhisattva do that This Path offers accept- if s/he does not know PILGRIMAGE TO ZEN SITES ance of the ephemeral the nature of these June 18-29, 2007 and interdependent fetters? Duhkha is nature of all things actually to be valued Visit ’s cave, Joshu’s bridge, as the antidote to our for its lessons that fuel practice at a Chinese temple and more clinging and craving, and our empathy for other urges us to a life free of suffering beings. The Led by Andrew Ferguson, author of Zen’s Chinese ego-driven desire. bodhisattva does not Heritage; accompanied by Tonen O’Connor, So we practice letting eliminate desires but, Milwaukee and Genmyo Smith, go, letting go, and again recognizing their source Prairie Zen Center letting go. We seek in vast egotism, relin- For full details, contact the MZC at balance and equanimity. quishes them. Operating [email protected] We practice the balanced from the freedom of small posture of and try desire, the bodhisattva to carry the stability and nevertheless has deep acceptance that we find understanding of the December 8-10 Lesson there into the rest of our great and desperate there is no god nor life. Letting go of desires desires of suffering beings ROHATSU people, no bookshelf and notions, we replace and thus can help them In Celebration of no carpeting or plaster them with actions freely find a path to freedom. Buddha’s Enlightenment wall still gouged undertaken in appropriate We yearn to be free where I once response to circumstance. of duhkha and this is Fri. & Sat. 6:15 a.m.-8:40 p.m. tipped over So far, we have primarily yet another craving. Sun. 6:15 a.m.- 4:40 p.m. in my chair. considered the need To actually practice the talks on each day to quiet the clamoring balanced state of Everyone welcome for any there is happening voices of desire that create in our daily lives is to portion of the day and breathing out duhkha, yet we must experience, appreciate, then in and carpeting pause now and consider learn from and yet be and people and chairs and that the bodhisattva, the unattached to our desires. even god enlightening being on the In accepting the duhkha but more like way to the full wisdom of impermanence we nothing than and of a come home to our as we think. Buddha, makes the vow bodhisattva nature to save all sentient beings, and know compassion – Fr. Gregory, OJN the vow to free them from for all beings. the fetters that bind – Tonen O’Connor

Being ordinary is being lived as the of everyday functioning. Appreciating life is inhabiting this moment, even when pain and suffering arise. Even lying on an icy couch is the Dharma gate of joyful ease. This is the opportunity and the effort of practice. Are we carrying something along? Exactly this bodily moment is our opportunity. Appreciating this moment right here is being this, seeing and taking care of what appears, responding as this functioning life. “Not two” is exactly this manifold functioning right here of the joy we are. – excerpt from a by Elihu Genmyo Smith, reproduced with permission from Prairie Sky, newsletter of the Prairie Zen Center, Champaign, IL. Happenings Held at Phuoc Hau October 4-8, Tonen Vietnamese Buddhist Milwaukee Zen Center – Schedule Temple, the discussion attended the second November was moderated by Tojun national conference of 1 Introduction to Zen, 6:30 p.m. the Soto Zen Buddhist and featured Ven. Gioi 12 Movie night, followed by Association at Zen Huong (Phuoc Hau potluck supper, 4:00 p.m. Mountain Temple), John McAdams 18 All-day sitting, 6:15 a.m. – 8:50 p.m. in Mt. Tremper, NY. (Marquette University), Peter Neuwald (Great Dharma Talk, 10:20 a.m. The conference attendees 19 All-day sitting, Lake Zen Center) and felt greatly welcomed by 6:15 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. Daido Loori Roshi and Tonen. Tonen also offered 23 CLOSED for Thanksgiving his staff. The meeting brief remarks at an anti- holiday covered varied topics and death penalty gathering December featured talks by Kazuaki of local on Oct. 30. 3 Movie night, followed by Tanahashi and Peter potluck supper, 4:00 p.m. Tonen spent the first 6 Introduction to Zen, 6:30 p.m. Gregory. The attendance weekend in November 8 Rohatsu Sesshin, of Gengo Akiba Roshi in St. Louis, giving the 6:15 a.m. – 8:50 p.m. and Yuji Ito from the keynote talk for a collo- Dharma Talk, 10:20 a.m. Japanese Soto Zen office 9 Rohatsu Sesshin, quium on Women in in San Francisco added 6:15 a.m. – 8:50 p.m. Buddhism sponsored greatly to the event. A Dharma Talk, 10:20 a.m. by the St. Louis Buddhist 10 Rohatsu Sesshin, highlight was the Dharma Council, speaking about 6:15 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. Heritage Ceremony in meditation at a Thai Dharma Talk, 10:20 a.m. which dharma-transmitted temple and giving a 23 CLOSED for Christmas priests were welcomed holiday dharma talk at the into the association. 31 New year’s Eve renewal of vows Missouri Zen Center. Tonen was pleased to act and social gathering as for the ceremony During the October January 3 Introduction to Zen, 6:30 p.m. honoring nine new mem- two-day sitting, 4 Movie night, followed by bers. Tonen serves on the members showed their potluck supper, 4:00 p.m. Board of the SZBA. support for Lisa Marr 20 All-day sitting, by adding stitches to 6:15 a.m. – 8:50 p.m. Tojun introduced the okesa she is sewing Dharma Talk, 10:20 a.m. a class in Eastern for her on 21 All-day sitting, at UWM to 6:15 a.m. – 4:40 p.m. February 10. Just after the Zen Center and Zen Thanksgiving, her sewing Buddhism. The group, To see the entire 2006 Schedule and more teacher, Rev. Zuiko information on Two-day sitting, visit our web site at led by Prof. Anne Hansen, Redding, will visit www.milwaukeezencenter.org was very appreciative. the MZC. On October 28, the Milwaukee Buddhist Peace Fellowship spon- sored a forum on the death penalty referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Procession to Katagiri Roshi's grave site, Great Sky Sesshin 2006.

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