Rutherford County Zen

December Daylong Retreats!

Three Daylong Retreats in Kiwanis Park of Rutherfordton

December 4th, 11th, and 25th. 9am-4pm.

More info in the link to our Wordpress.

December Daylong Retreats December Daylong Retreat Series Three Daylong Retreats in Kiwanis Park of Rutherfordton December 4th, 11th, and 25th. 9am-4pm. Each retreat day will begin with a morning session at 9 am, break for …

Hello, everyone! This is River - It took World Kindness Day for Facebook to finally let me gain access to this page again. We still meet every Sunday at 11 am in Kiwanis Park of Rutherfordton for meditation and we will start responding to messages as well! I got locked out last year but the page is up again. You'll hear from us soon!

Attachment says, ‘I love you, I want you to make me happy.’ Love says, ‘I love you, I want you to be happy. If that includes me, that’s wonderful. If you’re happy, that’s all that matters.’ It’s a very different emotion actually, and we shouldn’t confuse it.
- Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

A Sheep No More Solutions

Group meditation is offered rain or shine. It's dry where we sit, I promise!

What is preventing you from being happy right now?

Do good and good is returned, here in the moment and also in the future.

This was said by the Blessed One, said by the Arahant, so I have heard: "Monks, don't be afraid of acts of merit. This is another way of saying what is blissful, desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming — i.e., acts of merit. I am cognizant that, having long performed meritorious deeds, I long experienced desirable, pleasing, endearing, charming results. Having developed a mind of good will for seven years, then for seven aeons of contraction & expansion I didn't return to this world. Whenever the aeon was contracting, I went to the realm of Streaming Radiance. Whenever the aeon was expanding, I reappeared in an empty Brahma-abode. There I was the Great Brahman, the Unconquered Conqueror, All-seeing, & Wielder of Power. Then for thirty-six times I was Sakka, ruler of the gods. For many hundreds of times I was a king, a wheel-turning emperor, a righteous king of Dhamma, conqueror of the four corners of the earth, maintaining stable control over the countryside, endowed with the seven treasures[1] — to say nothing of the times I was a local king. The thought occurred to me: 'Of what action of mine is this the fruit, of what action the result, that I now have such great power & might?' Then the thought occurred to me: 'This is the fruit of my three [types of] action, the result of three types of action, that I now have such great power & might: i.e., giving, self-control, & restraint.'"
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.1.001-027.than.html

Train in acts of merit
that bring long-lasting bliss —
develop giving,
a life in tune,
a mind of good-will.
Developing these
three things
that bring about bliss,
the wise reappear
in a world of bliss
unalloyed.

Note

1.
The seven treasures are a divine wheel, an ideal jewel, an ideal elephant, an ideal horse, an ideal wife, an ideal treasurer, an ideal counselor.

BUDDHA SPEAKS

“How do you construe thus, monks — Is consciousness constant or inconstant?”

“Inconstant, lord.”

“And is that which is inconstant easeful or stressful?”

“Stressful, lord.”

“And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: ‘This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am’?”

“No, lord.”

“Thus, monks, any consciousness whatsoever — past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every consciousness — is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: ‘This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am’. Seeing thus, the instructed Noble disciple grows disenchanted with consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is released.”

ANATTALAKHANA SUTRA

Does Buddhism claim that the only way to reach a state of freedom from rebirth process is through vipassana meditation? Does self inquiry not get you to that state?

When you do "self-inquiry" you are practicing vipassana meditation. 'We honestly look at ourselves. With no biases, no pretense, we look at our own body, feelings, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness -- the Five Aggregates.
In this way, we come to understand impermanence, suffering, and nonself -- anicca, dukkha, anatta respectively. This is vipassana meditation. Nobody can be free from suffering without a perfect realization of anicca, dukka, and anatta.

From -What. Why , How by Bhante Gunaratana.
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/what-why-how/

Then the Exalted One said to Vāseṭṭha:
You, Vāseṭṭha, being brahmins by birth and family, have gone forth from a brahmin family, your home,
into the homeless life. Do not the brahmins blame and revile you?

Yea, verily, lord, the brahmins do blame and revile us with characteristic abuse, copious, not at all stinted.

But in what words, Vāseṭṭha, do they so blame you?

The brahmins, lord, say thus: “The brahmin class is the best.”

But in what terms, Vāseṭṭha, do the brahmins blame and censure you to this extent?

The brahmins, lord, say thus: Only a brahmin is of the best social grade; other grades are low. Only a brahmin is of a clear complexion; other complexions are swarthy. Only brahmins are of pure breed; not they that are not of the brahmins. Only brahmins are genuine children of Brahmā, born of his mouth, offspring of Brahmā, created by Brahmā, heirs of Brahmā. As for you, you have renounced the best rank, and have gone over to that low class—to shaven recluses, to the vulgar rich, to them of swarthy skins, to the footborn descendants. Such a course is not good, such a course is not proper, even this, that you, having forsaken that upper class, should associate with an inferior class, to wit, with shaveling friar-folk, menials, swarthy of skin, the offscouring of Our kinsman’s heels. In these terms, lord, do the brahmins blame and revile us with characteristic abuse, copious, not at all stinted.

Surely, Vāseṭṭha, the brahmins have quite forgotten the past (the ancient lore) when they say so? On the contrary, brahminees, the wives of brahmins, are known to be fertile, are seen to be with child
, bringing forth and nursing children. And yet it is these very womb-born brahmins who say that … brahmins are genuine children of Brahmā, born from his mouth; his offspring, his creation, and his heirs! By this they make a travesty of the nature of Brahmā.
It is false what they say, and great is the demerit that they thereby earn.

There are these four classes, Vāseṭṭha: nobles, brahmins, tradesfolk, workpeople. Now here and there a noble deprives a living being of life, is a thief, is unchaste, speaks lies, slanders, uses rough words, is a gossip, or greedy, or malevolent, or holds wrong views. Thus we see that qualities which are immoral and considered to be so, which are blameworthy and considered to be so, which ought not to be sought after and are so considered, which are unworthy of an Ariyan and are so considered, qualities sinister and of sinister effect, discountenanced by the wise, are to be found here and there in such a noble. And we may say as much concerning brahmins, tradesfolk and workpeople.

Again, here and there a noble abstains from murder, theft, inchastity, lying, slandering, gossiping, greed, malevolence and false opinions. Thus we see that qualities which are, and are considered, moral, inoffensive, unexceptional, truly Ariyan, benign and of benign effect, commended by the wise, are to be found here and there in a noble. And we may say as much concerning each of the others—brahmins, tradesfolk
and workpeople.

Now seeing, Vāseṭṭha, that both bad and good qualities, blamed and praised respectively by the wise, are thus distributed among each of the four classes, the wise do not admit those claims which the brahmins put forward. And why? Because, Vāseṭṭha, whoever among all these four classes becomes a bhikkhu, an Arahant, one who has destroyed the deadly taints, who has lived the life, has done that which was to be done, has laid down the burden, has attained his own salvation, has destroyed the fetter of rebirth, and has
become free because he has perfected knowledge—he is declared chief among them, and that in virtue of a norm (a standard), and not irrespective of a norm. For a norm, Vāseṭṭha, is the best among this folk both in this life and in the next.
https://legacy.suttacentral.net/en/dn27

Dhammo hi, vāseṭṭha, seṭṭho janetasmiṃ diṭṭhe ceva dhamme abhisamparāyañca.

BUDDHA SPEAKS

Subhuti again asked, "Blessed lord, when you attained complete Enlightenment, did you feel in your mind that nothing had been acquired?"

The Buddha replied:

"That is it exactly, Subhuti. When I attained total Enlightenment, I did not feel, as the mind feels, any arbitrary conception of spiritual truth, not even the slightest. Even the words 'total Enlightenment' are merely words, they are used merely as a figure of speech."

***DIAMOND SUTRA

My advice,
don’t be a Buddhist.
In the end it’s all about personal gain,
fame and business.
Just be a person with a good heart,
that’s the meaning
of a truthful Dharma practitioner.
We live in illusion
and the appearance of things.
There is a reality. We are that reality.
When you understand this,
you see that you are nothing,
and being nothing, you are everything.
That is all.

Due to the rain, no zazen at Kiwanis today.

Group meditation on Friday at 12pm
Group meditation on Sunday at 10 am

VENERABLE TONG SONGCHOL

Take a good look at yourself.
You are already saved.
You are originally Buddha.
You are overflowing with happiness and glory.
To talk of paradise or heaven is to be talking in your sleep.

Take a good look at yourself.
Transcend time and space, and you'll see that you are eternal, you are infinite. Should the universe collapse and disappear, you would still be immovable. You are all forms and all formlessness in the universe, the universe itself. You are the twinkling stars and the dancing butterflies－you are everything.

Take a good look at yourself. All truths are within you. To look for truth outside yourself is to search for water outside of the ocean.

Take a good look at yourself. There is no death in eternity, but those who don't know themselves worry about death. They fret about it, and they dread it.

Take a good look at yourself. You are originally pure gold. But because you are blinded by personal profit and greed, you mistake this gold for alloy. Forget your selfishness and use all your energies to help others. If you remove all traces of greed and desire, the Eye of the Heart will open up and you'll see yourself as you really are, as pure gold.

Take a good look at yourself. Poverty and starvation are superficial realities; the poor and the starving are fundamentally noble and sublime. To feel sorry for people based on superficialities is a grave insult to them. We must learn to respect and serve everyone.

Take a good look at yourself. This age of rampant materialism is harming you. You are the ocean itself, yet you are paying attention only to the spray from the waves. Dwell on the ocean, not on the spray.

Take a good look at yourself. The Buddha did not appear in this world to save us. He came to teach us that we are already saved, originally saved. What a tremendous joy it is for us to live with this Truth－so let's all bless everything together!

No zazen in the park today - but we'll be back Sunday at 10 am. Come sit with us!

Happy early birthday to the order of nuns!

Dear Dhamma Friends,

The Full Moon Day on 21st September 2021
commemorates the establishment of the
Bhikkhuni Sasana (nuns) in the Buddhist calendar.

The Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Cake festival
is also celebrated on this day.

We invite you to participate in the offering of lights
in the form of Lotus and Pineapple candle on this day.
Sponsorship is available by clicking
on this link http://bit.ly/bmv-SeptFullMoonDay.
Sadhu.

- Posted by CFF

The trance of unworthiness... 😂❤️

Daily Dhamma Quote
- 9th September 2021,
from Subang Jaya Buddhist Association
(SJBA).

---


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- Posted by CFF

Instead of asking ourselves, “How can I find security and happiness?” we could ask ourselves, “Can I touch the center of my pain? Can I sit with suffering, both yours and mine, without trying to make it go away? Can I stay present to the ache of loss or disgrace—disappointment in all its many forms—and let it open me?” This is the trick.

Dogen Zenji asks us to "take a step backwards and shine the light inwards." We shine this light of self-discovery inwards by sitting zazen, meditation.

You would like to stay with family and loved ones
Forever, but you are certain to leave them.
You would like to keep your beautiful home
Forever, but you are certain to leave it behind.
You would like to enjoy happiness, wealth and comfort
Forever, but you are certain to lose them.
You would like to keep this excellent human life with its freedoms
and advantages
Forever, but you are certain to die.
You would like to study Dharma with your wonderful teacher
Forever, but you are certain to part.
You would like to be with your good spiritual friends
Forever, but you are certain to separate.

O my friends who feel deep disillusionment with samsara,
I, the Dharmaless beggar, ** exhort you:
From today put on the armour of effort, for the time has come
To cross to the land of great bliss whence there is no separation.

From the book; Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche

"For practicing Zen, a quiet room is suitable. Eat and drink moderately. Put aside all involvements and suspend all affairs. Do not think "good" or "bad." Do not judge true or false. Give up the operations of mind, intellect, and consciousness; stop measuring with thoughts, ideas, and views. Have no designs on becoming a buddha. How could that be limited to sitting or lying down?" - Dogen Zenji