Lost Coin Class Notes January 15th, 2008

There are some new people in class and we're growing fast. Daniel will be gone the 22nd -going to Holland, for a mtg. with Zen lineage. Tonight, Daniel spoke of his relationship with his teacher. He doesn't always like the things that he does. But this is the same in any relationship. You cannot do an intellectual practice. You need to take an extra leap. Take the leap with your teacher. Do not trust easily, observe and then take the leap. Daniel intends the group to grow, and to give public talks. We will divide into groups that are smaller. If you do Shokan with Daniel, Daniel is your teacher- one teacher at a time. E-mail Patricia or Rebecca if you are interested in private 1 on 1 teaching. Belize retreat planned for November. 5-6 days, however, the date could change.

New Subject: The Mentality of the Student

The mentality of the student has previously been described as a 'warrior' mentality, a description that evolved in one tradition to 'warrior-traveler', and now, for communication in this group we will use the word 'traveler'. If you do not think that you are a traveler here, you are not being realistic. Death is the factor. We are just passing through. You cannot afford to be lost in the thoughts of your fellow human beings. When you are here, you must take care of things, but not get lost in it. You will die. When you forget that, you are not being real. The feelings of the traveler are different than someone who is lost in story. Everyone else is a traveler too. We treat people in insensitive ways unless we treat them as travelers too. To believe that life is otherwise is unrealistic.

Recommended Book: 'The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying', by Sogyal Rinpoche.

Remember yourself. You 'come to', and you're not lost in the story of your life.

A response to one student: Do not resist your feelings. If you let feelings invade the body, you will dissolve the body. Sacrifice solidity for fluidity. To have the strength to go against everyday mechanical thinking requires being a warrior. Zen Master means 'master of yourself'. To be a warrior is like that too. A 'Warrior Traveler' just does what needs to, to get done.

Daniel mentioned at this point that the new students should pay attention when the senior students speak, and to listen. He spoke of when he went to Amalland (sp?) to see about studying with Genpo Roshi. He had diason with Genno Roshi, and liked it. If this was the product of Genpo Roshi's teaching, it was good.

Break your habits, and wake up. Routines are what put you to sleep.

One student talked about noticing posture when waking up.

If you get 'here', you're not afraid, and you have choice. You use all your energy to be here. When you are not 'here', you're not choosing, and things/life 'happens'. The thing that keeps it going is the story of your life. Everything will fit right in. For Daniel, Toole is magical. But maybe it is not so magical for the people who sleep there.

Train to be awake when you are talking.

Remember:
   1) Pay attention to what you say
   2) Pay attention to what you say, and how it affects others
   3) Pay attention to what you say, and how it affects the world

Pay attention now. don't kick yourself for what happened, don't 'self blame'. If you need to say something to yourself, say, 'I'm a work in progress, let me get back to it'. Wake up NOW.

Every person is correct from their point of view. You need to see others point of view.

There is an old Zen story about Dogen meeting a monk, and they talk about 'what they know about Zen'. In the relating of this tale, It is as if one is challenging the other, or there is friction, some tension there. The monk says, 'You don't know letter one'. To which Dogen's reply is, 'What is letter one'?
Come from the guts. Illicit the lower energies (hara). They're faster. Intellect is slow. Body is fast. The gut is the seat of power.

Self-remembering is the basis of joy in our lives.

Self-observation is watching yourself as if you are a movie. Attention is on how you are moving your body, what your thinking, feeling and saying. Observe what other people see. This takes you out of the story. Observe yourself.

A woman learns that there is a teacher in Tibet that knows the secret of life, and how to live forever. She travels there, and finds this teacher.
   'Do you know the secret of life?'
   'Yes, replies the teacher.
   'What do I do?'
   'Don't eat any food that tastes good'.
   'Don't do anything that you enjoy', and,
   'Don't hang out with any attractive people'.
   'Will I live forever?'
   'No, but it will feel like it'.

'The Way' or Tao, has been preserved for a very long time. People made sacrifices to bring us this knowledge. For us it is easy to sit here where it is warm. Once Dogen Zenji stayed up all night transcribing the Blue Cliff Record by hand. This is the copy we have today. It is the one that survived. This is valuation.

This body of knowledge does not belong to any one tradition. It is in you. Different traditions are but different means to bring it out. You are the system.

Self-observation is not the same thing as self-conscious. If you are self-conscious, you are embarrassed by it. Forget the self. Be the self instead.

Self-remembering is: not embarrassed, just being there.

I AM.

Self-observation is watching what you do.
