
-Register for retreat if you plan to attend.

-Conversation centered around Three Pillars of Zen.

-One group member spoke of being working to limit intrusive thoughts while engaging in daily activities where they often creep in. We talked about letting these intrusive ideas come and go--just as in sitting practice.

-Question was raised about the difference between meditation and zazen, which was talked about in Three Pillars. Is koan practice meditation or zazen? Kapleau would assert that koan practice is, indeed, zazen, but there are questions in the group about the difference, as explained in the book, between zazen and meditation. 

-Five levels of Zen as talked about in book: We talked about whether they were useful or not. Some talked of the levels being just something else to intellectualize about. 

-We had discussion about the authenticity of Kapleau. This led to talk of changes individual teachers make in lineage vs. teaching as their teachers taught them. Genpo Roshi was mentioned as doing things much differently than his teacher--Maizumi Roshi--did with the Big Mind process. It was mentioned that teachers seem to adjust to the social climate of their times.

-Much of the class was spent talking about changes Lost Coin has gone through since its inception. People spoke of how it seemed to involve more Fourth Way teaching in the beginning, with music and physical movement being a large part of the teaching. Some members spoke of the focus of the last year being largely on Zen. Some spoke of wanting to incorporate more art, music, and physical movement into the group.
