-Old story of a famous intellectual talking to Zen teacher over tea. As the intellectual asksaboutZen, the Zenteacherpours tea into a cup until it overflows and continues pouring. Puzzled, the intellectual asks whythe Zen teacher is doing this.The Zen teacher replies "like this cup, you are full of your opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?"

-Beliefs are not good for us. We should try not to operate on beliefs.

-The question arose; "why is love not a commontopic inZen?" It's because love is not really talked about in Japanese culture. We are not in Japan so we do talk about love and adapt the practice to our lives.

-Faith is not being victim. Faith means knowingthat by your efforts, practice, you can take control of your life.

-Yasutani Roshi felt to achieve enlightenment, intensive sitting retreats are necessary.

-3 Pillars of Zen was written in a monastic setting. Because we do not live in a monastery, we need to practice in our lives.

-Doen talked about how he recently (after20-something years of instruction from Karen) learned to lie on the beach. He eventuallyconquered the complexities ofsuntan lotion and came to peacewith his unwieldy beach-chair. Things take time.

-We tend to be insensitive and aggressive with ourselves. Things take time.

-Meditaion is looking in at self. Zazen is sitting Buddhism. Historical Buddha sat for 6 years as his major preoccupation,then proclaimed; "Beneath heaven and earth, I alone am."

-Zazen is very active. Meditation is seen as passive.

-There are various forms of meditation:
 counting/following breath
 shikantaza is being open with whatever comes up in your mind.
 Koan study is not to be seen as a pass/fail test. It is a tool used to share understanding.

-Which of the 5 reasonsto study Zen appeals most to you? One student noted that instead of studying Zen for one reason OR another, he does it for health AND enlightenment, etc.

-Doen and Karen drove to Cannon beach, Oregon and found it extremely crowded and hectic. Doen sits down next to an old-timer who was obviously a local. The old-timer says to Doen, "They're having a good time, aren't they."

-Students answered one at a time, what having a good time means to them.

-Here and Now. There is only Here and Now. There will only ever be Here and Now.

-Our assignment: Look within
Letgo
 Be here
Be together


"The only way you can experience the now is letting go of it." -Daniel Doen Silberberg
