Lost Coin Zen Class Notes
July 20, 2010

Doen wants to talk today about Buddhism - related to what happen to
Kathy Bell - her condition is very serious - trauma in a deep part of
the brain. This is how life is. We go along with our story - we go along
thinking we are permanent - and then a difficulty comes along making us
realize life's impermanence. Lots of things in our life blocks our
vision - what is happening at work,  our relationships. It is like a
conspiracy - the elephant in the room - we forget that we aren't here
that long or can be very damaged - that is the reality - but we forget
about it. With Kathy, someone we know and like - it reminds us.

This is what happened to the historical Buddha. He came from a wealthy
family.  He lived the high life (sex, food, hunting). Everything was
going well. But one day he went out with an attendant and saw for the
first time beggars who were old, crippled, blind, as well as dead bodies
floating the river. He said to himself, "this is going to happen to me,
I don't like this idea, is there a solution to this problem? "

He left home - and an arranged marriage - and moved into a town that was
very liberal/counter-culture as opposed to the very circumscribed
surrounding culture. He lived there and practiced for five years but
didn't make the progress he wanted. After that he spent six years
sitting under the bodi tree - basically  working on the koan MU (so
don't get discouraged if you have been working six months on MU). One
night he meditated all night and saw the morning star and said "between
heaven and earth, I alone am." For the Buddha inside and outside dropped
away and he saw that he and the external world are not two separate
things.  He realized he had stumbled upon something no one else knew. He
didn't think he could teach it. He did eventually teach. It is a
discovery of what is inside yourself - if you look inside yourself you
will find it, people have been finding it for thousands of years. 

It is prove-able. For example, if I saw an elephant and some else
thought they saw an elephant but they said was small and buzzed around -
I would know they hadn't seen them. People who have seen this reality
can tell others who have - regardless of where they are from around the
world.  

You should practice like you have a fire on your head.  If you practice,
for those who are not so caught up in greed and anger - at the beginning
you can find a few people you don't hate, the next year , a few you like
then more and more.  What is really beautiful in life is available to
all of us - anger can become courage; irritation can become kindness -
that is the legacy of practice. If you are going to do it - please be
serious. 

Doen had lunch with Genpo - they celebrated their 30 years together.
When they first met, Doen thought Genpo was the most arrogant person he
had ever met. They were going to do a seven day retreat. Doen didn't
like sitting and would get sick before long sitting retreats.  At the
retreat, Genpo made the schedule even tougher.   Thus started the
adventure in Doen's life: the hardest, but the deep source of everything
he has learned to love. This work on yourself is what is very important
in your life and it is an adventure.

Please strain, stretch, do what you can do with your heart, with your
body, commit in a way that you usually can't commit (but not blindly).
When you understand what you want to do - put yourself into it. If Doen
he is wrong - tell him about it later. Forget the self, learn to fly. If
you want to learn to fly you have to flap a little. 

The entire way we live life is based on the thought in our heads. Life
starts when thoughts stop. You know this from art, walking on the beach,
but it is different to purposefully cultivate.    

Give yourself to something - it is like giving yourself over to love or
your life. Make it like you are the people who are going to pass it on -
because you are.  One thing you can do is move to San Francisco.
The students then shared  stories about personal loss, fear and the
insecurity of life - but how it can also make you feel alive.

Doen really wants you to really take care of yourself - that means
practice.

We are always living in the world of life and death whether we
appreciate it or not - isn't it wonderful - isn't it magical and
mysterious - understand what is real and don't make up stuff.  Everybody
here will someday be gone, so relax a little, be more open, soften
towards others.  If Miles Davies can die anybody can die. 

Sit like your head is on fire!

There is nothing to be afraid of - it is you.
