Zazen Practice – Free from Material Attainment

Robert Fettgather, PhD, has worked extensively on behalf of people with developmental disabilities.. A co-founder of the Tashi Lhunpo Buddhist Sangha, Dr. Robert Fettgather undertook his initial meditation training at the San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC) and later at the Berkeley Shambhala Center.

In a dharma talk at City Center from 1970, SFZC founder Suzuki Roshi explored the topic “Zazen Practice and Listen to the Right Teacher.” Emphasizing the importance of developing “right practice,” Roshi noted that trusting a teacher is an essential aspect of the process.

Following the precepts, a system of morality, is also integral to right practice. This is achieved through the bodhisattva mind which strives to help others while on the path to awakening. Roshi underscored the importance of eschewing any sense of attainment, reward or recognition a long the way. Moreover, a person does not strive to attain enlightenment but finds it as a natural outcome of cultivating the bodhisattva mind.

Roshi cautioned that “right practice” under a trusted teacher is not the same as a perfect practice, or one centered on attaining a specific goal. Even the mission of saving all beings, part of the bodhisattva vow, should not be seen as such. Rather, viewing life through “the lens of impermanence,” in which everything is constantly changing, means that the focus shifts to action in the present moment. Instead of saying “I can/cannot keep the vow”, referring to some external thing to be attained, the practitioner with the bodhisattva mind simply says, “Yes, I will.”

from WordPress https://ift.tt/430lV6H
via IFTTT