The Eiryu-ji Zen Center community of Wyckoff, NJ was on an intensive retreat at the Dai Bosatsu Zendo Kongo-ji monastery, deep in the Catskill Mountains of New York. They were kind enough to allow me to witness the morning ceremony and tea ceremony. I had previously only ever heard Buddhist monks chanting in other languages, so listening to the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path proclaimed in English was an intense, unforgettable experience.
Zen is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes meditation practice, direct insight into one's own Buddha nature, and the personal expression of this insight in daily life for the benefit of others. (Wikipedia)
"To step onto the path of Zen is to embrace the meandering journey of life itself as it flows through the peaks and valleys of our daily experiences. Sometimes it appears as the caressing warmth of the sun on our face, and at other times it shows up as the bitter cold that penetrates to the bones. Nevertheless, it is the incredible journey of life in its totality, which constantly renews itself and provides fresh sustenance and unconditional support to all."
Eran Junryu Vardi Roshi
Founder, Eiryu-ji Zen Center community
Founder, Eiryu-ji Zen Center community
“To study Buddhism is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.”
To study the self is to forget the self.
To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.”
Dogen Zenji (1200-1253)
Much of the pain and suffering we inflict on each other is born of our conceptual image of a self. Zen training aims at exposing the fallacy of our conceptual identity and dissolving the rigidity of our habit-ridden self. As the hardened self gradually disintegrates, one can experience the joy of merging with reality, naturally flowing like water, adapting to changing circumstances with nimble approach and genuine ease. This way of being gives rise to authentic living which benefits humanity and our environment.
Eran Junryu Vardi Roshi
Founder, Eiryu-ji Zen Center community
Founder, Eiryu-ji Zen Center community
"The mind is like a wild horse that needs to be tamed through meditation and mindfulness."
Gudo Nishijima (1919-2014)
"You will not be punished for your anger. You will be punished by your anger."
The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (6th or 5th century BCE)