The title of today’s contemplation “our original face is always changing” comes from the story of the sixth ancestor, Eno, retold in case 23 of The Gateless Barrier collection of koans: “Don’t think good, don’t think evil. At this very moment, what is the original face of Ming the head monk?” “What is your original face before your parents were born?” In other words, just sit and your original face immediately appears. Finally, we could say our world self is also embedded in the great Cosmos. We could say - We are the Cosmos, experiencing itself in human form.

Yogacara part four by Andrew Tootell

This guided meditation explores our personal relationship with mistakes. Mistakes are a fertile ground for learning. Dogen says ‘Life is one continuous mistake.’ Changing our attitude to our mistakes can change our life. Mistakes are exactly the path.

In this guided meditation we explore what is it to do zen practice together and to wake up together. in supporting each others practice, we support our own; in practicing together we discover our uniqueness within the simultaneous discovery of how important we are to each other.

Denkai Talk: New York, Nov 15 2014 by Andrew Tootell

In this lecture/discussion, Sono gives some background detail on the “three turnings of the wheel”, culminating in Yogacara. He also comments on the meaning of three natures and compares it with western phenomenology.

This morning, we will be contemplating our finitude and how by facing and embracing our finitude, we can learn to live a life full of appreciation and meaning.

Nonkilling: Life is nonkilling. The seed of buddha grows continuously. Maintain the wisdom-life of buddha and do not kill life – Dogen Zenji Appreciate your life – Maezumi Roshi

In this lecture today, we will first review the discussion about the “three natures” that I introduced last month from the work of the Yogacara philosopher, Vasubandhu. Then we will begin to discuss a contemporary philosophical school called Phenomenology and its similarities to Yogacara. We will then finish today’s lecture by reading and discussing a chapter from Joko Beck’s first book called Experiencing and Behaviour which I think will help us make the link between what these Yogacarins and Phenomenologists are on about because Joko has this way of being able to express these complex ideas in a simple and straightforward way.

Shinsho directs us home in this beautifully crafted guided meditation: A magnificent round full moon is rising before you and the path ahead is well lit. You have arrived home. ‘Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet’ says Thich. We have caused a lot of damage to the earth. Now is time to walk home with love. It is only possible if we do not constantly think of the future or the past. Life can only be found in the present moment.

THE CASE: The priest Jui-yen called “Master!” to himself every day and answered himself “Yes!” Then he would say “Be aware!” and reply “Yes!” “Don’t be deceived by others!” “No, no!”" (from "The Gateless Barrier: The Wu-Men Kuan (Mumonkan)" by Robert Aitken) This is good practice for everyday life. He is basically calling out the name Master! And the key is the effortless immediacy of the response – YES! That YES is everything. What is he saying Yes too? Who is the Master?