This Easter morning after breakfast David decided to give a Dharma talk about the next sentence of the Summary of Faith and practice, about the 'one essential thing'. During the teaching David was talking about two great Buddhist teachers, Dogen the Zen master and Honen the great Pureland teacher. I find it very interesting that they both lived almost the same time. Dogen was about 12 years old, when Honen died.
Zen and Pureland
I feel connected to Zen Buddhism and to Pureland Buddhism. We talked about doing things in a mindful way: with the Buddha in mind. Yet how do you do that? In zen I have learnt to do things, activities, with awareness and dedication and how this can effect things in a positive way. Many times I have experienced a kind of tenderness and love and a kind of surrender in the moment when I do things in this way.
Buddha in mind
Now, this morning during David's Dharma talk I experienced, for the first time, a kind of bridge between these two forms of Buddhism and it touched me very much. I suddenly realised that 'being mindful' and doing your things in daily life with the Buddha in mind is the same as doing the things with dedication and love in the way I learnt in my Zen practise. It is not about the words, but it is all about the quality and the experience.
Teaching of the heart
I can try to explain what happened, but I am afraid that at this moment I can't find the right words to tell what happened. Adam and I were both moved by the teaching and Adam called it a 'teaching of the heart'. I totally agree with this.
Rescue the strawberries
Later this morning I worked in our strawberry patch A couple of days ago I started with this job. It was quite impossible to see any strawberry plants, because of all the weeds that are growing on this piece of land. My job was to rescue the strawberries from the weeds. I got quite a lot done as the day went on.
The weather was quite amazing; sunny and stormy. I enjoyed it very much. The strawberry field has a view of our bamboo grove and it was wonderful to see the bamboo waving and bowing in the wind; very hypnotising to watch!
Dogen, Dogen and Dogen
Adam was working hard on the paving and David was writing and writing and studying and writing, mostly, once again, about Dogen. Sometimes he gives me a glimpse of what is going on in his mind about Dogen. I love to talk about Dogen and Genjokoan with him. I have found a Dutch translation of the text written by Andre van der Braak and I have read two English translations. It is fascinating to read more translations! However, David is so in proces with his Dogen study that he don't want to share much about it. It makes me very, very curious....
At this moment – as I write - David is very happy and excited; he has found the full text of Genjokoan in Japanese on the internet!
Replies
Hello Vajrapala, just noticed this nice message from you now. Thank you. I have been without laptop for a while, but today it is repaired again! It is not realy helping for my hip, working in the garden... but always good for my mind :-) I hope to see you during the retreat in June at Eleusis and hope we can work together in the garden. That would be nice! Lots of love for you too. xxx
Hello Elja,
Today I was working in our garden too. We do also have a strawberry field which was covered with little plants that come out, which I cleaned up. The lavender and the Heather are trimmed and I cleaned up much weaths and did help the plants to grow with horsedung. Delicious to work in the garden after an exciting time with Jnanamati and our Buddhist activities with the local group and the Amida Purelandgroup in the house. Working in the garden gives me much mental peace and connection with nature is nourishing. Hope for you, working in the garden is good for your hipproblems...... my back problems are much better since I work in the garden.
Love XXXXXX, Vajrapala
Hope your lawn mower will be rescued Josephine! Lots of love for you too :-) x
Lovely to hear from you, Josephine, and to think of you there in your garden. When I'm better we'll come and have a look at it. that won't be soon, but the day will come. The "patio" is now a bit bigger than when you left and there is plenty more still to do. Lots of love and laughs.
Hi elja like reading your news. I have been working very hard in my own garden . lots of strimming and spent most of the afternoon cutting wood . a friend came and looked at my broken lawñ mower. He showed me the parts I need to buy . hopefully it will be repaired soon as strimmng is hard work. I hope the patio is shaping up well Adam. I'm sure you are doing a good job. Garden jobs are necessary this time of year .lots love .
Namo amida bu ☺