15.4.11

Back From the Spring Patrol...

I am on a post deployment 96 hour liberty period after the conclusion of the 31st MEU's fall patrol.

We did a lot, most of it is documented here: The 31st MEU Homepage.

I hosted Sunday and evening sittings down in the chapel lounge, there was one sailor who was semi consistent in showing up.   Other than that it was mostly curious onlookers with no will to the truth.
I know this can change, so it would be nice to think that perhaps I fanned the embers instead of dousing them with water. Don't know.

I did manage to get through some books though:


I finished Realizing Genjokoan which I think I can recommend with confidence, Shohaku Okamura's humble writing style appeals to me and I think this book may be helpful for those stumbling along the Buddha way.

As I recall, Okumura mostly just recommends people sit Zazen.  Which is exactly as it should be.








Next I read Mud and Water, a book that was sent to me by a friend after I thouhgt I would like learning more about Bassui.  This turned out to be disappointing, not due to the translators effortts which I found to be quite good, but do to Bassui's use of wato Koans and eternalist viewpoint.  Eternalisim is not the view of Budhas.









The last book I struggled with.  "Dogan and the Koan Tradition" I like the authors other works Zen ritual, and Did Dogen Go to China?,  but this one failed to do anything for me.

Steven Heine has grown a lot since this one... Thank the buddha nature.  I would not recommend  this book unless you want a vocabulary lesson.  To many $64.00 words were used when a .25ç word could have been used just as well, and made the work a little more bearable to read.  I get the feeling Heine was trying to impress his professor with this or something,  Maybe he could do a rewrite and make it a bit more readable, but even then the content did not seem that interesting or helpful to me either.



Saturday Zazen and tea will be offered at my place on Camp Shields until I take off once again for the Summer Patrol in a few weeks.

Peace,
Jordan

2 comments:

Lauren said...

Good work, Jordan. And thanks for the book reviews. I wish I had that brush equipped bobcat for oak pollen season down here.

Cheers,
- L

SlowZen said...

Thanks Lauren, and you are welcome.

Keeping on,
Jordan

Thanks for looking!