Zen Stuff

Shugyo (修行) may be defined literally as “conducting oneself in a way that inspires mastery”. While the meaning of the kanji used in “shu” was originally translated as ‘using a brush to strike away the dust that obscures the viewing of a persons original elegance’, the combined kanji of “shu” and “gyo” (carrying out, walking along) is now generally translated as simply “severe or austere training”. The kanji rendered for this version of “shugyo” is most commonly associated with Buddhist...Read Full Story

Kyudo the art of Zen Archery , by Hans Joachin Stein I have read three of the major books in English dealing with Kyudo Philosophy and technique other than the Kyuhon which are Zen Bow, Zen Arrow One Arrow, One Life Illuminated Spirit all of these are excellent, all gave me a shape of sense of Kyudo philosophy. The mind, the spirit some are out looks of teachers, some more than others touched on technique. Although technique is really more of a hands on thing with a student and...Read Full Story

Thursday… I’m ready for this exam thing to be done with. I want return to the fun , the simplicity of just shooting. Right now it is just getting to be work. I suppose in the sense of balance for all the ‘fun’ I had now the work is needed. I wonder if I can really ever go back to just the fun of it, now there will always be that challenge, the drive the quest of doing better, wanting more. Like Sex, Drugs and Rock -n- Roll. I went to RSD to practice today. I got some feedback from my...Read Full Story

Some random thoughts on training… Now you maybe wondering what does the weird title mean…Well here it is. It maybe a write off to Chan training, seeing the likeness in all things, the oneness, the no duality thing. However, there are things that make up the individualness, like us. As much as we are the same in basics as as our brother, not the real one the spiritual one. No change that even the real one if you have one that is. If not then the spiritual one will do for this example…or...Read Full Story

…The position after the arrow is released is called Zanshin. The shooting is not yet completed at the release ( Hanare), as there is still something remaining . Expressed as spirit, it is the remaining spiritual energy, and expressed as for, it is the remaining action. Sunday the final day of the Kyudo Season. Seminars are over and it is my in a way my first real class of training with S. Sensei it was to be a full class day. We start at 11:00 am and run until 4 or 5. Half of the class is...Read Full Story

Day II I am feeling lousy today!! I did not sleep much last night. I am not use to going to bed at 9:30 p.m.. Folks snoring… and SOOOO bloody hot!!. The wind pickup major last night most of the shade stuff we set up yesterday in the lower range was blown down today. It took a lot of repairs and re-setting to get things back to a usable place. I got up at 4:20 A.M.!, ( yeah that is O-dark: 20) the others got up at 4:45a.m. We had Zazen at 5:15am !!! Sugoii ! sigh , ok, this is training...Read Full Story

Well it was finally here, I had planned and saved for this event for a year. I had to go at least once. Although things were not perfect, the Universe worked out so I could attend with a clear mind about cost. I had only a small idea of what to expect, it was to be an adventure, lessons in Zen, Kyudo, and myself. I was packed and ready…Yosh!! Day 1: Intermediate and advance students were to arrive @10:00 am to help with the setup. It 10:15 and I was just leaving the house. I had...Read Full Story

It took me awhile to get fully functional on Thurs morning. I had a terrible time trying to sleep. I knew that would happen so it was not a surprise and just one of those things I had to deal with. My own little personal challenge for the day. I envied those that fell asleep quickly last night…sigh Morning Zazen was now easier than last year. I knew what to expect and having my own sitting practice everyday now for a few years I am beyond leg pain for a 30 min sitting. Here we do sitting...Read Full Story

After spending most of the day in front of a computer screen for the second day doing one thing or another, I have decided I am a undercover geek. Someone once said to me if you have more than 1 computer your a geek. I have 4 laptops. One is really old, …really really old, still has windows 97 on it. Yeah, it’s that old. One Mac will not boot, one I inherited from my bother, the other Mac I purchased, the last Laptop is a PC from a former job, I was given it. Not too bad since I did not buy...Read Full Story

I am doing way better this morning. A good nights sleep will do that. I slept most of the night except for the old man’s Loo breaks. The fog rolled in last night like a dragon through the forest and valley. Everything was in a mist this morning. It was actually pretty cool , as in a hip way and cold as in samuii . Zazen was pleasant today because of this energy, even though chilly because of the temperature. There was what I thought so much much water in the air it was rolling off the...Read Full Story