Tag: Oshosama Says
You see? You see?
The reasons to stay bare It was the time when I was the only person living in the temple, except, of course, Oshosama. Some people would come by to help with cleaning and maintenance every day, but I still had a full on my plate. Grass to be plucked, meals to be...
Yes or No?
and What's Left Unsaid Precision and brevity are the tools you learn to acquire at the temple. Achieving precision with fewer words: I can’t say I’ve mastered the skill, but at least now I recognise a person who is good at it. It all comes down to this... “Yes or No?”...
What Oshosama Does not Say…
Without a Master, I Come To Enlightenment. "Dharma couldn't have been the zen originator by himself." I was listening to a zen analects lecture online, and this conversation popped up. I have come to notice that lineage is very important in zen; Dharma is the first...
Oshosama, I’m Fighting With My Ego Every Day.
Me Too. I have written more than a few Wisdom Blogs under the tag Oshosama Says. Oshosama is a  way to address an abbot of a temple, as some of you may be familiar with the term “Osho”. And “sama” is an honorific suffix. In the Zen temple in the north of Kyoto, I...
“I Don’t Know” Is the Answer.
This is a tricky one. Using "I don't know" as an answer may be a safe choice for some, a way to avoid mistakes or even a self-preservative tactic. For me, it is a very proactive way to face my ego. After spending some time in the temple, I learned a thing or two about...
You see? You see?

You see? You see?

“No,” I said. No point in faking. He knows.

He started walking, through the corridor, into the kitchen, then to the hearth room. Then he asked, “You see?” I didn’t understand what I was supposed to “see.” So I remained silent.

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Yes or No?

Yes or No?

Precision and brevity are the tools you have no choice but to acquire at the temple.

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What Oshosama Does not Say…

What Oshosama Does not Say…

Without a Master, I Come To Enlightenment. "Dharma couldn't have been the zen originator by himself." I was listening to a zen analects lecture online, and this conversation popped up. I have come to notice that lineage is very important in zen; Dharma is the first...

read more
Oshosama, I’m Fighting With My Ego Every Day.

Oshosama, I’m Fighting With My Ego Every Day.

Me Too. I have written more than a few Wisdom Blogs under the tag Oshosama Says. Oshosama is a  way to address an abbot of a temple, as some of you may be familiar with the term “Osho”. And “sama” is an honorific suffix. In the Zen temple in the north of Kyoto, I...

read more
“I Don’t Know” Is the Answer.

“I Don’t Know” Is the Answer.

This is a tricky one. Using “I don’t know” as an answer may be a safe choice for some, a way to avoid mistakes or even a self-preservative tactic.

For me, it is a very proactive way to face my ego.

read more
Life Is a Losing Game

Life Is a Losing Game

Life is a losing game, if you count the number. However, knowing the “one” rewards all the losses in the past, life may be more than what you can count.

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Tea Is the Hardware.

Tea Is the Hardware.

And We Do Not Want to Die Without Knowing the Hardware… Do We?   Have you been invited to a Tea gathering? If yes, you may have noticed the wet surface of stoned pavement leading up to the entrance. Uchimizu is the act of sprinkling water outside. In a Tea setting, it...

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Do Samu

Do Samu

When None of Your Tools Work Yoga, jogging, walking, meditating, or breath working; when none of that works, Do samu. Samu can be anything to maintain the household... or templehold. When I used to live in a zen temple of a Rinzai sect, most of the day was dedicated...

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