Our 50th anniversary is a fitting moment to reaffirm the basics of shugyo at Chozen-ji. The idea of Chozen-ji started in 1970 when Tanouye Rotaishi asked Omori Rotaishi for five years of his life to bring shugyo to the West. In 1972, they established Chozen-ji.
Read MoreArt can be enjoyed in many ways at many levels. The arrangement of cushions, a calligraphy, flowers in a vase, a cup of tea, or the scent of incense can enhance the kiai of the moment and foster joy. Art can be practiced in all activities and is accessible by all.
Read MoreWe just finished the summer sesshin last week. 19 people trained, many of them young and local. It was great to see that. Twice as I walked over to the Dojo for the evening inspection of the sitting, there was a full rainbow over Chozen-ji. “Wondrous,” I thought.
Read MoreFour years ago there was one person signed up to do the summer sesshin. The most recent sesshin had 19 participants. This is a great indicator of the change that has happened over the last four years.
Read MoreCovid-19 lays bare the First and Second Noble Truths that existence is impermanent and that suffering arises from attachments. To date, December 18, 2020, there have been 17 million infections and 310,000 deaths in the United States. Life has been disrupted in so many ways, and so many livelihoods lost. Face to face encounters have become a luxury.
It’s a good time for spiritual training.
Read MoreIn these turbulent times, Zen Art can help you become clear and tranquil—bringing peace to a busy city, or clarity to your environment and state of mind. As a vibrant force, Zen Art influences your vibration, helping you to accord with the flow and rhythm of the Universe, which is unmoved even by today's chaos.
Read More“To receive and let flow away.” —Tanouye Tenshin Rotaishi
This phrase is found in Master Takuan Soho’s letters to swordmaster Yagyu Munenori on the Immovable Mind in fencing. It refers to a technique in which the opponent’s attack is received and returned against him.
For example, the opponent cuts for your head. Receiving the strike with your sword, you let its momentum initiate your cut to his body. Tanouye Rotaishi used to say, “Here’s the secret to life.” Receive and let flow away.
Read MoreIn the late 1980’s, Tanouye Roshi was determined to spread the lessons of the Aloha Spirit. He felt that a deeper understanding and cultivation of Aloha would give students a more tangible sense of the Buddhist principle of compassion. Four Aloha Spirit posters were made, one of them featuring Native Hawaiian spiritual leader Pilahi Paki’s definition of Aloha. Thousands were distributed. Alvin Shim also succeeded in passing the Aloha Spirit Bill, putting this definition into law.
Read MoreSometimes I am asked for the business plan for Chozen-ji. When I was young, I futilely tried many times to come up with something but Zen training at Chozen-ji is a hard sell. Now I say I’m following the Bodhidharma method, or as Honda Roshi says, “Train hard. The rest is up to Heaven.” The results are better.
Read More“The Mysterious Wonder of the Universal Mind.” Omori Sogen Rotaishi wrote these characters on the sign that hangs above the altar in the Budo Dojo at Chozen-ji. To me they describe how Chozen-ji has come to enjoy a second spring.
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