Ango, literally “peaceful dwelling”, is a period of concentrated and committed Zen practice, usually lasting three-months in the Soto Zen tradition. The roots of Ango arise from the earliest days of the Buddhist monastic community in India, when monks and nuns would cease their wandering and settle together in one place for the rainy season. Even today in Zen monasteries of Japan, Ango is a time of intense and rigorous training, typically including long hours of Zazen, short hours for sleep, formal meals taken in the Zendo (meditation hall), and a structured schedule for the rest of the day comprising periods for work, liturgy, study, rest, and personal needs. In the West, most Zen groups have adapted the form of the three-month practice period to the needs and demands of life in their communities.
and so I sit, 3 times a day.. I do samu (working without need for any renumeration). I speak mindfully.
Here I will “try” to chronicle my 100 days in a daily blog post.
Receiving jukai for me is like undergoing marriage is to those with a loving partner. It is to openly make a public commitment to follow the Sixteen Precepts.
To honor the Buddha, the historical lineage that has gone before, and is a part of everything to this day and will be long after I have left this body.
To live by the Dharma, the teachings of truth and liberation from suffering.
To live in loving kindness with the Sangha, as we truly are not alone but all are a part of all sentient beings, past, present and future.
What particularly moves me to tears is the Verse of Atonement. To me it embodies the reason why I seek refuge…
“All harmful acts, words and thoughts, ever committed by me since of old,
On account of beginningless greed, anger and ignorance,
Born of my body, mouth and mind,
Now I atone for them all”.
(I think I’d like to add a silent line at the end that states that I vow to not do those acts again. To me this is the repentance).
As I move through this learning process toward Jukai, I will expand on this post….
Do not kill (recognizing that I am not separate from all that is)
How can I as a thinking and caring sentient being do anything that will cause harm to another being. I dont like to think of this as just the taking of a life, but also as doing anything that can affect the life of another. by this I have to include drugs, drink, language that can in any way cause harm to come to another. I suppose that a good example of this is the parent that yells and screams at the child.. this kills spirit, and can cause the person on the receiving end of this to feel less than alive.
Providing a path that causes harm is also spirit killing. I will not be a party to enabling anyone to be the path to killing of life or spirit. I will take ever step I can to prevent this type of harm from befalling anyone.
Do not steal (being satisfied with what I have)
I do not need to have “things” that do not belong to me, or are unnecessary to my wellbeing. I do not need to envy my neighbors for what they have. I should not take what is not freely given to me but should accept what is given to me freely with thanks.
Do not be greedy (encountering all creations with respect and dignity)
“Honor the body—do not misuse sexuality.” Honor the body of Nature. When we begin to interfere with the natural order of things, when we begin to engineer the genetics of viruses and bacteria, plants and animals, we throw the whole ecological balance off. Our technological meddling affects the totality of the universe and there are karmic consequences to that. The three wheels: body, mind, and mouth; greed, anger, and ignorance are pure and clean. Nothing is desired. Go the same way as the Buddha, do not misuse sexuality.
Do not tell a lie (listening and speaking from the heart)
I have found myself turning this precept over and over in my mind as it has a number of things within it that affect day to day living.
There is the lie, for the sake of protecting someone from a truth that isn’t so nice, the lie that elevates oneself in the eyes of others… the lie that life isn’t as bad (or good or mediocre) as we perceive it to be. I learned them all at a very tender age and learned to be very good at them. The only thing I got from it was a life of heartache and wondering why everything was a struggle. Then I learned that no matter what I say, things aren’t going to change, I was only fooling myself.
I find it very difficult to even do the little protective white lie now because its still not quite the truth. When I sit, it is with this in mind. no matter what someone projects about “self” it is delusion. I also struggle with the “good lie”. There was a time that I would want to sugar coat a bitter pill that might be upsetting to someone, but when I am the one that is getting handed the lie, I would rather know the whole truth and have it be my decision on how to deal with it.
In my community we are dealing with the other aspects brought forth here:, the slander, idle gossip and harsh speech. My initial reaction is to hide in my apartment and not face anyone that does these things (Imagine a building of 55 + people with nothing better to do than talk trash about others). I am finding however that I am gently to the others and being completely honest in my dealings with them. Strangely some are starting to do the same. The others have been asked to move out.
Do not be ignorant (cultivating a mind that sees clearly)
Do not talk about others’ faults and errors (unconditionally accepting what each moment has to offer)
Do not elevate yourself and put down others (speaking what is perceived to be the truth without guilt or blame)
Do not be stingy (using all of the ingredients of my life)
Do not be angry (transforming suffering into wisdom)
Do not speak ill of the Three Treasures (honoring my life as an instrument of peacemaking