Three Treasures Sangha
Three Treasures Sangha of the Pacific Northwest (TTS) is a lay Zen group located in Seattle, Washington and affiliated with the Diamond Sangha, an independent lineage founded by Robert Aitken Rōshi, a dharma heir in the Sanbō Kyōdan (Harada-Yasutani-Yamada) lineage.
Karen Rosenstiel 1946-2012
Karen Rosenstiel 1946 - 2012
With a saddened heart, I want to let you all know that mom passed away this morning just before 10:45. My sister, Marian, arrived this morning from Japan, and we had around an hour together as a family, talking, chatting and having our usual family banter. My sisters left to get Marian settled and a nap, and about half an hour later, mom ended her journey. I want you all to know that during her decline this past week, she did not suffer, and all the way to the end, she did not appear to struggle against what was happening.
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Verses on the Faith Mind
“Nothing hangs in the mind,/There is nothing to remember./Boundless, clear, self-illuminating–/The mind does not make efforts./ This is the place of non-thinking,/Difficult to fathom with intellect or feeling.”
Hello Everyone, I’d like to start today by saying something about the 16 Bodhisattva precepts. Our lineage looks at the precepts from 3 different vantage points–the hinayana, the mahayana and the essential. The hinayana view is quite literal. Not killing means just that. We may attempt to fulfill this vow by eating a vegetarian or vegan diet. We may try to move carefully and thoughtfully in the world and in our daily activities. We move with kindness knowing we are all kin. We attempt to lessen our footprint but the best we can do is lessen the footprint, we can never erase it. In a sense, we can only fail because for us to live, others must die.
–Jack Duffy
If you want to read Jack’s complete talk, and discuss it, head over to the Palouse (the Palouse Zen group’s website that is).
Blue Cliff Record Case 6: Yun-Men’s Good Day
Talk given by Scott Ruplin
Zenkai, Dec. 3-4, 2011
Blue Cliff Record Case 6:
Yun-Men taught by saying, “I do not ask you about before the 15th of the month. Come, give a phrase about after the 15th:”He himself responded, “Every day is a good day”
First let’s say some words about the life and teaching of Master Yun-Men Wen Yen, who is called Ummon in Japan. Most of this information comes from The Roaring Stream, bu Foster and Shoemaker, and Zen Dust, and the book Master Yun-Men by Urs App. There’s also a pretty extensive Wikipedia entry about him. His name, and the name of the mountain where he settled, translates as “Gate of the Coulds”. The “Yun” is the Chinese word for the “Un” in the names of teachers in our line.
He was an absolutely uncompromising and extraordinary teacher. He appears 18 times in the Blue Cliff Record and 5 times in the Wumenkuan. Read more…
Talks From Beginners’ Weekend
The talks from the Beginners’ Zazenkai, held November 11-13 at Dharma Gate, can now be listened on the Mountain Lamp website:
“Talks for Beginners in 2 Parts”
Also please join the Shin Jin Mei conversation on the web. Jack and the folks from the Palouse group are studying the Verse on the Faith Mind, and Jack provides comments on the section under study that week. Then the group and individuals send in their comments. This is a lovely way to study, stay connected to practice… & you don’t have to leave your home. Please e-mail Will S. or go to http://palousezen.org/ for details on the blog.
Enjoy
Jack
Bibliography
Bibliography of Suggested Readings
By Robert Aitken, Rōshi
Encouraging Words: A collection of talks and essays offered by Aitken Rōshi to his students at meditation retreats “sesshin”. These concise transcriptions are clear windows into Zen practice, covering topics such as attention, emptiness, diligence, death and the moral path.
Mind of Clover: Essays in Zen Buddhist Ethics: Addresses issues of appropriate personal and social action through an exploration of the philosophical complexities of Zen ethics.
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Zen Glossary
Glossary of Zen Terms
bodhichitta: The aspiration of a practioner for enlightenment and Buddhahood.
bodhisattva: A practitioner who defers his/her own enlightenment to benefit the liberation of all beings.
Buddha: One who is enlightened or awakened to the true nature of existence; any being.
dana: The voluntary giving of material, energy or wisdom to others; one of the key virtues or perfections.
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Newsletter Winter 2011
Our newsletter includes our most recent schedule, talks, poems, and who does what in our sangha. All sangha members also receive the newsletter in their mailboxes. If you want that, too, just sign up to become a member of Three Treasures Sangha.
You can find our newsletters from 2005 through the present in our Newsletter Archive.
