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bad, beauty and ugliness of our old ways, or from each other, yet a digital Zen community and the
complicated planet and lives. each keeps the central teachings normal Zen community?
and mission of Buddhism alive. In
What is more, the old Zen Masters other words, the Buddhist garden When we first started our online
wisely taught that we can know life consists of varied trees and flowers, community in 2006, we were, I
all such ways at once! We cannot and we enrich each other. believe, the only such community
simply be complacent, and there are at the time, and for many years
real problems in this world. Saying In the case of Japanese Buddhism, to come. Now, of course, online
that “all is complete, nothing lacks” Soto Zen and, especially, its practice is much more common.
does not put food on the table, nor encounter with the west and From the start, our Sangha catered
shoes on our children’s feet! So, Soto modern times, there have been to those who could not travel easily
Zen teaches a way of knowing the big changes in what it means to be to a place of practice, sometimes
world both ways, like seeing out of Buddhist clergy. I often compare because of health and disability
two eyes from different perspectives this change to the Reformation restrictions, their location in a town
which, when both eyes are open in Europe, in which a celibate, without a Buddhist group near, or
together, provides illumination and Catholic priesthood gave birth simply because busy parents and
clarity. Suddenly, there is work to to the married, more “out of the hard-working people are not free.
do, yet nothing to do, at once. One monastery, in the world” path of Such folks could come to sit and
can run the race heading toward the Protestant minister. One should practice with us from wherever they
a distant goal, but also know that not be seen as “less” or “more” than are, at any time.
every step by step of the race is itself the other but, better, each is its own
complete, its own arrival. One can Ordained path, serving the suffering Now, there are some things we miss
learn not to fear sickness nor death, beings of this world. All such good online: The experience of being in
for there is something more to this paths should be honored, and let all the same physical room, the warmth
world beyond surface appearances, walk their paths side-by-side. The of presence. This is true. But on the
yet also take one’s medicine to get difference between the “minister/ other hand, we found a real power
better and live longer. Zen priest” and the ordinary in being a digital community, and
“householder” is the amount of some unique strengths to it. For one,
That is the path I have walked these calling, training, attention, practice we tell our members to “drop from
40 years. and dedication brought to one’s mind all thought of distance, here
calling, like the difference between vs. there, now vs. then,” and that
You mentioned that the hard nurse and patient. To be Buddhist much separation is a measure made
border between an ordained clergy is to place oneself lower, between their own ears. Mahayana
priest (like yourself) and a lay into a role of service, in aid of all Buddhism emphasizes that the
person is vanishing in Soto Zen. other beings. We “leave home” by whole universe pours into each grain
Why is this so? Isn’t this then a dropping away the anger, greed, of sand, the entire ocean into every
departure from early Buddhism jealousy and other petty divisions drop, that each place and moment is
which has a clear distinction in ignorance from our hearts, even every other place and moment too.
between monastics and the as we remain committed on the So, people are present and together
householders? Bodhisattva Path to treating the when we feel present and together.

anger, greed and ignorance which so
Oh, it is a clear departure, yet not fills this world. Also, the average lay Buddhist
at all. Better, I should say that practitioner, especially in western
Buddhism has flowered in many You founded Treeleaf Zendo, Zen groups, might come to a “brick
beautiful and rich ways over the a digital Zen community with and cement” Zen center for a few
centuries, sometimes into forms members in over 50 countries. hours a week at best, sit Zazen
which appear quite different from What is the difference between silently, have some brief socializing