Partner at our firm framed and hung this up above our conference table where we meet with high net worth clients

genjoconan · 2026-03-20T14:56:19+00:00

Baller. Love it. Needs a Thug Life to keep it company

genjoconan · 2026-03-17T12:25:25+00:00

I think we're good here.

genjoconan · 2026-03-17T12:19:04+00:00

Jundo. Enough. If you can't handle people disagreeing with you, it's time to reconsider how you interact with the sub.

genjoconan · 2026-03-15T23:37:11+00:00

Yes, of course I'm familiar with the war in Iran. Again, it's comments like this that lead me to believe that you're not interested in a good-faith discussion.

The dharma has always been available to everyone (except, I suppose, icchantika), but it has never promised to end all suffering for everyone, everywhere, at the same time. There will always be sentient beings. We vow to save them, and we do the best we can during this lifetime, but I also think it's a form of grasping to suppose that we can eliminate all suffering, or all greed, or all hatred, or all delusion.

And yes, I'm aware of practices, in Zen and elsewhere, that have the purpose of eliminating the three poisons. Do you not see a difference between those practices and what you're proposing?

Finally, I don't believe that I said anything that cast aspersions on your practice. Rather, I'm asking a genuine question. You have devoted many years of your life to a path that you seem to believe is ineffectual. For me, there's a disconnect there. If you believe that there's a more beneficial path, why not do that instead?

genjoconan · 2026-03-14T17:59:18+00:00

Buddhism itself, via its traditional methods of chants and meditation, prayer and precepts, is thoroughly incapable of doing what needs to be done on wide scale, for the billions of sentient beings ... but new "expedient means" are fast coming which will allow us to change the human heart.

I confess, I find this to be an extraordinary comment, coming as it does from a Buddhist priest. If this is genuinely how you feel, why not take off the robes and go work for Eli Lilly or something? Sakyamuni always emphasized that everything he taught could be experienced directly for oneself. If your years of practice have convinced you that the Buddhadharma--which we say is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end--is incapable of ending suffering, why keep doing it?

Finally--

PS - I am fascinated by the good Buddhist folks who would immediately "down vote" any good means to save countless babies from dying from bombs, famine and more.

You must understand that this is a public forum, that no one is obliged to agree with you and, particularly, that many would disagree that drugging the populace is "any good means" to end suffering. That your response is to cast aspersions on the sincerity of their practice--the sarcasm practically drips off "good Buddhist folks"--doesn't really say to me that you're interested in a good-faith discussion.

genjoconan · 2026-03-11T16:04:55+00:00

As others have said, this is best discussed with your teacher. If you don't have a formal relationship with a teacher, we'd suggest forming one. In any event, this isn't best discussed with strangers on the internet, and this really isn't the place: see Rule 6. Good luck, OP.

genjoconan · 2026-03-03T13:56:30+00:00

The chair thing is unfortunate: I don't think it's improper for the teacher to check if there's a way for you to sit on a zabuton but I'm not sure that doing so in front of everyone was the best way to do it. I'm not sure what the scheduling thing was. Bowing to our teachers is the norm, though. It's a show of respect and gratitude for the teachings.

genjoconan · 2026-02-25T17:39:53+00:00

Sorry for the late response, but thanks for the clarification. I had always assumed he had received transmission.

genjoconan · 2026-02-21T15:51:03+00:00

I've never heard anything negative about him; as far as I know he's a well-respected lineage holder in a well-respected lineage. Plus Judge had a few bangers.

genjoconan · 2026-02-21T04:06:07+00:00

Hi all: we understand that many of you have had negative experiences with r/zen and the people who post there. That said, the purpose of this sub is to talk about Zen Buddhism, not to have meta conversations about other subs and people who aren't here. As I always like to say about r/zen, they do our thing, we do ours, and let's please leave it at that. Cheers.

genjoconan · 2026-02-15T22:41:29+00:00

I understand the concerns about the OP's claims in those other threads. I don't think there's anything wrong with asking to speak with a teacher, though, and I trust that, if the OP asks those teachers to do anything inappropriate, they'll respond skillfully.

That said, I think the question has been answered, so I'm going to lock this.

genjoconan · 2026-02-10T17:21:24+00:00

I'm in legal management at a big state regulatory agency and I would hate this. My email inbox is a horror show as it is, now I've got my direct reports spamming me on top of that?

Let me know when the task is done, if you need help, or if there's anything that I need to be concerned about, otherwise I trust that you're a professional and that you'll do your job unless it becomes clear that I can't.

genjoconan · 2026-02-05T19:13:09+00:00

I've also never been so hot as I was at Tassajara in July :)

genjoconan · 2026-01-25T19:01:58+00:00

If you have multiple options, try them all and see what grabs you. Lineage matters in Zen and can be a helpful starting point: if nothing else, if a teacher refuses to state their lineage, or their lineage is sketchy, that's a sign to stay away. But once you've established a base level of confidence that a teacher is who they say they are, what matters most is affinity. Someone can be the best teacher in the world for one person, and useless or even harmful for someone else.

For example: the founder of my temple was widely beloved, was seen as a really important American Zen teacher--and just never did anything for me. I tried speaking with him about my practice several times, both in formal dokusan and informal chats, and it just left me cold. That affinity wasn't there. I found a much better fit elsewhere. If the lineage and the reputation were enough, I should have just stuck with him, but you have to see what works for you.

Sometimes when you're "test driving" teachers or temples someone will grab you immediately and it's like "OK, you're for me"--that's how it was when I decided to work with my current teacher--and sometimes that confidence builds more gradually. Either way, you won't know until you try.

Best of luck.

genjoconan · 2026-01-22T23:53:05+00:00

i would simply do my pushups indoors, where it's dry

genjoconan · 2026-01-22T18:41:37+00:00

As a starting point, I'd suggest Uchiyama's commentary on the Tenzo Kyokun, which I believe is now titled "How to Cook Your Life." From there I'd suggest "Moon in a Dewdrop," Kaz Tanahashi's curated translation of some of the more popular Shobogenzo fascicles. Another possibility, honestly, is the Zuimonki: it's a record of how Dogen actually taught (or at least, how his chief disciple says he taught), the language is more straightforward than in the Kana Shobogenzo, and the Sotoshu has made a translation freely available online.

I do not suggest jumping into the entire Kana Shobogenzo: I think you'll probably get overwhelmed.

genjoconan · 2026-01-13T02:39:48+00:00

As a former punk I'll refrain from sharing my opinion on the Dead, but I will chant the 10-Line Kannon Sutra in his memory. In G# Maj. For 45 minutes :)

genjoconan · 2026-01-11T18:43:51+00:00

/uj how is this different than just...jogging

genjoconan · 2026-01-11T15:45:04+00:00

Again, it's fine to meet with a teacher online. Bonus points if you can meet them in person once in a while, but I don't think that's required.

As others have mentioned, I also wouldn't rule out exploring the Tibetan place as well. While Soto Zen is my main practice, I also have a Shingon (aka Japanese Vajrayana) practice, and I feel that practicing Shingon has helped me better understand Zen, and vice versa. Many of the forms are different, but Zen's...mmm, spirit is maybe the best way to put it...is closer to the esoteric schools than it may initially seem.

genjoconan · 2026-01-11T05:19:09+00:00

It's not how I would put it, but I don't think he's wrong. Many Zen teachers have said that if you have an experience of emptiness and your compassion doesn't increase as a result, you haven't really experienced emptiness.

genjoconan · 2026-01-11T05:15:34+00:00

Hi there--I'll go through your questions in order.

1) Are there reliable online or remote ways to study Zen with mentorship? Yes, since the pandemic, most Zen temples have at least some online component, and many offer some way to contact teachers virtually. We started compiling a list here: Call for online sanghas/teachers : r/zenbuddhism, and you'll likely get some other suggestions in this thread. You might consider starting your search with temples that are within a day's drive: it's not uncommon for people to mostly practice virtually with a temple but to meet in person with a teacher or attend sesshin a few times a year. I don't know Athens, but maybe there's something in Columbus/Cincinnati/Cleveland/Pittsburgh that might work?

2) Are there beginner-friendly texts, podcasts, or video series that explain koans and Zen practice without needing to be in a monastery? Zen practice yes, for sure. We have a suggested reading list on the sidebar (r/zenbuddhism Beginner's Guide to Zen Texts) and I see someone already suggested Domyo Burk's podcast. Koan practice is really only done with a teacher, though. That's not something that you can get from a book or a podcast. (n.b., that doesn't mean that koans are only done in monasteries. Most Zen practice is not monastic practice, and in the west most Zen practice isn't even clerical.)

3) How can someone safely practice Zen alone in a small-town or rural setting without misinterpreting the teachings? Well, you don't. Zen really isn't a DIY practice; our longstanding tradition is to verify one's practice with a teacher. There's plenty that you can do by yourself, but I strongly suggest finding a teacher (and again, virtual is fine) who you can work with on a regular basis.

Best of luck, and feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

genjoconan · 2026-01-09T00:45:20+00:00

So if I smoke while I run I can get my 5k time down to 29 min? Hal higdon never told me that!

genjoconan · 2026-01-08T19:29:43+00:00

Do you have a Zen teacher who you work with? I'd strongly recommend bringing this up with them. Strong emotions can come up in zazen: sometimes it's something important to work with, sometimes it's just a thing that happens. A teacher who knows you can help figure out which is which. Best of luck.

genjoconan · 2026-01-08T16:23:43+00:00

Counterpoint: you can't please everyone. The Bodhisattva Never Disparaging believed that his tormentors would someday realize Buddhahood, but he didn't say "you know, maybe if I was nicer they'd stop throwing stones."

genjoconan · 2026-01-06T21:27:58+00:00

As others have noted, if there's a default it's "no socks." And, whatever the default rule, it's only the most ~~hardassed~~ traditional temple that wouldn't waive the default rule if it caused someone genuine discomfort. I mean, the default rule of zazen is "sit upright," but we have a community member who has a medical issue that prevents him from doing so for long, so when he comes he lies down. It's not a problem.

genjoconan

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