Pure Land, Rinzai, Soto
Fall - Fortnight 20 (Earth+Zephyr)
Feast/Jan
3 The Pure Land, Rinzai and Soto schools.
Greenhouses and wapinis. Shojin Ryori cuisine. Respect for growers and
cooks, 5 Oryoki bowls, food proportions, 5 tastes and colors and cooking
methods. Dogen as lineage holder of Baizhang.
Honen
Honen (1133–1212 CE), founder of Pure Land (Jodo Shu), emphasized nembutsu chanting for rebirth in the Western Paradise. Shugendo Fudo statues judged the personal within universal harmony, like the Jade Emperor. His unique faithbased salvation democratized Buddhism.
Eisai
Eisai (1141–1215 CE), founder of Rinzai Zen, introduced tea and koan practice from Song China, establishing Kenninji. Shugendo seed offerings (rice, barley) bridged personal to universal, as on the Queqiao. His distinctive koan inquiry sharpened direct realization.
Dogen
Dogen (1200–1253 CE), founder of Soto Zen, brought
Caodong Chan to Japan, authoring Shobogenzo and promoting shojin ryori.
Soto feasts with oryoki bowls harmonized personal and universal, reflecting
Baizhang’s lineage. His unique zazenonly approach unified self and cosmos.
| Honen/Pure Land 1212 CE | Eisai/Rinzai 1215 CE | Dogen/Soto 1253 CE |
| Shugendo statue of Fudo | Shugendo seed offering (Rice, Barley, Proso Millet, Finger Millet, Jobs Tears) | Soto Shojin Ryori feast with Oryuki bowls, Bigu Taoist Shugendo Fast |
| Jade Emperor judges the deceased | Milky Way Queqiao bridge to Paradise | - |
5. Attainment in both the Personal and Universal:
Unity of the Personal and Universal is attained,
so that they respond in unobstructed harmony to each other and with the
world at large.
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| RITE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| PRACTICE | Ominsoku Festival | 1. Lung Cleansing Breath - Breathing to purify and strengthen
the lungs.
1. Emptiness Meditation - Meditating on the concept of nothingness.
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2. Metal Element Mantra - Reciting mantras for metal's
clarity and precision.
2. Star Gazing - Reflecting on the vastness of the cosmos for perspective. |
3. Autumn Reflection - Meditating on metal's qualities
during autumn.
3. Silence Practice - Embracing silence to understand the void. |
4. Metal Qi Collection - Drawing in metal energy for purification
4. Sky Burial Contemplation - Pondering the return to nature after death. |
5. Sword Hand Position
- Using hand mudras for cutting through illusions.
5. Void Mantras - Chanting mantras that evoke space or emptiness. |
6. Metal Path Breathing - Breathing to resonate with metal
pathways.
6. Space Visualization - Imagining the body merging with
infinite space.
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7. Condensing Qi - Refining qi like metal refines ore.
7. Breath of Emptiness - Breathing exercises to experience
the void within.
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8. Lung Qi Circulation - Practices for smooth lung qi flow.
8. Dissolution Meditation - Visualizing oneself dissolving into space. |
9. Metal Element Sound - Using the sound associated with
metal (s?) for healing.
9. Zen Sitting (Zazen) - Sitting in meditation to realize the emptiness of self. |
Setsubin retreat (Wuri Bigu)
10. Purification through Metal - Meditating on metal for
spiritual clarity.
10. Meditating in Open Spaces - Choosing wide, open areas for practice. |
Setsubin retreat (Wuri Bigu)
11. Metal Alchemy - Transforming base energies into refined
states.
11. Perception of Non-Self - Contemplating the lack of inherent existence. |
Setsubin retreat (Wuri Bigu)
12. Golden Light Meditation - Visualizing golden light for spiritual enlightenment, aiming for the ultimate goal of inner alchemy - the return to the Tao or achieving immortality. 12. Kokyu-ho - Techniques to harmonize breath with the concept of space. |
Setsubin retreat (Wuri Bigu) | Setsubin retreat (Wuri Bigu) |
| STUDY | Pure Land | - | - | - | - | Rinzai | - | - | - | - | Dogen, Soto | - | - | - | - |
| MEDITATION | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Shugendo Fast Retreat | Shugendo Fast Retreat | Shugendo Fast Retreat | Shugendo Fast Retreat | Shugendo Fast Retreat |
Group 5: Metal (Days 61–75)
Theme: Refinement, clarity, and achieving immortality
(Neidan Stages 5–9: Refining the Elixir, Birthing the Immortal, Transcending
Death). Metal aligns with Zen’s discipline and the Ten Oxherding Pictures.
Feast (Day 61): Prepare a Shojin Ryori meal with mushrooms and tofu, honoring metal’s purity.
Part 1: Jing (Essence) – Physical Practices
Focus: Physical actions embodying clarity and
discipline.
61. Ringing a Bell
Basis: Zen’s use of bells
to mark meditation; Neidan’s clarity of essence.
Exercise: Ring a small bell
(or clap hands), focusing on the sound’s vibration. Visualize it purifying
your essence.
62. Polishing a Metal Object
Basis: Zen’s mindfulness in
chores; Neidan’s refinement.
Exercise: Polish a metal item
(e.g., spoon), visualizing your essence becoming clear and reflective.
63. Sweeping Dust
Basis: Zen’s sweeping as meditation;
Dogen’s Shobogenzo: “Dust is the Buddha’s face.”
Exercise: Sweep a dusty surface,
contemplating each particle as a moment of eternity.
64. Striking a Wooden Fish
Basis: Zen’s wooden fish drum
for rhythm; Neidan’s disciplined focus.
Exercise: Tap a wooden object
rhythmically, synchronizing breath with each strike, visualizing your essence
aligning with the universe.
65. Walking in Stillness
Basis: Soto Zen’s Kinhin;
Neidan’s inner stillness.
Exercise: Walk slowly, feeling
each step as a return to your true nature, as per the Oxherding Pictures’
“Returning to the Source.”
Part 2: Qi (Energy) – Mental Focus and Koans
Focus: Cultivating energy through clarity and
Zen principles.
66. Koan: Dogen’s Being-Time
Basis: Dogen’s Shobogenzo:
“Time is not separate from you, and you are time.”
Exercise: Sit in Zazen, contemplating:
“What is time if I am time?” Let the question dissolve boundaries.
67. Breathing the Void
Basis: Neidan’s merging with
the void; Zen’s emptiness.
Exercise: Inhale, visualizing
clear light filling your body; exhale, merging with the void. Contemplate:
“I am the void, the void is me.”
68. Chanting “Amitabha”
Basis: Pure Land influence
in Zen; Neidan’s connection to the divine.
Exercise: Chant “Namo Amitabha”
softly, visualizing a golden light enveloping you, preparing for immortality.
69. Koan: The Oxherding Search
Basis: Zen’s Ten Oxherding
Pictures (Picture 1: Searching for the Ox).
Exercise: Contemplate: “Where
is the ox of my true self?” Visualize footprints leading to your heart.
70. Contemplating Emptiness
Basis: Zen’s Sunyata; Neidan’s
transcendence of form.
Exercise: Visualize a mirror
reflecting nothing. Contemplate: “If all is empty, what am I?”
Part 3: Shen (Spirit) – Visualization and
Altar Work
Focus: Spiritual transcendence and unity with
the Five Buddhas (Fast Days 71–75).
71. Vairocana Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Vairocana;
Oxherding Picture 8: Both Ox and Self Forgotten.
Exercise: Sit before an altar
with a white candle. Visualize Vairocana’s radiant light, merging with
your spirit. Contemplate: “I am the cosmic Buddha.”
72. Aksobhya Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Aksobhya;
Oxherding Picture 9: Returning to the Source.
Exercise: Visualize Aksobhya’s
blue light in your heart, stabilizing your spirit. Contemplate: “My mind
is unshakeable, eternal.”
73. Ratnasambhava Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Ratnasambhava;
Oxherding Picture 10: In the World.
Exercise: Visualize Ratnasambhava’s
golden light, offering abundance. Contemplate: “I give freely, transcending
death.”
74. Amitabha Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Amitabha;
Zen’s principle of compassion.
Exercise: Visualize Amitabha’s
red light, guiding you to the Pure Land. Contemplate: “I am reborn in light,
immortal.”
75. Amoghasiddhi Buddha Meditation (Fast Day)
Basis: Shingon’s Amoghasiddhi;
Zen’s principle of action without fear.
Exercise: Visualize Amoghasiddhi’s
green light, empowering your spirit. Contemplate: “I am one with all Buddhas,
perfected beyond death.”
