Finding a True Teacher... Half the Journey

[@forrestwheeler916]

I so enjoy you teachings . I born and raised American. Yet olive by Asian culture traditions and by the teachings of lord Buddha. So nice to hear you speak venerable thank you ‘

[@Interiormythos]

Forrest, thank you for these reflections. We are grateful you have discovered this channel and hope you will return often. You will appreciate the mission of this channel to communicate the message of Abbot Okumura and other great teachers. Please consider an encounter with the Life Journey series, available on the home page of this channel. It provides a sequential, guided, experiential path for the contemporary contemplative practitioner. It can provide a helpful teaching tool for solitary inquiry or group discussion. Check it out. GO Deep!

[@frankchilds9848]

Thanks Okumura Roshi! Your approach is very gentle and even humorous. In Hawaii I live in a Soto temple, very interesting...we are neither Japan nor mainland America LOL 😂 you would find us interesting for sure!

[@Interiormythos]

Frank, it is good to live in a place that is “in-between;” not-here and not-there. Such a place provides a special perspective not available to those immersed within the container of just one limiting “place.” And, to your point, gentleness and humor reflect the deepest nature of this cosmos we share. May we mirror this posture in all relationships. GO Deep!

[@sebastiank9175]

unfortunately we are in the century of the end of buddhism period or the buddhist called the darkness period and its harder to fond good genuine teachers, many great masters that I have met have passed away to nirvana and the younger generations of teachers unfortunately are expose to many "temptations" in modern society. lets hope many continue to practice hard so that when the darkness period arrived we can be in the land of lights! thank you okumuru you are one pf those rare genuine teachers. I will continue top pray for your good health and well beings so many Americans and sentient beings can continue to benefit from your presence and teachings.

[@Interiormythos]

Sebastian, we may all trust that even with the challenges to traditional institutions of Buddhism and the scarcity of true teachers in all religious expressions, Reality will remain and their will always be those few individuals who will serve as the voice of deep truth; as does Shohaku Okumura. Shohaku Okumura has released his role as Abbot and is now officially retired although still practicing and teaching. If you or anyone else wishes to provide support for him at this later phase of his life, you may do so at this link: www.paypal.com/paypalme/shohakuokumura?locale.x=en_US GO Deep!

[@believewithyourheart5627]

Thankyou very much for this great clarification :) in finding a teacher, the Bible says ‘You shall know them by their fruits’. God bless you.

[@Interiormythos]

Thank you, John 3:16! May we all discover great teachers confirmed by “their fruits” and may we nurture more practitioners in this world.

[@gulnaramachingura2430]

He answered most important question - WHY to find a teacher. Thank you so much - the information has clarified the lojong slogan no14 which i struggled to understand even intellectually ))) it is inspirational and a joy to see so many similarities between zazen and tibetan buddhism - may more people access Dharma teachings of this wonderful master. 😍 and may you have wonderful karma for making it all accessible

[@Interiormythos]

Gulnara Machingura, we are grateful for your kind affirmation. Yes, the similarities between Zazen and Tibetan Buddhism and every other tradition rooted in a relationship to The Universal is the important cross-pollination that can feed and nurture us today as we reconnect with that which binds us. We are grateful you have discovered this channel. We hope you will return often and share your Comments freely. There are many videos on this channel. The core teaching is presented in the “Life Journeys” series (check out the Playlists. 49 short videos in this series have been released to date). The “Life Journey” series uses material from some of the greatest living teachers who are mostly unknown to the popular culture; including Abbot Shohaku Okumura, Sister Joan Chittister, and many others from the East and the West. These sequential cinematic art form modules guide one deeper and deeper into consciousness and the practices of a contemporary contemplative. To advance in becoming a contemplative practitioner, we suggest encountering one sequential module per day or some other regular schedule that works for you. The journey begins with “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. This sequential contemporary contemplative practitioner journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion. We know of no stronger existing guided material to nurture a deep journey in today’s world; for a beginning seeker or a master. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link for the next sequential art form. We hope to see more comments and reflections from you again soon. We will always attempt to respond. If you wish to grasp the underlying intent of these cinematic art forms consider this short practical context: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k GO Deep!

[@haikuargentina1108]

Excelent! Thank you for sharing this knowledge with us 🙏

[@Interiormythos]

Haiku Argentina, Thank you for this kind affirmation. We are glad you have discovered this channel. We hope you will return often and share your Comments freely. There are many videos on this channel. The core teaching is presented in the “Life Journeys” series. The “Life Journey” series uses material from some of the greatest teachers living today who are mostly unknown to the popular culture; including Abbot Okumura. These sequential cinematic art form modules guide one deeper and deeper into consciousness and the practices of a contemporary contemplative. We suggest doing one sequential module per day or on some regular schedule. The journey begins with “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. This sequential contemporary contemplative journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion. The top Comment listed under each module contains a link to the next sequential art form. We hope to see more Comments and reflections from you again soon. If you wish to grasp the underlying intent of these cinematic art forms consider this short practical context: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k GO Deep!

[@haikuargentina1108]

@@Interiormythos Thanks four your very interesting feedback. I enjoy your channel very much! Greetings from Argentina 🙏 🇦🇷

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

I have a question for you. I try to do Zen meditation almost everyday, but I work with people who don't share my values and most of the time are upset at work. Some of them give me orders, too. Even though they are not my bosses. I try to stay calm but it's hard. What should I do? Can you give me some advice?

[@Interiormythos]

Rafael, thank you for this special and universal question. Zen is practice, as taught by Dōgen, of “dropping off of body and mind.” In other words, living beyond our thoughts and emotions and placing our conscious attention in a deeper place. This is certainly a challenge when we sit peacefully in Zazen, even for a few minutes, yet when we attempt to function in the business (busy-ness) of our everyday lives in a world of constant disparate encounters, the challenge to personal practice is radically intensified. BUT this is the point of practice; to help get us ready, not just to sit on our butts, but to engage a world hungry for a deeper presence. You are on a worthy path. Do not think of these daily encounters as a distraction from your practice but as the very place in which you are learning to manifest your deepest practice. GO Deep!

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

@@Interiormythos thank you 👍🏻

[@heekyungkim8147]

I would like to find a good teacher but I haven’t found yet…

[@Interiormythos]

@heekyungkim8147, you have confirmed the challenge for most seeking a deeper path through today’s world. It is a great gift when one has daily access to a true teacher who can both instruct and model authentic practice. For most, this is a challenge. This channel attempts to provide a supplemental resource allowing for a digital connection with some of the most authentic teachers-of-depth living today. The Life Journey series, available on the home page of this channel, provides a sequential, guided, experiential path for the contemporary contemplative practitioner. Check it out! GO Deep!

[@andreamiller2547]

Vairochana Buddha, not Virocana Buddha

[@Interiormythos]

Andrea, thank you for this correction. While our interview editing team may struggle with some translations, they are pretty good at sensing deep truth when it appears. We are grateful you found your way to this special channel and hope you can overlook minor editing errors to encounter the deeper truth to which the material points. We hope you will return often. Please continue to explore the Life Journey series on the home page of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel. It provides a sequential, guided, experiential path for learning and practicing contemplation. GO Deep!