Shohaku Okumura 1 = 0 = Infinity

[@anitafayes8967]

Enlightenment is like the moon, reflected on the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water broken. Although it's light is wide and great, the moon is reflected even in a shadow an inch wide. The whole moon and the entire sky are reflected in a dewdrop on the grass - Dogen 🥰🥰🥰

[@Interiormythos]

Anita, thank you for affirming this deep truth. We are grateful for your presence on this channel and 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!

[@althe]

Those are dead words.

[@Interiormythos]

Althe, thank you for this comment. We are grateful for your presence on this special channel. Can you please say more about what you are attempting to communicate? GO Deep!

[@steveurick3044]

I don’t think it is difficult to find a genuine teacher. Here he is.

[@Interiormythos]

Steve, precisely! And…there is more where this originated. We are grateful you have discovered this channel. Check out Abbot Okumura and other distinguished practitioners in 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!

[@mantas9827]

Thanks for making this interview, it was the revitalization of my zen practice that I needed.

[@Interiormythos]

Mantas, thank you for this affirmation. Yes, Abbot Okumura continues to guide many of us through his wisdom gained from a lifetime of personal practice. We are grateful for his contributions to this channel. Continue to explore the journey to which Abbot Okumura points. Check out 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!

[@Blockwise2]

Beautiful interview, it almost convinced me to fly 12 hours to see this man! Maybe one day I will.

[@Interiormythos]

@ervinache, thank you for this affirmation. Actually, Bloomington Indiana is a beautiful place to visit and the Sanshin Zen Center is a worthy encounter. When you are ready to make plans, contact the Board President, Mark Fraley: [e-mail]. And, if you can’t make the trip, the Center will appreciate a donation!! Regardless of your travel plans, we are grateful you have discovered this special 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 to our contemporary world. 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. GO Deep!

[@HariPrasad-uy9dj]

How can one be in reality "while dropping off body and mind" (in the repetitive phrases after the first part (24:08)? Body and mind are part of reality, the middle way is to accept that. There's obviously not only the wall, but also the person saying there's only the wall. "Not worrying" is just calming, it's not simply sitting.

[@Interiormythos]

Hari, thank you for this question and reflection. “Reality” is a funny thing and somewhere at the heart of It is a paradox. Yes, this is a lot to consider but is perhaps the most important exercise for any of us to explore. We are grateful you have discovered this special channel and hope you will return often. Please explore this journey in more depth by encountering the “Life Journey” series on the homepage of the “Interior Mythos Journeys” KZbin channel. These modules provide a sequential, guided, experiential path for the contemporary contemplative practitioner. Life Journey #7 - The Ultimate Journey is a good place to start. Just scroll down the home page. Check it out and keep in touch! GO Deep!

[@frncscbtncrt]

I love listening to Okumura Shohaku and it was after listening to one of his lectures that I started practicing zen meditation. Many thanks to you for keeping Okumura san close and accessible to us

[@Interiormythos]

Francisco, thank you for this affirmation and for connecting with this channel. We hope you will continue to hang around. One nurturing exercise you may wish to consider is establishing a practice of viewing the “Life Journey” series in sequence, one-at-a-time, on some regular schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). Many people are finding this helpful solitarily or to share with a friend or group discussion. The 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, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others: East and West. All background music is provided by the cellist who opened for the Dalai Lama prior to his teachings. The initial five Life Journeys are available under the “Playlists” section of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. A sequential journey ensues. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. Here is a link to a short context for the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k If you post a Comment at the end of a segment, others can be helped by your reflection or begin a conversation. Keep in touch. GO Deep!

[@storyterrae]

It is so pleasant to complete the journey and finally enjoy the view. It started weeks ago, and every time listening to Abbot Okumura felt like a touch of Grace. Thank you very much for this experience! ❤

[@Interiormythos]

Storyterrae, we are grateful for your presence and affirmation. Thank you! Please return often and share your comments freely. Our world needs more contemplative practitioners. Consider adopting the sequential steps of the “Life Journeys” series, you can discover in the Playlists on this channel, as part of your practice. The 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, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others from the East and the West. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. This sequential journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion; consider sharing with your friends. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. Here is a link to a short context that will help you understand the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k GO Deep!

[@zephyrr108]

Complete the journey?

[@storyterrae]

@@zephyrr108 Yep! This was the last part of a series: they released clips over the course of some weeks and then the final, longer video.

[@danielberner7793]

Great, thanks for uploading! Was looking forward to listening to the whole interview/lecture/talk already since you first started uploading the snippets! I like オクムラ老師's way of lecturing a lot! It's kind of soothing, listening to his voice! 😌 ☺

[@Interiormythos]

Daniel, we are glad you are here. Thank you for this affirmation. Our world needs more contemplative practitioners. Consider adopting the sequential steps of the “Life Journeys” series, you can discover in the Playlists on this channel, as part of your practice. The 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, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others from the East and the West. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. This sequential journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion; consider sharing with your friends. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. Here is a link to a short context that will help you understand the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k GO Deep!

[@sidgasner3381]

What a beautiful teaching!

[@Interiormythos]

Sid, thank you for this affirmation. We agree! Our world needs more contemplative practitioners. Consider adopting the “Life Journeys” series, you can discover in the Playlists on this channel, as part of your regular practice. The 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, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others: East and West. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. This sequential journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion; consider sharing with your friends. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. Here is a link to a short context that will help you understand the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k GO Deep!

[@joycelee5780]

Great teaching , beautiful video , Thank you so much for sharing it , really enjoy it , love from The UK

[@Interiormythos]

Thank you, Joyce! Nice to hear from you again! 🙏

[@FihasiaTshirtStore]

So inspired by this being 🙏

[@Interiormythos]

Tony, thank you for this affirmation. We are grateful you discovered this channel. You will also appreciate a previous interview with Abbot Okumura: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKvHiq2rZ5dmbLM One nurturing exercise you may wish to consider is establishing a practice of going through the “Life Journey” series in sequence, one-at-a-time, on some regular schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.). Many people are finding this helpful solitarily or to share with a friend or group discussion. The 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, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others: East and West. All background music is provided by the cellist who opened for the Dalai Lama prior to his many on-site teachings all over the world. If you post a Comment at the end of a segment, others can be helped by your reflection. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. A sequential journey ensues. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. Here is a link to a short context for the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k Keep in touch. GO Deep!

[@interdimensionalsailboat]

I used to practice my zazen often but then i mostly stopped. At one point daily my worries made me suffer to the point where i stopped functioning and my mind was very unclear. I felt pretty much completely directionless scrambling for a way. I went back to the practice for pretty much instantaneous results. I do not understand it. There is no new "grander purpose or goal", but i feel better and take better care of myself. The thoughts no longer are the only way i experience reality. It puts things into perspective. Which i have to say still feels odd and is a little daunting. But i know its ok.

[@Interiormythos]

@interdimensionalsailboat6989, thank you for sharing this personal and candid illustration. Yes, thoughts are content and feelings are content and our suffering, usually at our own hands, happens from content we inflict upon ourselves. Yet, at a deeper level, we each have the capacity to connect with a Contentless Reality, a Reality from which we come and to which we return and that manifests as our most-essential truth. And when we re-connect, yes, it is OK! GO Deep!

[@alexkalayjian9046]

Thanks for the upload and teaching!

[@Interiormythos]

Alex, thank you for the affirmation and for finding your way to this special channel. We hope you will return often. Please consider a sustained encounter with The Life Journey series on the home page of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel. It provides a sequential, guided, experiential path for the contemporary contemplative practitioner. You will discover this dynamic profoundly in Life Journey #7 - The Ultimate Journey. Check it out and keep in touch! GO Deep!

[@slowdown7276]

The editing back and forth is so jarring! Still thanks a lot for this interview 🙏

[@Interiormythos]

@slowdown7276, thank you for these reflections. Yes, editing is a challenge and we continue to work at it. We are grateful for your presence on the channel. There is lots more to explore. Consider an encounter with the “Life Journeys” material available on the homepage. GO Deep!

[@OliveirosDiasJr]

Thank you for your sharing! Buddha Blessings to all of us!

[@Interiormythos]

Oliveiros, you found your way back! Blessings received!

[@BeStillAndKnow1111]

Such a beautiful video, full of wisdom. Thank you.

[@Interiormythos]

User-np, thank you for this affirmation. We are grateful you have discovered this special channel and hope you will return often. Abbot Okumura, Father Fragomeni, and many other extraordinary, but little-known teachers, help us to share the One Truth found deep in the heart of all the great wisdom traditions. Please also 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. Check it out. GO Deep!

[@haikuargentina1108]

Great talk. Thanks for uploading it! 🙏☸️

[@Interiormythos]

Haiku Argentina, nice to have you back on the channel again! Thank you for encountering the latest material from Abbot Okumura. The next time you feel a need for additional connection, check out the “Life Journeys” in the playlists. We are always grateful for your presence and comments.

[@haikuargentina1108]

@@Interiormythos 🙂🙏

[@Tomas33392]

Excellent teachings, thank you very much for sharing.

[@Interiormythos]

Tomás, thank you for this affirmation. We are grateful you have discovered this channel. Our world needs contemplative practitioners. Our human family needs you! A nurturing exercise you may wish to consider is to establish a regular personal practice of viewing the sequential modules of the “Life Journey” series. This interior guided journey nurtures deep solitarily exploration or a meaningful conversation with other practitioners. The series uses material from substantive teachers of depth; including Abbot Shohaku Okumura, Sister Joan Chittister, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others: East and West. All background music is provided by the cellist who accompanied the Dalai Lama in his public teachings. The initial five Life Journeys are available under the “Playlists” section of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel and a sixth will be released soon. Post a comment and someone will respond. Here is a link to a short context for the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k Keep in touch. GO Deep!

[@dr.jeffreyzacko-smith324]

Such an authentic teacher! Gassho!

[@Interiormythos]

Dr. Jeffrey, yes! May we all find such an authentic teacher as Abbot Okumura! A nurturing exercise you may wish to consider is to establish a regular personal practice of viewing the sequential modules of the “Life Journey” series. This interior guided journey nurtures deep solitarily exploration or a meaningful conversation with other practitioners. The series uses material from substantive teachers of depth; including Abbot Shohaku Okumura, Sister Joan Chittister, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others: East and West. All background music is provided by the cellist who accompanied the Dalai Lama in his public teachings. The initial five Life Journeys are available under the “Playlists” section of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel and a sixth will be released soon. Post a comment and someone will respond. Here is a link to a short context for the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k Keep in touch. GO Deep!

[@janed6862]

Thanks!

[@janed6862]

Thank you for the compilation of Shohaku Okumura's teachings!

[@Interiormythos]

Jane D, you are welcome! Thank you! Please return often and share your comments freely. Our world needs more contemplative practitioners. Consider adopting the sequential steps of the “Life Journeys” series, you can discover in the Playlists on this channel, as part of your practice. The 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, Kaira Jewel Lingo, Adam Bucko, and many others from the East and the West. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZbOl4Vnn9emodE. This sequential journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion; consider sharing with your friends. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. Here is a link to a short context that will help you understand the “Life Journeys” series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHWmmad4j8mkn9k GO Deep!

[@Interiormythos]

🙏

[@janed6862]

@@Interiormythos Thank you again for the helpful links! I subscribed to your channel so I can learn much more from Abbot Shohaku Okumura. Thank you for sharing & for all your hard work!🙏

[@mirashin8400]

Thank you 😊 💓

[@Interiormythos]

Mirashin, thank you for finding this special channel and encountering the depth teachings of Abbot Okumura, one of the many voices you will find here. 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. Check it out. GO Deep!

[@dr.kenmiller4227]

Very helpful information for transformation!❤❤😊

[@Interiormythos]

Dr. Miller, thank you for encountering this material. Yes, this entire channel is devoted to material that promotes the nurture and transformation of contemporary contemplatives. Please return and check out some of the Life Journey series. GO Deep!

[@luluj.9360]

Excellent!!!

[@Interiormythos]

🙏

[@adiosx1635]

thanks for this.

[@Interiormythos]

Adiosx, thank you for this affirmation. We are grateful for your presence on this special channel. There is much more available to explore. Please continue to do so. The Life Journey series on the home page of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel, provides a sequential, guided, experiential path for the contemporary contemplative practitioner. GO Deep!

[@siewkonsum7291]

Abbott Shohaku Okumura 🙏🙏🙏 SK Sum opines that - _Practice should be free, simple & natural._ _Akin to when hungry eat, thirsty drink, tired rest._ Zazen should not be fixated by any kind of schedule! But aligns to the convenience of One's work & lifestyle. This is the "wu wei" of doing & yet not doing Zazen, leaving nothing undone. On this view, may SK Sum hear what is your comment? ☺️🙏🙏🙇

[@Interiormythos]

Siew Kon Sum, precisely! Practitioners of all great wisdom traditions can quickly forget the only purpose in understanding deeply or practicing authentically is to “live a life!” This channel exists in order to nurture contemplative practitioners in the contemporary world we share. May we each learn from the great traditions and then apply and practice TODAY! And yes, “free, simple, & natural!

[@Whipplets77]

! Buddha, After all

[@Interiormythos]

Lssf Sccg, after all! 1 = 0 = Infinity! GO Deep!

[@dannymeske3821]

Everything is ying & yang!

[@Interiormythos]

Danny, confirmed! We are grateful for your presence on this channel. We hope you will return often. Continue to explore the nature of yin and yang in 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!

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

I have a question. I practice Zen Buddhism and I have seen that throughout history Zen Buddhist monks have had sex with younger students and that was the norm. Why? Doesn't Buddha condemn sexual misconduct? And do Zen Buddhist monks still do these practices?

[@Interiormythos]

@rafaelecattonar1506, you have raised a special question which our team will not attempt to answer. We can say the question you raise is very much in the realm of “human morality.” And…throughout history, in all traditions, human beings, to one degree or another, will ultimately act like human beings. This is not to condemn or condone human beings doing what they do, Zen, Catholic, or whatever. Yet, at the core of all the great depth traditions, including Zen, is an ultimate object of focus beyond-the-human and beyond ever-changing human morality. This ultimate object, beyond-the-human, yet providing the foundation of significance for being human, is the focus of this channel. We hope this response provides a context for your on-going question and your deeper practice of Zazen. GO Deep!

[@rafaelecattonar1506]

@@Interiormythos thank you. Your answer is very powerful and profound, but a little bit difficult to understand. I hope through meditation I will understand it better. I will continue my practice in Zazen and I will do my best to follow Buddha's teachings 😌😌😌

[@OliveirosDiasJr]

Finding Nirvana within Samsara, this very moment the whole moment.... I am typing. Typing I am.

[@Interiormythos]

Oliveiros, yes the paradox is everywhere! No paradox, no truth. Know paradox, know truth!

[@paramashanti449]

😢

[@Interiormythos]

@paramashanti449, we are not quite certain how to interpret the emoji, however, we are grateful you have discovered this channel. You will appreciate the mission of this channel to communicate the message of Abbot Okumura and other great teachers to our contemporary world. 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. GO Deep!

[@stevemarino5745]

He doesn't dream because he doesn't do anything all day but &%#!! sit in meditation! This is not Zen. Zen is activity. This is simply monk-Zen. What we do when we leave our meditation cushion or chair is the REAL Zen practice. The meditation is only the preparation, or the gate we open to go through in order to engage w/ the world. I see as much sense in sitting in meditation in a Zen momentary as being cloistered in a Christian monastery. None. If Buddha or Bodhidharma had only done this, who would know about Zen? You gotta practice it in the real world, not in what may as well be a theme park called DharmaLand. The whole earth and heavens are dharmaland. We are called to let go of this holy, non holy, tight ass Japanese Zen crap. Zen is the Tao, not a quietest Buddhism religion. There is no Buddha, no Zen, no you, no me, and especially no God. But there is no, no-God, and there is no, no-Zen practice. Duality is illusion that our minds make, which causes suffering, but no, no-mind is liberation. If you attempt to figure this out logically, it cannot be done. But if we let go of logic and discursive thought, then we can experience it.

[@Interiormythos]

Steve, what a healthy context you have shared for the interplay of action and non-action. May we all find the path to experience whatever the gateways are that might deliver us. We are grateful you have discovered this special channel. We hope you will continue to explore its deep, universal, yet uniquely-presented message. The Life Journey series on the home page of the Interior Mythos Journeys KZbin channel, provides a sequential, guided, experiential path for the contemporary contemplative practitioner. GO Deep!

[@pozsoz]

I think you didn't watch the whole interview or researched Okumura. Besides practicing meditation he is the leader and pretty much founder of a Buddhist community in Indiana. So he practices Zazen, which is one form of meditation, but he also teachers, writes, and has a family he provides for as well. The fact he practices meditation doesn't mean he doesn't do other things, and any Buddhist will practice some form of meditation that involves sitting. It doesn't mean Zazen is the whole practice, he explicitly mentions that besides Zazen, practice involves doing the daily activities in a mindful state, watching what one eats, living the middle way. If he was just sitting doing what you call "monk-Zen", it would be complicated for him to found a community, teach, write, and provide for his family. The fact others come to him to learn Buddhism and become that themselves, in a place like Indiana, tells you that he provides a good example, probably by doing more than just sit in meditation. Now, if he's been doing that for decades, just by sitting in meditation and nothing else, then he is not a monk, he a Buddha.

[@Interiormythos]

Pozsoz, what a great defense and affirmation you have provided to those who have chosen to build their lives and their practice around the deep currents of human existence rather than popular consumerism! We are grateful for the illumination you have provided and your presence on this important channel. Thank you for encountering the “whole interview” and grasping the deeper message of this beautiful and alternative path through life. GO Deep! 🙏

[@frncscbtncrt]

Thanks!

[@Interiormythos]

🙏