Many Buddhist formulas can help us practice. One formula is samadhi, prajna and sila. These three can be understood as focused awareness, intuitive insight and morality. The three support each other and come naturally together later in practice.

Without a naturally focused awareness, samadhi, there can be no object to gain insight on. In samadhi or a focussed awareness, inside and outside come together without any sense of separation. It’s important to remember that at the same time that we melt into the outside,  the outside melts into us. It is a mutual embrace.

People often think of Zen practice as just being in samadhi. They sit zazen thinking that is Zen, and then wonder why their lives remain a mess and don’t improve. To only practice focussing for a while becomes merely an exercise from which nothing is learned.

Prajna requires samadhi. Before samadhi there is separation or duality and the mind functions by thinks about things – often thinking and thinking without any resolution. With focussed awareness, thinking becomes direct and intuitive, and works without the distance that encourages round-and-round considerations. Prajna is an intelligence of the body, a gut insight, arising spontaneously from deep within.

Samadhi and prajna lead us to be clearly aware of our situation and our self. Together, samadhi and prajna lead to an intuitive understanding of inner and outer situations. This is an excellent basis for determining how we respond or find our true relationship.

Sila means virtue or purity and is what we naturally practice as the world becomes us. Sila is often translated as precepts. But the word precepts is usually taken as external rules for behaviour. This is not the sila of Zen. The five sila of refraining from killing, stealing, taking intoxicants, lying and sexual misconduct are well known. Taking them as precepts, however, makes people rigidly adopt certain behaviours. This often leads to a one-sided view, leaving no room to discover aspects and subtleties. Instead, the sila are naturally unearthed and manifested as we discover our true vocation and relationship in situations. Naturally this requires insight and awareness.

Samadhi, prajna and sila come together as one three-faceted practice.  To become clearer and more vital in our true life path requires being focused on just what’s in front of us, of what’s arising moment by moment in our life. Without insight into our life and our circumstances, life becomes unfulfilling. We can’t satisfactorily develop and evolve in our life if integrity doesn’t arise and we’re forever being sidetracked by indulgences.

These three practices can be seen as springing from the interplay between self and no-self, between self and other. Awareness and insight arise when we alternately melt into our situation and respond vitally within it.

The interplay of self and no-self, or self and other, leads to integrity in how we behave or respond. This comes from the wisdom that the other is myself. As this wisdom grows, being concerned with others and this planet grows naturally – because they are us! This sounds very radical when we begin practice, but it’s the natural action that comes from realizing the non-separation of self and other.

Centre News

Buddha’s Birthday ceremony and potluck lunch will be at 11am Saturday April 11th. This is the main gathering of the year and partners and children are most welcome. A colourful ceremony where we all wash the baby Buddha statue with tea is followed by a delicious and varied potluck the members always provide. Please make a special point to attend, celebrate and meet friends.

Remaining sesshin dates for 2009 are April 18– 24, June 13– 19, August 15– 21, and November 21– 27. Arrival at the centre should be by 7:30pm on the evening before sesshin begins, Friday. There will be a service that evening at 8pm which everyone is expected to attend. The sesshins end on the following Friday evening with a group get-together. Out-of-towners are welcome to spend that night at the centre.
Please consider these sesshins as an opportunity for deepening and sharpening your practice.

The April, June, August and November One Day Sits will be held in combination with the second day of sesshin. The sitting times for these months differ from the regular hours (7am-4pm) and run 8:30am-6pm and include one-on-one meetings with Eshin.

We all know we've entering difficult, maybe very difficult, economic times. This is on top of other global problems such as over population, climate warming, and overuse of the earth's resources. When basic security is threatened it’s natural to deeply question society, the economy, values, etc. At these times Zen and zazen are very effective means to look deeper for insight, and the Zen Centre becomes even more important.
Already it appears more people are sitting. Great thanks must be made to those who financially support the centre in these difficult times.

At the AGM the 2008 directors were joined by Rory, Stephane and Fred, all whom have good life experiences to bring to the centre's administration. The next meeting is planned for 2pm Saturday March 28. These administration meetings are open to all members in good standing and they can have a say and vote.

A short video was recently made of Eshin introducing Zen and zazen. It is now on Youtube. Visit if you like, by searching for “Zen meditation zazen Eshin.” Leave a comment if you wish; it may make the video turn up more in searches

sangha news

Myorei is now using a room on the ground floor for her thriving Reiki healing work. Please contact her if you are interested in a treatment.

Jon and Risako left the centre in March to start their own home in preparation for their marriage in June. Both have helped the centre enormously, Jon with painting and many other assistances, Risako with helping Myorei with homestays.

Bethan is a Zen practitioner who is taking the ground floor ensuite room in May. Welcome Bethan!

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