No Self... 1 = 0 = Infinity

In this excerpt from a new, 2022 interview, Zen Buddhist Abbot Shohaku Okumura explains how our five aggregates create suffering. Encounter this next: • Suffering of Contempor...
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Many thanks to the Sanshin Zen Community in Bloomington, Indiana: www.sanshinji.org/
The cinematic art forms of Interior Mythos Journeys are an effort to reacquaint us with the practices and exercises that have the possibility of delivering us into an encounter with the timeless deep place that is forever with us, but that we have become very skilled at not noticing. Please encounter: The Scenery of Life... Living Beyond the Clouds; the Truth of Zen
Our Mission: The curriculum of Interior Mythos Journeys is a quest to explore contemporary mythic language that is in harmony with the 21st Century, Global, Quantum Scientific, and Universal Reality in which we all actually live. Learn more at interiormythos.com/
As we solitarily and collectively claim the force of a relevant contemporary mythos, we are delivered to the possibility of life-lived-in-depth, the possibility of authentic life. This is the path beneath the surface.
The Transformative Encounter: The Practice of Contemplation
In the current age this transformative encounter, as well as the practices that deliver us to this encounter and the personal connection that flows from this encounter, is seldom the focus of our lives. Many of us wander disoriented through life, often on a self-destructive path, in a world seen, understood, and measured primarily by the external environment. We are disconnected from the Connecting Myth. We are disconnected from the interior depth to which the Connecting Myth might deliver us. Ironically, we have come to understand myth as a lie rather than a symbolic and metaphoric gateway to a deeper truth.
#interiormythosjourneys #zazen

Пікірлер: 29

  • @Threetails
    @ThreetailsАй бұрын

    Truly we are less like stones and more like waves.

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Ай бұрын

    Threetails, thank you for this insightful comment. May we all practice our wave-nature! We are grateful you have discovered 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 KZread 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! 🙏

  • @anelma2845
    @anelma28452 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for this explanation! I have been trying to grasp the concept of no self and emptiness while obviously having a mind and personality. This made sense and helped me understand the concept on a more experiential level.

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    2 жыл бұрын

    Anelma, thank you for this candid bit of sharing and honesty. Yes, if you are still sucking in air, you have, and will continue to possess, a mind and personality. This is where the journey of “identification” and “disidentification” begins. This is where we begin to “practice.” We are grateful you 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.” kzread.info/dash/bejne/mZmfyLRqmtXZm9I.html. 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: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qHh3ytZ7isfXmdo.html GO Deep!

  • @anelma2845

    @anelma2845

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Interiormythos thank you for the reply! I’ll definitely continue watching these videos.

  • @dr.jeffreyzacko-smith324
    @dr.jeffreyzacko-smith324 Жыл бұрын

    Profoundly well explained … and a memorable way to remember this important Buddhist teaching.

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    Dr. Jeffrey, thank you for this affirmation and for visiting this special channel. We hope you will continue to return. 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.jeffreyzacko-smith324

    @dr.jeffreyzacko-smith324

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Interiormythos Thanks! I’m a practicing Zen Buddhist, so have found my path!

  • @Simpaulme
    @Simpaulme Жыл бұрын

    I always trust teachers who don't need a script 👍

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    @Simpaulme, yes…yes! When the words are written on the heart, the resonance is greatest. We are grateful you have discovered this special channel and hope to encounter your presence again soon. GO Deep!

  • @Enolu
    @Enolu Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your teaching 🙂

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    Enolu, we are grateful for your affirmation and presence on this channel. Please return often. One nurturing practice you may wish to consider is establishing a regular 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. If you post a Comment at the end of a segment, someone from the staff will always respond and other people around the world can be helped by your reflection. The journey begins with an awareness of “The Presence.” kzread.info/dash/bejne/mZmfyLRqmtXZm9I.html. 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: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qHh3ytZ7isfXmdo.html Keep in touch. GO Deep!

  • @Fedaalis
    @Fedaalis Жыл бұрын

    I think Okumura Roshi may be the only *living* authentic teacher I've found, or at least that resonates with me. Not that I have looked everywhere, or even looked in very many places. I seem to find among others a concerning misunderstanding of emptiness that is more akin to the type of 'emptiness' someone means when they say 'I feel empty' when they are depressed. This seemingly 'common' understanding is a very pessimistic, nihilistic understanding where the ultimate goal is to 'escape' Samsara & become voidness, nothingness. It seems to be a very one-sided understanding. It is troubling because those kinds of teachings may lead people down the wrong path.

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    Fedaalis, you are correct regarding the challenge of finding an “authentic teacher.” The pseudo-teachers are everywhere (including across KZread) and finally, often subtly, are only presenting and promoting “themselves!” Okumura Roshi, through his own authenticity, is able to share the practices that might deliver us into the impenetrable, but touchable, emptiness of the void. We hope you will discover that this channel is VERY selective about the teachers allowed to present here, both of the East and the West. These teachers, although often from different traditions, share just One Message and One Path. It is this message and path for which the human family so hungers today. Yet, as always, these are not “popular” voices. Nonetheless, such teachers, ignored by the popular culture, have a home on the Interior Mythos Journeys Channel. We are grateful you are here. GO Deep!

  • @Fedaalis

    @Fedaalis

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Interiormythos I love your channel's philosophy, it's great to have found it! I wholly believe that beneath cultural aspects of religion, they are very much pointing to the same thing. Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. - if the teacher is genuine, that's all that matters.

  • @believewithyourheart5627
    @believewithyourheart56272 жыл бұрын

    This is so beautiful and interesting! Many years ago I followed Zen teachings and practiced Zazen..... then I encountered Jesus one day, and for years I only read the bible! What is so interesting is that I believe I understand what you’re saying! Often when you speak, a verse or two pops into my mind, which helps :) just now it was this from Philippians 2:3 “do 😇nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” Thankyou ☺️

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    2 жыл бұрын

    John 3:16, BIG YES! Thank you! May we all come to grasp the deep truth of which you witness. In the Deep Place, which we must each discover within ourselves, there is no East or West, only The Deep. Here is a short module affirming your insight - The Transparency: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iXl2uKyAgLSpabg.html

  • @Fedaalis

    @Fedaalis

    Жыл бұрын

    I think we need more of this - I follow Zen as my practice, but the Bible is loaded with insights and truths similar to those found in Buddhism, or other religions for that matter. Suzuki Roshi once said something like "I think religion is something like 70% culture, but [the] underlying spirit is true nature"

  • @rafaelecattonar1506
    @rafaelecattonar1506 Жыл бұрын

    I have a question about mudra hands position. In Zen Buddhism we have to put our right hand down and our left hand up to the right hand. Why is so and why in Zen Buddhist statues we see the left hand down and the right hand positioned up to the left hand? And is it true that statues in Zen Buddhism are not important?

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    Rafael, thank you for these thoughtful and sincere questions. You are on the deepening path of a contemplative practitioner. Traditional Zen practices and the understanding of the origins of these practices can be helpful as “context.” Yet, in a connection with the Deep Place all such human-created understandings, practices, statues, etc. disappear. In this Deep Place, only the absolute emptiness and absolute fullness remain. Your personal journey will be enhanced by the context you are building in your studies, but this context is finally but a gateway into a deeper place. Do not allow the gateway to become a prison cell! GO Deep!

  • @rafaelecattonar1506

    @rafaelecattonar1506

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Interiormythos and about Mudra hands position?

  • @bashizinyabahara8751
    @bashizinyabahara87512 жыл бұрын

    What can I read best as a novice?

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    2 жыл бұрын

    bashizi Nyabahara, thank you for this excellent question. If you find Abbot Okumura’s message of value and reading is a sustaining practice for you, we recommend you start with: Okumura, Shohaku, Living By Vow, Wisdom Publications, Sommerville MA, 2012. However, on this channel we also recognize that we are all novices! The “Life Journey” series was created for the purpose of your inquiry. We are grateful you discovered this channel. We hope you will return often and share your comments freely. If you wish to adopt a regular practice of exploring a deep personal journey within this 21st Century global village we share, consider the sequential steps of the “Life Journeys” series you can discover in the Playlists on this channel. We know of no more important practice for humanity today than re-connecting with the universal Deep Place and allowing this connection to modulate our thinking and action. This material can nurture the beginning seeker or the well-practiced master. Our world needs contemporary contemplative practitioners. 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. Think of each module (Station) as a component of daily practice or study like a foundational dharma talk or contemplative catechism. 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 an awareness of “The Presence.” kzread.info/dash/bejne/mZmfyLRqmtXZm9I.html. This sequential journey is an excellent opportunity for solitary inquiry or shared group discussion. The top Comment listed under each module contains a context for the specific video on screen and a link to the next sequential station. We hope to see more comments and reflections from you again soon. We will always attempt to respond. Here is a link to a short context that will help you understand the “Life Journeys” series: kzread.info/dash/bejne/qHh3ytZ7isfXmdo.html GO Deep!

  • @karlpoppe7192
    @karlpoppe7192 Жыл бұрын

    Two Zen Masters walk into a bar, they order two different drinks and argue about nothing. Really try to pin down the idea of nothing. They make little progress aside from ordering more drinks. In the end, they have nothing to say. They just smile, nod at each other and stumble away.

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    Karl, you have proposed a very good reason to have a drink! Some on our staff deeply appreciate this practice! Thank you for sharing a deeper justification, or maybe just “nothing!” Our world needs contemplative practitioners. Our human family needs you! Stay connected - share your email address with us at interiormythos@gmail.com to be included in the global community of contemporary contemplatives. Keep in touch. GO Deep!

  • @enlightenment00
    @enlightenment00 Жыл бұрын

    يعني أنا مش أنا في كلام الصوفيه

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    @radicalart, thank you for this reflection. Actually, this channel has deep roots in Sufism which of course is the most contemplative component of Islam; at least from our perspective. 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!

  • @Interiormythos

    @Interiormythos

    Жыл бұрын

    radicalart , shkran lak ealaa hadha altafkiri. fi alwaqie , lihadhih alqanaat judhur eamiqat fi alsuwfiat alati hi bialtabe aleunsur al'akthar tamlaan fi al'iislamu. ealaa al'aqali min wijhat nazarna. yurjaa alnazar fi liqa' mae silsilat rihlat alhayaat almutahat ealaa alsafhat alrayiysiat lihadhih alqanaati. yuafir msaran tjrybyan mtslslan wmwjhan lilmamaris alta'amulii almueasiri. yumkin 'an yuafir 'adaatan taelimiatan mufidatan lilaistielam alfardii 'aw almunaqashat aljamaeiati. tuhaqiq min dhalika. adhhab eamiq!

  • @enlightenment00

    @enlightenment00

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Interiormythos This is amazing, Thankyou I will definitely look into it, Deep :)