Hakuin Rinzai Zen and Mental Health
When you feel you don’t have time for zazen – do more.
Not just because you should, but because doing something positive is a thousand times better than feeding your problems.
And when you sit through the worst moments of your life, then that’s when you really do zazen deeply. A fantastic kind of zazen of freedom.
Be kind to yourself, but expect that sometimes you won’t be.
Be kind to yourself, be a friend to yourself. To be a good friend to yourself is to accept yourself, accepting yourself helps you accept others. Even when things are very ugly about yourself.
If you see an angry person, whether it’s another or in the mirror you can be sure, that person is many times more angry towards themselves, the same with greed, ignorance etc. And if there is that capacity for negative, destructive things, there is the same capacity for things that grow and nurture.
Don’t look for only the good and the beautiful, train to accept that ugly and selfish exist as well. Be a good friend to yourself, and good friend’s accept that some days are not good days.
You met a difficult person yesterday? You were the difficult person yesterday? So you have the same ability to be the kind person as well and so have they.
Realize that the illusion of you generates much of the negativity, that you feel and do.
You, yourself as an entity is a temporary idea, everything is change and you are change also, and the funny thing about changing you, is you disappears. When you disappears, others disappear too and you see all that’s left is the moon.
Change yourself in order for Self to disappear.
You cannot plough a field by pulling on the nose of the Ox.
You cannot change by trying to control.
Avoid lifestyle practices that undermine your change, if you smoke, use drugs, drink or have some other thing that breaks your rhythm. Sit instead. Think about all that energy and money you waste hurting yourself and others could be turned to helping instead.
If you are thinking ‘I can zazen just a bit, maybe each day, but keep my other stuff that drags me down, it will be OK’ - this self talk is delusional. Nothing will change doing that. Get desperate and use your desperation.
‘WAKE UP wake up, time waits for no one!’ - said Shakyamuni Buddha
Silence in doing, sitting zazen, offering incense, viewing the moon, get up and walk you need nothing else.
Right and Kind Words and Speech
Be thoughtful, extend your awareness of people around you. Just because you do see another person crying, showing emotion etc., doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling too. Don’t say the things that would upset you to others. Be thoughtful, listen with your eyes and speak with your ears.
Nanso method
When you have anxiety or begin to over think yourself too much notice your breathing, and use nanso uran ho method as taught to you in the Zendo to calm down
Naikan method
The Hakuin Naikan method, developed by the Japanese Zen master Hakuin Ekaku, is a self-reflective practice used for calming and fostering self-awareness. It involves introspection and contemplation, focusing on three key areas: what one has received, given, and caused difficulties for others. This method can be a valuable tool for personal growth and stress reduction. The reflective nature of Naikan can help calm the mind and reduce stress by promoting self-awareness and acceptance. By exploring past experiences and challenging negative patterns, Naikan can facilitate personal growth and transformation. Reflecting on what we have received and given, we can develop a greater sense of gratitude and self-compassion. And by facing and taking responsibility for what energy and time we waste for ourselves and others.
The Four methods of the Bodhisattva are central to Mahayana Buddhism
Giving – in all forms to all living and non living things.
Kind words – kind words are dialogue that leads to positive outcomes.
Kind actions – kind actions are actions that lead to positive outcomes.
Identity – when they are no longer thought about but manifested and embodied in living
Giving and Kindness and begins from yourself and leads to Compassion, realization of Compassion ultimately frees us.
The Four Vows
Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to liberate them.
Desires are inexhaustible, I vow to put an end to them.
The Dharmas are boundless, I vow to master them.
The Buddha’s Way is unsurpassable, I vow to become it.
Consider practices connected to Zazen, such as; Shakkyo (writing out sutras), Budo (martial refinement), Kado (the way of flowers), Sado (Tea way), painting, ceramics, gardening etc. Activity which distract you, good distractions, from bad repeated thinking habits into good ones and emphasizing humility in the middle of your life.
Zen training is lifetime process from Original realization, through clarification to maturation on the Great Matter of Life and Death, there are no short cuts and the ‘Way of Ease’ is a road we must ask takeThis is Jukkyo Kanzeon Shingyo – the Ten fold healing sutra of the Bodhisattva Kanzeon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, we also sometimes call it ‘Bell sutra’ because it’s typically rung with a bell each time you repeat it through. Take one deep breath and try say the whole thing in one go. You probably won’t be able to at first but with practice it comes. The deep breathing is said to be good for body and mind.
Enmei Jukku Kannon Gyo The Ten-Verse Kannon Sutra for Protecting Life
kan ze on
na mu butsu
yo butsu u in
yo butsu u en
bup po so en
jo raku ga jo
cho nen kan ze on
bo nen kan ze on
nen nen ju shin ki
nen nen fu ri shin
English translation:
Kanzeon!
Great is Buddha
Buddha is the source
Buddha is the affinity
Affinity with Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
Constancy, ease, assurance, purity
Morning thought is Kanzeon
Evening thought is Kanzeon
Thought after thought arises in the mind
Thought after thought is not separate from mind
Effectively the Sutra teaches all thoughts create this world and are connected and so are also the very being of Compassion manifested.
According to tradition, after the Tathagata Shakyamuni Buddha died, many types of Buddhism emerged, some emphasize ritual as a way to accrue Karmic merit, others emphasize intellectualism to overcome ignorance, some rules based living, the Zen school developed to emphasize the historical way that Shakyamuni himself practiced around zazen and seeking the truth that lies beyond dogma, ritual and intellectualizations. Not a life without belief, r ritual or rule, but understanding beyond that. Naturally occurring Awakening in this life, practical and changing.
Zen revolves around the practice it takes its name from Za-zen and San-zen. Zazen being the practice of Zen meditation, and Sanzen being the teacher disciple interaction.
Zen has a long historical relationship with wellness, though in Zen we say there is not trully any sickness, because where is anything to truly reside? Zen is also known as the Mind school because of its emphasis, on understanding Mind and being. Rinzai was a 9th century Chinese Zen Master, his dynamic style set the tone for Zen and Hakuin Ekaku was a Japanese Zen Master living in the 17th century, all current Japanese Zen monks and nuns are his Dharma lineage descendants, he taught both ordainees and lay people at his temple called Shobuan in Japan, he included Naikan and Nanso innthe traditional teaching of Rinzai Zen to help people cope with difficulties, as such modern Rinzai Zen is sometimes also called Hakuin Zen. Carl Yung the founder of psychology and psychotherapy studied Zen with D. T. Suzuki during the mid 20th century as did a number of Yung’s contemporaries and students, as such Zen Buddhism had an influence on the development of psyhcotherapy. Both Naikin and Nanso have been adopted for psychotherapy and the Four methods of guidance into Mindfullness, and both serve as an introduction gateway for some to Zen.
The Zen school, is also known as the Mind school of Buddhism.
Though mental health is just one facet of the Zen School of Buddhism it is none the less an important one, as we’ve said the Zen school is also known as the Mind School because of its approach to everyday living and Awakening in this life, not as some abstraction or superstition.
As such it came to develop and spread, so Zen which began in India, with the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, spread to China, developed further, because Mahayana teaching tells us that the Dharma is always developing, then to Japan, Korea, Vietnam and now back to the West because truth doesn’t know skin colour, language or race. Truth is everywhere and nowhere.
Zen and Addiction
Zen Buddhism is not primarily a therapy, but it does have therapeutic aspects, to overcome addiction you have to undergo personal change, which is what Zen is about.
To do that you have to engage in the doubt you have about how you’re living, engage in personal faith that you can go forward no matter what and then take the leap, the death of clinging to your addictive actions and thoughts. This is Zen.
You might use a substance, a molecule, but it’s the same as an idea, in fact the physical addiction begins with an idea and when you can let go of that idea you have let go of your addiction as well. Basically everyone who practices Zen has to do the this, it’s the same for everyone. The historical Buddha said even to let go of his teaching, this is only a vehicle, not the final destination, that is change, deep change from letting go of your addiction to this world.
