in the world of zazen, when we sit, we are sitting with all beings even though we may think we are just sitting on our own. the just sitting that is zazen is not limited to the perception of what is one's own and what is not. zazen is not limited by the different categories the mind creates to find its bearings in the world but does not exclude them either. zazen is a bottomless practice that allows us to be in the silent presence of the life force that is at work in everything and of which everything in this universe is an inseparable part. it opens us to something vast. that vastness is our home and zazen is the gateway to it. dropping everything and at once receiving everything; buddha's awakening.
for a years i had been meaning to visit the borabadour temple compound near jogjakarta, java. it is considered one of the greatest buddhist temples in the world and dates back to 9th pre-islamic indonesia. i finally got to visit on the first of the new year after a long road trip.
in the words of hölderlin, one year chases another. another reminder of transience, this time of passage.
may we each find our way to alleviate what we can while aiming for more than what we can to allevaite the great suffering of this world.
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pilgrimage to borabadour
speechless came
speechless left
in between
a buddha's smile
new year day 2025
magelang, java
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