Video Posts on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@ZenOptimism/videos
Last Few Substack Posts:
Terms In The Video:
Zero: The fundamental teaching of the late Zen master Joshu Sasaki: “As the Buddha taught, zero inevitably splits into mutually opposing activities which inevitably disappear into zero.”
Reconciling Zero: The investigation of Zero in the pursuit of Effective Zen.
Effective Zen: The one path on Zen Mountain that gives any one individual the best chance of reaching the peak (realizing non-duality).
Zen Mountain: The collection of all possible Zen paths.
Buddhism: The set of spiritual activities where the highest good is the realization of non-duality.
Highest Good: That which exists for its own sake (there is nothing greater).
The Realization of Non-Duality: The complete understanding of a self inseparable from circumstance – where complete understanding implies manifestation.
The Realization of Infinite Mind: Same as the Realization of Non-Duality
The Near Shore: Where we currently stand
The Far Shore: The universally preferred state of one’s teacher’s framework (the end of suffering, clarity, joy, etc.)
Zero-Buddhism: The Three Conditions Required For the Activity of Buddhism to Arise
A clear picture of the far shore
A clear path to the far shore
An understanding of the obstacles on the path to the far shore
The Activity of Buddhism: The Naturally Opposing Activities That Ultimately Determine Whether One Makes it to the Far Shore
Crossing Over (the activity of walking the path)
Not Crossing Over (the activities that mitigate the activity of crossing over)
“Zero-Buddhism (the confluence of the three conditions required for crossing to the far shore) inevitably splits into the activities of crossing over and not crossing over, eventually inevitably canceling each other and disappearing, resulting in one either crossing over to the far shore or remaining on the near one.”
The Question For Next Week: What Is Zen?
What is the Activity of Buddhism?