Thank you so much for joining the session last weekend. We discussed “akirameru=as is” with the participants.

Akirameru is commonly translated as giving up or quitting.

Gensho Setsumon Roshi, who was the first Zen teacher for D.T. Suzuki and Kitaro Nishida, said, “You cannot bend your elbows backward”.

But we don’t try to see the world in the way it is. We see the world in the way we want to see (attachment). In Buddhism, akirameru means see the world more clearly without any attachments. You can see the world in the way it is. Thus, you can remove the illusion you have and reduce the dissatisfaction (suffering).

In the weekend of Oct. 16th/17th, we would like to discuss “happiness”. What is happiness? Why do we want to be happy? Do we need to be happy? What do we want to gain when we say that we want to be happy?

Please join our meditation and conversation.