千曲市の桑原地区に歴史的の開眼寺があります。その住職、柴田文啓さんは毎朝５時に座禅を組んでいますので１０日に久しぶりに二男と行きました。やはり、練習不足で座禅はなかなか難しかった。その後、柴田さんに誘われて、お茶をしました。その時にのお話しです。
（普通はこういう場面で「宗教」と「政治」と、長野の場合、「どこのおそば屋さんが美味しいか」の話がタブーですが、許してください。）
柴田さんによると、現代の日本では仏教の役割はお葬式だけと思われてきた。しかし、仏教の教えを日常的の生活に取り組むべきだと。
座禅はその道具の一つ。
例えば、禅門答は学生や社会人に重要な修業になると。
「隻手声あり、その声を聞け」を修業するのは学校や仕事にも役に立つ。
柴田さんは５月１７日から東京で古川 周賢さん（東京大学の老大師と講演会のシリーズを開催するそうです。座禅を通じて、自分の日々の糧を得たらどうですか？
講演会も良いし、朝５時座禅も良いです。ご一緒に行きませんか？
What is the sound of one hand clapping? The answer to that question may help you with your studies or work.
It is one of the classic questions monks of the Zen Buddhist tradition use to sharpen their minds. Our local Zen Temple, Kaigen-ji, offers meditation sessions every morning at 5am. I went with one of our sons but it had been so long that I was mentally rusty. Following the meditation session, the monk, Shibata-san, invited us for tea. There he explained his latest project.
(NOTE: It is said that topics such as "Religion" and "Politics" -- and here in Nagano, "Which is the best soba restaurant" are taboo, but allow me just this once to delve into "Religion".)
Shibata-san said that Buddhism is in danger of being relegated to a role as a purveyor of funerals in today's Japan. He is hoping to find a way to bring Buddhism into people's daily lives.
One was is through Zen meditation, which is actually superb mental training for study and work as well as just for religious reasons.
Hence, deeply pondering the sound of one hand clapping can be beneficial for students and business people.
Shibata-san will be offering a series of study sessions in Tokyo starting May 17th with Tokyo University prof Shuken Furukawa. If you can't make the lecture series, feel free to join me for 5am Zazen medition instead!
