80. Your Idea Of Yourself Is Not You: Part 1
Dok Sahn once called on Zen Master Yong Dam and stayed until late evening. Dok Sahn at thetime was considered to be the foremost scholar and authority on the Diamond Sutra. He wasalso preceptor to the nobility and would spend hours lecturing on his vast scriptural knowledge.Yong Dam finally interrupted himself saying “It is getting […]
79. The Key Unlocking The Door To Peace and Happiness
Zen Master Seung Sahn on a couple of occasions remarked to me, “You are tooclever. Your mind is always busy like a Professor’s mind. The key necessary tounlock this mind is to become number one stupid.” After he said this, naturally Isaid thank you, bowed to him, and left the room. Ha-ha. When you are […]
78. The Tiny Little Book of Zen
“Many Chan Masters attained enlightenment while laboringEven while you work you should be conscious of your inner stateThere are too many distractions in daily lifeThey are all around us.If you’re constantly chasing distractionsYou won’t be able to calm your heart.” Bhikuni Miao Kai :Caodong Zen nun and Garden Master, Caoshan Baoji Temple, China Many years […]
77. Grasp at Nothing
An important point in our practice is to never commit verbal teachings to memory.Carrying around words and phrases is a trap worth avoiding. The truth hasnothing to do with clever speech. Keep bringing your mind back to the presentmoment. You will then be able to see through all the inconsequential mindmeanderings and be able to […]
76. Zen Is Very Simple
Most of you are aware that the sixth ancestor, Hui Neng, never attended school.Prior to entering Monastery he made a meager living as a wood cutter to support himself.The fifth ancestor facing old age proposed a poetry contest to see who could best express thebone of the dharma, and hence become his successor.Fully expecting the […]
75. What The Ancestors All Taught
All of the zen ancestors had one thing in common. They were adept at cutting offwords and not clinging to imagery. They realized that to be free from the confusionof harboring preferences and discriminations led to a life of freedom. They taught remaining peaceful and tranquil regardless of the situation. When free from mental residue […]
74. MUSHIN
If the mind stops, that means it is encumbered by something. However, if the minddoes not stagnate and is not caught by anything, it means the mind is empty. Thedefinition of the Japanese word Mushin is “no mind.” This emptiness and Mushinare equal. The flow of thoughts, like the flow of a river is when […]
73. Facing Death
This week’s blog may for some be a little difficult to digest.The Mahasatipatthana Sutra contains a charnel ground meditation.Monks were encouraged to meditate in the Charnel Burial Grounds as part of their training, away to experience the impermanence of life. The following is a condensed version of the above meditation. My body is bloated and […]
72. Put down all ideas of attainment and everything is revealed
“There is nothing more lonely than living aloneThere is nothing more tranquil than living aloneThe tranquility more than makes up for the loneliness.” Santoka TanedaJapan’s Most Beloved Modern Haiku Poet “It’s not that I’m afraid of dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Woody Allen “We often have the feeling, about […]
71. Zen Is Simple
“Just seek inwardly twenty-four hours a day, in the midst of all activities keeping the huatou,What is it that speaks and keeps silent, that sees and hears.” Li Quing-anMaster Ziyang reminds us that “nothing takes precedence over a constant vigil and detachmentfrom an emotional consciousness.” In the Collection on Complete Reality Wang Chongyang instructs: “If […]