Zazen ~ A basic Zen practice

“The Basic kind of Zen practice is called zazen (sitting Zen), and in zazen we attain samadhi. In this state the activity of consciousness is stopped and we cease to be aware of time, space, and causation. The mode of existence which thus makes its appearance may at first sight seem to be nothing more than mere being, or existence. However, if you really attain this state you will find it to be a remarkable thing. At the extremity of having denied all, and having nothing left to deny, we reach a state in which absolute silence and stillness reign, bathed in pure, serene light. Buddhists of former times called this state annihilation, or Nirvana. But it is not a vacuum or mere nothingness. ” ~ ‘Zen Training Methods and Philosophy by Katsuki Sekida. Page 29-30.

Photo by Faye Cornish on Unsplash

Dharma with a Zen tone

Troubled and confused is life in the three worlds
It’s not just the way things are today
Things have always been like this
Because you fail to realize the truth
You spend a lifetime chasing about
Reading the Buddhist scriptures, you become
caught up in names and forms
and never return
Practicing Zen, you become attached to nirvana
and end up being mired there
It reminds me of Master Tung-shan’s apt words:
“The moment you set foot outside the gate
Grasses are sprouting everywhere”

~ Ryokan

Every Moment…

Every moment in life is absolute in itself. That’s all there is. There is nothing other than this present moment; there is no past, there is no future; there is nothing but this. So when we don’t pay attention to each little this, we miss the whole thing.   ~ Charlotte Joko Beck, “Attention Means Attention”

buddha in mountain

 

Facing Difficulties

Do not become annoyed when faced with difficulties. To do so merely adds difficulty to difficulty and further disturbs your mind. By maintaining a mind of peace and nonopposition, difficulties will naturally fall away. ~ Master Sheng-yen, “Nonopposition”

Miracles

Thich Nhat Hanh in Vietnam, 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Around us, life bursts forth with miracles—a glass of water, a ray of sunshine, a flower, laughter. If you live in awareness, it is easy to see miracles everywhere. Each human being is a multiplicity of miracles. Eyes that see thousands of colors, shapes, and forms; ears that hear a bee flying or a thunderclap; a brain that ponders a speck of dust as easily as the entire cosmos; a heart that beats in rhythm with the heartbeat of all beings. When we are tired and feel discouraged by life’s daily struggles, we may not notice these miracles, but they are always there. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh