Step Six – Riding the Ox Home The Fifth Dharma Realm Mounting the Ox, slowly I return homeward. The voice of my flute intones through the evening. Measuring with hand-beats the pulsating harmony, I direct the endless rhythm. Whoever hears this melody will join me. Riding the Ox Home Mindfulness of the Mind The fifth… Continue reading Mindfulness of the Mind Zen
Category: Buddha Name Recitation
The Core Meditation of Zen
There are numerous meditation techniques. Some use mantras, some use Zen koans, some, like vippasana, monitor thoughts. But the core meditation taught by the Buddha is Tranquil Wisdom meditation. It’s a sixteen step meditation but the steps flow naturally so it’s not a memory test. The sixteen steps are found in Intermediate Zen at www.howtopracticezen.com,… Continue reading The Core Meditation of Zen
Zen And Eating Meat
Becoming a vegetarian is the single most effective thing that a single individual can do to inhibit global warming. It dwarfs the impact of switching light bulbs from incandescent to fluorescent or LEDs, driving more fuel efficient or electric cars, using Energy Star appliances, putting solar panels on our roofs, and so on. Some researchers… Continue reading Zen And Eating Meat
Zen And Buddha Name Recitation
Master Chin Kung and the Archbishop of Brisbane The Buddha spoke repeatedly of the Pure Abodes in the Pali Canon and taught that the sentient beings of the Pure Abodes were safely beyond the reach of the desire realm, never again to be reborn as a hell-dweller, a hungry ghost, an animal, a god of… Continue reading Zen And Buddha Name Recitation
Zen Practice And the Ninth Fetter
The unenlightened mind suffers from agitation. A mind that is not agitated is a mind at rest. Although there are many techniques for quieting the mind, Buddha Name Recitation works for most people. The name Amitabha or Amituo Fo has a certain charm that brings feelings of peace and quiet to those who chant it. Dharma… Continue reading Zen Practice And the Ninth Fetter