Step Nine – Reaching the Source The Second Dharma Realm Too many steps have been taken returning to the root and the source. Better to have been blind and deaf from the beginning! Dwelling in one’s true abode, unconcerned within and without – The river flows tranquilly on and the flowers are red. Reaching the… Continue reading Super Power Mindfulness Zen
Category: Enlightenment
Stream Entry Zen Part Two
Sotapanna is the Pali word for stream entry. We enter the stream by lessening the first three fetters of the ten fetters, i. e., the fetters of 1) sakkaya ditthi, the belief that we are an independent self, i. e., that a self can be found in the five aggregates, 2) doubt about the Buddha and his teachings,… Continue reading Stream Entry Zen Part Two
Zen From An Unexpected Guest
Buddhism is a method of cultivating the mind. Since Buddhism affirms that the universe is governed by impersonal laws and not by any creator-god, it has no use for prayer, for the Buddha was a teacher and not a god. Buddhism regards devotion not as a religious obligation but as a means of expressing gratitude… Continue reading Zen From An Unexpected Guest
Greed, Zen and the First Paramita
When preparing to write on a Buddhist topic, I first read what others have to say on the subject. Then I try to find something original to say that might be eye-opening and helpful to a reader. I found one of the clearest, well-written discussions ever on the six paramitas while preparing to write this… Continue reading Greed, Zen and the First Paramita
Zen And Thrill Seeking
All of us have seen the interview conducted by admiring journalists after someone has run up to a cliff and jumped off it into the abyss with nothing but a hang glider to hold onto. Or after jumping off that nine hundred feet high bridge in West Virginia on Bridge Day with a bungee cord tied to an ankle. And they say the same thing.… Continue reading Zen And Thrill Seeking
Zen Practice And Enlightenment
The Buddha identified four stages of enlightenment: Stream Entry (sotapanna), the Once Returner (sakadagamin), the Non-Returner (anagamin), and Buddhahood. The Buddha taught that Stream Entry is attained when the first three of the ten fetters are overcome: Those first three fetters are: 1) Belief in an independent, unchangeable/permanent or everlasting self, called atman in the Vedas, which belief… Continue reading Zen Practice And Enlightenment
Zen Mindfulness of Mind Objects
Venerable Ajahn Sumedo When our Zen (meditation) practice reaches the super-advanced stage of mindfulness of mind objects, we can start bragging that we are advanced, highly skilled practitioners (that is a hilarious joke so I hope you don’t break your ribs laughing; bragging about anything is something a practitioner at such an advanced level would… Continue reading Zen Mindfulness of Mind Objects
Mindfulness of Feelings
The previous blog post discusses the first four steps of the Buddha’s sixteen step meditation popularly known as Tranquil Wisdom meditation. Now we can briefly discuss steps five through eight, the four steps that collectively develop mindfulness of feelings, the second foundation of the four foundations of mindfulness. When we experience the breath of the… Continue reading Mindfulness of Feelings
Zen Koans and Mindfulness
Harnessing the power of what Ajahn Brahm jokingly refers to as super power mindfulness is the key to cracking open a Zen koan. Without it, a Zen student can struggle a lifetime with koans and never open the gateless gate. With it, the koans are seen and the gate opens. Tranquil Wisdom meditation, taught by… Continue reading Zen Koans and Mindfulness
Zen darkness and light
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches that forgetfulness is the darkness, mindfulness is the light. Trouble is, most people have no idea what forgetfulness is. I have a good memory, they say, I am not at all forgetful. I never forget to watch the Dallas Cowboys play on Sunday afternoon. I never forget to watch Dancing with… Continue reading Zen darkness and light