Don’t just sit there – do something! Conventional wisdom Don’t just do something – sit there! Buddhist wisdom This website is about practice; we try to minimize philosophy. As Red Pine says in his commentary on The Heart Sutra: Buddhism is better understood as a skill or an art to be practiced and perfected,… Continue reading Tranquil Wisdom Zen
Category: Mindfulness
Present Moment Awareness Zen
Introduction to Buddhist Practice Nirvana is the highest happiness…the Buddha, as quoted in The Dhammapada, verses 203 and 204. If we complete this course, it will help us develop the Bodhi Mind – the aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. If we have a desire to attain enlightenment for our… Continue reading Present Moment Awareness Zen
Silent Present Moment Zen
Step 3 – First Glimpse of the Ox The Eighth Dharma Realm I hear the song of the nightingale. The sun is warm, the wind is mild, willows are green along the shore – Here no Ox can hide! What artist can draw that massive head, those majestic horns? First Glimpse of the Ox Silent… Continue reading Silent Present Moment Zen
Mindfulness Of The Body Zen
Step 4 – Catching the Ox The Seventh Dharma Realm I seize him with a terrific struggle. His great will and power are inexhaustible. He charges to the high plateau far above the cloud-mists, or in an impenetrable ravine he stands. Catching the Ox Mindfulness of the Body The seventh dharma realm is the dharma… Continue reading Mindfulness Of The Body Zen
Mindfulness of Feelings Zen
Step Five – Taming the Ox The Sixth Dharma Realm The whip and rope are necessary, else he might stray off down some dusty road. Being well trained, he becomes naturally gentle, then, unfettered, he obeys his master. Taming the Ox Mindfulness of Feelings The sixth dharma realm is the dharma realm. Counting from the… Continue reading Mindfulness of Feelings Zen
Mindfulness of the Mind Zen
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
Mindfulness Of Mind Objects Zen
Step Seven – Self Alone, Ox Forgotten The Fourth Dharma Realm Astride the Ox, I reach home. I am serene. The Ox too can rest. The dawn has come. In blissful repose, Within my thatched dwelling I have abandoned the whip and ropes. Self Alone, Ox Forgotten Mindfulness of Mind Objects The fourth dharma realm… Continue reading Mindfulness Of Mind Objects Zen
Super Power Mindfulness Zen
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
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
54 prostration verses for Zen
A complete Buddhist practice, in my opinion, includes a prostration practice. Complete instructions on how to perform a prostration are found under the heading Prostrations under Advanced Zen. There you will also find a video of three very fast prostrations. We suggest preforming each prostration much slower. To avoid the tedious process of counting fifty… Continue reading 54 prostration verses for Zen