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: Rinzai 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
Zen, Dokusan and Mu!
Dokusan, or private instruction, provides an opportunity for Zen students to work directly with a teacher in a confidential, face-to-face setting. In the early days of Buddhism in Asia, interactions between Buddhist masters and their students usually occurred in public gatherings of the monastic community, or on spontaneous interchanges during work and other temple activities.… Continue reading Zen, Dokusan and Mu!
Zen: Happiness is a Warm Brain
With apologies to the late George Schulz, happiness is not a warm puppy. Puppies last a few weeks and then they’re dogs. And dogs don’t last very long, either. But a warm brain can last…forever? The Buddha spoke often against thoughts of eternal life after the present one has ended, so he would not be popular… Continue reading Zen: Happiness is a Warm Brain
Zen And The Ten Dharma Realms
This blog will highlight the content of howtopracticezen.com. There are only ten dharma realms according to the Mahayana (thirty one in the Theravada). Here goes: 1. Our ignorant, self-generated thoughts that lead to sadness and despair send us to the hell realm, the bottom of the ten; no one, no god, takes us there but ourselves. Antidote: Present Moment Awareness… Continue reading Zen And The Ten Dharma Realms
Are Zen Buddhists crazy?
Many Buddhists sit on a cushion every day, counting their exhalations. Many Buddhists practice loving kindness meditation every day. And the sixteen mindfulness steps of the Anapanasati sutta. Many Buddhists sit, just sit, every day. Many Buddhists work on a koan every day. And many Buddhists do all of the above, and much more, every… Continue reading Are Zen Buddhists crazy?
In Search of Zen Teachers
I got on Twitter with the primary goal of communicating with Zen and other Buddhist teachers. Unfortunately, some teachers collect followers but don’t follow back so they live on a one way street where there is no communication flowing to them. For example, Venerable Ajahn Brahm, arguably the most famous monk on the planet, has… Continue reading In Search of Zen Teachers
The Present Moment Of Zen
I see quite a few tweeple in the twitterverse who tweet every day that they are beginning a meditation with Insight Timer or have just ended a meditation using that app. I have always used a stick of incense as my timer but today I finally decided to give Insight Timer a try and… Continue reading The Present Moment Of Zen
Theravada and Rinzai Zen
The Anapanasati Sutta teaches the sixteen steps the Buddha followed to develop the mindfulness that led to his enlightenment. It is well-known to Theravada monks and nuns (to use a Western term that doesn’t really fit; these “monks and nuns” worship no one), but not to the ordinary people who live in the Theravada countries including Sri Lanka,… Continue reading Theravada and Rinzai Zen
Zen And Dreams Within Dreams
We can all agree that nothing happens in a dream. Most dreams are classified as anxiety dreams – we dream about what we worry about. More than once we have all awakened and realized with a sense of relief that we have been dreaming and all those worrisome thoughts were about something that wasn’t real. Any hack can… Continue reading Zen And Dreams Within Dreams