Ever wonder why rocks are so highly esteemed in Zen? They are esteemed because they exist in the realm of formlessness (the third world referred to in Buddhist sutras and chants that mention the three worlds). The realm of formlessness is the last realm before Nirvana. Stones have transcended sense desire (the first world) and the desire to live in the… Continue reading Why does Zen admire rocks?
Category: Zazen
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
Disney and Zen Practice
Walt Disney called Disneyland in California “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Walt Disney World in Orlando uses the same slogan. But having visited WDW scores of times, I can’t help but notice the crying children, the crowds spending their time in long lines to buy food (typically, huge turkey legs, burgers and other food cruel to both the… Continue reading Disney and Zen Practice
Tweet, Blog or Practice Zen?
The more I tweet, the less I meditate. The more I blog, the less I meditate. I just finished an hour of meditation. Even the idea of communicating thoughts seems ridiculous. Tweets and blogs disrupt the silence, infringe upon the silence, make a mess of the silence. Those who tweet don’t know and those who… Continue reading Tweet, Blog or Practice Zen?
Mindfulness of the mind
After arriving at the Still Forest Pool, the eighth stage of Tranquil Wisdom meditation, discussed in the previous blog, we sit in equanimity, i.e, our mind is the Still Forest Pool, silent and unmoving. We await the appearance of a nimitta. Nimitta is the sign of nirvana. We are in the neighborhood of nirvana when it… Continue reading Mindfulness of the mind
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 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
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
Can Zen Rename the Realms?
The ten dharma realms smack of religiosity. Whenever I tell my friends that Buddhism is not a religion of blind belief but a rational system of mental cultivation practices, they say: But your website speaks of hell realms, hungry ghosts and other such religious-sounding, old-fashioned things. They are correct. However, although Master Hsuan Hua speaks… Continue reading Can Zen Rename the Realms?