‘The only zazen is the zazen that’s real, and the only zazen that’s real is the zazen that’s happening right now. The one that happened last week where it felt really good—it’s not real. And the one that you envision ten years from now, after you’ve been doing this every day and it’s really become a part […]
‘I’ve spent a lot of time worrying about not knowing what to do in zazen and thinking I am not doing it “right.” I think everyone must go through this. My relationship wth zazen has of course changed over the years, and I don’t worry any more about doing it “wrong” or “right,” as long […]
‘The Buddha addressed Sariputra: “Such a wonderful Law as this is only preached by the buddha-tathagatas on rare occasions, just as the udumbara flower is seen but once in long periods. Sariputra, believe me, all of you; in the Buddha’s teaching no word is false. Sariputra, the meaning of the laws which the buddhas expound […]
‘Without losing, you know, ourselves in city life, you know, to help others– how to help others is the point. We should be– whatever we do we should be Buddhist. To be Buddhist should not be just to practice zazen in calm nice building like a hermit [laughs]. That is not our way. Mahayana bodhisattva […]
‘Even though peak experiences might show us the truth and inform us about why we are training, they are essentially no big deal. If we can’t integrate them into the ups and downs of our lives, if we cling to them, they will hinder us. We can trust our experiences as valid, but then we […]
‘The thing I finally learned after around ten or fifteen years of daily sitting was that every thought I had was just a thought. I know that doesn’t sound like much. Everybody knows that! But I really didn’t. Maybe you don’t either. Not really.’ (from Hardcore Zen) The whole post is worth reading, but this is the […]
‘A wall can be a barrier. A wall can be a protection. A wall often represents a problem. Most of us have a tendency to turn our backs on our problems. Facing the wall is turning in the direction in which we will take responsibility for our own problems. Facing away from the wall may […]
