zen316

http://www.theiflife.com/wisdom-day-meal-frequency/

a selection from a great article: The Understanding of Mind in the Northern Line of Ch'an (Zen) Robert B. Zeuschner Instructor in Philosophy at the University of California at Santa Barbara. Philosophy East and West, V. 28, No. 1 (January 1978) pp. 69-79 © 1978 by University of Hawaii Press, Hawaii, USA http://www.thezensite.com/ZenEssays/HistoricalZen/Understanding_mind_in_NorthernChan.htm All the teachings of Buddhism Originally exist from [the pure] mind. If you try to grasp mind by seeking outwardly You are running away from your own father.  [21] To seek for Enlightenment, or Awakening, in the external realm of teachers. texts, scriptures, commentaries, or holy practices is to misunderstand the ground of Awakening--which is simply one's own original (in the sense of "fundamental") mind. Another of the five Upaaya texts states: Awakening [from] false thinking, one understands body and mind, and one penetrates Fundamental Awakening (pen-ch...

http://www.ajahnchah.org/book/No_Abiding1.php If we just focus our attention on the mind constantly then we have the gist of the practice. Whether we experience mental states which the world knows as good or bad we don't forget ourselves, we don't get lost in good or bad. We just go straight . Making the postures constant in this way is possible... We hear some parts of the teachings and can't really understand them. We think they shouldn't be the way they are, so we don't follow them, but really there is a reason to all the teachings. Maybe it seems that things shouldn't be that way, but they are. At first I didn't even believe in sitting meditation. I couldn't see what use it would be to just sit with your eyes closed. And walking meditation...walk from this tree to that tree, turn around and walk back again... ''Why bother?'' I thought, ''What's the use of all that walking?'' I thought like that, but actually...

https://www.ajahnchah.org/book/Questions_Answers_with_Ajah.php Having reached the point where one is able to know things and put them down with ease, they say that the path has matured internally and one will have the ability to swiftly bear down upon the defilements. From then on there will just be the arising and passing away in this place, the same as waves striking the seashore. When a wave comes in and finally reaches the shoreline, it just disintegrates and vanishes; a new wave comes and it happens again - the wave going no further than the limit of the shoreline. In the same way, nothing will be able to go beyond the limits established by one's own awareness. That's the place where one will meet and come to understand impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self. It is there that things will vanish - the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not self are the same as the seashore, and all sense objects and mental state that are experiences go in...

We breathe in the qi which holds within it deep calm and peace. What matters is the feeling of peace, you must make that feeling within the mind. Conviction is the key to your success! • relax the body and mind • bring the mind to the present moment • accept the body and mind and give yourself kindness • let go of all internal dialogue, quiet the mind • bring your attention to the natural breath • bring your attention to the skin over the whole body • relax deeper to open the pores • breathe in qi from around you through the pores • breathe the qi back out through the pores • feel the quality of calm in the qi around you • breathe in the quality of calm • breathe out feeling calm deepen within you • continue until the mind and body are feeling calm and peaceful. • make a strong mental affirmation that you have increased in the chosen quality e.g calm. When you practice this qi breathing with affirmations, it is important to practice consistently and to only use one affirmation...

https://zenhabits.net/12-essential-rules-to-live-more-like-a-zen-monk/ 12 Essential Rules to Live More Like a Zen Monk “We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.”  – Thich Nhat Hanh BY  LEO BABAUTA I’m not a Zen monk, nor will I ever become one. However, I find great inspiration in the way they try to live their lives: the simplicity of their lives, the concentration and mindfulness of every activity, the calm and peace they find in their days. You probably don’t want to become a Zen monk either, but you can live your life in a more Zen-like manner by following a few simple rules. Why live more like a Zen monk? Because who among us can’t use a little more concentration, tranquility, and mindfulness in our lives? Because Zen monks for hundreds of years have devoted their lives to being present in everything they do, to being dedicated and to serving others. Because it serves as an example for our lives, and whether we ever really rea...