everyday zen
If you
are trying to attain
enlightenment, you are creating
and being driven by karma, and you are
wasting your time on your black cushion.
The most important things in our practice are
our physical posture and our way of breathing.
We are not so concerned about a deep understanding
of Buddhism. As a philosophy, Buddhism is a very deep,
wide, and firm system of thought, but zen is not concerned
about philosophical understanding. We emphasize practice.
We should understand why our physical posture and
breathing exercise are so important. Instead of
having a deep understanding of the teaching,
we need a strong confidence in our teaching,
which says that originally we have
Buddha nature. Our practice
is based on this
faith.
Shunryu Suzuki
Hexagram 55: FÊNG /
ABUNDANCE
In
the search
for enlightenment,
there is an ever-present
certainty that there is more to do,
someone else who holds the
secret, another state to
attain.
In the
finding of it,
there is the comical
revelation that not one
of those things was
ever true.
小畜
Hexagram 9: HSIAO CH’U /
THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL
The
best effort
one can make is the
gentlest effort: wei wu wei.
Quietly, persistently direct the
mind toward emptiness. When
all thoughts and ideas have
dissipated, then make no
further effort. Just
breathe.
This
is the only
practice required of a
human, the best one, the one
that perfectly purifies
our lives.
Wei wu Wei Ching
Paperback / Kindle here
iPad/iPhone
iBooks
You
can now buy
Wei wu Wei Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
