the most important things in our practice

1qr9

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

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practice without any gaining idea

the gate of suzuki

 

We say

to practice zazen

without any gaining idea,

without any purpose. Let things work

as they do, supporting everything as your own.

Real practice has orientation or direction, but it has

no purpose or gaining idea, so  it can include everything

that comes. Whether it is good or bad doesn’t matter.

If something bad comes: “Okay, you are a part

of me;” and if something good comes,

“Oh, okay.” Because we don’t have

any special goal or purpose

of practice, it doesn’t

matter what

comes.

 

Shunryu Suzuki

not always so