Series B2B: What is Meditation & what are its benefits? Part 1 In series B2B ( Back to the basics ) we will start by talking about meditation. Zen means meditation in Japanese, and meditation is, by far, the most important component of Zen Buddhism practice because :      It contains all the keys […]

    Surrendering: an arrow to our ego, a hidden branch in the tree of serenity From education, culture, and experience, we must be achievers, fighters, and winners. Therefore, we are addicted to control .....or trying to ...on almost everything around us: We want to control our day, our routines, schedules, system, finances, work, health, relationships, […]

                                               ATTACHMENT AND DETACHMENT One of Buddha's first teachings was that everything in life is transient. Unfortunately, we are attached to these transient things or beings, and thus suffering ensues. All of us are attached to something: our parents, spouse, child, or profession. Attachment is a feeling. It is a mere thought. We attach ourselves […]

                           We Are What we feel: A Formula for Unhappiness All of us experience painful emotions and unwanted situations:: as separation from loved ones, diseases, loss of job, death, and many more. Westerners have a strong relationship with their emotions either positive or negative. People focus on their good and bad emotions much more than […]

                                    The Sound of One hand clapping                             The paradoxical mystery of koans and their teaching purpose Translated from Chinese, koan literally means “ public statement”.  Koans were created in the XI century by a Zen Master called Dahui to assess student progress toward Awakening. A Koan is a short question, statement, story, riddle, image, […]

                  DHARMA:  Illusion and Delusion: main sources of suffering The optimal goal of Zen-Buddhism practice is to control, if not eliminate suffering. The word “suffering” is better translated as “negativities in its broader sense” that is any situations and feelings affecting us negatively i.e. Struggling, anger, sadness, resentment, anxiety, unhappiness, jealousy, etc. Sources of negativity […]

The art and power of resting In this talk, resting is a relaxation exercise, different from meditation despite some similitudes. We are always running around and struggling with time. Fighting time has become a kind of addiction. We cannot resist being active, running around like a hamster on its wheel, giving us the feeling of […]

                                                   Happiness, serenity, and equanimity                                         Equanimity: the key to happiness: A Zen perspective Let us start with a definition: Happiness:      The intermittent positive emotional feeling of joy and pleasure is triggered by an external source. Serenity:     State of mind combining calmness, contentment, composure..... only when everything is OK. Equanimity:     Permanent even-tempered […]

                                              If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully            Japanese Zen teacher Hakuin loved to repeat: "At the bottom of great doubt lies great awakening. If you doubt fully, you will awaken fully, if you never doubt you will stay asleep with a frozen mind"    This is one of these paradoxical, and obscure Zen statements […]

 Dharma: Nothing is permanent, except impermanence    When asked what was the most important message of his 50 years of oral teaching, the Buddha replied these words. “Everything is transient, live and work diligently to appreciate and experience your impermanence.” There were his last words a few minutes before dying from mushroom poisoning. The key teaching […]