The Ten Oxherding Pictures which relate back to a Zen master in the Sung dynasty China (1126-1279 AD), have spiritual roots in the very early Zen Buddhist texts ~ 560 BCE . They provide useful imagery of one of our illusions – our mind cannot be controlled- must and can be negated before a seeker […]
Here are few modern synonyms for the word COMTEMPLATION: indifference, lethargy, detachment, aloofness, and emotionlessness. Not too exiting! Its etymology sounds also pretty dull: 1200, from Old French contemplation itself from Latin contemplationem (nominative contemplatio) "act of looking at” Act of looking at. No wonder why our analytic, discriminative and judgmental Western mind sees the act of […]
Teaching from Mother Nature. The little "serpent" resting at the bottom of the Grand Canyon is the Colorado River. Being just water the river knew that she was no match to bore quickly against the solid, strong and tough rock to find her way west toward the Pacific Ocean. So she took her time.... around 35 millions […]
Despite being a Zen Master I strongly believe that perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order and yet every religion talks about perfections. What are they? How to achieve and maintain them? What will happen if you are unable to achieve them during your life? Zen Buddhism is in the same wagon than other religions […]
To discover awakening is to be awake To be awake is to study self To study self is to forget self To forget self is to see things as they are like a mirror and not as we want them to be Zen mind = Mirror mind Thanks. Ven. Ji Gong Sunim.
What is “Mini-Meditation” Formal meditation practice with a group or solo is key to Zen practice and will not be explained here again. The site www.oakvillezenmeditation.ca is full of information in this regard. What is important to realize is that practice of formal meditation is not an end by itself but just a mean or […]
Being mindful to our body. From Zen hat to MD […]
Is there life after death? This is a frequent question since we are always worried about ourselves and about the future. The real question is not whether or not we will be alive after our death. The real question is whether or not we are alive before it. 🙂 In fact to know if we […]
A quiet and still mind is not a specific supernatural and magical state of mind to achieve. Why? Simply because a still & quiet mind, by definition, cannot be achieved. Can you achieve a still heart, still kidneys, still liver? If so you are already in a bag or nearby one. Quiet & still mind simply refers […]
