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 […]
This list is not in any specific order & probably not exhaustive.
Around 2500 BCE and after intensive 6 years of meditation a young prince named Siddharta Gautama became awakened or enlightened. He discovered that the origin of human suffering, dissatisfaction and unhappiness comes from our ego mind and he proposed the solutions to reduce if not to eliminate suffering. His followers gave him a nick name […]
When Zen literature speaks about the "walls or gates" blocking access to our inner serenity and happiness it uses the word "poisons" since these walls are, most of the time, like poison pills that we swallow continuously without being fully conscious of their effects. Of course many sources of our suffering, sadness, sorrow, grief come […]
Statement Traditional Mind Zen Mind Life can be better Yes Life is what it is Life is unfair Often Life is what it is I am unique Yes What is this? Happiness is found Mostly outside ourselves Mostly inside ourselves Success is happiness Happiness is success I control Almost everything in my life Almost […]
Have you ever noted over the years that your ego mind is in starving mode all the time, always complaining and crying like a spoiled baby: “I want more, I want more, I don’t have enough, I am not happy, give me that, give me this, why me, it is unfair”? Its requests are endless: […]
Dāna pāramitā: generosity, charity, kindness, giving oneself Śīla pāramitā : virtue, morality, righteousness, discipline, proper conduct Kṣānti (kshanti) pāramitā : patience, tolerance, forgiveness, acceptance, endurance Vīrya pāramitā : energy, courage, diligence, vigor, effort, will Dhyāna pāramitā : meditation, concentration, mindfulness, contemplation rajñā pāramitā : wisdom, insight, comprehension, common sense, balance Thanks. Ven. Ji Gong Sunim.
Thanks to our deceptive mind we have this illusion that each of us is has a unique, independent, separate self-entity. As far our DNA we are unique but in fact we are all interdependent and interrelated since we are the transient byproducts of the first living molecule around 3.5 billions years ago. All living beings […]
When life is rough and tough it seems that we are riding a bull during a rodeo. Especially when events are very hard to swallow, the temptation to let go and fall on the floor is great. The wild bull can be financial pressures, health issues, work, aging parents, difficult child, love relationship, etc. The […]
