Archive for the 'Zen' Category

The Mindfulness of Thich Nhat Hanh

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thomas
2 months, 3 weeks ago
in Exercise, Meditation, Mindset, Philosophy, Principle, Qigong and Zen
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Thich Nhat Hanh, Plum Village plumvillage.org

mindfulness is awareness of one’s thoughts, actions or motivations. wikipedia.org

Reference:
The clip is from the DVD accompanying the book “Walking Meditation” (sep 2006) Thich Nhat Hanh, Anh-Huong Nguyen, ISBN 1591794730

Books:
The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation (dec 1999) Thich Nhat Hanh
ISBN 9780807012390
The Blooming of a Lotus: Guided Meditation for Achieving the Miracle of Mindfulness (jun 1999) Thich Nhat Hanh
ISBN 0807012378

Links:
Mindfulness of Ourselves, Mindfulness of Others www.explorefaith.org
Ram Dass interviews Thicht Nhat Hanh youtube.com (mindfulness)

Zen & Zazen Talks

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thomas
1 year, 3 months ago
in Meditation and Zen
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Master Duan Zhi-Liang Wuji Qigong

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thomas
1 year, 4 months ago
in Energy, Qigong, Taoism and Zen
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Meditative Mind

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thomas
1 year, 4 months ago
in Martial Art, Meditation, Mindset, Principle, Qigong and Zen
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The tricks for reaching a deep meditative mind are: do not resist, do not concentrate, do not persist, and most importantly of all, dot not be disturbed emotionally.

In meditation, the more you restrict your mind from wandering, the more it will try to escape your control. It is like trying to force your self to sleep - it just cannot be done. The mind is very stubborn and cannot be pushed. It can, however be led. Like water, the more you push, the more ways it will find to get around you. But if you led it correctly, it will flow smoothly even into the deepest places.

Moreover, when you meditate in this way, you should not concentrate. To much concentration will only generate greater resistance. Instead, simply pay attention. Concentration will make you tired and tense. This will worsen the situation. You should not allow your mind to dwell upon thoughts or problems occurring outside of your body. When you notice that your mind is constantly returning to the same thought patterns, bring it gently back to the center of your spirit. The center of your spirit is located at what is called the third eye, in the center of your forehead. Remember that deep, even breathing can help you achieve and maintain this metal centering.

Above all, never become upset with your self if you have difficulty leading your mind into a deep meditative state. Emotional disturbance will only create more tension in your mind, and further hamper your efforts.

Shaolin White Crane Martial Power and Qigong by Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming
ISBN 1886969353

P. 190

The heart is calm and quiet as still water

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thomas
1 year, 4 months ago
in Classic, Meditation, Mindset, Philosophy, Principle, Qigong, Taoism, Xingyiquan and Zen
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Wang Ji Wu

One must always maintain a calm heart even when influenced by the seven emotions; joy, anger, happiness, worry, sadness, fear and surprise. The heart must remain as calm as still water, never allowing any personal desires to stir up a ripple of disturbance. My thoughts are pure, in spirit I seek to forget myself and transcend the common affairs of the world, keeping my life simple and my desires few. With a clear heart, I do not contend with others or make demands upon the world, but rather seek to contribute what I can for the benefit of all, aiding those in need and protecting those in danger.

Without desire one is strong, without desire one is quiet, without desire one may return to what is natural, without desire one returns to the original state. With a heart still like water, from the extreme stillness will spring action, from the void comes that which is alive, yin and yang are in harmony and the qi flows unimpeded. With a heart still like water qi is sufficient and the spirit full. When the qi is sufficient and the spirit is full, the organs functions normally, the blood is nourished, the meridians, nerves, digestion, and circulation are all healthy and the metabolism stimulated. When the factors which prevent aging all are strong, one may prevent illness and live a long healthy life.

Humans are holistic beings which are possessed by of a certain vitality. The spirit and flesh are inseparable and form a complicated entity. The human vitality supports, influences, and is responsive to the person as a whole, while the spirit is the leader and controller, the “commander-in-cheif” of the being as a whole. Under certain circumstances, it can be said that the spirit “pulls at one hair and the whole body follows” or at the slightest stirring of the spirit the whole being responds, and each movement of the spirit has a real effect on the individual. Therefore I put special emphasis on the spirit as the leader, ever strengthening my resolve to cultivate my spirit, maintain calmness of the heart and become as pure as light without a speck of dust. This is akin to the meaning of a Song Dynasty poet who wrote “to understand the highest virtue,” applied to the present time. Better yet, this cultivation of the spirit and the heart will improve the physical constitution of the people, protect their health, and contribute to a long and healthy life.

Xing Yi Nei Gong: Health Maintenance and Internal Strength Development compiled and edited by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell

ISBN 0865681740
p. 30-31

Nothing Gained

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thomas
1 year, 5 months ago
in Classic, Philosophy, Principle and Zen
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“I gained nothing at all from Supreme Enlightenment, and for that very
reason it is called Supreme Enlightenment.”

Gotama Buddha

Joy of Meditation

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thomas
1 year, 6 months ago
in Breath, Energy, Exercise, Meditation, Mindset, Philosophy, Principle, Qigong and Zen
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Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.

Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment.
Breathing out, I know it is a wonderfull moment.

Reference:
Thich Nhat Hanh The Bloming of a Lotus
ISBN 0807012378

p. 15

The secrets of Heaven and Hell

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thomas
1 year, 6 months ago
in Anecdote and Zen
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The old monk sat by the side of the road. With his eyes closed, his legs crossed and his hands folded in his lap, he sat. In deep meditation, he sat.

Suddenly his zazen was interrupted by the harsh and demanding voice of a samurai warrior. “Old man! Teach me about heaven and hell!”

At first, as though he had not heard, there was no perceptible response from the monk. But gradually he began to open his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth as the samurai stood there, waiting impatiently, growing more and more agitated with each passing second.

“You wish to know the secrets of heaven and hell?” replied the monk at last. “You who are so unkempt. You whose hands and feet are covered with dirt. You whose hair is uncombed, whose breath is foul, whose sword is all rusty and neglected. You who are ugly and whose mother dresses you funny. You would ask me of heaven and hell?”

The samurai uttered a vile curse. He drew his sword and raised it high above his head. His face turned to crimson and the veins on his neck stood out in bold relief as he prepared to sever the monk’s head from its shoulders.

“That is hell,” said the old monk gently, just as the sword began its descent. In that fraction of a second, the samurai was overcome with amazement, awe, compassion and love for this gentle being who had dared to risk his very life to give him such a teaching. He stopped his sword in mid-flight and his eyes filled with grateful tears.

“And that,” said the monk, “is heaven.”

Reference:
Inspired Zen stories by Fr. John W. Groff Jr., A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul
www.natha.net

Zhuangzi dreamed he was a butterfly

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thomas
1 year, 6 months ago
in Anecdote, Classic, Philosophy, Principle and Zen
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Once Chuang Chou dreamt he was a butterfly, a butterfly flitting and fluttering around, happy with himself and doing as he pleased. He didn’t know he was Chuang Chou. Suddenly he woke up and there he was, solid and unmistakable Chuang Chou. But he didn’t know if he was Chuang Chou who had dreamt he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he was Chuang Chou. Between Chuang Chou and a butterfly there must be some distinction! This is called the Transformation of Things.

Reference:
Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) wikipedia.org

The Celestial Mind

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thomas
1 year, 6 months ago
in Classic and Zen
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How can you find purity in the mind? It is just a matter of seeking out purity in the midst of impurity. Then when you discover signs of impurity in the midst of purity, you know you have found purity.

The true mind has no form: what has form is ultimately illusory.

Reference:
The Secret of the Golden Flower translated by Thomas Cleary
ISBN 0062501933
p.70