Zen Buddhism Practice
The Short Path to Enlightenment & Liberation.
(by YM Bhiksu Tadisa Paramita Sthavira)
The Chaos & Confusion in Human Life
In this globalization, at declining Dharma era, generally human being is being
exposed of diminishing moral, ethics, mentality confusion , and spiritual
quality as well, that showed by so many human become wild, mislead, confuse,
stress, wrong doing, hopeless to dealth with complexity of life problems and
world full of competition in walking on life harshness. Their motivation
tendency is looking for famae, wealth, and desire and to build successful life
with happy environment. Even though some of them already live successfully, but
their heart are still thirsty and suffering because they only success in
material world but not in spiritually. For those who does not have successful
life, they are eagerly and curiously to find many different way to achieve it.
Although they already succeeded or not, they for sure have the restless heart,
and cofused to see all the condition that is always changing and impermenance.
We know that all arise because of
condition, and because of condition, all also will be disappeared.
Even though statistically, the number population of religion disciples now grow
enemously, but poorly to say that they only grow in number of variety and kinds
of ritual ceremony, not getting into mentally substance, or their behavior to
be good and decent human being. To know the point of view condition and human
being way of thingking, we can divided them into different group, which are:
1. Disciples that used object (nama & rupa) and condition as reflecting
their life
2. Other religion disciples that use their destiny and faith as to reflect
their life
3. Buddhist disciples that use cause and condition law as to reflect their
life
4. The noble man that use his own heart as to reflect his life
5. The holy man that use his Buddha nature as to reflect his life
In using different aspect of reflecting their life, people see, manage, and use
strategy to struggle to get what they want. If it works, they will feel proud
and happy, but they fail they will be pessimistic and feel miserable. They
don't realize that success and failure is only non real phenomenon and
illusion, because all condition is impermenance and not real. That's why, we
can said that non-enlightenment human being, usually their thought is messed
up, because as their illusion grow become illusional desire, illusional action,
illusional attachment, and illustional sufferings.
How Zen Buddhism that focus on developing his heart condition / quality and
methods to arise their Buddha nature, and to get over with human problems and
lead them, so that they can find their own success with calmness and purity
heart, or being upgrade again to find ultimate englihtenment and to have
ultimate liberation.
Zen Understanding
In Buddhism, Zen is a big sect in Mahayana Buddhist that being so popular and
fans by many practitioners or believers from different religions. The teaching
is focused towards heart and mind, without being trap and attached to any
wordings or writings. Languages has their limitation, while the truth does not
have limitation. To understand through language is deviates away of their truth
meanings. Even Zen does not support or deny any single point of view conceptual
approach, as a result it does not need any words to explain it. But even can't
be described, Zen still use language or words as bridging or tools, so that the
practitioners can lead their own self to Zen door.
The word Zen itself originated from China "C'han" or Sanskrit "Dhayana (or
namely 'C'han-Ting' in Chinese), or in Japanese widely known as 'Zen' that
originally from C'han words. Ch'an-Ting (Dhyana/Samadhi) literally in Chinese
means to go out without being trap by name and forms, while going inside not
disturbed by chaos / or confusion. It means to stay calm (not being distracted)
from all conditions, freed from up or downside of heart movement, or trap what
outside condition, or trapped or attached to dualism phenomenon (inside or
outside condition). Actually Zen is the ultimate knowledge, symbol, and all the
language tools
Zen is pure wisdom. Zen is the highest realization about natural true nature of
thought or minds. It is transedental absolute freedom. Zen is nonetheless is
our true nature that hiddenly kept in our egocentric delusion since eons time
that we can't remember. In Buddhism, Zen, 'selfness' is used in different
terms, such 'pure mind from Buddha nature', or 'Buddha nature'. Zen is one-self
that free from egoncentric. Hence, Zen go parallel with time and space, but not
bound by time and space concept.
Zen can also means 'emptiness', but not emptiness in nothingness term, but it
means 'void in there'; in contrary to that Zen can also mean existence, but not
existence in normal term, but "I see it, and so it must be exist". Buddha ever
said even 'emptiness', but no destroy, even 'exist' but impermenance. So Zen is
existence that beyond picture or our senses' perception about worldly approach
of what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, touch and forms. But Zen can't be
separated and actually is being one or be part of our daily life. It always
exists in every beings and all the time.
Zen in Daily Life
There are six fundamental ways to apply Zen in daily life, which are:
1. Zen Truth
a. Understand the heart and show Buddha's nature (Non illusional thought is
called Zen, show Buddha Nature is call Ting (Samadhi)
b. Straight to the heart and mind (aware of your thought right now, and
realize the all the reality, all of sudden show your truth Buddha nature).
c. Discover the miracle of nirvana heart, the truth of forms without forms,
Dharma miracles without being trap by wordings, straight to Buddha nature
source, and teach to the point Dharma.
To surpass all Dharma, balance with the truth of Dharma, not being fooled by
all forms and attachments, because in reality there is nothing we can really
own, this truth is called Adhiyana (Supreme Way)
2. Zen Thought
a. Have thought without thought (means thought comprehends but without
creating thoughts); Non-movement but lighten up (not creating moving thought or
no non-though, thoughts that without any single thinking that make clear and
purify,)
b. See ultimate reality (see everything that has condition but sunyata in
essence)
c. Calmness thought with all condition (beyond up, down condition, and
arise, or diminish thoughts)
Merits without forms, practice without being attached, help sentient beings
without non-self, pure heart that realize nothing you can grasp in reality.
Just diminish all impurity heart, without rising need of being pure mind /
thoughts
3. Zen Life
a. In reality life (work with concentration without heart / mental
condition, everything not trying to be attached, or find solution)
b. Happily Life (joyfull because prajna heart, even tough works but heart
without being block)
c. Zen Lifestyle (simple life but meaningful; even poor in material, but
rich in works, even heart is sunyata but still benefit others)
Zen Wayof Living is to look goodness at every single moment. Mind and body
become always become united. Develop wisdom without egocentric, holiness
without self-ness, mercy without condition, always thankful, and never ending
commitment.
4. Practising Zen
a. To have faith in Triple Jewel: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha. (To develop
wisdom and clear all superstitious; To defend truth and destroy all mislead;
purify heart and destroy all heart impurities)
b. Self Holiness (with precept we control speech and action. With
meditation we control mind; by prajna / wisdom, we control concepts)
c. Universal compassion (going inside just like "Guan Ce Cai Phu Sa"
Bodhisattva heart without being block; going outside to be like Avalokitesvara,
always listen to all sentient being pain and sufferings)
With form see ghost, without form see Buddha; Rise of egocentric being trap by
karma, non-selfness no life and death phenomenon..
5. Zen Spirit
a. Responsible (facel all problems, accept it, solve it and forget about it)
b. No worriness (if condition comes just welcome it, if condition bypass
just forget about it)
c. High Spirit (if no improvement will be no restless, no work that means
no eat)
Even work in daily life, but still have nirvana heart. Even has a lot good
karma, but heart still sunyata.
6. Zen Goal
a. Bodhicitta (Bodhi's Heart see all condition is Mandala)
b. Prajna Wisdom (Wise heart see all problems is blessings)
d. Good merits (Kind heart see all activities is good merits)
e. Sunyata (Heart without block can see everything purely and peacefully)
Zen Way of Life will have full of pure wisdom, free from illusion, delusion,
see every thing based on as is and go beyond that at the sametime, as well.
Simple path to Enlightenment and Liberation
Zen way towards wisdoms is descends from essential Dharma teacher from thoughts
to thoughts. Sutra is only a measurement to this goal. The true nature of all
dharma is sunyata. The ultimate emptiness has unsurpassed amount value that
very precious, and all dharma can be found in thoughts from people that realize
and cut throught emptiness, but not attach to the emptiness thought itself.
The truth of Dharma is speechless, the truth can be feeled but hard to
understand. Dharma form arise because of condition, but sunyata in essence,
while the useful of Dharma to straighten up all sentient being's perception and
thoughts.
There are couple "Liberation" category, which are:
1. Freed from egoism and self-form: There is an "I" , If there is awarness
and karma, there will be action, pain. Since there is desire, then there will
be sufferings In reality our body is constructed from 4 elements (earth, wind,
fire, and earth) which actually fake, and actually five aggregates is non exist
in reality. In Diamond Sutra says: Past, present, and future heart can't be
hold. In Surangama Sutra says: Heart is not inside- nor outside nor in
between.. Because covered with ignorance and illusion, we're being trapped and
fooled by concept and ideology of the "I" and "I-ness". After realizing the
emptiness of ego and selfness is not real, then it generates the "non-selfness
realization".
2. Liberated from up and down condition : if human realized his / hear
weakness, and his wisdom diminish, generally they always being played by eight
condition of up and down phenomenon, which are success-failure, profit-loss,
being credit or humiliates, being happy or sad.. In Diamond Sutra says: dalam
Sutra Intan all Dharma desire is like a dream, illusion,ocean wave, shadows,
dew, lightening. If you realized this illusion phenomenon is derived from
up-down condition, heart will be strong, calm, and peaceull since everything is
fake.
3. Freed from dogma and doctrines: Generally human beings before they have
religion, they're being trapped by worldly phenomena, but after they have
religion, they're also being trapped by sects, dogma, and or doctrines. If one
can not understand another, it can be easily fight and overruled one over
another. Buddhist teaching is just like cured, when you sick you need
medication, if you're in good health maybe you don't need one.In Diamond Sutra
says,Buddhist teaching is not to be attached, or debating, even it's right or
not right Dharma. There is a says that talks can't make you full, counting
someone's wealth, can't make you wealthy. All teachings is like pointing finger
to month, but please not being attached to teachings, but go straight into its
heart and mind. Just like drinkers, they can understand the hot or cold what
the water is.
4. Freed from perception and thoughts: because wrong view and wrong
thought that made human become superstitious and has long pain and sufferings.
In Buddhism there's verse said that: No Seing One Dharma Door is Right Thought;
No Dharma can be hold is Right Thought; Not Showing all materials is too see
purification; No activity is Buddha's behaviour; Non Attachment to one dharma
is actually practicing Dharma.
5. Freed from samsara rebirth cycle: because there is love and desire that
never ending restless, that's why human being always trapped into restless
unstoppable rebirth cycle. If understand that human body is source of disease,
source of pain & sufferings, and combination of disgusting elements derived
from 9 hole everytime it produce dirts. Then when our desire and lust is
actually diminishing, then the lust and desire will be also vanished by itself.
That's why, if there is no lust and desire, there will be no suffering. No
desire will make no more rebirth cycle again.
6. Freed from time and space: many human is being fooled and played by
space (fengsui) dan time (age), until all his / her life depends or reiles on
time and space condition. If the house is beautiful, she can hapy, but in
contrary if he / she lifes in bad location, she will have painful. Her heart
will be never ending unpleasant left.
If the place of their living is beautiful, they will be happy, but in contrary,
if the place is bad, they will be suffered. If the heart is unstable, even the
most beautiful place will be meaningless, but in the calm heart, even living in
dark alley or down the bridge, you can sleep in soundness. Also, many people
being trapped by aging factor. Illusional heart is moving rise and fall to beg
for long life; Sunyata heart is no increase nor disappear, how come he ask for
long life span? Actually, the heart and condition is one? In Heart Sutra said:
every dharma is never produced or destroyed (it also same Buddha nature has no
beginning, nor end, so it means beyond time); no defiled (dirty) nor pure (also
apply our Buddha nature that never dirty nor pure, that means beyond space);
never increase-nor diminish (so apply to Buddha nature that has no
accumulation nor extinction, that means beyond condition). Heart also doesn't
have three time dimensions;
heart can't be caught in anywhere, that's the truth about heart (condition).
If our mind got the congnition, and conception of self or names, played by
illusion, fooled by ignorance, then we're being blocked of awareness and his
karma someday will be justified into different never ending path. When there is
no thought, there is no good nor bad, no profit nor loss, no stupidity nor
wise, no happy nor sadness, that means our mind is freed from phenomenon. If
they do not classify themselves with material and condition, then there will be
no attachment. That mind is free mind. Our mind is not source of calmness but
the direction toward. Like water, sometimes pure, sometimes unclear, sometimes
still, and sometimes chaos. The enlightene one's mind will be flowing like
water without resting and no place to reside. For that, people has to have mind
that no stand still in anywhere.
People that love to compare status and condition, fame or pety, high-low,
big-small, beauty-awful, thus they can only many kinds of illustion but still
can see the ultimate truth of the fundamental aspect of everything. The owner
of heart wish the heart condition (looking for sensation, fantasy, illusion and
delution), is work like the host and the guest exchanging place, so that the
guest polluted all skhandas including senses. Cloud the host / owner way of
life to become dull and suffer. In Heart Sutra said: if you can emptied of Five
Aggregats then all the suffering will be diminished. All Bodhisattva's heart
condition is without bonding, fear and, distorted dream thingking, and
illusion; they can attain the ultimate of Nirvana
Whos is holding and bonding us back? There's no other than ourself. Because
we're being trapped by forms and illusional concepts, then it caused of
generating many characteristics of selfness, aging, and live misery. If we can
realized that nobody can detain us, that means we're free, why we have o find
any liberation? Looking for liberation is actually still attached to concept of
not liberating of the heart and condition.
Summary
In fall, all flowers is grooming, the moon shows up brightly, the summer blows
nice breezes, in winter, all lands covered with white snow carpets. If we can
see the bright side of all reality, then all condition actually is run normally
by nature, and off course everything is quite alright. If heart is not bond
outside and free from all matters, then that's the most peacefull and blessed
for a living being, isn't it?.
That's is all the small part of the material of "Practising Zen Buddhism, Path
to Enlightenment and Liberation" material, as mean to be understood, thinking
over, and practice them.
May all sentitient beings benefit and brings the development, shava
Source: YM Tadisa Paramita Sthavira, Guest Speakers of Zen Seminar II,
December 7, 2008, the first International Zen Seminar event in Indonesia,
with speaker from different regions to hold the Zen teachings.
Bagi yang berminat saya ingin mengajak rekan-rekan untuk menghadiri acara
Seminar & Workshop Zen yang akan diselenggarakan pada:
Topik : Seminar Zen ke-2 the Secret of Zen : Path of Liberation &
Enlightenment
Tgl / Hari : Minggu, 7 Desember 2008
Waktu : Pk 13.00 - Pk 18.00 WIB
Tempat : Auditorium BPPT (Badan Penerapan & Pengkajian Teknologi), Lantai
3,
Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.8 (sebelah Menara Thamrin)
Jakarta Pusat
Registrasi: Free (Terbuka Untuk Umum)
Keynote : Gede Prama (Penulis & Pengajar)
Pembicara: 1. Master Zen Chan Yu (Waken Temple, Los Angeles, USA), Master Zen
silsilah ke-88 sejak Sakyamuni Buddha
2. Suhu Tadisa Paramita Stavira (Guan Yin Monastery, Perth,
Australia)
Moderator : Dr. Ponijan Liaw, MBA MPd (Penulis & Pembicara Zen & Komunikasi)
Workshop: Workshop Zen 1 : Fundamental Step to Enlightenment
Tgl / Hari : Minggu, 14 Desember 2008
Waktu : Pk 09.00 - Pk 17.00 WIB
Tempat : Caspia Room
WTC Mangga Dua Lantai 12
Jl. Mangga Dua Raya
Jakarta Pusat
Registrasi: Rp 75.000,- (Materi, Lunch, dan Sertifikat) - Tempat Terbatas
Manfaat :
1. Mengetahui pola pikir diri kita yang lebih jelas dan bermanfaat untuk hidup
lebih berbahagia
2. Mengetahui langkah-langkah untuk melepaskan diri kita dari permasalahan
sehari-hari / duniawi
3. Memahami inti rahasia metode Zen yang sederhana namun dapat memberikan
pencerahan mental dan spiritual
4. Menemukan dan memahami jati diri, mawas dalam tingkah laku dan sikap kita
sehari-hari
5. Membuat kita menjadi pemimpin yang lebih efektif, dengan mengetahui tingkat,
arah, sumber dasar, dan faktor motivasi seseorang
6. Menemukan intisari Zen yang telah diwariskan turun temurun, yang dapat
membimbing kita mencapai pencerahan (englightenment).
Siapa saja yang harus ikut:
1.Para pengusaha, pebisnis, dan enterpreneur, agar dapat menerapkan Zen dalam
menghadapi permasalahan sehari-hari
2. Profesional, eksekutif muda yang ingin melatih konsentrasi, pikiran, dan
mampu membangun motivasi diri sendiri.
3. Mahasiswa/pelajar, dalam memacu motivasi dan tingkat intelektual yang tinggi
dalam pengembangan jati diri dan mental.
4. Ibu Rumah Tangga, yang ingin menerapkan konsep Zen untuk hidup lebih
berbahagia secara spiritual dan rohani.
5. Kalangan Pendidik,Guru,Dosen, untuk menambah wawasan dan khasanah ilmu
pengetahuan di bidang Zen dan aplikasinya.
6. Praktisi Zen, Rohaniwan, Umat Buddhis, untuk memperdalam metode dan kerangka
pikir Zen yang dapat diterapkan untuk mencapai pencerahan.
7. Masyarakat Umum, untuk menambah ilmu pengetahuan dan pengenalan tentang
konsep Zen dalam mencapai kesejahteraan.
Untuk registrasi dan info tentang Seminar & Workshop, Anda dapat menghubungi
pihak panitia:
Sdri. Elly - 0818 131574 / 021 7075 1371
Sdr. Andre - 021 6807 1528
Sdri. Eveline - 0813 999 25759
Sdri. Atien - 0812 8605657
Atau sekretariat di (021) 3004-7611, Fax (021) 3004-7557
Terima kasih atas perhatian dan kerjasamanya. Pls forward untuk teman-teman
atau rekan-rekan yang sekiranya berminat mengikuti acara ini.
Hormat Kami,
Panitia
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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