Well Merle. Nicely said. Also sounds simple and wunderbar. For a lotus
to blossom however, lots of mud is needed. If we pick and choose in
the mud, there will be insufficient nutrients. :-)
On 9/21/2012 2:18 PM, Merle Lester wrote:
JM...yes yes yes open the heart and the lotus will be there....... merle
Indeed, KG. Thank you.
We use the following instructions -- "Focus and not focus. Observe all
and every." Then you see the wisdom in all.
Even during chakra focusing, it is not a mental focusing. We need to
relax the mind, in order to sense with our heart. Heart is where our
spirit reside. Pure heart means pure awareness.
Again, a few people, such as Anthony or Bill may "disagree" as usual.
:-) It's actually an experience and not a dogma.
Newest translation of an old saying(probably version 7), of this
phrase from Buddha, "Cast not in words. Transmit beyond teaching."
BTW, my team is working on translating "Practice and Witness Diamond
Sutra" from our Shifu. I know. I know. It's courageous. If there is
any online version of Diamond Sutra you sync with, please share with
me. Much obliged.
jm
On 9/21/2012 9:18 AM, Kristopher Grey wrote:
When we think of 'mindfulness', we may think of not being distracted,
but distraction fills the mind just as effectively. Silence, is the
ultimate distraction.
Concentration or distraction, different in form only. Both are
moments of attention to this and not that, in that moment, then gone.
Effort applied to cultivate mindfulness is often merely a distraction
from distractions. Mindfulness presents formlessly in all forms.
Attempts to be mindful, to wrest it from the rest, naturally will
fail to grasp this.
Concentration cannot free the mind, distraction cannot hold it.
Thoughts come and go effortlessly. This is not a problem. Following
them or ignoring them, grasping and rejecting them - in relation to
self - reveals ordinary mind's habitual ignorance of Original mind.
Mindfulness allows dis-tractions to serve as reminders not to seek
traction.
KG
On 9/21/2012 1:51 AM, Anthony Wu wrote:
Bill!,
Some guests are stubborn. You can tell them you are busy or write
down what they want, they still insist on sitting on your sofa and
making tea out of your teapot. Master Seung Sahn has a koan where a
burly man keeps dropping ash on a Buddha image, and nothing can
dissuage them. He is also strong that there is no way you or your
family can beat him. What should you do? I have not had the answer
to this koan.
Anthony
*From:* Bill! <[email protected]> <mailto:[email protected]>
*To:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:* Friday, 21 September 2012, 9:40
*Subject:* Re: [Zen] invasion
Anthony,
I was always told to just let the thoughts 'flow through you',
acknowledge them but then let them go. The teaching analogy that
went with this is 'when you're busy working in your house and
someone comes and knocks on your door, acknowledge them but tell
them you're busy and ask them to come back later. Don't invite them
in for tea and a conversation.'
Some zen practitioners I know suggest keeping a notebook and
pen/pencil near you when you meditate. That way if a thought comes
that you just cannot get rid of you can write it down, and then can
go back to meditating with the assurance you will attend to the
thought later.
I've never done that nor felt the need to do that, but it might be
worth a try if these thoughts/questions are keeping you from meditating.
...Bill!
--- In mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com, Anthony Wu <wuasg@...>
<mailto:wuasg@...> wrote:
>
> KG,
> Â
> Some say you should not suppress questions when you meditate, but
let them come and go. Well they come here to stay. It takes time and
effort to make them disappear.
> Â
> Anthony
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kristopher Grey <kris@...> <mailto:kris@...>
> To: mailto:Zen_Forum%40yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Thursday, 20 September 2012, 9:38
> Subject: Re: [Zen] invasion
>
>
> Â
> Same problem is created by attachment to thinking "well" applies
to meditation! *L*
>
> Your "tip", perhaps pointier than it may appear! ;)
>
> KG
>
>
> On 9/19/2012 6:09 PM, Anthony Wu wrote:
>
> Â
> >Merle,
> >Â
> >I give yo a tip. If you always want questions to be answered, you
can never meditate well.
> >Â
> >Anthony
> >
> >
> >
>
