| Blogs > swallowtsui > Hopping Swallow 鍋爐焰焰 |
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Zen in Tranquility (Let me brew a mini pot of gongfu tea, sip a little drop fm the mini cup ‒ time for tranquility and Zen. ‒ Thanks to Francisco who likes Zen for sending me Zen stories in Chinese. Here comes the translation  Buddha tells a story. During a journey, he encounters a man who does not like him. The man tries every means to malign him for several successive days on the long way. At last, Buddha turns around to the man and asks, “If someone gives you a gift and you don’t accept it, then to whom this gift belongs? “ The man answers, “It belongs to the giver.” Buddha smiles, “Exactly. If I don’t accept your curses, are you cursing on yourself?” The man wiped his nose and flees. Motif: to be drawn up by you. (By the way, a question: what’s the most tranquil moment for you in a day?) (Note: This post was done yesterday. Today I am not tranquilt at all. Tmrw will publish My Eight Convictions.) 
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1/19/2007 2:17 pm |
My hour of meditation.
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DVC, Your comments let me check a bit more into Zen. Different viewpoints sparks knowdelge, no? If anybody like curious/gourmet says yes, I wont learn more. (Btw, gourmet, same as u on the most tranquil moment but mine is that settling down w/ a book/musi before sleep.) Zen, 'Chan' in Chinese. It might be called the inner art and design of the Orient. It was rooted in China by Bodhidharma, who came fm Indian in the sixth century, and was carried eastward into Japan by the 12th century. Chan/Zen masters aspire to be Buddha's friends instead of his followers. Zen is not a sect but an experience. In my own very shallow understanding, Zen disregards formalism and is more simple to understand than the scriptures, pointing directly to the mind-essence. During their practice of Zen in the past centuries, by monks, priests, nobility and commoner, and those who favor it, many stories and anecdotes have been writtened based on simple facts. Especially in Japan, their Noh dramas are Zen stories. I guess the folk wisdom just twist Zen in simple language and logic to pass Zen messages to ordinary ppl. But you called it fake Zen? ! I dont agree. All depends how you view it. I have a Zen stories book, most of them is a twist of such language and logic skills, actually, by inserting a non-logic point that most ppl would ignore bcoz they usually think logically. Look at the following: Nan-in, a Zen master, received a university professor who came to inquire abt Zen. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. 'It is overfull. No more will go in!' Like this cup, ' Nan-in said, 'you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?' Nam, Cannot deconstruct the words in your way. Each reader of Zen story get his own enlightment on the whole. But Zen is very humourous so be humorous, whatever.
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1/24/2007 4:28 pm |
Lots of interesting ideas here. And playing with words can be interesting. I liked what davinci wrote "My objection was only that it is something very difficult to do, and the story presents the whole process as something easy to do." Reminds me of Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice. Sounds easy. But how many people actually have the discipline of desire to say 'practice' - i.e. do sitting meditation - daily for 20 minutes to an hour let alone do what is really required and that is sit for days and weeks and months. And the sitting meditation is just a part of it. Many get disillusioned. As to death, I believe in reincarnation and life after death. Although I am not a practicing Tibetan Buddhist their Phowa practice for transferring consciousness at death can be a powerful tool for no matter what your religious practice. Soygal Rinpoche discusses this practice and others in a very easy to read format in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. The book is widely read and used as a manual by many doctors and nurses in palliative care units around the world. For myself I have been following shamanic practice and am being trained to work with people who are dying and people who have died. Shamanic Journeying affords us the opportunity to connect with the Universe on a very profound and personal way. It is quite interesting to journey and agree to meet someone else on your journey and then compare notes when you return....quite something. And accessible to all. Many courses are offered by the Foundation for Shamanic Studies founded by anthropologist Michael Harner. While not a daily practice, I would have to add the most peaceful moments that I ever experience are on some of my shamanic journeys. One of my teachers laughingly asks me to sign a contract of return because it would be very easy to just stay in the blissful place that I am guided to.
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