Bodhidharma lived in the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally thought of as the man who brought Buddhism to China and is called the First Ancestor in China. The … Continue reading Bodhidharma’s Outline of Practice
Tag: emptiness
The Four Erroneous Perceptions
In studying the Diamond Sutra we come across the Four Erroneous Perceptions. These are: From Thich Nhat Hanh’s translation: A self A person A living being A life span From … Continue reading The Four Erroneous Perceptions
Three modes of Reality
Over the holidays, I recited the Lankavatara Sutra. This sutra is often said to expound the hallmark of the Zen school and very important in Early Zen in China. It … Continue reading Three modes of Reality
Awakened Awareness gone beyond individualized consciousness #5
What does it mean to be awake? To truly be in the present moment where the truth happening place resides? Awareness is to be present in each moment and to … Continue reading Awakened Awareness gone beyond individualized consciousness #5
“Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate” #1
I received this translation of the “gate” mantra from Dan Brown who is a Tibetan Teacher: From the end of the Heart Sutra: Gate, gate – beyond thought Paragate – … Continue reading “Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate” #1
No-Birth, No-death
From “Touching the Earth, Intimate Conversations with the Buddha” by Thich Nhat Hanh, pages 25 and 26: “Lord Buddha, I shall listen to your advice and look deeply into impermanence, … Continue reading No-Birth, No-death
Direct mind without clinging- Huineng
Tenshin Reb Anderson Roshi just came to Clouds in Water for a retreat. He spoke about the Samdhinirmocana Sutra, which can be translated as “Understanding the profound mystery or intimacy … Continue reading Direct mind without clinging- Huineng
Bodhisattvas and Buddhas
As I have been attending Ken Ford’s Buddhist history class at Clouds in Water, I was struck by this observation of a myth about Bodhisattvas. The myth that I have … Continue reading Bodhisattvas and Buddhas
Cubist Enlightenment
Several years ago in the practice leaders study group, we were questioning what to study. Ken Ford said, “Let’s study enlightenment!” We all laughed and balked. Balked because it’s a … Continue reading Cubist Enlightenment
Awakened Awareness
It seems that we get sidetracked in practice in many ways. Buddha said that he was the “awakened one.” Thich Nhat Hanh calls it mindfulness in every moment. Katagiri Roshi … Continue reading Awakened Awareness
what does it mean to be “radical”?
We use the word “radical” in many Buddhist phrases like radical acceptance. Radical indicates the change in our view from the upside-down perspective of ordinary consciousness. The ordinary mind sees … Continue reading what does it mean to be “radical”?