There is word that I believe is misunderstood in Buddhist practitioners – “self.” My teacher Katagiri-Roshi used to say that there is a historic self and an absolute self (a … Continue reading The Unsettling Predicament – a Two-part “Self”
Tag: no-self
Mindfulness of “I am”
Continuing to study Mindfulness by Joseph Goldstein. These are notes on the middle part of Chapter 10, “Mindfulness of physical characteristics” “Conceit” in its Buddhist usage, refers to the deeply … Continue reading Mindfulness of “I am”
“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
me, my, mine
I have been working with a mindfulness slogan to remind me that the whole world doesn’t revolve around me and my life. In fact, there is no centralized self! “I” … Continue reading me, my, mine
The crucible of spiritual practice in marriage
I often say that zazen is a crucible. It is like an alchemical vessel or scientific beaker sitting on a Bunsen burner, which allows a transformation to occur within the … Continue reading The crucible of spiritual practice in marriage
Doing nothing but being the way things are.
I have been contemplating what “doing nothing” means. “Doing nothing” certainly goes against my achievement drive, or my idea of bettering myself, or my idea of attaining enlightenment. I know … Continue reading Doing nothing but being the way things are.
Grace II
What is the mysterious silence of zazen that produces grace? Being touched by timelessness, selflessness, and infinite space can release, from the root of “self-ness”, the knots in our consciousness … Continue reading Grace II