Concept
“A concept is a brick. It can be used to build a courthouse of reason. Or it can be thrown through the window.” —Gilles Deleuze
Zen
This Silly Life
Today I had a good reminder that life is just plain silly. So, I decide to drive over to Hy-Vee and pick up a couple of egg rolls for lunch. I’m driving back to work, and very quickly am gaining on the vehicle ahead of me, clearly going very slow. I notice the traffic light …
The Monkey Mind and Distractions
I find that when I meditate, I still am distracted by noises. And with having two large dogs, there are plenty of noises. Not only that, but when I sit on the floor, the dogs tend to want to interact with me in some way, from Lex wanting to play with me, to Joker sitting …
Training the Mind Is Like Taming a Wild Animal
People come to practice at the monastery in order to attain peace. But for many, the result of the practice is often the opposite and rather disappointing, because all they experience are restlessness, discomfort and a drifting mind. If there is no understanding, we will get confused and despair, Wondering why we are there. Training …
The Moon in the Sky
You stop to point at the moon in the sky, but the finger’s blind unless the moon is shining. One moon, one careless finger pointing — are these two things or one? The question is a pointer guiding a novice from ignorance thick as fog. Look deeper. The mystery calls and calls: No moon, no …
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
I undertake to observe the precept to abstain from … …harming living beings. …taking things not freely given. …sexual misconduct. …false speech. …intoxicating drinks and drugs causing heedlessness. according to Thich Nhat Hanh First Training Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating compassion and learning ways to …
Stop Directing The River’s Flow
“Throw everything away, forget about it all! You are learning too much, remembering too much, trying too hard… Relax a little bit, give life a chance to flow its own way, unassisted by your mind and effort. Stop directing the river’s flow.” — Mooji “Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by …
Thirsty, I Brew Tea
It’s never been possible to fabricate nature. Why do I look for enlightenment outside? All I know for truth is that there is no action in the heart. Thirsty, I brew tea; tired, I take a nap. Ven. Hye Geun (혜근스님) 1320-1376 From The Korean Way of Tea, p. 58
The Most Valuable Thing in the World
A student went to the Zen teacher Ts’ao-shan and asked, “What is the most valuable thing in the world?” Ts’ao-shan replied, “The head of a dead cat.” “Why is the head of a dead cat the most valuable thing in the world?” asked the student. “Because no one can name its price,” said Ts’ao-shan. How …