No-Thought Is the Central Doctrine
Zen Master Hui-Neng said, “Good friends, since the past this teaching of ours has first taken no-thought as its central doctrine.To be enlightened to the Dharma of no-thought is to arrive at the stage of buddhahood.What do we mean by no-thought?The teaching of...
Zen Farts
Su Dongpo (a famous Buddhist poet) of the Song Dynasty was assigned to an official post at Guazhuo. Across the river, on its southern shore, was Jinshan (Golden Mountain) Temple where Zen Master Foyin presided. One day, Su Dongpo, feeling quite advanced in his...
The Three Essentials of Zen Practice
There are three essentials of zen practice: Faith Curiosity Determination First of the Three Essentials is FaithFirst we must have faith. Faith that there’s a tremendous potential within us. We all can feel it. That’s there’s something more to us. That there’s this...
There Is No Tree
There Is No Tree To start… Light hits the retina (a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye), special cells called photoreceptors turn the light into electrical signals. These electrical signals travel from the retina through the optic nerve to the...
The Gateless Gate
The Master Mumon Ekai said, "Buddhism makes mind its foundation and no-gate its gate. Now, how do you pass through this no-gate? It is said that things coming in through the gate can never be your own treasures. What is gained from external circumstances will perish...
Buddhist Pranayama
It had been a long time since I had looked at or even thought about mindfulness of breathing or the Full Awareness of Breathing Sutra (Anapanasati Sutra) but for some reason I was compelled to give it a read again. And looking at it with fresh and open eyes I couldn’t...
Buddhist Pranayama
by zen master e → Click here to skip the intro and jump right into the actual Buddhist Pranayama practice → Click here for the Simple Condensed Buddhist Pranayama Instructions The Buddha taught Pranayama which involves breathing and mindstate modifications and...
7 Factors of Awakening
The Seven Factors of Awakening Say aloud daily: Just for today... May I be mindfully aware throughout the day May I attain deep and penetrating wisdom that sees clearly and knows the truth of the way things are May I be energetic, persistent and strive diligently...
Different Practices for Different Types of People
Sure there's core teachings and practices within every tradition but the Buddha showed us that we're each a little bit different. That's why they say he taught 84,000 different types of teachings. He tried to give each person the right kind of medicine for them. This...
Koan Practice
YOUR MIND MEAL - ATHA(Essential practice) “Do you have a Koan?” that was the first question my teacher Zen Master, Venerable Hwasun Yangil Sunim asked me. I had heard about Koans before – mainly from books and didn’t really think they were essential for Zen practice....
The Great Light of Illumination
The great light of illumination by zen master e In the sky light expanse of mindYou blaze with splendour and lightSoft easeful wisdom emanating infinite blessingsGiving riseTo all the vehicles and teachingsSo that all beings may come hereTo this timeless momentAnd...
On No Mind
On No-Mind: In one fascicle by Bodhidharma(T85n2831 translated by Urs App, in The Eastern Buddhist, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Spring 1995), pp. 82-107) The ultimate principle is without words; one needs to borrow words to make this principle apparent. The great Way is without...