Love & Attachment: a Zen perspective Which constitute true and genuine love? Contrary to others spiritual sources, Zen Buddhist literature does not specifically answer this question but rather look at the attributes and attitudes of what the practice should be and what attachment means. In the […]
Our mind is a 24/7movie theater One of the best ways to explain how our mind works is t use the analogy of a movie theater. When we are watching the giant screen in the dark, we are almost totally absorbed by the story, plot, characters, script, sound, music, momentum and special effects. […]
Letting go vs. clinging : our mental banana traps “Letting go”. 2 words which carry an automatic negative meaning such as “giving up”, cowardice and even failure. To let go without resisting with a good fight is simply not acceptable in our secular Western society. Obviously there are situations where resisting and fighting […]
Nirvana: nothing holy about it What does the Internet say about Nirvana? Nirvana is an ecstatic state in which there is no suffering, no desire, nor sense of self. It represents the final goal of Buddhist practice. The synonyms are: paradise, pleasure, heaven, bliss, ecstasy, peace, and serenity enlightenment. This definition is totally misleading. […]
Experiencing the wonders of the present moment " Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. This is why we call it "present" This present moment is the only existing, real and concrete space -time in which we are alive and the only moment we can connect and experience […]
My daily Zen Master My second Zen Master came to live with us in 2008 and he is still sharing our life. This is our 10 years old wonderful Shih Tzu called Zap. His mind, behavior and non-verbal teaching remind me some of our greatest Zen Masters over the last 2, 500 years. Yes, […]
Are you “Out of your mind”? A Zen perspective This is a common expression that we make when we are surprised or angry about someone’s statement or behavior. “ You quit your job! Are you out of your mind!” It means to be mentally out of control. “Out of your mind” is a critical […]
Mindfulness is simply being aware of: 1) What is happening now, inside and outside self, as it is and without wishing it to be different. 2) Enjoying the pleasant moment as it is and without expecting it will never stop ( which it will not ) 3) Accepting the unpleasant moment as it is […]
Meditation: What are the obstacles and excuses? Meditation is to be aware, to focus, to observe a specific chosen subject without using any analytic, judgmental and decisional mental process. It is a awareness-based contemplative mental state where the mind becomes just mirror. When thoughts and emotions pop-out, we accept them; then we let them […]
Being before thinking or having a thoughtless mind Thoughtless mind or the mind before thinking mind is a weird concept, a typical spooky Zen stuff. Anything that we listen to, read and say ----all of this is thinking coming from the mind of someone regardless the source: Wikipedia, Google, the Bible, Koran, Buddhist Sutra, […]
