As seemingly difficult as some passages above are to comprehend, the method elucidated is clear and the “goal” of training is set forth at the very beginning. Hung-jen was the fifth patriarch of Zen and the teacher Hui-neng studied with.

Read the Journal

The vast number of sutras, many of which have not been translated, are overwhelming in considering where to begin. In Cave 17 of the Dunhuang caves more than 10,000 manuscripts have been discovered well preserved during 900 years in the dark, dry cave. Given the sheer enormity of the writings in Buddhism, it makes perfect sense to have someone attempt to essentialize the essence of the teachings for their students and future generations.

Read the Journal

Each of Mahamati's questions requires time to absorb and appreciate the Buddha's response. In essence, they are the universal questions of life here and now, but the answers are addressed to a bodhisattva rather than a beginner practitioner. One can assume he is asking for the benefit of the practitioners present listening to the exchange.

Read the Journal

Sometimes describing what something is relies more on describing what it is not. In Vedanta and Jnana yoga neti neti, not this, not that, is part of their meditative practice which helps to discard attachment to any number of places where a practitioner can get stuck thinking they've finally arrived, when indeed there is more ground to cover.

Read the Journal

This sums up the crux of a meaningful koan for us today.  How we get there is truly up to each one of us, and each person has their own unique pathway.

Read while you listen to the Journal

Right action is one principle of the Eightfold Noble path in Buddhism. These are inspiring guidelines for a life of practice, however, lest we leave it as only pertaining to actions of “goodness,” it may leave us wondering at times what exactly is the right action in certain circumstances.

In this chapter on practice, Chih I covers a tremendous amount of territory. With a simple name like stop-look Zen meditation, we are introduced to a short-hand view of this technique. The straightforward reasons for practice are all ones we can relate to, and perhaps a few are a bit surprising to consider as reasons to practice meditation.

Read while you listen to the Journal

We have all asked questions of a teacher and kept on asking without pausing to experience the answer.  It is like having a greed for views where there is this insatiable drive to collect answers without discovering anything for oneself.

Read while you listen to the Journal

Here we have a reading that encourages us to raise this doubt mass. This term alone causes one to wonder what is this "doubt" they are talking about. Even exploring "What is it?" as a starting point is not a bad place to begin.

Read while listening to the Journal

These are questions many practitioners also have asked when confronted with yet another initiation requiring the fulfillment of new vows. Or the thought of a complex visualization one is asked to engage in with meditation practice. With the many offshoots of Buddhism have appeared many new requirements, retreats, and prostrations.

Read while listening to the Journal