Archive for June, 2008
Monday, June 30th, 2008
Nondualism
Coming down the Mountain of Spirit we find that the ego has lost its grip on everything, including its own ability to manage itself. Sometimes, it is helpful to recognize this realization as “ego fully seen.” In stories like The Emperor’s New Clothes and The Wizard of Oz, both the emperor and the wizard are [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 9 - Confluence by Michael
Sunday, June 29th, 2008
One as All and All as One
As man moves towards spiritual freedom, he moves also towards oneness.
—Aurobindo
Before a person studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after a first glimpse into the truth of Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and waters are not waters; after enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and waters once again waters.
—Zen saying
Things are [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 9 - Confluence by Michael
Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Chapter 9—Confluence
Those who see worldly life as an obstacle to Dharma see no Dharma in everyday actions; they have not yet discovered that there are no everyday actions outside of Dharma.
—Eihei Dogen
The purpose of Zen is the perfection of character.
—Yamada Roshi
When clarity and commitment create enough cracks in the walls of ego’s defenses, Spirit starts to [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 9 - Confluence, Fundamentalism by Michael
Friday, June 27th, 2008
Teachers
So why is it that so many seemingly enlightened masters get into so much trouble? If someone Awakens, we might imagine that he or she is beyond all of the bad stuff. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. I guess the answers to these and other questions about harmful choices made by teachers depend on what we [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 8 - Commitment by Michael
Thursday, June 26th, 2008
Unhooked
Choosing to become intimate with Awareness requires a constancy of both attention and intention. Neither the attention, nor the intention, is a fixed entity, and yet they can easily become attachments if we aren’t careful. On the other hand, if we don’t get hooked by them, they can be seen as manifestations of surrender supported [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 8 - Commitment by Michael
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
No Shortcuts
I’ve mentioned that I began my meditation practice asking teachers if there might be a shortcut to any of this work. The answers I got all came down to what I’ve so often repeated in these pages: simply practice a deep surrender into stillness and then let your activity consciously arise from this place. The [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 8 - Commitment by Michael
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Choice
Grapes want to turn into wine.
—Rumi
When making your choice in life, don’t neglect to live.
—Samuel Johnson
When we begin to commit ourselves to integrating the teaching into our lives, we become clearer about how we can consciously choose the ways in which to meet each situation we face. For example, we know that our preoccupation with [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 8 - Commitment by Michael
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
The Vows
It took me years to commit formally to a practice. Something about me just thought that the whole idea of taking vows and committing to a way of living was merely window dressing to mask the seriousness of one’s practice. So I chose to sample a bit here, a bit there, read a little of [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 8 - Commitment by Michael
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Appropriate Responses
The Chinese Master Yunmen referred to the most profound Buddhist teachings as simply being “an appropriate response” to the circumstances of our lives. Any time we see egolessness in action, we are looking at an appropriate response. Whenever we can watch someone act without wanting anything in return for his or her action, we are [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Chapter 8 - Commitment by Michael
Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Showing Up
Only a Buddha with a Buddha realizes enlightenment.
—Lotus Sutra
All real living is meeting.
—Martin Buber
When I see that I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see that I am everything, that is love. And between these two, my life flows.
—Nisargadatta Maharaj
When there is a meeting among beings grounded in the commitment not to harm, Spirit [...]