as it is

The great achievements of the world are but snowflakes melting on fire, Accomplishments that move oceans are but dew disappearing in the glare of the sun, Why live a dream in this ethereal life of dreams, I forsake all to walk towards the great eternal truth.[1]by Seongcheol-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------- Whatever is material shape, past, future, present, subjective or objective, gross or subtle, mean or excellent, whether it is far or near — all material shape should be seen by perfect intuitive wisdom as it really is: "This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self." Whatever is feeling, whatever is perception, whatever are habitual tendencies, whatever is consciousness, past, future, present, subjective or objective, gross or subtle, mean or excellent, whether it is far or near — all should be seen by perfect intuitive wisdom as it really is: "This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self." Zen Quotes by Buddha Gautama (born 563 B.C.)--------------------------------------------------- The heart Sutra teaches that "form is emptiness, and emptiness is form. "Many people don't know what that means--even some long time students of meditation. But there is a very easy way to see this in our every day lives. For example, here is a wooden chair. It is brown. You sit in the chair, and it holds you up. You can place things on it. But then you light the chair on fire, then leave. When you come back later, the chair is no longer there! This thing that seemed so solid and string and real is now just a pile of cinder and ash which the wind blows around. This example shows how the chair is empty: It as no independent existence. Over a long or short time, the chair will eventually change and become something other than it appears. So, the brown chair is complete emptiness. But though it always has the quality of emptiness, this emptiness is form: you can sit in the chair, and it will hold you up. "Form is emptiness, and emptiness is form." ....Zen Quotes byZen Master Seun Sahn, The Compass of Zen------------------------------------------------------ The process of practice is to see through, not to eliminate, anything to which we are attached. We could have great financial wealth and be unattached to it, or we light have nothing and be very attached to having nothing. Usually, if we have seen through the nature of attachment, we will have a tendency to have few possessions, but not necessarily. Most practice gets caught in this area of fiddling with our environments or our minds. " My mind should be quiet". Our mind doesn't matter; what matters is non attachment to the activities of the mind. And our emotions are harmless unless they dominate us 9 that is, if we are attached to them)---then they create dis-harmony for everyone. The first problem in practice is to see that we are attached. As we do consistent, patient zazen we begin to know that we are nothing but attachments; they rule our lives. But we never lose an attachment by saying it has to go. Only as we gain true awareness of its true nature does it quietly and imperceptibly wither away; like a sandcastle with waves rolling over, it just smoothes out and finally Where is it? What was it? .....Zen Quotes by Charlotte Joko Beck, Everyday Zen---------------------------------------------------- No matter how many years you sit doing zazen, you will never become anything special. Zen Master Sawaki, in Zen Master Dogen (1200-1253 ), Instructions for the Zen Cook ------------------------------------------------------ I cannot tell if what the world considers 'happiness' is happiness or not. All I know is that when I consider the way they go about attaining it, I see them carried away headlong, grim and obsessed, in the general onrush of the human herd, unable to stop themselves or to change their direction. All the while they claim to be just on the point of attaining happiness....Chuang-tzu.------------------------------------ --------------- Emptiness is infact form when we forget the self. There's nothing in the universe *other* than ourself. Nothing to compare, name, or identify. When it's the only thing there is, how can we talk about it?? - Taizan Maezumi ---------------------------------------------------- This sounds an extraordinary statement to make, but in fact all truth is very ordinary. It is peoples' fantasies of what is true that is so extraordinary.-Brian Perkins -------------------------------------------------------- Do not entertain hopes for realization, but practice all your life - MilarepaIf you understand, things are just as they are... If you do not understand, things are just as they are.... - Zen Saying------------------------------------------------------ ---- I have discovered that all of mans unhappiness derives from only one source, not being able to sit quietly in a room - Blaise Pascal------------------------------------------------------ A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it - Dogen Zenji------------------------------------------------------ To get rid of your passions is not Nirvana; to look upon them as no matter of yours, that is nirvana. - Anonymous--------------------------------------------------- We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. - Einstein--------------------------------------------------- I gained nothing at all from supreme enlightenment, and for that very reason it is called supreme enlightenment - the Buddha ----------------------------------------------------------Re al Practice has orientation or direction, but it has no purpose or gaining idea, so it can include everything that comes - Shunryu Suzuki ------------------------------------------------- Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it. Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves. - The Buddha----------------------------------------------------- Just live that life. It doesn't matter whether it is life or hell, life of the hungry ghost, life of the animal, it's okay; just live that life, see. And as a matter of fact no other way. Where you stand, where you are, that's what your life is right there, regardless of how painful it is or how enjoyable it is. That's what it is. - Taizan Maezumi ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence....The Buddha's last words.---------------------------------------------------It' s like chewing bubble gum to solve a calculus problem.---------------------------------------------------- ----- The living meaning of Zen is beyond all notions. To realize it in a phrase is completely contrary to the subtle essence; we cannot avoid using words as expedients, though, but this has limitations. Needless to say, of course, random talk is useless. Nonetheless, the matter is not one-sided, so we temporarily set forth a path in the way of teaching, to deal with people. By Qingfu ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------ I just moved down to Miami from Alabama at the beginning of September.-------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ -- i like foreign cultures and Buddhism. -------------------------------------------------------- Identification with self/ego is such a problem. ---------------------------------------------- . ======================================================= ------------------------------------------------------- Metta SuttaThis is what should be accomplished by the one who is wise, who seeks the good and has obtained peace:Let one be strenuous, upright and sincere, without pride, easily contented and joyous;Let one not be submerged by the things of the world. Let one not take upon oneself the burden of riches;Let one's senses be controlled;Let one be wise but not puffed up;Let one not desire great possessions even for one's family; Let one do nothing that is mean or that the wise would reprove.May all beings be happy.May they be joyous and live in safety.All living beings, whether weak or strong, in high or middle or low realms of existence, small or great, visible or invisible, near or far, born or to be born, may all beings be happy.Let no one deceive another, nor despise any being in any state; Let none by anger or hatred wish harm to another.Even as a mother at the risk of her life watches over and protects her only child, so with a boundless mind should one cherish all living things, suffusing love over the entire world, above, below and all around without limit; so let one cultivate an infinite good will toward the whole world.Standing or walking, sitting or lying down, during all one's waking hours let one cherish the thought that this way of living is the best in the world.Abandoning vain discussion, having a clear vision, freed from sense appetites, one who is made perfect will never again know rebirth in the cycle of creation of suffering for ourselves or for others.----------------------------------------------------- --- --------------------------------------------------------