what is ZEN

[zenzero]

Friends,
Something to share.

Zen has no dogmas, no ritual, no mythology, no church, and no holy book. In all its varied and deep experiences of life and culture, there is usually a similar taste of depth of oneness. But there is also separation. Egolessness and ego are also absorbed in this depth of voidness. Zen is interesting and has good taste. Its mountains are more mountainous. Actually nobody understands Zen. Nobody can explain it. Zen arises spontaneously out of the human heart: not a special revelation to anyone. When goodness, truth and beauty are all present, as one, there is Zen. To grasp movement in stillness, and stillness in movement, this is Zen.

From: The Chun Chou Record of
the Zen Master Huang Po (Tuan Chi)

A collection of sermons and dialogues recorded by P’ei Hsiu while in the city of Chun Chou.

The Master said to me: All the Buddhas and all sentient beings are nothing but the One Mind, beside which nothing exists. This Mind, which is without beginning, is unborn and indestructible. It is not green nor yellow, and has neither form nor appearance. It does not belong to the categories of things which exist or do not exist, nor can it be thought of in terms of new or old. It is neither long nor short, big nor small, for it transcends all limits, measure, names, traces and comparisons. It is that which you see before you - begin to reason about it and you at once fall into error. It is like the boundless void which cannot be fathomed or measured. The One Mind alone is the Buddha, and there is no distinction between the Buddha and sentient things, but that sentient beings are attached to forms and so seek externally for Buddhahood. By their very seeking they lose it, for that is using the Buddha to seek for the Buddha and using mind to grasp Mind. Even though they do their utmost for a full aeon, they will not be able to attain it. They do not know that, if they put a stop to conceptual thought and forget their anxiety, the Buddha will appear before them, for this Mind is the Buddha and the Buddha is all living beings. It is not the less for being manifested in ordinary beings, nor is it greater for being manifest in the Buddhas.

Love & rgds

 

[DreadFish]

Thanks for posting this.


:namaste

 

[Willamena]

"To grasp movement in stillness, and stillness in movement, this is Zen."

I like that. :beach:

 

[wmjbyatt]

I'm tellin' ya guys (and gals), I often can't tell the difference between my Tao and my Zen. It's crap like this that gets it there.

This is also why I love Zen.

And this forum. Thanks.

 

[Iti oj]

Zen is.... zen was not and will not be but zen is..... zen is

 

[zenzero]

Friend Iti oj,

The word *ZEN* originally comes from Sanskrit *DHYANA*; which can always be in the present, HERE-NOW!

Love & rgds

 

[apophenia]

Who walks on all legs and never moves an inch ?

 

[zenzero]

Friend apophenia,

Who walks on all legs and never moves an inch ?

Well stated!

*eat when hungry, drink when thirsty and sleep when sleepy!*

Love & rgds

 

[illykitty]

I like the idea of what Zen does for someone, it's benefits... But Zen teachings are very vague to me. I don't understand metaphors. I only understand direct things. I was so disappointed that I can't seem to understand Zen because it all seems like metaphors or maybe it's so simple that I'm missing the point?

I don't know... Can someone illuminate me, please?

 

[dawny0826]

I perceive Zen as a state of being. And no one can criticize it or give it or take it away. It just is.

Like a moment of sitting outside on my porch with a cigarette when the moon is full and the wind is blowing, yet I find perfect peace within and around and feel for a moment that I know my place in the universe. A moment of oneness both within and with all that's around me. I've let go and am simply one with self, with spirit and with life. That's my Zen.

 

[Student of X]

I like the idea of what Zen does for someone, it's benefits... But Zen teachings are very vague to me. I don't understand metaphors. I only understand direct things. I was so disappointed that I can't seem to understand Zen because it all seems like metaphors or maybe it's so simple that I'm missing the point?

I don't know... Can someone illuminate me, please?

Try Ayahuaca or Peyote.

 

[Secret Chief]

I like the idea of what Zen does for someone, it's benefits... But Zen teachings are very vague to me. I don't understand metaphors. I only understand direct things. I was so disappointed that I can't seem to understand Zen because it all seems like metaphors or maybe it's so simple that I'm missing the point?

I don't know... Can someone illuminate me, please?

Step 1. When you are hungry: eat. Try to maintain awareness on the eating.

Step 2. Apply to everything.

 

[Marble]

As far as I understood it, Zen practically means to sit... just to sit... not doing anything - which is very difficult because thinking is regarded as doing something in this philosophy.

 

[SageTree]

Forest Gump might have captured it well when he said:

"Stupid is as Stupid does"



You know.... except slipping Zen in that phrase instead of stupid LOL!

Of course.... then again... there is something amazing to be seen in the Wise Fool.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

What is left when that *I* is not there?
The mirror simply reflects - eternally!

Love & rgds

 

[zenzero]

Friend illikitty,

I like the idea of what Zen does for someone, it's benefits... But Zen teachings are very vague to me. I don't understand metaphors. I only understand direct things. I was so disappointed that I can't seem to understand Zen because it all seems like metaphors or maybe it's so simple that I'm missing the point?

I don't know... Can someone illuminate me, please?

Zen uses *pointers*; the last post is one such pointer.

Love & rgds

 

[DreadFish]

I like the idea of what Zen does for someone, it's benefits... But Zen teachings are very vague to me. I don't understand metaphors. I only understand direct things. I was so disappointed that I can't seem to understand Zen because it all seems like metaphors or maybe it's so simple that I'm missing the point?

I don't know... Can someone illuminate me, please?

It is good that you understand direct things because that's what zen is. The things that seem like metaphors and such will become clear once those kinds of things are experienced. Also, they are vague because usually they come from a less conceptual understanding, and sometimes vague unclear statements are used to try to get the student out of habitual thinking.

Just to sit isn't zen, I dont think. Though literally, as zenzero stated,
"zen" comes from "ch'an" which comes from "dhyana" and basically refers to "meditative absorption." I think that Zen is like "Dzogchen" Natural Great Perfection, the true state of ourselves, which means the true state of all things, beyond our conceptually conditioned perception. Here, I borrow a quote from the Wanderling, who borrowed it, and added a line, from someone else:

Fundamentally, our experience as experienced is not different from the Zen master's. Where
we differ is that we place a fog, a particular kind of conceptual overlay onto that experience
and then make an emotional investment in that overlay, taking it to be "real" in and of itself.

So, in zazen, one sits, and the mind (which can be likened to a large container of water in this instance) gradually settles, the debris clears and the waves calm down. Then things are seen clearly because the waves are not distorting things.

Though it is important to have the mind free from thought, denying thoughts is counter productive. So, whatever arises, whether it be peaceful thoughts, or disturbing thoughts, just let them pass, no judgement as to their content, or whether they are good or bad, right or wrong, pleasurable or painful. It's like if you were just sitting, and a balloon floats up in your view from below; you can grab the balloon, or you can let it continue on it's way and it will be gone soon. I think thoughts arising are like that


But, given that these are all just intellectual understandings, none of it really gets to the marrow of zen I think. The Tao that can be named...

 

[zenzero]

Friend DF,

So, in zazen, one sits, and the mind (which can be likened to a large container of water in this instance) gradually settles, the debris clears and the waves calm down. Then things are seen clearly because the waves are not distorting things.

It is then that it can be stated that the lake is sitting and not before that.
In indication about sitting was towards THAT!

Love & rgds

 

[Tathagata]

I like the idea of what Zen does for someone, it's benefits... But Zen teachings are very vague to me. I don't understand metaphors. I only understand direct things. I was so disappointed that I can't seem to understand Zen because it all seems like metaphors or maybe it's so simple that I'm missing the point?

I don't know... Can someone illuminate me, please?

Zen is not vague, nor is it just about metaphors. It's a very profound and transcendent philosophy, but also simple and ordinary.

Japanese Zen Buddhist Philosophy (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)



.

 

[SageTree]

"BuddhTaoist" ^