zen in medipath

5th adjustment- MIND(Consentration Meditation Practice)

2008-09-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

For the very beginner of Samadhi training there are 3 aspects to the adjustment of mind; 1- go into concentration, 2- stay in concentration, 3- come out of concentration.
Going into concentration
Entering concentration has 2 parts; 1- Make adjustments in order to stop unnecessary bad thoughts and illusions, turn your back on the endless stream of ideas zooming around your head and softly walk away. 2- Adjust the mind from falling and rising and also avoid being too loose and too tight.
Falling refers to when you are sitting in concentration and you start to lose mind, a feeling of sleepiness starts to overcome you and you let your head drop down. To overcome this make a focus down your nose, pay close attention to the single present moment and don’t move.
Rising refers to when you are sitting in meditation and the mind starts to float, the body becomes unstable and thoughts begin to grasp things outside. To overcome this, the trainee should make a focus a few inches under the belly button so to stop illusions from arising and the let the mind calm down.
Tight refers to when you are struggling to control the mind, struggling with ways to go into concentration, trying to control the speed and technique and trying hard to make sure that you are doing everything correct, that you are executing the teachings perfectly. This results in the up-flow of energy which causes the body to ache and feel uncomfortable. To overcome this problem the trainee should sit without care and meditate the energy flowing down and away from the body, let all the problems of mind and body quietly leave.
Loose refers to the dim and dark feeling of the mind. Concentration is distributed and the body is soft and forceless. Sometimes saliva starts to dribble from the corner of the mouth, this is a definite sign of being too loose, to overcome this we must control the body and use the mind to make a single pointed concentration, the body will thus become fixed.
These various problems of the mind illustrate the smooth against the rough, the unbalanced against the harmonious. With adjustment, the trainee can learn and understand his own situation.
Go into concentration from big to tiny, from the crashing waves of the pacific to the bobbling ripples of the local pond. We start big with the adjustment of body, in the middle is the adjustment of breath, then comes the fine adjustment of the mind. The trainee will follow the way from big to small in order to find calm. This is a convenient path for the beginner. The 2 keys are rising and falling, and being tight and loose.
Staying in concentration
For the Zen concentration trainee, time can seem very long or very short. When he uses his mind to concentrate he should make a fine observation of himself to check that his body, breath and mind are adjusted correctly.
1-body: When beginning training one should adjust his body well, and after that when he is in sitting meditation should continue observing and correct any mistakes. Mistakes include; leaning to the side, slouching, training too fast, training too loose or too tight and being too high or too low. Sometimes the correct position slowly becomes lost. When the trainee realizes that there is a mistake he should slowly and softly make the necessary corrections in order to regain correct position and in doing so regain the feeling of peace and comfort.
2-breath: During sitting meditation, sometimes the posture is in harmony and well adjusted but the breath is not. These problems of breath were mentioned earlier, i.e. breathing with sound, block, not slow, soft and fine. To correct these mistakes use the method mentioned earlier so that you find yourself in a situation where the breath is soft, so soft that it actually feels like you’re not breathing, just let everything go.
3-mind: Sometimes during sitting meditation the body and breath are good but the mind is unstable e.g. wide mind, quick zooming mind, falling mind, floating mind. The cure these problems please re-read the earlier section on mind and follow the method mentioned before.
These 3 adjustments do not have any specific order in which to be followed, where there is a problem it should be corrected. When sitting let the 3 things be harmoniously adjusted without mistake. However, this does not mean you are to fight them, do not be against them, harmony means completed as one whole. To rid yourself of the long lasting ill effects caused by blocks you must be strong and just let them go. Prevent the blocks from rising or awakening from within you. Blocks arise because of incorrect training in the past, if you follow the path of correct training now they will leave away from you. Samadhi will easily manifest as a truth.
Coming out of concentration
When coming out of concentration the first step is to let focus go. Move your attention to the breath and then breathe out of the mouth, meditate the energy flowing out from internal to external throughout the body. After a while, start moving the body, from torso to shoulders to head to feet, then massage all of the body. After that rub your hands together quickly until they are hot and then place them on your eyes before slowly opening them. Stay seated and wait until the body no longer feels hot (internal heat kind of hot) before moving around freely and especially before going outside or somewhere cold. If you fail to follow the above mentioned method (for example coming out of your meditative state by jumping up and darting to get the phone) the fine internal energy harnessed in zazen will not be evenly distributed, it will be focused in one place making a block which could result in physical ailments like headache, bone ache, cold or flu. This blocked energy may also cause problems for you when meditating in the future giving a feeling of unease, worry and roughness. For this reason it is important that the trainee come out of concentration carefully.
It is written in scripture that the great Bodhisattvas of the past, through countless billions of lives for the pure reason of Dharma gained the experience of going in, staying in and coming out of countless billions of Samadhi, and by doing so gained great magical power. By training on the Dharma path for so long they could perfect every step along the path in the correct and true way and perfect every practice down to the minutest detail.

4th Adjustment – breath(Consentration Meditation Practice)

2008-09-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

When beginning adjustment of breath, there are 4 kinds of concentration; 3 are wrong, 1 is right.
1, Sitting in concentration, breathing with a sound like a rough wind, this sound is unharmonious and incorrect.
2, Sitting in concentration, breathing without making a sound but with a block inside which makes it difficult to breathe in and out.
3, Sitting in concentration, breathing without sound, without block, but the breath is not fine, is not soft.
4, The right kind of breath is that which makes no sound, without a block, which is soft, harmonious and peaceful. The breath should be light and faint so it seems that you are not actually breathing. When this breath is achieved it will naturally comfort the mind and refine the emotions.
The result of these adjustments
1, Breathing with a sound makes people lose energy
2, Breathing with a block refers to the block of blood and qi inside the body
3, Breathing which isn’t fine and soft makes people lose mind energy and also inhibits the feeling of spirituality from arising.
When sitting with an incorrect adjustment of breath it has a negative effect on all other aspects of practice. The direct link between the breath and the mind soon becomes apparent. When sitting with correct adjustment the mind will quickly become calm like all the dust settling in a large room.
Correcting wrong adjustments
1, Just let it be- let the mind calm down on its own, don’t try to hard, don’t try to force it or control it, with time it will come down to its natural state.
2, Relax- don’t be tense, don’t struggle
3, Meditate the energy flow out away from the body so to dissolve any blocks inside
Then…… when the mind is soft and lucid, finely observe awareness, this in turn will then make the breath soft and slow which will in turn make the mind soft and lucid. Whenever the mind is adjusted, the breath will naturally follow and be adjusted. They are connected and cannot be separated; there can be no distinguishing between the two as they are the same thing, one thing.
By concentrating on breath training like this, the trainee avoids mistakes, blocks and illness which occur through incorrect training. With correct adjustment the trainee will easily find the situation of Zen Samadhi. The key is being not too rough (tightness, over-concentration, too much control) and not too smooth (being too loose, lack of concentration, lack of control).

Adjustment(Concentration Meditation)

2008-08-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Adjustment
The foundation student who wishes to study the dharma of all the Buddhas in all the universes in all time should make a firm promise to wish all beings relief from suffering. To receive the highest teaching of Dharma his wish needs to be solid, like a diamond. He needs to be brave and make progress through the teachings without care for body or even life, he must be resolute never to turn (or even glance) back until all the Dharma has been completed. After he’s made this promise, sitting with correct mind in total awareness, the trainee meditates on the truth of every way of thinking and doing i.e. that all senses, subjects and objects are nothing more than illusions, everything is artificial, everything comes from mind. If you understand the artificial mind (in that it has no nature) all illusions will be destroyed. Everything is artificial, all ways of thinking are artificial, all ways of doing are artificial, all Dharma is artificial, everything is artificial. There is no truth, only mind. With this mind free from all pollution, all birth, death, re-birth and re-death along with the reasons for them, will stop. By meditating on this, the trainee can really start the Zen training.
What is adjustment? If we take the example of a clay worker mixing powder and water, the mixture mustn’t be too thick or it will go hard and it mustn’t be too thin or it will go soft, it must be just right so he can continue with his work. Like a violinist must patiently tune each string so he can make a nice melody. In the same way, a Zen trainee has to adjust his mind. There are 5 things that need adjustment so the trainee is ready to receive training, and the situation of Samadhi can arise. If the adjustments are not made, blocks will overcome and obscure the mind so that perfection will find it difficult to manifest.
1st Adjustment – FOOD
There needs to be a clear line drawn between food and desire. For the trainee, food is to supply the body and support the practice of Zen only. For many people food has become a kind of hobby, something to do when you’re bored. A kind of socializing, be it Christmas dinner, a romantic meal for two, a business lunch, the list goes on and on, food is firmly integrated within the lives of all of us living in the modern world. The trainee needs to dissolve this viewpoint. By eating too much, we cause our internal energy to be pressed against which can make a block for our meridians and make sitting meditation at the very least uncomfortable. By eating too little, we cause the body to feel weak and soft without force, the mind feels empty and thoughts become unstable. Dirty eating can lead to a confused mind; by eating incorrect food we bring about the right conditions for sleeping illness to stir within us (the word incorrect here is primarily concerned with meat and odorous vegetables i.e. garlic, onion and leak. The Zen diet is a vegetarian one).

2nd Adjustment – SLEEP
Sleep is a block, an unwise affliction which obscures the light of our mind. Do not allow this habit to run free. Too much sleep not only makes a block for our training, but also causes us to lose ‘gongfu’ (gongfu relates to time, energy, understanding and experience). By sleeping too much we unwind our wisdom. Kindness, mercy and compassion gained by training also start to disappear. So………unconscious, mindless, corpse like sleep needs to be taken only as we need it. We should try to understand that everything in life is ephemeral and will not be here forever. Then, the mind will be clear, energy will be comfortable, the trainee can awake perfection and Samadhi will become a truth.
The next adjustments to be discussed are 3-body, 4-breath and 5-mind. These 3 are always taught as one as they are inextricably linked.
3 Adjust the body
For the new beginner he must learn the different skills of going into, staying in and getting out of Zen concentration. He must carefully observe all actions whether it be moving, staying still, sitting or lying down, all should be soft, smooth and slow. If the actions are rough and wild it will cause the breath to be rough and wild which in turn will effect the mind, thoughts will be scattered making focus and concentration very difficult. Sitting with a troubled mind makes a real block for achieving the peace, joy and comfort which we are working towards. At the beginning simply let the senses come back, let them gather and settle like the dust in a big old attic room, let the rough breath and the confused, scattered mind concentrate on one thing. When sitting, our aim is just to make the body prepared, so that all conditions are conducive to training.
The positions of lotus and half lotus will be discussed in a later section, for the time being, the necessary directions are that clothing should be loose and comfortable (skin tight jeans may feel like a 14th century torture device after sitting for an hour), if your wearing a belt it’s always a good idea to loosen down a few notches. Hands and feet are better if kept nice and close to the body.
Make the body correct- 1st sit upright with your back straight and slightly stretched. Although stretched, the posture needs to be without force and struggle. After this, relax the body but make sure that there is no movement of the hands or feet. This stretching and relaxing should be repeated 7-8 times until the posture is correct i.e. straight and relaxed, not stretched and not slouched. 2nd adjust the neck and head. Eyes should be facing forward with the head up and the chin tucked in. The tip of the nose should be pointing to the belly button, this is achieved by tucking in the chin, not by dropping the head down, it’s important that the head is upright. Once the position feels right and everything is stable, breathe 3 times, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Inhale slowly and softly without control, meditating clean air flowing through all the meridians, then exhale meditating on the dirty, bad, dark energy leaving the body through the mouth. During sitting meditation the tongue is placed softly just behind the top teeth, the eyes are almost closed with just a tiny gap allowing in a slither of light, the body is stable like a rock (remember that rocks do not move). When Zazen the key is not to be too loose and not to be to tight.
When beginning Zazen the posture is very important and no step should be skipped over. These adjustments are very easy to say but difficult to do, time and patience are needed to achieve good results.

Get Five Blocks away(concentration meditation practice)

2008-08-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

1. Internal desire
As well as being tempted by a plethora of external desires on a daily basis, we also have to deal with the desires that come from within. These are different to external desires but no less harmful and need to be dealt with in order to overcome the block of grasping desire. The mind of internal desire is forever continuing, in a single second uncountable desires whizz past the minds eye closely one after the other. These desires block the mind of mercy and kindness and so cause a serious obstacle for the trainee. With understanding of this, he should leave away from the mind of desire. When the trainee reaches Samadhi he feels real joy, the joy that comes from the truth, at this time he quickly loses all the desires which attack and confuse him.
2. Hate
Leave away from the block of hate. Hate makes us lose sight of the principles of Buddhism and is the basic reason why people are lost in this world. The paths of base desires, harsh words, pain and suffering are often instigated by hate and should therefore be avoided. Hate is the opposite of dharma which gives us joy. Hate is the enemy of the merciful, kind and compassionate mind. In Zen we are taught that there are 9 kinds of hate. 1-people who hate me, 2-people who hate my family, 3-people who stand with my enemy, these occur in the past, present and future, in all 9 kinds. In these situations we are given reason to hate back in return. Anger can also quickly turn into hate, hate turns into a block and the block covers our true, right mind. Once this has been understood, it should be left away from quickly and not given the chance to grow. In the beginning, hate starts off as a tiny seed and as such is easy to toss away, for if we don’t, it will quickly grow and gain control of the trainee. Once hate has been rooted it can cause serious emotional problems for the trainee and left untreated can lead to madness.
3. Sleep
Leave away from the block of sleep. There are 2 kinds of sleep
1, lost mind- not being awake, alert, walking around in a constant day dream
2, sleeping like a corpse
People who study Dharma wish to obtain and realize true joy. The desire of sleep can block this and also block us from going to paradise or reaching nirvana. Sleep is the worst desire. Why? Because other bad desires can be recognized and dealt with, but sleep is deathlike and so is hard to know about, it creeps up on us.

4. Regret
Leave away from the block of regret which is caused by the instability of body, mind and tongue. Unstable body- ever moving, sitting, standing, lying, walking. Unstable mind- letting the mind wonder freely, letting it grasp at ideas without control, thinking about culture, arts, skills, observations, learning, research of bad teachings. Unstable tongue- mindless, meaningless talk, small talk, quarrels, sayings etc.
There are 2 kinds of regret;
1, When we follow the correct path, regret arises from within. We regret the unstable things done in the past.
2, People who have done really bad things in the past, these people are very fearful for they understand the seriousness of their sins.
So…….we should regret our mistakes, and then promise not to make these same mistakes again in the future. We shouldn’t be forever clinging to this mind of regret as it will only cause a block for us. If we can do this our minds will be joyful and full of delight.
5. Doubt
Let the block of doubt leave away from us. The doubt blocks our mind. When being given a Dharma teaching, if we doubt and have no confidence, we cannot receive it, like going to a mountain full of treasure with no arms.
There are 3 types of doubt;
1, no self confidence
I’m foolish, I have many bad habits, my sins are heavy, my reason to train is not good, I’m not the right material for Zen training, Samadhi cannot become a truth. The trainee of Samadhi needs to have confidence in himself because the fact that he is training in Zen and is reading this is proof enough that the reason to train and attain Samadhi was established in past lives.
2, no confidence in the teacher
Look at his face, body and mind, he has not been enlightened, how can he help me? With doubt of this nature one will surely meet a block for Samadhi training. The Chinese say that if you want to reach the gold from within your body, you must first go through the smelly pack of skin covering it. In the same way, although the teacher may not be fully lucid, if we want to follow the path to enlightenment, we must think him to be Buddha.

3, no confidence in Dharma
People have doubt in the Dharma because they have high opinions of themselves, pride, big ego, narcissism, all this blocks him from receiving the training. No trust in the Dharma equals no reason to get a path to enlightenment.
With so many other types of troubles, why do we only discuss 5? Because the others are included within these 5.
So…………we need to leave away from bad habits, get rid of our heavy debt, and just like a starving child who comes across an empty house stocked to the ceiling with all kinds of delicious treats we will find safety, stillness, stability and joy, like cool shade on a scorching day, like looking up on a winter’s night, with no clouds or fumes obscuring the sky, the stars appear easily and naturally.

Venerable Sean Dhammiko

2008-08-05T17:09:00.001-07:00

Goodbye Urinals and Hard Shell Tacos(Letter fr. Venerable Sean Dhammiko)

2008-08-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

One month ago, I joined thirty Buddhist brothers from seventeen countries to participate in a one month Buddhist monk ordination program at the Dhammakaya Temple in Thailand. It's been a wild ride – one that I wouldn't trade for unlimited bowls of fruit. Eight monks remain. Seven plan to disrobe after three more months of intensive meditation sessions. I still plan to stay for life.

The first two weeks of the training program were essentially boot camp. All day everyday we cleaned toilets with our hands, manually cleaned each other's laundry, mopped floors, studied Buddhist teachings, sat on hard floors (we never sat in chairs), meditated, chanted, wore skirts (without underwear), ate everything with a fork and spoon (no fingers or knives), slept six hours per night, sat down to pee, and did not talk about anything that was not virtuous in nature. Many people wanted to quit after the first week. The motto is "Stopping the mind is the key to success". This does not mean that wisdom cannot guide you. It just means to rid yourself of illusion, fear, greed, doubt and ego.

Days before the ordination, my head, armpits and eyebrows were shaven. I am now supposed to shave these myself at least every 15 days for the rest of my life.

The actual ordination day was the best day of my life. My family came to witness the ceremony, as did two friends from Beijing, a friend from Canada and several friends from Chiang Mai. One of the two spiritual advisors to the King ordained me as an official monk, which is a great honor indeed. My official Buddhist monk name is Venerable Sean Dhammiko. Dhammiko means "The One Whose Faith Lies Solely in Dhamma". Dhamma means The Truth, the teachings of the Buddha, human's essential nature, and can also mean the Buddha himself. Photos of the ordination will be sent shortly.

After the ordination, we took a bus to the mountains of Northern Thailand to meditate and to practice the life of a monk for two weeks. We lived relatively lavishly, as we were provided with our own rooms, mattresses, western food and followed a less strict daily regimen. Our meditation experiences began to see great progress, so most everyone was happy, generous and peaceful at heart. My meditative abilities progressed nicely - faster than most - a sign that I have probably been a monk in previous lives. The great Abbot of the Dhammakaya Temple spoke about my meditation experience on television which was broadcast around the word in at least three languages. It was a great honor to be a part of his mission for world peace through inner peace.

On the last day of the one month program, we boarded another double-decker touring bus to return to Bangkok. Our driver was in a hurry, so he sped through the windy mountain turns dangerously, narrowly escaping cliffs that dropped hundreds of meters down into a river. But the last turn proved too twisty for our driver, so our bus fell off of the road and rolled down the mountain. I thought we were done for. We all did. Fortunately, a big tree at the edge of the final precipice stopped our momentum. If the tree wasn't there, I would not be alive right now.

Once the bus stopped rolling, panic ensued. I found myself lying on the ceiling of the bus wedged against a side window. People tried to break the glass windows and find open doors. Diesel fumes started to fill the air inside the bus. In time, most of us found escape routes, climbed out of the bus and tried to rescue others still trapped inside. To make a long, emotional story short, one person died, one is still in ICU, and many have broken ribs, shoulders, arms, legs, etc. I have been to 3 hospitals and 1 medical center, but I am ok. X-rays and CAT Scans have all confirmed this. Nonetheless, I had glass in my feet for 3 days, contusions on two points of my head, a bruised back, cuts on my right arm and two sore hips. I experience vertigo every once in a while, but it's nothing that Dramamine and an IV can't handle. For everyone who survived, it is a great lesson that life is impermanent. We should cherish every second that we are alive and remain positive in spite of heavy obstacles.

I am writing this from a hospital right now. The nurses want me to get some more sleep, so I need to sign off. Photos will be on their way in the coming days.

May you find eternal happiness and peace inside,

Venerable Sean Dhammiko

FYI

The ordination program overview: http://www.ordinationthai.org/docs/en/index.html

The Dhammakaya Temple's television channel is accessible online at: http://www.dmc.tv/en/

Escaping Desire(Consentration Meditation Practice)

2008-07-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

There are 5 kinds of desire that attack, confuse and seduce people. Colour, Voice, Fragrance, Taste and Attachment.
1, Desire of colour- Beautiful goods, beautiful clothes, beautiful jewelry, beautiful paintings, beautiful faces, leave this kind of desire alone.
2, Desire of voice- melody can attack people and confuse the mind.
3, Desire of fragrance- the fragrance of male and female bodies, delicious food and wine, incense, trees, nature. Fragrance can wake up sleeping desire from deep within us.
4, Desire of taste- all kinds of delicious things cause ordinary people’s grasping desire to grow, it also can also awake bad habits.
5, Desire of touch- comfort, softness, smoothness, warmth, coolness, all these things attack humans, the ones that are not wise will find themselves caught in their web and fall in love with them.
All of the 5 kinds of desire, if you beg for them, will come to you, but they will never cease, they are relentless and will attack you time and time again. The grasping of desire can grow uncontrollably like adding petrol to fire. It’s like a dog eating a bone, there’s no taste. It’s like running with a torch against the wind, it burns. It’s like keeping your foot on a poisonous snake, it’ll bite.
The 5 desires are like a dream, they are not the truth, we cannot get anything from them, they are just artificial like a dream, like a spark which lasts for a split second.
Desires are unfriendly, cunning, their aim is to attack us, injure us, lure us into following them (it’s oh so easy to follow them), but these desires drive us to do bad things and then off to hell we go. They act as managing directors ruthlessly ordering around their groveling staff, making us jump to their every whim.
Don’t be a slave to these desires.
As a trainee of Zen, don’t be blocked by these kinds of desires. They should be thought of as gangsters and should be left far away. By doing this, good luck will surely ensue.

1,Take disciplines(Consentration&Meditation Training)

2008-07-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Before we start training concentration meditation we need to make a firm decision, manifest a great wish to do so. Our reason to train must be completed. We must take discipline firmly and seriously to control all our bad habits. After time, discipline can be taken quietly and softly, there is no need for firmness because the bad habits have already gone.
It is written in scripture that all kinds of Zen Samadhi come from discipline. Discipline also lays the path for wisdom which can overcome our afflictions.
The trainee who takes the rules, practices concentration meditation and practices Buddhism is like the clean cloth which can be dyed with the greatest of ease. But…………if a trainee takes a vow to be disciplined but after time breaks his vow, what then? Like cloth which is stained, before you go ahead with the dying process you need to wash out the stain, in the same way, someone who has broken his vow needs to wash himself clean before continuing along his path, this is so-called regret and promise.
Below are 10 ideas to be considered with regard to regret and promise;
1, Understand and believe in karma, we should constantly remind ourselves of the implications of our actions.
2, Keep a fearful mind, because we are aware of the sins we have committed.
3, Feel regret and shame for our actions.
4, Let the sins go, ask for a way to overcome them, leave them far away from us, let them be nothing.
5, Confess our sins.
6, Stop sins from continuing, use the mind to stop sins from being committed in the future.
7, Make a mind to service the dharma, stand firm and protect the teachings.
8, Make a determined promise, to help all beings get relief.
9, Miss all the Buddhas,
10, Meditate on the fact that sins are just artificial, they have no truth, no nature, in fact they are nothing at all.
We should practice regret regularly- it’s a good idea to set ourselves a specific period of time in which to whole-heartedly practice regret i.e. a week or 10 days.
Regret and promise are just a teaching, not the goal.
By frequent sitting and agreeing with the dharma teaching, our sins will stop, Zen Samadhi will become a truth. After the sins disappear the trainee will know, the sins will leave away from him and the practice of regret and promise will become unnecessary. After that, the trainee keeps the principles, keeps concentrating, keeps controlling the mind, keeps sitting practice and admiring and worshipping the Buddhist teachings, through this, all the serious sins will be overcome and at last Zen Samadhi will become a truth.
2, Get enough clothes and food
Take enough clean clothes as you need. The word ‘enough’ here should be understood to mean not too many. In the modern world it’s very easy to get ‘things’ and it has become a modern past time of the masses to go shopping, buy! Buy! Buy! No money? No problem! We have our flexible friends, plastic fantastic, loans, store credit, obliging bank managers eagerly tallying up all those little red numbers. This craving to accumulate seems to be spreading like wild fire, but as a Zen practitioner it needs to be avoided. Accumulating means grasping and it can disturb and make a serious block for our Zen practice.
As for food…….this will be discussed in a later section, but for now it will suffice to say that food should be simple and easy.
3, Live quietly
‘Quiet’ here means not doing anything, but in the modern world, the impracticalities of this may soon be noted. We should take the word ‘quiet’ to mean not doing unnecessary things, it’s up to the trainee to judge which things in his life are necessary and which are not.
4, Stop relationships
This applies to both personal and business, but again the emphasis should be placed on unnecessary, the trainee needs to evaluate which relationships in his life are deemed essential for a continued smooth and happy life.
5, Keep your good friends close
What is a good friend? The 1st kind is someone who supplies the trainee, but lets him be quiet. The 2nd kind is someone who trains alongside the trainee but doesn’t disturb him. The 3rd kind someone who directs, protects and helps the trainee get happiness from the dharma.

Get reason(concentration meditation training)

2008-07-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

When we have a completed reason we must make a firm decision to enter the path.Once this decision has been made there are 5 basic principles which should be adhered to. These principles should be seen as common, ordinary, nothing special and should be adhered to naturally and quietly;1, Don’t kill2, Don’t steal3, Don’t have bad relationships (sexual or otherwise)4, Don’t boast, lie or spurt out big meaningless words5, Don’t drink (this includes the multitude of modern day narcotics)The last principle is important because when under the influence of booze or happy pills, people are much more likely to break numbers 1-4.Keeping to these rules will help the trainee overcome his afflictions and reach Samadhi. By taking these rules the trainee can receive the Buddhist teaching he desires. If he doesn’t take these rules, the lessons cannot be absorbed by the trainee in the manner the teacher intended, much like trying to dye a coffee stained shirt; if you take a white shirt with a big coffee stain on the front and try to dye it pink, after dying, the coffee stain is still very prominent, the dying process has not reduced the stain at all, in the same way, a trainee who meditates for hours on end and diligently reads through the scriptures by day but then by night goes out killing, stealing, cheating on his wife whilst boasting in an ecstasy enhanced drunken stupor will more than likely find his path to be an uphill struggle. The trainee of Zen should seek teachings in a clean white shirt, it may not be starched, but there are no coffee stains either.

Concentration Meditation Practice

2008-07-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

Through the practice of focus, concentration and stillness we reach Samadhi. Through observation and correct thinking we find wisdom.When practicing Zen, Samadhi and wisdom need to be balanced and cultivated equally so we do not find ourselves leaning to one side like a bicycle with one wheel. To study Samadhi without wisdom breeds foolishness, to study wisdom without Samadhi breeds insanity.A 10th class Bodhisattva has wisdom that is greater than his Samadhi so he can meet Buddha but is still not complete. The Buddha’s wisdom and Samadhi are equal and balanced so he understands the truth.It is said in scripture that the trainer that truly understands emptiness cannot meet Buddha nature because there is no Buddha nature to meet.The path of concentration meditation leads us to the final goal. This is not just some simple, elementary teaching for the beginner, yes it helps the beginner find the path, but the path leads to the final goal. These words are easy to say but extremely difficult to do. These words should not be taken lightly or talked about foolishly.The great masters of the past directed the beginner with 10 precepts to guide him towards his path;1, get reason2, steer away from bad desire3, avoid incorrect training4, find harmony5, convenience6, develop correct training7, practice kindness, mercy and compassion8 , overcome your demons9, cure illness10, enlightenment is guaranteedThe great masters gave these 10 guidelines to help the trainee practice sitting meditation in the correct way, help him overcome any difficulties he may encounter on his journey, help him obtain wisdom and Samadhi and thus reach his final goal.

Difference

2008-07-16T22:30:00.000-07:00

I have many students who come from all over the world such as the US, the UK, Wales, Scotland, Italy, Russia, Spain, Israel etc. Of course the majority are Chinese. A small problem is that I am not very good at writing my BLOG in English like I do in Chinese. The previous article is actually the written part of my foreign students' basic Zen exam. They like to get something to prove their learning. This western way seems a bit funny because we Zen cultivators would prefer to just let everything be, in this case, we say it's "Bu'er" in Chinese, which means no difference and non distinguishable, we always say there isnt too much difference between process and result. A Few days ago, one of my Russian students said it seems that orientals like the western way, and a lot westerners like the eastern way as well. Many of my foreign friends happily immerse themselves in Chinese culture, some of them are really into I-go, some are into tea ceremony or calligraphy, traditional Chinese painting, Chinese history, flowers-birds-fish-and-insects, and even Chinese Zither or Chinese herbalism, the rest are into delicious food tasting as well. I sometimes make a joke that the Chinese character wan'er∈瘁∷, which means to have fun is just a knowledge". Generally, wan'er is more difficult than learning because there is no course to start and the first important element is appreciation. One of my friends used to say "the more supports, the better life" . Pagan is a new word never really popular in Chinese history. But from European history, we can tell that 50% of wars happen between different religions and sects. So we say, China is lucky because the comprehensive culture works very well. Confucianism has the wise saying that "Something we don't want to do, neither force others to do".Also, a saying from Buddhism says: Be friendly and helpful to make kind relations. That's it.

Vist Bailinsi Temple

2008-07-16T22:20:00.000-07:00

At the south-eastern corner of Zhaoxian county, Hebei province, there is an old temple which sits by the Zhao zhou bridge, which is called "The First bridge under the heaven". It's well-known as "the root temple" for the Zen sect of Buddhism in China. This serene temple receives thousands of visiters who take a profound interest in Chinese Zen culture. It also attracts numerous Zen learners from India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Austria, the US and France, to name but a few. This "May first" (Golden week), trainees from Medipath Zen Club took a trip there too. It only takes about 4 hours to get there from Beijing. The nine Medipath learners were fortunate in that the evening service was just starting as they finished checking-in and taking their luggage to Cha xiang lou(Tea fragrancy building)dormitory. Generally, the main courses are morning and evening services when learners are doing training in Bailin temple. These two services are held in the Ten-thousand Buddhas palace, it's also the place to worship The Five Dhyani Buddhas(Sanscrit: VairOcana). In the morning and evening services, we have the chance to learn the formal way of bowing to the Buddha, the way to pick up incense, how to put the palms together and worship, how to make wishes and confessions, how to repay benefit. With the influence of the Monks, you will easily follow all the Buddhist rules and etiquette. You are woken up by the board-knocking at about 4:30am, when you are still enjoying sweet dreams. The sounds remind people to be ready for the morning service, the bell is just after the board. At exactly 5am with the scent of incense and Buddhist tools' song, with the euphony of chanting, it feels as if you are staying in the land of Buddha. You can't help forgetting the earthliness and throw the fatigue and weariness far far away, you feel delightful in both body and mind, the joy invoked by the sound of the monks chanting sutras makes you want to stay for another century or two. Step into the palace Sutras for chanting in the morning and evening services are set, it will run overtime a bit if more sutras need to be chanted when Buddhist ceremonies happen. Normally, breakfast is after the morning service, then free time, some learners like to help cleaning the refectory, some sweep the yard, some go to the dormitory or palaces doing some work, or some just kotow in the palaces or walk around the pagoda. The Zhao zhou pagoda is walked around because of the great Master Cong Nian's relics (sanscrit: sarira). According to the tradition of Buddhism, you will obtain numerous blessings if you worship or put palms together whilst walking around from the left side. You can also visit the Zhao zhou bridge or the ancient stone bridge as long as you come back before lunch at 11:30. Take a rest Learners have some time to take a nap, or go to the circulating office to look for books or CDs in the afternoon, or visit the old Buddha hut, then evening service starts from 16:30. At this time all Medipath trainees enjoy two speical arrangements: visit The Ten-thousand Buddhas building, stand on the second floor to see the hall where they attended the morning and evening services, as though they are floating in Buddha heaven; talk with the youngest abbot with the highest education in China and taste the famous "Zhao zhou tea". The evening service takes about 1 hour. It will be extended if a Buddhist ceremony is taking place. Dinner is served straight after it, many monks don't eat after noon because they are fasting. Taking a stroll in the temple yard after the evening service everything is cozy and serene. Where on earth can we find such a quiet place as this? It's Zazen time from 19:30 in the Wenshu building or Puxian building, this tells us that we are drawing close to the end of a busy day. After Zazen, some learners seize the last few minutes before sleep to walk around the Pagoda, some take a stroll to take in the beautiful scenery between the moon and pine trees in the yard and wait for the dusk drum, the rest just step on the bell-drum pavillion to experience the heart-shocking moment of the drum. When you hear the board-knocking again at 21:30, you know it's time to sleep. another interesting day is just around the corner! Time always runs so fast, three days whizz by in a flash. The peace and calm, the bell at dawn and the drum at dusk, the sutras chanting, and the waving incense, everything here seems to be gone forever once we step out of the temple gate. But none of this would go to waste, mercy karma is unstoppable and unbreakable, it always comes again when the time is right.

Foundation of Zen Training(by Justin)

2008-07-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

The practice of Zen is like juggling, you just throw the balls up in the air, easy, right? It is very easy in words, but when it comes down to practicing, this easy vale is soon lifted? When starting sitting meditation, I knew that I just had to sit and not think, easy peasy, just sit and do not think, do not think, do not think, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I am thinking about not thinking. I soon discovered that it was a lot easier said than done and that a lot of time and energy is needed in mastering just the foundation of Zen practice. The Zen path is by all accounts an illusive fellow, it is not something that can be seen by the practitioner, or is it something that is taught by the teacher, it is something that arises naturally out of the time and effort put into practice.Zen training has two fundamental principals; 1, through focus and calm you reach samahdi2, through meditation and mindfulness you reach wisdom Zen training has 2 common mistakes; 1, over concentration, focusing too hard2, lack of concentration, losing mindfulness Zen has 3 basic tools for overcoming these mistakes; 1, adjust the body2, adjust the breath3, adjust the mind To overcome the block of breath and energy we sit alone, patiently waiting, when the breathing and counting and focusing all come together as one, then we will know we have overcome breath training. The new trainee feels mainly pain and unease, but the experienced trainee feels only joy and comfort.When starting Zen training these basic issues come up time and time again, any difficulties that arise from the training need to be dealt with accordingly, through mindfulness and patience, not with a big hammer. I think this short story illustrates the point better; One day the sun and the north wind were having an argument over who was the strongest, the north wind seeing a young man walking down the street wearing a big coat bet the sun that he could make the man take off the coat first, the north wind blew and blew and blew, but the stronger he blew the tighter the man held his coat, he turned to the sun and said ∪I give up, your turn∩, the sun gently came from behind the clouds and shone a warm beam onto the man who thus took off his coat. In the same way, bad habits are overcome by good habits, bad technique is overcome by good technique, hatred is overcome by kindness, foolishness is overcome by wisdom. Bad things are softly and quietly overcome by good.