Short Zen Lexicon ACCEPTANCE:       An attitude towards serenity. The opposite is  Resistance causing suffering. ATTACHMENT:       ..read more

Be still Activity and movement are our default modes, not just with our bodies but also with our minds always in motion. We rush around all day, always connected, doing things, talking, emailing, sending and reading messages, There is no time for stillness. In our society action and results are all-important, it is part of our self-image because we believe that we are important and indispensable.  You never say to someone: “ I am doing nothing” Being still isn’t something we’re used to nor to accepting. Inaction is seen as lazy, passive, and unproductive. Sitting still in front of a frene ..read more

               Awareness vs Thinking I am thinking hard to control my thoughts and emotions but I cannot succeed. So, what should I do said the student: “Don’t do,...... just be....... and you will achieve control of your mind..” replied the teacher. To control or even to be free of our thoughts and feelings is not really a big job but a small one. Al you need is to be aware of them, as they happen one by one. Nothing else. Let me go thru the logic of the statement: The student said: “ I am thinking hard” It means the act of ..read more

                                Original Self vs Acquired self    or   The doctrine of “ No-Self” XIII century Zen Master Dogen taught the following:                “ The daily practice of Zen and Zen meditation is to discover your true original self                   T ..read more

The practice of Metta or “loving-kindness” Metta is a Pali word, and like most ancient words, it encompasses multi meanings. Therefore, it cannot be translated into a single word. It can be summarized as an attitude of loving-kindness expressed towards all living beings including self and in all situations w/o seeking anything back for our own interest. Metta is one of the so-called 4 Noble Attitudes also called 4 Virtues or the 4 Immeasurable, that is Compassion, Feeling happy for the happiness of others, and equanimity or emotional stability. Loving-kindness includes caring, loving, friendli ..read more

                                                  Being kind with our unkind demons Negative thoughts are our unkind demons popping up all the time out of our subconscious or from nowhere. Hundred of thoughts belong in this category:  anxiety, guilt, poor self-image, hatred, regrets, etc....  They disturbed us to the point that we repeatedly t ..read more

                                               Benefits of mindfulness-based meditation 2 In this talk, I will not describe again what mindfulness meditation is all about but look at its beneficial effects. Also, no one should look at mindfulness meditation as the Holy Grail which will fix all our problems. Over the last 25 years or so, science has been able to prove ..read more

                                                        Impermanence: to be mindful to Asked what was the most important message of his 50 years teaching, the Buddha, without hesitation, replied these words. “Everything is transient, work diligently to appreciate and experience your impermanence.” It was his last words a fe ..read more

MINDFULNESS:  BACK TO THE BASIS.   What, How There is still confusion regarding the definition, meaning, and practice of the word mindfulness. So, let’s go back to the basics: Origin of the word: Come from the Pali word, “Sati”, which means literally “ the active, watching mind on something and in the moment ”. It has been poorly translated in a single word as mindfulness and, yet, the genuine meaning has nothing to do with the conventional cerebral one. In fact, Sanskrit uses 1 word for each of them. So, there are 2 types of mindfulness: 1) The conventional definition: To be fo ..read more

How to assess our Body-Mind Energy Level The following is not, per se, a Dharma talk but an interesting exercise that I learned from a Tibetan monk living in Dharamshala with the Dalai Lama and was with us for a year at our temple in Toronto learning English. Before describing this very simple exercise to assess your body-mind energy level, the following short introduction is necessary to understand its rationale and practice. Oriental philosophy which includes Zen and Oriental medicine does not differentiate body from mind and mind from body. It is viewed as a single unit. However, Western me ..read more