Response to someone who wants to avoid pain by being empty. The earth is one, but every speck of earth has its own characteristics that make sense for that very space. Your body is one, yet you have eyes, ears, nose, tongue. They all have their sense-objects, and this all generates consciousness of them. Part of our Zen training is to see this unifying connection you describe. The other part is to develop wisdom about how it all works. Not making distinctions involves seeing things as they are. Seeing things as they are allows us to treat everything as itself. This includes how your own life ..read more

Everybody wants to practice in a place like this, in the middle of the mountains, completely quiet, surrounded by nature, with nobody around to bother you. But this kind of practice is also attachment: attachment to practice. If you attach to a good situation, if you want to practice only in peace and silence, or in a beautiful environment, you are missing the true direction of Zen practice.  Yes, we practice to attain enlightenment, but attaining enlightenment is not enough. We practice to attain a clear mind and a strong center, but then what? How do you use your clear mind in your eve ..read more

The student asked, “What is dharma?” Dae Soen Sa Nim said, “When I’m hungry I eat; when I’m tired I sleep. Do you understand?” “I think so, but I’m not sure this is understanding.” “Then ask me again,” said Dae Soen Sa Nim. “What is dharma?” “Today I left Krakow at 8:40 and arrived here after half an hour. Is that enough? Dharma is not dharma. The sun, the moon, the stars do not say, ‘I am the sun, I am the moon, I am the stars.’ Buddha did not say, ‘I am Buddha.’ God does not say, ‘I am God.’ The true God and the true Buddha have no name. Also the true sun, the true moon, the true stars ..read more

In this video, Dennis Duermeier JDPSN talks about believing in our true selves and having a clear direction in our Zen practice ..read more

When we are really stuck, when we don’t know, when we have this “Don’t Know” completely, then everything, whatever you hear, whatever you see, whatever you touch, everything becomes Buddha. Everything is like what it is. There is nothing to add, nothing to take away. Everything is okay. So we sit. We sit, looking, perceiving how the thoughts are coming, going, coming, going. This is actually all that we are doing. Our work during sitting time is to sit and watch as thoughts are coming and going. And don’t touch this; then the thought itself is Buddha.   ..read more

A couple of years ago I was walking to work, a walk which takes me through several busy intersections in Cambridge. My mind was filled with the day's activities and plans. Consequently, my attention at that particular moment was not with the moment as it was unfolding. I was crossing a particularly busy intersection; a blind man was walking beside me, waving his stick back and forth. As this man was walking, his stick hit a car parked right in the crosswalk. I glanced over and you could see an expression of "what is this?" on his face. He didn't know how to overcome this obstacle in his path ..read more

In this video, Zen Master Bon Shim talks about being honest with our Zen practice and using the practice in our everyday lives ..read more

We all come into this world with empty hands, and we leave with empty hands. Nobody said to us, “Hey! How would you like to spend a little time on planet earth?” And when it’s time to go, nobody asks our permission. When our time is up, we’re gone. There’s no reason, and we have no choice in the matter. But while we are alive, what should we do? How do we live our life? How do we put our empty hands to work? Every day, all of us have to do many things. But most important is why do we do something? What is our motivation? Zen Master Seung Sahn always asked, “Why do you eat every day?” That is ..read more

Attaining my true self simply means moment to moment I keep a correct situation, correct relationship, and correct function in this world. I function clearly in this universe to save all beings. So getting enlightenment and teaching other beings are not two things, because when you return to your mind before thinking arises, at that point, everything completely becomes one. At that point, how could you not help all beings? Your correct situation, correct relationship, and correct function appear clearly in front of you. Helping other beings is enlightenment's correct job - it is really not a ..read more

You and I are also living in a dream. It might be a happy dream or a sad one, a prosperous dream or a poor dream; it might be a selfish dream or a selfless dream. Maybe we are having a Zen dream or a “practicing in order to help all beings” dream. Buddha said, “I am awake.” This is the teaching of all the Buddhas and eminent teachers. Wake up! Whenever we wake up from our dream-even if only for a single moment-we attain our original job.  ..read more