The Koan of Baso’s Very Mind
Baso’s Very Mind is the 30th case or koan in the Mumonkan, The Gateless Barrier, a collection compiled in the 13th century by Rinzai master Wumen Huikai.
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Religious Training, Equanimity of Mind
The Dalai Lama on his rigorous studies that were set against the background of the political upheaval in Tibet and an invasion by China.
Mencius – To Fathom the Mind
Chinese philosopher Mencius’ core conviction was that human nature is fundamentally good and pure and only sullied by societal living.
Focusing the Mind: Santideva’s Verses on Meditation and Relationship
Santideva talks about the practice of meditation as a means to reveal Awakening Mind, here particularly focusing on the discipline and skill of relationship.
Everything is Made of Mind: Norman Fischer on the Playing-Out of Impermanence and Eternity
“Life is the wind. Life is the water. As long as life appears as phenomena there will be the stirrings of delusion. Delusion is in fact the movement, the stirÂring, of awakening.” – Norman Fischer In this 2019 essay featured in his new book, When You Greet Me, I Bow, Zen teacher and poet, Norman… Continue reading Everything is Made of Mind: Norman Fischer on the Playing-Out of Impermanence and Eternity
Ordinary Mind is the Way
This koan is an exchange between Master Nansen and his student Joshu that would have taken place in China around the 9th century. Their dialog concerns the nature of the Way and how to attain it. Nansen advises his student that ordinary mind is the key, but that it is not something he can seek… Continue reading Ordinary Mind is the Way
Body Like a Rag, Mind Like a Mirror – Guo Gu Breaking Through Boundaries
Chan teacher Guo Gu on silent illumination, punk music and his teacher Sheng Yen’s legacy.
One Must Have A Mind Of Winter
Picking up on Les Kaye‘s theme of harmonizing our inner lives with the demands and responsibilities of work, it’s inspiring to look at a poet like Wallace Stevens who composed his poems while commuting to and from his job as a lawyer and businessman. A fervent advocate of the transformative power of the imagination, Stevens… Continue reading One Must Have A Mind Of Winter
The Moon in the Water, the Body in the Mirror
Samurai Yagyu Munenori uses the popular Zen image of the moon reflected in the water to explain its application in martial arts training.
Bodhidharma’s Bloodstream Sermon
Bodhidharma’s fundamental teaching was that the Buddha can only be found in the mind since its essence is mind itself.
