We talk in terms of opposites. We had a good meal, or a bad night's sleep. We felt cold as opposed to hot, happy in contrast to sad. Time is also viewed in such a way. We talk about the past or the future - but even when we talk about the present moment, we … Continue reading Timeless.
The eternal moment.
How often do we hear or think the words "I don't have time"? We appear to be trapped within a rapidly ever-moving world, relentlessly busy, always chasing our tails. We are constantly either looking back or looking forward and the present becomes little more than the inconsequential line that divides the two. Where we are … Continue reading The eternal moment.
Love and trust.
Love and trust sound such simple matters - they are words we use freely and flippantly, "I love that restaurant", "I trust you enjoyed yourself", - but everything changes when we think of them in terms of their true meaning. People fall in love, they love their families and those close to them, they trust … Continue reading Love and trust.
The destination matters not.
In za-zen there is no intention - one sits just to be sitting. One does not sit in order to strive for satori or enlightenment. This is an important lesson and philosophy for life. We live in an age of great hurrying where people want everything done yesterday and as soon as one goal is … Continue reading The destination matters not.
Follow your heart.
Whether you believe in reincarnation or not does not matter. This life, this moment, now, is all that matters. Where you are going, where you have been, what you have learnt, what you have yet to learn, none of this matters. When you listen to your heart, that pure inner voice, intuition - that is … Continue reading Follow your heart.
Duality
Duality is a figment of our imagination. There cannot be good without evil, up without down, so you cannot feel happier, hungrier, wealthier without the opposite existing in your mind. The illusion of this significant difference only arises in moments of contrast. I was happy yesterday, but today I feel sad. I only know I … Continue reading Duality
To succeed is always to fail.
This notion may seem shocking, yet that is only because of our conditioning. In reality there is no success or failure, there is only the present moment, and the present moment cannot be a success or a failure. It just is. What are you striving for? More. More of what? The more you succeed in … Continue reading To succeed is always to fail.
Tiger in the room
When you're sitting za-zen and you find that your mind has been wandering, bring your attention back to your posture and the mind will follow. If, when we were to sit za-zen, we faced the wall but knew a wild, loose tiger padded up and down the room behind us, our mind wouldn't wander. If … Continue reading Tiger in the room
No time like the present…
Oh but to live like the Puri Indians, of whom it is said that "for yesterday , today and tomorrow they have only one word, and they express the variety of meaning by pointing backwards for yesterday, forward for tomorrow, and overhead for the passing day." All there ever is, is this present moment. There … Continue reading No time like the present…
Balance
Imagine a high wire artist, balancing far above the expectant crowd, fearless and strong as he dances to and fro, in full control, as if his life depended on it. Add to that image, the same high wire artist performing his act upon a unicycle. Not only is the performer balancing with his physical body, … Continue reading Balance
Zen musings 