In Zen there is no self. When we sit, we are concentrating on the self that doesn't exist, devoting ourselves instead to the everything. We all exist as part of the whole, as part of the oneness, and in sitting we are letting go of our ego, of our self and realising our part in … Continue reading Atman
Tag: individual
Harmony
What come to mind when you think of harmony? Everyone working together? World peace? No arguments or strife? A piece of music may come to mind, the harmonious chords resonating with each other to create a stirring sound...but when we think of it in these terms, we realise that with harmony also comes division. A … Continue reading Harmony
Significance
If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven't spent a night with a mosquito.* We have talked before about how important each and every one of us is, how we are like grains of sand, which make the whole beach, droplets of water which make the flowing river. The whole … Continue reading Significance
Shielding
Buddhism talks about 'emptiness' and for many this can be a difficult concept to accept. The idea that everything leads to suffering and that ultimately everything is empty can appear nihilistic and fairly depressing, but this 'emptiness' does not mean worthless, or devoid of meaning. It is a common human condition that we attach personal … Continue reading Shielding
Waterfall droplet
This conundrum of life, this seemingly incompatible, duality of being the individual we know we are, and yet being one and the same with everything, simultaneously - it's not really much of a conundrum at all. You are you and I am I, he, she, they...we are all individual parts of one whole. All the … Continue reading Waterfall droplet
Expectation
To impose upon another any expectation carries a heavy burden, for both parties. Can one ever live up to the expectations of another? We are wholly different, however close we are - our eyes see things differently from one another, our hearts long for something individual only to us - so to hold expectations of … Continue reading Expectation
Zen musings 