Negativity

We all experience reoccurring negative thoughts at some point in our lives. It might be when we replay an argument we have had with someone, or relive some past abuse which haunts us. When these negative thoughts arise, we are not living in the present moment any longer, but the past. How does this help … Continue reading Negativity →

Energy

When a toddler becomes tired and low on energy it starts to whine and throw tantrums, all the normal things it usually takes in its stride suddenly seeming insurmountable problems which become very upsetting. If the child were to have a nap or to eat something, then generally it feels refreshed, re-invigorated and happy again, … Continue reading Energy →

Awakening

A small child walks into a hardware store with his parents. He doesn’t register the screws and nuts or any of the other materials he has no prior knowledge of, but does see the display of brightly coloured buckets and spades and is instantly drawn there. The father, who has been working on a DIY … Continue reading Awakening →

Absolute

Practice zazen as if your hair were on fire. When we sit, we cannot be thinking about yesterday’s actions or tomorrow’s plans. When we while away the time doing this, we are not sitting, but thinking. Sitting should be performed like any other action, we should be consumed by it, so that the thoughts drop … Continue reading Absolute →

Reflection

What do we see when we look in a mirror? Do we see only the physical body looking back at us? Do we see further inside to what emotions we may be experiencing at that particular moment? Do the frown or smile lines make us consider what has happened to us in the past few … Continue reading Reflection →

Negativity

Being

They say that Zen is a system of contradictions and that just when we think we are beginning to understand it, it turns things on their head and we are back to square one. This is a deliberate way of helping us to change our perspective and not to become trapped by our own thought … Continue reading Being →

Ego of the I

The moon is 384,400 km from the Earth. This is a scientific fact and if I were to tell you this, it would be a true fact, but it would not be I that was right, rather it would be the fact that was right. The ego likes to be involved in everything we do. It … Continue reading Ego of the I →

The Mundane

When we think of Enlightenment, we do not think of the mundane tasks of everyday existence. We do not consider that if we are poor timekeepers, or don’t get enough exercise, that we will never reach Enlightenment. Enlightenment is thought of as a lofty, otherworldly affair, connected to spiritual ideas, contemplation and reflection. However, the … Continue reading The Mundane →

Thought

We have all experienced that one moment of pure clarity of mind, even if we can only see it retrospectively. It might have been when we were in a foreign country, driving on the other side of the road, through a busy city. It may have been when hanging over the precipiceof a mountain rock … Continue reading Thought →