“There is so much baggage we burden ourselves with over the years that keeps us from seeing things the way they are. Some baggage we carry with us for a single thought, some for years and some for lifetimes. But there isn’t one piece that isn’t our own creation. Layman Red Pine,When your mind dwells… Continue reading Zen Baggage
"In 1934 on the second day of the eighth moon, Master Xu-yun arrived from Gu-shan and, followed by the district officials, literati and people, proceeded to Cao-xi. it happened to be the day when people in the district were celebrating the anniversary of the Sixth Patriarch’s birthday and about ten thousand of them were converging… Continue reading Empty Cloud
People call calligraphy “a piece of painting without images, a piece of music without sounds, a stage without actors and actress and a building without components and materials.” Calligraphic works express essential elements of beauty — balance, proportion, variety, continuity, contrast, movement, change and harmony — through different shapes and forms of the lines, their… Continue reading Painting without Images
"Eighteen years ago, after I translated the Diamond, I translated a few pages of the Empty Bowl out of curiosity but put them aside to work on other projects. Then, earlier this year, I was invited by Jay Garfield to give a presentation about what I was working on to a Buddhist seminar at Smith… Continue reading A Day in the Life
Probably all of you are familiar with the Zen koan, "Have a cup of tea” by Chan (Zen) Master Chao Chou. Using tea, the Chan Master called practitioners back to the present moment from the confusion of discriminative and deluded thinking, to live in the here and now within the absolute ease of the original… Continue reading An Expression of Chan
Great as has been the influence of the art-masters in the field of art, it is as nothing compared to that which they have exerted on the conduct of life. Not only in the usages of polite society, but also in the arrangement of all our domestic details, do we feel the presence of the… Continue reading The Book of Tea
Delusion, enlightenment, training, life, death, Buddhas and all living things are in existence when there is Buddhism; none of the above exist when all is within the Truth; since the Way of the Buddha transcends unity and duality, all of the above exist; whilst we adore flowers they wither; weeds grow strong whilst we long… Continue reading Studying the Self
"Intoxicated by youthful dreams,I wandered far and widethrough marketplaces and countryside,until at last I met the Buddha!All compassionate, he sharedthe wondrous teachings with me.My faith was awakenedand I donned the robes of a monk.Dwelling in awareness,focusing heart and mind,I have attained the three knowledges,thanks to the Awakened One!Far and wide, the Lordhas sown the seeds… Continue reading The Finger Is Not the Moon
"Though there is information flowing through the lines you will read, in this story, I write not to add to a growing list of scholarly facts on tea. I instead want to approach my reflections on tea — its history, development and preparation over time — from an intuitive perspective; that is, to inspire the… Continue reading The Way of Tea
Question: Is Chan (Zen) a religion? Chan Master Sheng Yen: Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment and taught Buddhadharma in India, at a time when its culture was spiritually and religiously oriented. He began his teachings by questioning some of the prevailing beliefs, such as the existence of individual souls, but for the sake of inducing followers… Continue reading Is Zen a Religion?
~ Movie Time ~ 日日是好日 Finding your passion in the most unexpected of places"Noriko and Michiko are cousins in their last year of university, trying to find their place in the world of adult life. Michiko is adventurous and graceful while Noriko is clumsy and slow to catch on—so when Michiko wants to begin tea… Continue reading Everyday a Good Day
A group of travelers came to visit Achaan Chah with three elegant questions: Why do you practice? How do you practice? What is the result of your practice? They were sent as a delegation by a European religious organization to ask these questions to a series of great masters throughout Asia. Achaan Chah closed his… Continue reading Why Do You Practice?
“Ordinary mind is the Way. What is an ordinary mind? — A mind without pretense, without dualistic thought of love and hate, right and wrong, acceptance and rejection, holy or mundane.” ～＊～ “Practice is like adjusting the focus of a camera. After it reaches the right position, by pressing the shutter, it will show the… Continue reading Ordinary Mind
A cup of tea — It's a good companion when we are enjoying the company of friends, and also during those quiet moments when we wish to be alone. The simplicity of getting together with others to enjoy a cup of tea has appealed to people through the generations. By enjoying tea together, we take… Continue reading A Good Companion
"True Chan (Zen in Japanese) cultivation is within our everyday life. Tireless discourses of the Patriarchs and the millions of words in Buddhist scriptures are there to remind us that at all times we must constantly introspect and contemplate to address the ignorance and defilements within us." ~ * ~ "Settling peacefully in the present… Continue reading True Chan
Mount Taimu（太姥山）in Fuding （福鼎）was originally called tea mountain in China. When Emperor Yao（尧帝, 2356 - 2255 BC) was in power, a woman called Blue Lady lived there and grew "green grass", a plant that had been used in extracting dye indigo since ancient times. She was generous in sharing with people the tea she made… Continue reading Mount Taimu
One ~ Becoming tea by letting go of the leaf upon meeting water ~ such is Generosity; Two ~ Diffusing the frangance of leaf and tea like burning incense ~ such is Upholding the Precepts; Three ~ Tolerating to be roasted and fermented, pressed and rubbed ~ such is Forbearance; Four ~ Eliminating lethargy and… Continue reading Six Virtues of Tea
Once, Chao Chou asked a monk,“Have you been here before?”The monk responded, “Yes, I have.”Chao Chou said, “Have a cup of tea.”Later, Chao Chou asked another monk,“Have you been here before?”The monk replied, “No, I haven’t.”Chao Chou said, “Have a cup of tea.” The head monk of the temple had been observing this, and said… Continue reading Zen Koan of Tea
Upon seeing the morning star, Gautama became Shakyamuni Buddha when He was, is and will be awakened to His TRUE SELF and said, says and will say, “I was, am and will be enlightened, together with the whole of the great earth and all its sentient beings, simultaneously.” Listen Gautama belonged to the Indian Nisshu… Continue reading Shakyamuni Buddha
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