The Essentials
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
To be a Zen Buddhist one is not required to believe in any anything. If you do, fine, great, believe. But, the Buddha way is a practice. So, one must take a seat and practice. One must behave as a practitioner of the Way. One must open oneself to one's own true nature.
This practice is quite simple, yet very challenging. Zazen requires us to take a seat, sit upright, and breathe. That is all: no thinking, no hearing, no feeling. Just sit.
Inevitably a thought arises. Cut it. A feeling arises: cut it. A sound arises: cut it. Just sit.
When walking, one foot in front of another, nothing more. When eating, chew the food, taste the food, swallow the food. Nothing more.
Zen is all about essentials. Its about being present and experiencing those essentials without imposition of thought, feeling, or hearing.
In spite of many religious traditions' perspectives: we are not what we believe. We are what we practice. One would hope that the beliefs are in live with the practices, but this is not always so. Especially if it is the belief that drives the practice.
For now, just practice. More than anything, just practice. Here are the foci of our practice:
Generosity. Morality. Patience. Diligence. Meditation. Wisdom.
Be well.
Good Morning Everyone,
To be a Zen Buddhist one is not required to believe in any anything. If you do, fine, great, believe. But, the Buddha way is a practice. So, one must take a seat and practice. One must behave as a practitioner of the Way. One must open oneself to one's own true nature.
This practice is quite simple, yet very challenging. Zazen requires us to take a seat, sit upright, and breathe. That is all: no thinking, no hearing, no feeling. Just sit.
Inevitably a thought arises. Cut it. A feeling arises: cut it. A sound arises: cut it. Just sit.
When walking, one foot in front of another, nothing more. When eating, chew the food, taste the food, swallow the food. Nothing more.
Zen is all about essentials. Its about being present and experiencing those essentials without imposition of thought, feeling, or hearing.
In spite of many religious traditions' perspectives: we are not what we believe. We are what we practice. One would hope that the beliefs are in live with the practices, but this is not always so. Especially if it is the belief that drives the practice.
For now, just practice. More than anything, just practice. Here are the foci of our practice:
Generosity. Morality. Patience. Diligence. Meditation. Wisdom.
Be well.