Zen Buddhism

This is a blog dedicated to saying and tales of 'Zen Buddhism' a book written my William Wray. Reflections for every day

[mysharona1987]

Words you wish people would pay some damn attention to.

[buddhist-zen]

August 13

Things are things because of the mind;

the mind is the mind because of things.

If you wish to know what these two are,

the are originally one emptiness.

In this void both [mind and things] are one,

all the myriad phenomena contain in both.

[buddhist-zen]

August 12

The infinitely small is a large as the infinitely great;

for limits are non-existent things.

The infinitely large is as small the the infinitely minute;

no eye can see their boundaries.

[buddhist-zen]

August 11

When activity is stopped and passivity obtains,

this passivity again is a state of activity.

Remaining in movement on quiescence –

how shall we know the One?

Not thoroughly understanding the unity of the Way,

both activity and quiescence are failures.

If you get rid of phenomena, all things are lost.

If you follow after the void, 

you turn your back on the selflessness of things.

[buddhist-zen]

August 10

On a withered branch the crow is 

perched in the autumn evening.

[buddhist-zen]

August 9

When the followers of Zen fail to go beyond a world of their senses and

thoughts, all their doings and movements are of no significance.

But when the senses and thoughts are annihilated, all the passages to the

mind are blocked and no entrance then becomes possible. The original 

mind is to be recognized along with the working of the senses and

thoughts; only it does not belong to them, nor is it independent of them.

[buddhist-zen]

August 8

While Zen teaching consists in grasping the spirit by transcending form,

it unfailingly reminds us of the fact that the spirit expresses itself only by

means of form.

[buddhist-zen]

August 7

This is the reason why the swordsmen is always advised to be free from

thought of death or from anxiety about the outcome of the combat.

As long as there is any ‘thought’ of whatever nature, that will assuredly

prove disastrous. 

[buddhist-zen]

August 6

Wind subsiding, the flowers still fall;

bird crying, the mountain silence deepens.

[buddhist-zen]

August 5

To train yourself in sitting meditation (zazen) is to train yourself to be a 

sitting Buddha. If you train yourself in zazen (you should know that) Zen

is never sitting nor lying. If you train yourself to be a sitting Buddha (you

should know that) the Buddha is not a fixed form.

[buddhist-zen]

August 4

Regarding all things, only understanding that there must be no attachment.

No attachment mean that feelings of hatred and love do not arise.

[buddhist-zen]

August 3

There is only one reality, neither to be realized or attained. To say

‘I am realizing something’ or 'I am able to attain something’ is to place 

yourself among the arrogant.

[buddhist-zen]

August 2

My advice to those whose eyes have not been opened to the truth –

leap from the net and see how immense is the ocean.

[buddhist-zen]

August 1

When thoughts arise, then do all things arise.

When thoughts vanish, then do all things vanish.

[buddhist-zen]

July 31

If they put a stop to conceptual thought and forgot there anxiety, the 

Buddha will appear before them, for this mind is the Buddha and the 

Buddha is all living beings. It is not the less for being manifested in

ordinary beings, nor is it greater for being manifested as the Buddha.

[buddhist-zen]

July 30

It is told again by the Tathagata that this Dharma is perfectly even and

free from irregularities. By Dharma is meant Bodhi. That is, this

pure mind forming the source of all things is perfectly even in all

sentient beings, in all the Buddha lands, and also in all the other

worlds together with mountains, oceans, etc., things with form and

things without form. They are all even and there are no marks of

distinction between this object and that. This pure mind, the source

of all things, is always perfect and illuminating and all-pervading.

[buddhist-zen]

July 29

To a monk departing on a trading mission to China:

To judge for yourself whether the weather be hot or cold;

A fellow must not be cheated by others. And to see that you

take not Japan’s good gold

And barter it off for Chinese brass!