Quote: "what is zen "
.........

good to ask, before you join zen monks

Zen is being awake in the monent. Seeing things for the first time over & over aging. And giving loving, kindness, compassion to all life has for you to see , fell , teast, smell ,listen. with joy and peace with each breath you take.

The bullshit on this forum annoys me; people cutting out in front of others in traffic and other people getting angry annoys me; drinking bad hospital tea habitually annoys me; my tight boots sqeaking in the hot dry corridors annoys me; the drug addicts in the wards shouting and demanding attention from the overworked nurses annoys me; worrying about my new baby daughter in this world; feeling guilt about not being the perfect father or husband; smelling car fumes, eating poor food in a hurry, reading a book with moments of near clarity; feeling annoyed with my lack of compassion, insight, enlightenment, religious experiences, magical powers, ESP, levitation and other such self loathings...

That was some of today's Zen. How was yours?

Regards,

Harry.

nausia, heart if flipping and flopping, neck is tight... yeah... what is zen again?

got a wonderful picture movie with eye lids shut... but so quick you see...white wall and someonemoving...

but what makes that different...from anything else

still the flipp floppys and..the stomach....  

Yes, everything is fine Lynnoh, thanks.

Inner city hostpitals are cathedrals to the art of being human.

Regards,

Harry.

Yes, Zen is very human, to the extent that it doesn't reject what we may consider our 'inhumanity'. 

"HIM", "THEM", "ME"... are perfectly useful and legitimate designations. Some Zen practitioners have even proven, through Zen practice, that these designations need not be a source of dissatisfaction. Yet it is forever pointed out that pain still hurts and efforts can still be made.

Dogen Zenji said that simply to sit in the posture of Zazen is to be a Buddha. I suppose, if the result of Zen is buddhahood,  Zazen is Zen (according to Dogen). Personally I agree with him; Zen is that sort of 'action'. There are many other opinions to what constitutes Zen. Buddhahood should not be the carrot-on-a-stick that it has been/ is being made into.

When we accept that Zen won't save us from experiencing pain, loss, or death then I think we can be said to have made some progress. Zazen can make us a little more wise to the ways of ourselves, the survival techniques of our identities, the twistings of our thoughts and needs be it sex, booze, love, adoration or buddhahood.

Regards,

Harry.

Zen, Ch'an, Seon  is Just another Dharma door, make to much of it and you go straight to hell!

Stop look listen to what your heart is saying. Stay  in the now breath in breath out. count your breath. Wash your bolw out.

my heart tells me that if I am with you long enough ..you will no longer be who I thought you are...but who I cannot say... you could be my grandson,my daughter, a friend, a lover.... and not anyone in particular.. you surprise me as you fade away to where I cannot know you...yet you remain with me.... I cry because I cannot say, truely... oh..now another voice asI feel a who..inside...

wind

Quote: "You are ok Lynnoh. I just want to know how I can help you. "
.........

by being here, I almost wrote...

later...the daughter says, "you help by being here"..as she strokes my hair and she feels not like.....

acceptance is which is efforted when not loving

loving doesn't required efforting-acceptance

there seems to be two side of me...the one where I grab the grandsons nose and ears and pretnd to eat them this morning..and he my eyes and head...while he covers up under a blanket and calls it his "sheild"... and then there is the one...well.... that feels...mmmmmmmmmm   very wonderful  :)