what am I? – Page 5

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, Meditation, Mind, Practice, root, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q187. How can we do our best in our practice without being attached to enlightenment?

April 12, 2016April 10, 2016 Zen Fools

A. Let’s suppose you want to go for an excursion by car to New York City, across the Continent of North America from San Fransisco, California. In order to reach your destination, which side do you think you should pay more of your attention to, your goal, New York City or careful and safe driving? Safe arrival at your goal is the result of your careful driving. If you are more preoccupied with your destination rather than with safe driving, you are likely to be impatient and want to reach there as soon as possible. The impatience to reach your goal quickly can tempt you to drive too fast, which can cause your car to have trouble or an accident. That can make your journey take longer than it should, or make it difficult for you to continue your journey.

Focus on how to practise well. You should pay all your attention to your practice and not to enlightenment. Attachment to enlightenment can cause you to have yet another strong illusion that brings negative side effects such as being neglectful of your family, your business or your health. This just is making matters worse while trying to improve things. Just as it is not the attachment to your destination but safe driving that takes you to your destination, so it is not the attachment to enlightenment but diligent practice that leads you to enlightenment.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, emptiness, empty, final goal, Koan, Meditation, Mind, self, student, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q186. Student: “Why is it so difficult to express the true-self?”

April 10, 2016April 10, 2016 Zen Fools

A. Master: “Not difficult at all.”

Student: “Do it for me, Sir.”

Master: “Difficult.”

Commentary:

Don’t draw a bow after the thief ran away.

If I were asked to do it, I would say, “Easy”.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, Meditation, Mind, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q183. Student: “How can I take the boat that crosses the sea of birth and death?”

April 3, 2016 Zen Fools

A. Master: “Get aboard.”

SRH_0289a_thumb

Commentary:

If you get aboard, you will sink.

If not, you won’t cross the river.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, final goal, illusion, Mind, Practice, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q181. What shall I do when I can’t concentrate on the question?

March 29, 2016 Zen Fools

A. People who start Zen meditation can find it somewhat difficult to concentrate on the question in the beginning. You don’t have to be concerned about the matter since that is a very common phenomenon for beginners.

In fact, you should know that this is rather a good time to practise because what you are seeking is revealing itself. The root of the idea that you can’t concentrate on the question is the very thing that you should realise.

If you, while thinking that you can’t concentrate on you question, take the idea as true, you are being tricked by the illusion. You, however, are practising well if you try to find out where the idea comes from, because the purpose of our practice is to realise the root, or the source of our thoughts.

Try to focus on your question. When your concentration is very weak and it occurs to you that you don’t practice well, don’t agree with the idea but trace the thought back to the root from which it comes. Sooner or later you will find yourself absorbed in the question.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, illusion, Koan, master, Meditation, Mind, Practice, present, Religion, root, self, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q173. Where do we go after we die?

March 10, 2016March 10, 2016 Zen Fools

A. If you are anxious to know where you will go after death, you should know where you are now. How could you expect to know your future which is invisible, not knowing the present right before your eyes? Once you know where you are standing now, you can know not just where you will go after death but also where you were before you were born. In order to know where you are, you, first of all, should know what you are. How could you know where you are, not knowing what you are?

Your true-self is not born and does not die. It has always been and will be the same without any change forever. It never changes at all. You are eternity itself. Death and birth are only illusions. The problem is that you are not aware of this truth because you can’t see things as they are. The end of Zen meditation is to experience the truth through your body.

Do you want to know where you will go after your death?
Watch carefully what you are stepping on.

©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, illusion, master, Meditation, Mind, root, self, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q171. Student: “What are you like when your body is not you?”

March 6, 2016 Zen Fools

A. Master: “It’s like a mountain.”

Commentary:
Oh! Mountain!
It’s also like a rat.
If I were asked the question, I would say, “A mountain runs like a rat.”
©Boo Ahm

All writing ©Boo Ahm. All images ©Simon Hathaway

Buddha, Buddhism, emptiness, final goal, Happiness, illusion, Koan, master, Meditation, Mind, mindful, mindfulness, Practice, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q168. Student: “What are you when your body is not you?”

February 28, 2016February 28, 2016 Zen Fools

A. Master: “True-self.”
Student: “Could you open your mind and show it to me?”
Master: “Of course. Flower. Sky. Tree. Stone.”

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, Koan, Meditation, Mind, Practice, root, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q165. What am I when my body is not me?

February 21, 2016 Zen Fools

A. You answered your question before you finished asking it.

Commentary:
Don’t complain that the bill is being given to you when you’ve not even seen your appetiser.
You are to blame for waiting for the appetiser without noticing the main course being served.

©Boo Ahm

Buddha, Buddhism, Enlightenment, final goal, Meditation, Mind, Practice, true self, Truth, Uncategorized, Zen

Q164. To make concentration on the question feels very hard. Is Zen practice steadily difficult all the way until we reach the final goal?

February 18, 2016February 18, 2016 Zen Fools

A. In the beginning, you might feel it a little difficult to keep focused on the question for a long time. However, if you keep practising, your practice will grow easier and easier with time, and the duration of your concentration on the question becomes longer and longer until you reach the stage of becoming oneness with your question.

Once you get to this stage, your practice goes on by itself spontaneously all day long without your effort. You can’t separate your question from yourself or stop practising even though you try to stop it. Whatever you do; speak, listen or eat, you feel as if your question did it. Then your life itself becomes your practice and your practice is as easy as breathing.
©Boo Ahm