Zen Meditation

Zen is very simple… What are you?

In this whole world everyone searches for happiness outside, but nobody understands their true self inside.

We give too much importance to “I”. Do we ever make an effort to know what was before this “I”, how it was born, from where it originated. When we die where this “I” go? If sincerely asked, “What am I”, all the thinking will cut off, there we call it “do not know”.

Zen is keeping this “don’t know” mind always and everywhere.

When walking, standing, sitting,
lying down, speaking, being
silent, moving, being still.
At all times, in all places, without
interruption – what is this?
One mind is infinite kalpas.

Zen meditation means keeping a “don’t know mind” allowing yourself to chant, bow and be in sitting Zen position. In Zen it is said when you do something just do it. For example, if you are driving- drive, when eating – just eat, when working- just work.

Finally, when you do not know your don’t-know mind will become more clear.the benefits you can achieve by being in don’t know are you can see the sky, only blue. You can see the tree, only green. Your mind is like a clear mirror. Red comes, the mirror is red; white comes the mirror is white.

A hungry person comes, you can give him food; a thirsty person comes, you can give her something to drink. There is no desire for myself, only for all beings. That mind is already enlightenment, what we call Great Love, Great Compassion, and the Great Bodhisattva Way. It’s very simple, not difficult!

So Buddha said that all beings have Buddha-nature (enlightenment nature). But Zen Master Joju said that a dog has no Buddha-nature. Which one is right? Which one is wrong? If you find that, you find the true way.

Traditionally, in China and Korea, only monastics engaged in Zen meditation, usually spending at least six months each year in retreat. But in the West, nearly all Zen practitioners are ordinary men and women, with jobs, families, and community obligations. Because few lay practitioners can dedicate themselves to full-time Zen meditation, modern Zen teaches the importance of “mind-sitting.”

Mind-sitting means keeping a not-moving mind in every life situation. How do you keep not-moving mind? In each moment, just don’t cling to your opinion, condition and situation. When you are doing something, just do it. This is everyday Zen (Meditation).

Zen meditation is just being present in the moment. Sitting silently with open eyes without concentrating on something, just being there and allowing oneself to be there.