Essays by Fa Gong
"At the heart of all genuine religions, profound philosophies and increasingly sophisticated psychotherapies, lies the recognition that a nameless, unitary essence defines, contains and creates all things; all phenomenon, all ideas, all existence. The mystics and the wise, both religious and secular, have understood and tried to explain this. But the difficulties in doing so reveal that this underlying essence cannot be known through words or conceptions. The beauty and power of Chan is that it points beyond these words, suggests much more behind any conception." - Fa Gong
No Mind? Really?
by Fa Gong Shakya
Published Jul 01, 2012
A couple of weeks ago a friend came to me to discuss problems she was having in her meditation practice. She was quite distraught at what she felt was her hopeless progress, and she despaired she'd ever get the hang of it. When I asked about the problem, she said... Read more
Mara the Abuser
by Fa Gong Shakya
Published Apr 02, 2012
In Buddhist literature we are often exposed to Mara, the sometimes wily, sometimes violent, sometimes beguiling tempter of Gautama on his way to Buddha-hood. Mara can be said to provide, essentially, a personification of that force which counters the evolutionary urge to enlightenment; it represents the energy of enslavement that... Read more
The Lion's Roar
by Fa Gong Shakya
Published Aug 03, 2011
I have only a poor understanding of economics, though I have always had an interest in the political and philosophical values and assumptions that underpin the various processes involved. I remember being struck, when first introduced to the basic principles of Buddhism, how utterly and diametrically opposed they were to the capitalist values and... Read more
Non-cultic Buddhism
by Fa Gong Shakya
Published Dec 03, 2010
A personal perspective Buddhism is an ancient path of practice; to some a religion, to others a philosophy, and to many simply a practice of sane living. From the outside looking in, it can seem an evolutionary, and revolutionary, spiritual technology that seems to stand unique amongst religions in that it... Read more
Buddhism and Psychotherapy: A Perspective
by Fa Gong
Published Jan 22, 2009
What we typically label as simply "mind" is, in Pali, substantially more precise. Our broad concept might of mind could be translated in Pali as vijnana, or consciousness. Nowhere does it suggest in Buddhist teaching that we can or should "still our consciousness," but the idea Westerners typically struggle with... Read more
The Problem With Precepts
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Nov 01, 2008
A fundamental recognition of a maturing life is that rarely is it what we do that defines us, but rather why we do it. The history of jurisprudence reflects the same increasing sophistication; the accused should be judged on the intent of an action, rather than on outcome. Certainly, the... Read more
A Dharma Chat: Right Speech
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Jul 01, 2008
Right Speech is not just about morality, or even limited to wisdom teachings. It is also about Right Mindfulness and contemplative discipline, about identifying, labeling, and being mindful of thoughts -- all of the ego's chit-chat. We can, in fact use Right Speech as the bedrock and cornerstone of our... Read more
A Dharma Chat: "The Opiate Of The Masses"
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Jul 01, 2008
It has wisely been said "no-one attains enlightenment." This is precisely true. There is no ego that attains nirvana. When nirvana IS attained, there is no personal ego to experience it. This is the crux of the matter. The promises of new spiritual technologies to deliver enlightenment seek to seduce... Read more
Holier Than Thou
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Jul 01, 2008
How is it that the "spiritual" person, for whom we might assume humility to be an essential characteristic, so often presents as aloof and arrogant? It is bad enough that the "holier than thou" attitude which often flaws the religious character is common to monastics, priests, gurus, teachers and devotees... Read more
Tibet and the Beijing Olympics
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Apr 11, 2008
As "online Buddhists" we do well to understand that this very medium creates new opportunities for the ego to express itself, and it quickly finds new ways to dominate. When I first learned to drive I used to be amazed at how much more aggressive and anti-social people seemed to... Read more
Musings on the Corpse & the Skandhas
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Apr 10, 2008
One of the challenges of Chan is that many students are often fatally handicapped by needing to have at least some degree of intellectual satisfaction before they will consider letting the intellect drop. Perhaps this is one of the occasions that Buddha referred to as requiring "skilful means" in teaching.... Read more
Who Drags This Corpse? The Vajra-Sword of Hsu Yun
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Aug 03, 2007
For the beginner new to Chan's tactics, attacking a hua tou may seem too abstruse, too hard, and too alien to know how to approach it. As easy as it might be to sit and count our breaths, be mindful of our thoughts, or concentrate on a mantra for a... Read more
Measuring Reality
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Apr 23, 2007
Consider our first multi-day meditation retreat. After a couple of days of discomfort, both physical and psychological, the rebellious ego begins to question the authority of the "strange Oriental monk" with his odd and inscrutable methods. We begin to search our mental archives and apply some unique application of a... Read more
Non-Attachment, a Zen Imperative
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Feb 22, 2007
As our Zen practice deepens, we can observe ourselves as we shift in and out between our "small" and conditioned self, and that unconditioned SELF that cannot be described. And in this shifting we can see, if we look closely, the arising and the "evaporation" of attachment. And in this... Read more
The "Dreaded" Third Precept The challenge of sexual conduct, a student's perspective
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Apr 06, 2006
What is a "precept"? We Buddhists are all very aware of the five precepts (ore more or less depending on what school we associate with) we have taken when we chose to become Buddhists. But it seems there is remarkably little shared appreciation of what the precepts actually involve. Are... Read more
Who Am I? Reflections on Chan's Path
by Fa Gong, OHY
Published Mar 20, 2006
Religion's ubiquitous "ism's" often leave me wondering about their relation to spiritual growth. I'm reminded of a famous Chan hua-toa, "If you don't really exist, why am I trying to save you?". Why, for example, if Buddhism and Taoism are merely ways of living in harmony with nature, and nature... Read more