All Dharma Essays and Articles
Yearning to be Met
by Chuan Zhi
Published May 08, 2013
'The human heart yearns for contact - above all it yearns for genuine dialogue. Dialogue is at the heart of being human. Without it, we are not fully formed - there is a yawning abyss inside. With it, we have the possibility of our uniqueness, and our most human qualities... Read more
Sidetracked by Institutionalized Zen
by Chuan Zhi
Published Feb 10, 2013
I was approached recently by a man in his middle years who had spent much time sitting with various Zen groups around the country. He had left one after another after being disillusioned with each. In one, the head teacher was having an open affair with a student, to... Read more
Contemplating Consciousness
by Chuan Zhi
Published Sep 01, 2012
Consciousness. We don't think about it, we don't act upon it. It's just there. We awaken in the morning and go to the bathroom and do those things, make coffee, eat a donut, take the dog out … and so goes our entire day. At the end, we take a... Read more
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
Just Who Am I?
by Yin De Shakya
Published Apr 27, 2012
Each of us has a narrator in our head. An internal voice that we call “me”. And most of us assume that this narrator is real. We assume that it’s our true self. Some believe it’s the thing which inhabits the body and the brain rather than something that arises... 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
A Woman's Work
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Mar 14, 2012
Seeing things as they are Awareness opened one of the Dharma doors with a new way of seeing things. She started to understand more and more, then realized that all was neti! neti! Starring at all things, she saw through all forms the emptiness that beheld the whole. What is... Read more
Just Being, a poem
by S. Elliot Sozan
Published Jan 01, 2012
The plum trees blossoms In the middle of winter. There is no robe no color. In practice there is no time, no culture, no sex. In pure existence the breath takes what the intellect can never think. There is no attachment or detachment. The pure being, thoughtless with no move, moves the world, and within,... Read more
Reincarnation - a.k.a., New Year's Day
by Yin De Shakya
Published Dec 30, 2011
It’s a new year; a time for looking forward, and a time for looking back. Each time we celebrate “New Year’s Day” we are giving ourselves the opportunity to begin anew. It’s a chance for a fresh start. It is, for many of us, an opportunity to release feelings of guilt... Read more
Connecting the Dots
by Fa Lohng (Koro Kaisan)
Published Dec 12, 2011
Students who come to my weekly Dharma talks (or who meet regularly with me in private) are often confronted with my insistence that they view the world more holistically. This is typically triggered by one or more meetings in which claims are made that a “big picture” perspective is fine... Read more
The Urban Hermit
by Fa Dong Shakya
Published Dec 05, 2011
As anyone versed in Chan’s history knows, the hermitic life is a common one passed through by many of China’s most famous Chan teachers. In fact, all mystical traditions commonly find their members, at some time in their life, retreating from society. For the mystic, living a reclusive hermitic life is... Read more
The Hua-Tou Practice
by Chuan Zhi
Published Oct 04, 2011
Zen’s hua-tou practice recently seems to be enjoying a renaissance among the small contingent of Zen Buddhists speckling the globe. In part, this may be due to the growing awareness that this was Hsu Yun’s personal favorite Zen practice that he spent much of his life advocating. One of the... Read more
Don’t Drink the Kool-aide: How to Avoid the Projection Trap
by Chuan Zhi
Published Sep 22, 2011
Introduction In 1912 the French philosopher Lucien Lévy-Brühl published a collection of works that gave us a new model with which to view the relationship between self and other. He offered new insights into many of the problems that are encountered by people in relationships of all kinds. Carl Jung further... Read more
Wild Zen
by Fa Zhao Shakya
Published Sep 18, 2011
The genes that code for proteins in our human species are remarkably similar, often nearly identical, to those of many other species across the animal kingdom. It makes sense, considering that throughout our natural history human beings and other animals have shared the same environments and competed for the same... 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
Prison Dharma
by Fa Xing Shakya
Published Jul 19, 2011
Introduction by Chuan Zhi As Zen grows in popularity in the United States and other occidental countries, there are growing demands for its representatives to provide for the needs of those Zen enthusiasts incarcerated in prisons. Only a couple of decades ago it was virtually unheard of for Zen clergy to... Read more
Suffering: the Gateway to Transformation
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jun 25, 2011
My past essays have talked mostly about the wonders and beauties that we can behold through the practice of Zen, and how we can go about finding them for ourselves, but I have spent little time on its “flip side” – it’s “dark” side – suffering. We cannot find Zen without... Read more
Empty Zendo
by Fa Guang
Published Jun 12, 2011
How many times have you heard, "living in the moment?" The expression is fashionable now. I hear it everywhere, and see it within or on the back of at least sixty percent of the self-help and psychology books in every book store I visit. It's a "truism" I suppose, but... Read more
An Interview with M. K.
by M. K.
Published Jun 03, 2011
1) What brought you to Zen? Suffering and its natural consequence: looking for solace. Six years ago I had been experiencing a serious mental crisis. When it happened I was 55 years old and I already knew by that time that normal pain-killers – like food, drink, drug, sex, shopping, traveling, idling,... Read more
The Intrinsic Nature of Meditation
by Fa Dao Shakya
Published Jun 01, 2011
Meditation is a key factor in Chan / Zen and Buddhism in general -- and yet we have no monopoly on the concept of meditation as a spiritual pursuit. Every religion has a tradition approaching meditation although most in the Western World do not focus on that aspect as... Read more
Cracking the Fortress of Delusion
by Chuan Zhi
Published May 10, 2011
"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one." - Charles MacKay (Author of- Extraordinary Popular Delusions &The Madness of Crowds) Once upon a time a young turtle happened upon an old... Read more
Zen Ritual
by Fa Dong Shakya, OHY
Published Mar 18, 2011
In her bestselling spiritual memoir "Eat, Pray, Love", Elizabeth Gilbert tells a delightful story of a great Hindu teacher who led his followers in daily meditation in his ashram. The only problem was that the teacher "had a . . . cat", an annoying creature, who used to walk through... Read more
To Suppose A Post-Modern Buddhism
by Fa Gong Shakya, OHY
Published Mar 18, 2011
In Buddhism's adaptation to the concerns and climates of the post-modern West, much of what has been taken for granted as necessarily intrinsic to it has inevitably been questioned. Ancient Indian and exotic Oriental flavours react unpredictably on a Western palate, and for some, the taste does not appeal. An article... Read more
Zen Without Buddhism: Getting to the Heart
by Fa Che Shakya, OHY
Published Mar 18, 2011
As a Dharma teacher in the West, in a small, rural town of 2500 people, Zen is virtually unknown. Perhaps there's a class or two at the university about 25 miles away. But outside of college elective courses, people out here break down into two categories: Catholic or Lutheran. When... Read more
Spotlight on Stuart Lachs
by Chuan Zhi
Published Mar 15, 2011
Without doubt the most perceptive critical voice on modern western Zen/Chan, Stuart Lachs has again given us another in-depth look at an important characteristic of contemporary Zen Buddhism: hagiography. His voice comes out of decades of immersion in Zen Buddhism, giving him an inside view that few, if any, other... Read more
The Prayer of a Zen Buddhist Atheist
by Yin De Shakya
Published Feb 19, 2011
I gave a talk recently at the request of a church group that was interested in my perspective on prayer and worship as a Zen Buddhist and an Atheist. I told them that even though I am a Zen Buddhist and an Atheist (in the conventional sense of the... Read more
Commentary on Rev. Chuan Zhi's "Bring on the Sun!"
by Fa Lian of Greece
Published Dec 23, 2010
The need to believe, as the Buddha said, is the primordial condition to walk the Path. Spiritual transition stages are very explicitly analyzed by Abbot Chuan Zhi in his essay Forward Motion: Bring on the Sun! It gives a clear outlook and conceptual understanding of the several differences and difficulties each one... 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
Zen's Travel Visas - A Sober view of Spiritual Tourism
by Fa Zhao Shakya
Published Dec 03, 2010
When you are deluded and full of doubt, even a thousand books of scripture are not enough. When you have realized understanding, even one word is too much. -- Fen-Yang Those of us who arrive at Zen have often had quite a path of discovery along the way. This is certainly true... Read more
Encountering a Zenner can be a strange experience indeed . . .
by Chuan Zhi
Published Dec 02, 2010
Zen people are strange. I've been told this many times, usually before I announce that I am a Zen person. My usual rhetorical thought has always been a humorous, well of course we are! My vocal response is, most often, silence. Having this come up in casual conversation today,... Read more
Home is where one starts from
by Fa Che
Published Oct 20, 2010
Home is where one starts from. -- T.S Elliot We all long to be home, to be safe and secure. Our lives however, feel anything but protected. We instead face the constant vulnerability of change and a sometimes quiet, but always persistent, thirst that is never quenched.... Read more
So Simple, A Child Could Do It . . .
by Fa Xing (Hadashi Sharishi)
Published Sep 13, 2010
A Zen Buddhist's perspective on the five precepts. I don't remember much about the fifth grade. Oh, I remember a few faces, what the school looked like, and other such inane details, but I don't remember specifically what I learned that year. All of my elementary school years kind of blend... Read more
Cappuccino Chan
by Fa Zhao Shakya
Published Jun 08, 2010
As we sat across the table from each other, at our usual coffee shop overlooking the beautiful Australian east coast, I noticed the look of distraction on his face, a face I have known for over 10 years. He seemed perplexed and I could see he was looking for answers.... Read more
Poetic Images
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Apr 20, 2010
Attachment to things means suffering. Beings are so tied up they can’t move so end up being part of those things they make. The ego always finds reasons to hang onto someone or something. Things are tough and sharp in this world and hurt the purity of one's soul endlessly... Read more
The Phantom Self
by Chuan Zhi
Published Mar 04, 2010
Anyone who has spent much time reading about Zen has encountered the term "Self" many times over. Some may even conclude that Zen is all about Self. They would not be wrong. While some people think that Zen is about sitting in lotus position, contemplating the space between the end... Read more
The Circle of Life and Death
by Chuan Zhi
Published Feb 19, 2010
My first encounter with a Zen teacher happened when I was in my late twenties. Zen had been an interest of mine for nearly a decade before this chance encounter with a person of Zen. I had never thought seriously about actually DOING Zen, but I liked reading the philosophies... Read more
Penetrating Emptiness: Ta panta rei
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Feb 03, 2010
Plato wrote that when we're able to negate both being and non-being, we discover absolute nothingness, and that within that absolute nothingness we discover the absolute present - which is itself the Ultimate Reality. No such understanding can come without a mystic's eye. Shunyata, Emptiness, Void, Oneness, Suchness, Buddha Mind, Nirvana,... Read more
Zen Pest Control
by Fa Zhao Shakya
Published Jan 17, 2010
I just love all creatures great and small. From Gorillas to Bengal Tigers and from Lungfish to bizarre Stick Insects, they all play a tremendous role in the various cycles of our planet. These wonderful creatures are also some of our greatest signposts in our observance of inter-connection and inter-relatedness.... Read more
Form and Emptiness: A Buddhist Defines "God"
by Yin De Shakya
Published Jan 07, 2010
"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy." A. Einstein Some Unitarian Universalists claim a belief in "God" in one form or another. Some consider themselves Agnostic and others happily call themselves Atheists. Some Unitarian Universalists are Buddhists, and... Read more
Love Forever
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Jan 04, 2010
The seeds of love glow everywhere and in all things. Love is the eternal movement that from darkness brings all beings to the light, to the Supreme, to Sublimation. Love mysteriously penetrates and expands its immensity in harmony everywhere in the universe from atoms to stars and hoist up our... Read more
The Comedy of the Ego
by Fa Zhao Shakya
Published Nov 03, 2009
Among the great questions.... Who are we? Why are we here? and What purpose do we serve? Perhaps we should also ask, Why do we suffer? and, What can we do? Why do we Suffer? Listening to late night radio back in my twenties, I heard an English Buddhist monk tell a... Read more
And Still the Buddha Smiles
by Fa Che Shakya
Published Nov 03, 2009
THE FLOWER SERMON: Toward the end of his life, the Buddha took his disciples to a quiet pond for instruction. As they had done so many times before, the Buddha's followers sat in a small circle around him, and waited for the teaching. But this time the Buddha had no words. He... Read more
Finding a Teacher, Practicing in a Group
by Fa Zhang Shakya
Published Sep 01, 2009
It is fortunate that many people who gain some acquaintance with Buddhism decide to engage in its practice. Yearning for enlightenment, they set about establishing a practice, and this normally leads them to read as much as possible about the topic, and, very often, to chose a teacher. Many find... Read more
Silent Partners: Asceticism in Chan Buddhism
by Chuan Zhi
Published Aug 27, 2009
Asceticism has come to be characterized in contemporary culture as an extreme form of religious practice; in particular, as a retreat from society, and as an even more extreme form of self-denial. We may conjure up an image of a monk sitting on a dirt floor, ribs protruding, eyes sunken,... Read more
The Tradition of Mountain Ascetic Zen
by Fa Lohng (Koro Kaisan)
Published Aug 27, 2009
Among the most admired of Zen masters are those who have eschewed the temple life and opted instead for the life of a Mountain Ascetic. Asceticism is a cross-cultural, cross-religious and multidisciplinary practice. Like nearly all forms of spiritual practice, asceticism covers a wide spectrum of beliefs and practices and... Read more
Spectrum Zen
by Fa Zhao Shakya
Published Aug 14, 2009
With so many labeled human conditions in our world these days like Autism, ADHD, Bi Polar, Cerebral Palsy etc, one would wonder if Zen is only available to the so called ‘normals' or does it encompass our ‘disabled' friends and family as well? The faults of others are easily seen, but... Read more
The Stages of Spiritual Growth
by M. Scott Peck, M.D.
Published Jun 29, 2009
Just as there are discernible stages in human physical and psychological growth, so there are stages in human spiritual development. The most widely read scholar of the subject today is James Fowler of Emory University, the writer of Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning.... Read more
The Nisargadatta Song of Beyond I Am
by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Published Jun 29, 2009
...you are not this, there is nothing of yours in this, except the little point of 'I am' ... . 'I am this, I am that' is dream, while pure 'I am' has the stamp of reality on it. You have tasted so many things -- all came to naught.... Read more
The Nisargadatta Song of I Am
by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Published Jun 29, 2009
My teacher told me to hold on to the sense 'I am' tenaciously and not to swerve from it even for a moment. I did my best to follow his advice and in a comparatively short time I realized within myself the truth of his teaching. All I did was... Read more
Buddhism and Forgiveness
by Father Joseph S. O'Leary
Published Jun 19, 2009
Christianity is based on the idea, or rather the event, of divine forgiveness: “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also [must forgive]” (Col. 3:13). Why was this reality so little actualized in Northern Ireland? Even now, when a measure of rational political coexistence has been achieved, there... Read more
Fullness of Being: How We Know
by The Rev. Graeme Chapman
Published Jun 19, 2009
It can be argued, as a consequence of exploring the extensive dimensions of the knower, that our capacity for discernment will depend upon the degree to which we are in touch with various levels of human experience. It can be further contended that there are, at least, four different ways... Read more
The Compass and the Ego
by Fa Chao Shakya
Published Jun 15, 2009
A compass is a navigational instrument with a magnetized pointer that aligns itself with the earth's magnetic field, always pointing north. We have used the compass for millennia to find our way. It's been used by seafarers, explorers, and travellers alike to help get from one place to another. When... Read more
All for One
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jun 04, 2009
I. There are people whose hearts are dead. They puzzle at the world, wondering why things are as they are. They don't understand. They fail to see that the world is made of heart because only heart can see heart. The mind, alone, is senseless to the sensibilities of the heart.... Read more
On Death and Dying - A (very personal) Zen perspective
by Fa Zhang Shakya
Published May 21, 2009
D eath is the Great Teacher, the Great Equalizer. Death claims the rich as well as the poor, it fells the powerful just as swiftly as the powerless. Death teaches us how precious life is, and brings into painful focus the precariousness of our sense of self. Death is also the... Read more
Passing Through the Gateless Barrier
by Fa Lohng
Published May 11, 2009
The Great Way is gateless, approached by a thousand paths. Pass trough this barrier, you walk freely in the universe. One of the principal Zen texts from thirteenth century China is a collection of koans entitled Wu-wen kuan (Mumonkan). This translates into English as The Gateless Gate,... Read more
Master Hsu Yun's Teachings (5)
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published May 05, 2009
The Teachings of Hsu Yun (5) Read more
Master Hsu Yun's Teachings (4)
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Apr 28, 2009
The concepts of Master Hsu Yun, with illustrations by Rev. Fa Lian Shakya The Teachings of Hsu Yun (4) Read more
Master Hsu Yun's Teachings (3)
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Mar 04, 2009
The words of Master Hsu Yun, with illustrations by Rev. Fa Lian Shakya Hsu Yun's Teachings (3): The Hua Tou Read more
Master Hsu Yun's Teachings (2)
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Feb 03, 2009
The words of Master Hsu Yun, with illustrations by Rev. Fa Lian Shakya Master Hsu Yun's Teachings (2) 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
Master Hsu Yun's Teachings (1)
by Fa Lian Shakya
Published Jan 04, 2009
The words of Master Hsu Yun, with illustrations by Rev. Fa Lian Shakya Hsu Yun's Chan Teachings (1) Read more
The Eye of Practice
by Fa Che, OHY
Published Nov 25, 2008
Buddhism brings many of us to understand that individualism does not exist and is a delusion: that there is no birth, no death, no self, no "I" that exists as an independent reality. We come to recognize that all things are connected through interdependent co-arising. Why is it that we lose... Read more
Remembering Jonestown: a Homage to the Dead, a Prayer for the Living
by Chuan Zhi
Published Nov 25, 2008
What is it about us humans that we seek, with such ferocity, to belong to a group, to the extent that some of us will believe whatever we are told to believe for the sake of the group? We put our own identity aside in favor of the group's identity.... Read more
Forward Motion: Bring on the Sun!
by Chuan Zhi with special thanks to Drew Dixon
Published Nov 18, 2008
How do we keep our spiritual life alive? How do we keep moving forward? Embrace life in all its beauty and ugliness: treat all things with equanimity, seeing what is real and not what is superimposed by our beliefs and opinions. Seek the unknown: approach fears with fierce resolve to... 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
"Labors of Peace"
by Fa Liang, OHY
Published Aug 30, 2008
This week, right in my own "backyard," a terrible thing happened. A man, fueled by hate, walked into a Unitarian Universalist (UU) church during a children's play and began shooting. Two people are dead and four more are physically injured. Many more are left to bear emotional scars. The alleged... Read more
The Wu! Gate
by Fa Liang, OHY
Published Jul 15, 2008
We can, each of us, experience Wu! -- that emptiness, that relief -- every time we give up our attachment. When we have a job to do, we simply do it - without grumbling, without daydreaming about all the other things we could be doing instead, without any sort of... Read more
The Pink Backpack
by Fa Che, OHY
Published Jul 08, 2008
Sometimes a single unexpected event can change our lives forever. One such event happened to me over a decade ago … It was a normal, sunny day in Phoenix, Arizona. I was picking my daughter up from Kindergarten. My three-year-old son was holding my hand as we all walked back... 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
The Ambitious Violet
by Khalil Gibran
Published Jun 19, 2008
A Lebanese-American essayist, novelist, poet, and artist, Khalil Gibran has become, post-humorously, one of the greatest Lebanese-American mystics of modern times. Born in 1883 in the mountains of Lebanon, he immigrated to the United States in 1895 where he became involved in the fine arts and in literature. He has... Read more
The Story of the Wave
by Fa Liang, OHY
Published Jun 15, 2008
Once upon a time, there was a little wave. The wave loved being a wave going up and down and playing all day and night. The wave was surrounded by lots of other waves and it had fun watching them, too. Then one day, the little wave noticed... Read more
The Buddhism of Zen
by Chuan Zhi and Fa Gong
Published Jun 10, 2008
As westerners brought up in different religious traditions and cultures, we won't ever have the same Buddhism as the Chinese, the Japanese, the Koreans, or the Vietnamese. Nor should we. Our psyches are shaped by western cultures, not eastern ones. A religion will invariably speak uniquely to each culture that... Read more
A Dangerous Game
by Fa Guang, OHY
Published May 01, 2008
A Warning for Forum Aficionados! The Internet has a peculiar way of grabbing us and taking us off course, often without us even being aware it's happening. Recently as I was searching the Internet for a particular book I came across a list of forum posts relating to... 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
Science & Zen: A Closer Look
by Chuan Zhi
Published Feb 08, 2008
Are science and Zen incompatible? Not at all. Each simply leads the investigator to a different area of understanding. Is awareness simply the result of our neurons firing away? Sure, but that's not the point. The mystic will say that the perception of awareness is of a universal nature, not... Read more
The Fast Way to Chan
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jan 28, 2008
Many spiritual seekers get frustrated as they become lost in the myriad approaches to enlightenment presented in Buddhist literature and by various spiritual teachers: take this path … or that path; study this sutra, then that sutra; do these things … don't do those things. There is also much discussion... Read more
Bodhi day: the day of enlightenment
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Dec 07, 2007
It was the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, the story goes, that Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni, awoke from a week of meditation to view of the morning star - Venus - and exclaimed, "That's it! That's it! That's me! That's me that's shining so brilliantly!" In... Read more
Road Construction Ahead!
by Fa Liang, OHY
Published Nov 07, 2007
Forgiveness is a three-dimensional road with its foundation built solidly in the bedrock of our spiritual nature. I wrote previously about forgiving ourselves - recognizing and accepting our own mistakes instead of hiding in their shadows, defending our mistakes as if they weren't mistakes at all. Honesty, integrity, humility and... Read more
Forgiveness
by Fa Liang, OHY
Published Oct 01, 2007
We are all human. If we are honest with ourselves we'll recognize that we all say and do things that cause pain to others as well as to ourselves. It's the feelings within that reflexively lead us to act and speak in hurtful ways. The fear, negativity, and blame... 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
Synchronicity and the Nature of Reality
by Paul Cochrane
Published Jul 17, 2007
The concept of miraculous coincidences is not at all new. The phenomenon has been recognized by many cultures, and in the distant past, was attributed to the acts of the Gods. In Greek mythology, the God Hermes, was represented as a playful "trickster" who was manifested in unexpected and humorous... Read more
Experience Chan!
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jul 09, 2007
Deep inside each of us lurks a presence that is our full human potential, but it remains hidden from us - an aspect of the unconscious. It hides because of our fear of it. Its aspect is wisdom, understanding . . . compassion, yet it remains hidden. The question we... 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
Part VI - Conclusion
by Chuan Zhi
Published Mar 30, 2007
Buddhism is a complex religion, without a single voice, with many faces, and many representatives holding many different views. It's tremendously easy for a newcomer to get lost in the quagmire of beliefs, ambiguous language, customs, teachings, superstitions and myths that have produced a Matta-like painting of this unusual and... Read more
Part V - The Context of Zen
by Chuan Zhi
Published Mar 12, 2007
The context in which we view a thing has a great influence on our perception of it. It is a great influence on our perception of Zen.When we first learn about something it's with our senses and we know all too well that they can mislead, tricking us to believe... 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
Part IV - The Gong An (Koan) and Hua Tou
by Chuan Zhi
Published Feb 15, 2007
Many people equate Zen training with gong-an (koan) study due to the fairly frequent use of this teaching technique in Zen monasteries. Koans are one of many different techniques that teachers have used over the centuries to help students break through the rigid mental framework that obscures the higher domain... Read more
Do you believe in reincarnation?
by Fa Jian, OHY
Published Jan 21, 2007
The mystery of what, if anything, happens to us after we die continues to be a subject of debate among people of all religions as well as philosophers and religious scholars. With so much interest in the subject, it's no wonder that we have so many theories about what happens... Read more
Part III - Dharma Transmission and Lineage
by Chuan Zhi
Published Dec 12, 2006
While most of the world's great religions rely on the sanctity of words to convey the Truth of their religious doctrines, moral codes, etc., Zen Buddhism makes no such claim as it has no such written document or collection of documents. Instead, Zen Buddhism relies on the concept of Dharma... Read more
In the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Dec 05, 2006
Like the Buddha's Disciple Moggallana in search of his mother, I have entered the Preta Realm with a mission. oggallana entered this realm in an effort to save his mother. She had been reborn in this hell-realm as the result of greed. A spirit ever-hungry as the result of the... Read more
Zen's Spiritual Guide
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Nov 29, 2006
What does it mean to be a spiritual guide? A Zen Roshi or Sifu? It means we strive to balance heart and mind;to live our Spirit. It means we have lived and learned and are still living and learning.That we are one in an ancient succession of teachers, offering to... Read more
Part II - The Zen Master
by Chuan Zhi
Published Nov 29, 2006
A master serves several functions in a sangha: as a teacher and resource for practicing students, as a guide or "coach", as a leader or co-leader of ceremonies, as a disciplinarian, and often as an administrator. In addition, a master is usually responsible for the financial health of the temple,... Read more
Western Zen: Transition And Turmoil -- Part 1
by Chuan Zhi
Published Nov 15, 2006
Whenever a religion enters a new region dominated by an ethnic culture differing from that of its originating source, a certain amalgamation of ideologies, ethicalities, as well as prevailing myths and superstitions of the newly introduced religion and the antecedent religions takes place. Buddhism is an especially interesting case, as... Read more
Do no Harm: The Sexuality of Spirituality
by Chuan Zhi
Published Oct 11, 2006
Anyone who cares to investigate advanced spiritual practices of the Buddhist traditions (and many others), or has delved into them directly, quickly comes to realize that the exalted spiritual states referred to, most often obliquely, actually entail considerable sexual experience. The difference being that this experience is an internal experience... 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
Reinventing Ourselves
by Chuan Zhi
Published Apr 01, 2006
How do we overcome fear and the terrible influence it has over us? We must have great courage - we must be prepared to make mistakes, to show failure, and to show our human vulnerabilities. We must be willing to be outcast by our social groups, friends and family. We... 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
Hope and Faith
by Yin De, OHY
Published Nov 02, 2005
A friend asked me to elaborate on how, as Buddhists, we should deal with concepts, words, and emotions that seem to go against what we're taught but still seem to be as "real" as they were before we came to Buddhism. He asked, specifically, about the concepts of hope and... Read more
Undeniable Self, Deniable self
by Chuan Zhi
Published Oct 04, 2005
What is the nature of Self? In Chan, the answer is a spiritual one, dependent on self-reflection, and one that cannot come fully until we achieve a degree of spiritual awareness. In the secular domain, we can investigate Self in terms of what it is not - it is not... Read more
The Monk, The Man and the Fish
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published May 03, 2005
A solitary monk was carrying a large fish to his home to prepare it for his meal. As he walked along the path, a man approached from the other direction. As he reached hailing distance, the man called out “Hey monk! I see you coming! What is that you're carrying?”Not... Read more
A Loose Garment
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Apr 04, 2005
Speaking with a friend on the phone recently and asked about her practice. Just the general sort of conversational "how's it going" type of question.She answered "I'm wearing my practice like a loose garment." Not concentrating or striving or actively "Being Buddhist," she said. Sitting fairly often, but otherwise not... Read more
Chan's Trailhead: The Triple Refuge and the Precepts
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jan 25, 2005
How do we begin with Zen? We don't start climbing Mt. Everest from the third base station. We start at the very bottom, climb a bit, set up camp, wait for a few days to let ourselves adjust to the altitude, then move on up again, slowly, step by step.... Read more
Making It Real: On Creating a Real Chan Practice From a Virtual Temple
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jan 10, 2005
Chan is often discussed, considered, and pondered, but when it comes to figuring out how to live the life of a Chan Buddhist many people come to the conclusion that attending services, entering a monastery -- going somewhere -- is the only efficacious solution. Whenever a request for liturgy pops into... Read more
Denial of Beauty by Austerity?
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Dec 22, 2004
The simplest of foods or the meanest of meals is a banquet if we appreciate it for what it is -- sustenance, a gift from the earth and the fruit of the labors of men and women. A simple noodle is fit for a king when we appreciate its texture... Read more
The Joy of Awakening
by Chuan Zhi
Published Nov 30, 2004
Buddhism is about the discovery of our own potential: it's about beauty, and about love. Buddhism embraces mankind's quest for knowledge in all its many manifestations: spiritual knowledge, scientific knowledge, knowledge of art and music, but most of all, knowledge of Self: knowledge of who we are as opposed to... Read more
Chan and the Eightfold Path
by Chuan Zhi
Published Nov 20, 2004
In order to prepare ourselves for meditation, we must first begin to put our lives in order and act in accordance with what is right and good, both for us and for others. It is no simple task, for it requires that we act caringly instead of selfishly. It's not... Read more
Non-Discrimination and the Chan Mind
by Chuan Kong, OHY
Published Nov 17, 2004
Discriminating is a fundamental aspect of being human. Everything we do is a choice based on discrimination between one thing or another, or between one thing and a thousand others. The collection of choices we each make is unique to each of us. Sometimes our choices are based on our... Read more
When Righteousness Goes Wrong
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Nov 11, 2004
Chan Buddhists, just like followers of other religions, want to do what's right. We strive to be righteous and to avoid self-aggrandizing actions and activities. It's imperative that we consider what it means to "do right" since we often fall into the trap of "doing wrong." We must identify and... Read more
The Buddhism of Zen (in 10 minutes or less)
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Oct 26, 2004
Dependent upon whom one asks, Zen is either a school of Buddhism or a school of thought and ethical philosophy adjunct to Buddhism. While zen often teaches the folly of differentiation, hard definition and non-malleable mental categorization, it also teaches that all things should be understood by their very nature.... Read more
Homeostasis and Zen
by Chuan Zhi
Published Oct 12, 2004
When we allow ourselves to move far away from the center, we experience the pain and bitterness that the Buddha described in his First Noble Truth. The cause of that distress, he said, is attachment. A Zen practitioner can feel anger, sorrow, or physical pain just as he can experience... Read more
Masters of Maya
by Fa Shen
Published Sep 18, 2004
The tools with which we are born and with which we come to know the world are our five sense organs - our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. We often say that our eyes look out upon the world. But what intrigues me is that it isn't so much... Read more
How "Zen" is That?
by Yin De, OHY
Published Sep 16, 2004
A friend of mine has a habit of asking me; "How Zen is that?" whenever I seem to react with any degree of emotion, particularly when I am angry about something. A year or so ago, when one of my neighbors learned that my shaved head wasn't a fashion-statement and... Read more
Using the Sutras
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Sep 02, 2004
We study the Sutras as a guide as we embark on our own spiritual adventures. They provide us strength in times of difficulties, give us solace in times of despair, and motivate us in times of apathy. Eventually, as we travel on our own unique journey, we learn to navigate... Read more
The Lottery Ticket
by Yao Feng, OHY
Published Sep 01, 2004
Once a week, usually on Tuesday, I drive down to Loutraki to buy supplies. It is the nearest small city in the area, about 16 kilometers from where I live. It's not a big town, but it's pretty there by the sea. It has curative waters, casino, shops and a... Read more
First Autumn Rain
by Yao Feng, OHY
Published Aug 29, 2004
"Mitsos," my car, has that rare gift of making familiar things seem new. No matter how many times he's taken the same road home, he negotiates the dirt and gravel with a kind of joy. Like a horse headed back to his barn, he doesn't need anyone to steer him.... Read more
A True Story
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Aug 22, 2004
Once upon a time there was a lone wolf. All of his life he had been free, independent and secure in the knowledge that he was a wolf (and a fine one at that) despite the opinion of certain other wolves. One day, in about his 30th year of "wolfness" and... Read more
Family Members - By Birth and By Choice
by Chuan Zhi
Published Aug 18, 2004
A true Buddhist isn't necessarily a person who attends Buddhist services and who observes Buddhist traditions... no more than these public acts define a true Christian or Muslim. Living out the life of the spirit, freeing ourselves from anger, lust, and ignorance are the private goals we need to set... Read more
Science and Spiritual Inquiry: Striking a Balance
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jun 15, 2004
The universe, governed by power and the law power obeys, conforms to a dualistic principal of yin and yang, eros and logos, shakti and Shiva. We cannot separate them. Only through spiritual labor can we succeed at reconciling and integrating the noumenal with the phenomenal, the mathematical formula with that... Read more
The Language of Humanity
by Yin Cheng, OHY
Published May 15, 2004
I will not speak of the language of men - the language they use to convey their thoughts about the world. I will not even address the infinite varieties of speech, the richness of vocabularies, the fullness of expression. And despite the uniqueness of the language of men - its... Read more
True Atonement
by Chuan Zhi
Published Dec 08, 2003
When we achieve true restorative balance within ourselves we are happy and content, and can live without regret, remorse or guilt. We are at peace. The enlightened approach is to always be vigilant, to guard against committing sins - those violations of our Buddhist Precepts. But when we slip and... Read more
Freedom from Ego's Entanglements
by Yin Cheng, OHY
Published Oct 25, 2003
When we meditate we cannot have a self-serving purpose, True meditation in its many forms will not suffer the ego's presence. There can be no "I will" or "I can" or "I shall." There can be no cleverly concealed aim, a transference from "I" to "it." The material world -... Read more
Chan Quan and Meditation
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Jun 26, 2003
"Sifu, I hear you teach meditation in your classes. What's so special about practicing meditation? Meditation is important no matter what we are getting ready to do, what we may be in the midst of doing, or what we may have just finished doing. It's the same attitude that we maintain... Read more
The Fire of Desire: The Buddha's Second Noble Truth
by Yin De, OHY
Published May 07, 2003
Today, I'd like to talk about the Second Noble Truth of Buddhism - desire and craving, the cause of suffering. It's human nature to want more of what we like and to have better than what we have - not only for ourselves, but for our children and the people... Read more
Jack Dudney - Dharma Drummer
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Mar 13, 2003
Jack Dudney wasn't a zen teacher. Well- he was, but I don't think he knew it.Jack Dudney was my drum teacher when I was a kid. A professional musician, Jack played Big Band with Ed Gerlach's Orchestra in Houston and he taught music lessons on the side. I took lessons... Read more
Chan Quan - Part 4
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Jan 23, 2003
The fourth and last part of the program is the mental and spiritual training. The practitioner learns how to properly focus his mind and to bring his thoughts and emotions under control. He learns how to cultivate and visualize his spiritual energy called Chi (Qi, Ki). Chi is the vital... Read more
Sharing The Journey: The Wasted Moment
by Fa Dao, OHY
Published Jan 08, 2003
Sitting and not thinking -- quietly watching the snow on the lawn, doing nothing including nothing itself. A wee curl of smoke from the incense stick twists and twirls and takes shape - a face almost human. Oh no!!! Not him!!!! It's the Prince of Pragmatism! The... Read more
Merry Whatever
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Dec 16, 2002
Christmas is a strange season for the American Buddhist. No matter how long you've been on the Path, Christmas still feels like Christmas. And everybody actslike it's Christmas. And some part of you wants it to be Christmas-precepts or no precepts. Jesus was, by anyone's reckoning, a great Bodhisattva. And... Read more
Why I Am Not a Zen Master
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Nov 30, 2002
Recently my congregation assembled to ask me how an ordinary Zen guy gets to be a Zen Master. "So, Rev," she said, "What's up with the whole 'Zen Master' deal, anyway" Patiently ignoring the single quotes in her voice, I explained that only a Zen Master knows how to become... Read more
Chan Quan - Part 3
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Nov 12, 2002
The third part is the physical and spiritual training. This is where the practitioner learns how to humble himself before his practice and to perform his movements in a meditative manner. He also learns a sitting meditation practice. Where there is a clear, relaxed, healthy and strong body there is... Read more
Dubious Transactions
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Nov 09, 2002
Most people don't know it, but Zen guys love Zen knick-knacks. It's not enough to have a simple altar with a Buddha statue, some flowers, incense burner, altar cloth and a nice cushion to sit on. Eventually, we just have to have that geniune brass gong (made in Mexico) which... Read more
Vested Interests
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Oct 23, 2002
If you've watched the old Kung Fu series on television, you might have the impression that becoming a Zen priest requires passing some kind of test-and you'd be correct. The real test, though, is nothing so exotic as walking on rice paper, hefting a tureen full of red-hot scorpions, or... Read more
Whatever Your Name: on religious tolerance and acts of terrorism
by Chuan Zhi
Published Sep 16, 2002
Written in response to to the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center on September 11, 2002. All world religions offer this spiritual solution to the problems that confront all humanity, this Path to salvation. Those who choose other hateful solutions have left their religion's Path. Yet, as we lament their... Read more
Uncle's Last Trip
by Yao Feng, OHY
Published Jul 10, 2002
An icy January morning, 6 a.m. It is not my habit to be awake at this hour, in this season, but I have an appointment to keep. Kilometers away from here lies the village where I will bid farewell to my mother's brother. Ninety-one years old, and he still has... Read more
Practicing the Ten Benevolences: Goal of Buddhist Behavior
by Fat Wei (Fa Hui)
Published Jul 09, 2002
Dear Friends, after his Enlightenment, Shakyamuni preached Buddhism for forty-nine years. During this time, in more than three hundred meetings of his Sangha, he expounded the Dharma. Sometimes he preached from heaven, sometimes he preached on earth, and sometimes he preached from the silence of the Bo Tree in the... Read more
Chan Quan - Part 2
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Jun 13, 2002
Martial arts are very much like this: “Water is dependent on the environment with which it flows to dictate its movements.” This saying is not limited to just the martial arts, but to life in general as well. The first part of the first stage involves physical training. This training consists... Read more
Among Other Things
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Jun 12, 2002
Among other things, 9/11 turned me into a news junkie. It's all my fault. From September to May, every day started with a quick look at the Associated Press web site, followed by visits to CNN, the Washington Post, the BBC, and that black sheep of journalism, the Drudge Report.... Read more
Chan Quan, Part 1
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published May 07, 2002
"Sifu, could you explain what Chan Quan is exactly? What are the elements that separate it from all other martial arts?" Answering these questions will take a bit more explaining than I have previously given. At the outset it's important to understand that Chan Quan - "True Chan Quan" - cannot... Read more
A Fork in the Road
by Chuan Kong, OHY
Published May 06, 2002
Isn't it strange how often we're met with the problems of choice? Time and time again we find it necessary to unify our divided mind, to make a definitive decision, a right decision - and woe betide us if we get it wrong!When a choice can result in consequences we... Read more
We're All Buddhists
by Yao Feng, OHY
Published Feb 12, 2002
Dark, mad clouds had met over Geraneia Mountain as if there was no other mountain to solve their disputes. Perhaps they wanted to show off for the goddess, Hera, or maybe choose her as a referee. The storm was spectacular, offering fantastic light and sound effects, abrupt and sudden just... Read more
That Sinking Feeling
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Jan 31, 2002
Zen teaches us swamp-dwellers to value simplicity, austerity. That must be why karma dictated that I should now live in a hut. My home was built in 1948, at the height of Washington D.C.'s post-WWII housing boom. It's tiny and white, with a little crooked chimney and a little plugged... Read more
The Vertical Ascent
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Dec 27, 2001
"Sifu, I know many fellow students who are extremely advanced technically, but our Sifu doesn't seem to consider them "master" material. How long does it take to become a Sifu?"IChing: Hexagram #46: Sheng or Pushing Upward (K'un over Sun) - The receptive over the gentle: Earth over wind and wood.Wood grows as... Read more
Chan Quan and Wu Shu Styles
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Dec 24, 2001
"Sifu could you give us a comparison between the Chan Quan and Wu Shu styles?” First I'd like to clarify that the Wu Shu (Chinese Martial Arts/sport) of Shaolin is considered by the monks of Shao Lin Ji (Shao Lin Monastery) to be Chan Quan. The Wu Shu the public learns... Read more
Common Misconceptions
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Dec 24, 2001
"A Black belt who has studied martial arts for six to ten years is by far a better martial artist than a person who has studied only half that time."Anyone who understands the essence of the martial arts must disagree with this statement. Many factors need to be considered. For example,... Read more
Fist of Chan
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Nov 24, 2001
"Sifu, what is there about the Chan Quan style that makes it unique?""When the sun comes up, I get up. When night falls and I get sleepy, I get ready for bed. ""huh?"Chan Quan is a combination of Chan Buddhism and Quan, the 'fist' of the martial arts. Most other... Read more
Of Tigers and Men
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Oct 10, 2001
"Sifu, what about taking a person's life? Is it ever justifiable, if so, when?"It is in our nature to do what we need to do in order to survive.Consider the situation: Someone, without provocation or perhaps merely as an over-reaction to what he regards as an insult or threat, approaches... Read more
Turning Point
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Jul 25, 2001
"Sifu, today at work a guy asked me how my martial arts awareness skills were. I told him that they were pretty good. So he swung at me. But I immediately knew that at his distance he would not be able to hit me. I didn't do anything but lean... Read more
Ancient Wisdom: The Blue Lotus
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jul 17, 2001
Zen requires that we maintain our sense of awe and wonder, that pure curiosity about the things we see and experience, that search for meaning and significance that is so apparent in the works of ancient man. We cannot allow technology to dull our awe and jade our curiosity about... Read more
Freedom From What?
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Jun 26, 2001
The current controversy about the sculptural presentation of the Ten Commandments displayed in an Alabama Courthouse should concern all religious persons in the United States, regardless of creed. On the surface, the issue is whether the placement of the Ten Commandments in a state courthouse violates the Constitutional guarantee of the... Read more
The Old Fox
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Jun 03, 2001
"Sifu, I’ve heard about a few incidents lately in which young adults were beaten to death by a gang of people. Do you think that any amount of martial arts instruction would have been sufficient to save the victims' lives?"“That is quite a question! I’d have to say that no... Read more
Lhasa Apsos
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published May 01, 2001
I had a Zen moment this morning. Walking to the train station, I saw a little dog get clipped by a car. There wasn't much to hit: the dog weighed less than a pigeon and looked like it hadn't seen the inside of a house or a feeding bowl in... Read more
Zen and the Dharmakaya Cadillac
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Apr 02, 2001
Every Buddhist biker knows that "when the student is ready, the master appears." Last week I was the student, and Sensei manifested himself in the form of a 1981 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, white, with Maryland tags and an appetite for Lesser Vehicles.The lesson began about five minutes before I was... Read more
Limitations
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Mar 30, 2001
"Sifu, why do all martial arts teachers tell their students that they shouldn't fight? Isn't fighting what the martial arts is all about?" I Ching : #60 Chieh: Limitation ( K'an - The abysmal, over Tui - The Joyous. Water over Lake. A lake is a body of water that has... Read more
Youthful Folly
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Mar 01, 2001
"Sifu, since Halloween last October, a few guys, a couple grades ahead of me in school, have been confronting me, wanting me to fight them. I'm thinking about quitting my martial arts training because of it.""Why? What happened?""For Halloween we had a dance at school, dressed up as a Ninja.... Read more
King of the Road: On Loneliness and Solitude
by Chuan Zhi
Published Feb 15, 2001
When we stop to analyze our daily lives, we discover how many of our activities are constructed to assuage a fear of being alone. We wait in lines at restaurants and take several hours to eat a meal that we could quickly have prepared at home. We go out to... Read more
The Power of the Great
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Feb 01, 2001
"Sifu, anyone can perform the motions of combat, but what is needed to execute techniques in accordance with Zen Principles?" I Ching: Hexagram #34: Ta Chuang, The Power of the Great (Chen over Ch’ien) – The Arousing over the Creative: Thunder over Heaven, we may be able to shed some light... Read more
Innocence
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Jan 31, 2001
"Sifu, I don’t like to spar with the bigger students in class. How can I ever expect to win?”I Ching: Hexagram #25: Wu Wang: Innocence (The Unexpected)We see here The Creative, Heaven over The Arousing, Thunder. Ch'ien over Chen. According to The Judgment: Innocence. Supreme success. Perseverance furthers. If someone is... Read more
Husband and Wife
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Nov 05, 2000
"Sifu, is it possible to learn the martial arts as a philosophy and meditation exercise and not as a fighting system?"I Ching: Hexagram #54: Chen over Tui - The arousing, thunder over the joyous, lake According to Hexagram #54, Kuei Mei / The Marrying Maiden, "The man leads and the... Read more
Union of Mind and Body
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Nov 05, 2000
"Sifu, why is it so important to practice meditation and breathing exercises?"I Ching: Hexagram #8: K'an over K'un - Water over Earth. According to The Judgment of Hexagram #8, Pi / Holding Together [Union]:"...possess sublimity, constancy, and perseverance; then there is no blame. Those who are uncertain gradually join. Whoever comes... Read more
Preponderance of the Great
by Chuan Yin, OHY
Published Oct 26, 2000
"Sifu, I have a problem practicing the forms I learn in class when I am at home. The forms require more space than I have available, but even when I push furniture around to practice them I make more noise than my family will tolerate. What would you suggest?"Hexagram #28... Read more
Zen and the Boxer Rebellion
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Oct 12, 2000
In China at the close of the 19th century, a secret society called the Fists of Righteous Harmony started a movement to expel all foreigners from their homeland. History knows these rebels as the Boxers.But never mind them. This is about underwear. Big underwear. Zen underwear.A while ago, a kind... Read more
The Eighty-Fourth Problem
by Yin Yao, OHY
Published Sep 05, 2000
This essay is about problems - the kind we all share. Big ones and little ones, problems that we cause ourselves and problems that the world inflicts upon us.A man once came to see the Buddha because he heard that the Buddha knew how to solve problems. The man had... Read more
The Song of Courage
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Aug 14, 2000
A song's end has a strange bleakness. There's a signal of finality, the end of something beautiful and loved. The dying overtones of the last note cause the heart to skip a few beats as if it's trying to still itself, anticipating sounds the ear will not be hearing. The day... Read more
Suffering: Zen and the Four Noble Truths
by Chuan Zhi
Published Aug 10, 2000
Suffering is integral to the Zen path. It is, in fact, a prerequisite. Zen is not an easy path and we must be highly motivated in order to travel it. In physics as in Zen, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. No human being wants to suffer. All... Read more
Get Lost!
by Chuan Kong, OHY
Published Mar 13, 2000
“Get lost!” You can’t seem to get through life without hearing that at least once. The command usually means that you should exit, either literally or metaphorically, and the quicker the better. It’s especially hurtful when the person who says it thinks he means well.“Get lost!” The expression conveys pain,... Read more
Archetypal Integration
by Chuan Zhi
Published Nov 16, 1999
In physics we talk about forces. Without forces, there would be no physics because nothing would happen. In fact, there would be nothing at all because it is forces that create things. A rock is held together by the strong and weak nuclear forces. It slides down the side of... Read more
A House is not a Home
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Oct 05, 1999
I don't know why politics should so often turn out to be the high-priced prostitute of promise, the siren-song of shipwrecks. We listen to a melody and allow ourselves to be lured by it, taken off course until we collide with obstacles we could not see. Our little boat and... Read more
My Teacher, My Self
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Jul 14, 1999
"First" has the power of nothing else. It carries the thrill of newness, and nothing that follows it can ever claim such power. For better or worse, we remember our firsts. First love, first car, first time away from home. But of all these, our first... Read more
Upon Awakening in the Morning
by Chuan Kong, OHY
Published Jul 08, 1999
Have you ever wondered how it is that you always wake up in the morning as yourself and not someone else? As you awaken all the incidentals come crowding in: all the things you have to do today; all the places you have to be; what you are expected to... Read more
Reincarnation
by Chuan Zhi
Published May 04, 1999
When we recognize that the ego doesn't exist in any real sense but only as an artifice of the mind, there's nothing that needs explaining anymore and the notion of reincarnation is seen as nothing more than an intellectual game. The person, like the raindrop, merges into the sea of... Read more
Bright Lights, Lonely Spot
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Mar 26, 1999
The loneliest place in the world is center stage. Though all eyes see into the small spotlight, the pair within the light sees only the vast darkness beyond. The strain of knowing we are being watched while also knowing that we are unable to see those who are watching us... Read more
Lin Ji and the Jazzman
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Mar 09, 1999
There is a style of music that is more about truth than beauty. It has steady, intricate rhythms, complicated scales, and chord patterns that appeal to people who can handle truth with or without the presence of beauty. Jazz isn't the most popular style of music, yet every now and... Read more
Eating the Menu
by Chuan Zhi
Published Mar 04, 1999
Zen requires that we bring mindfulness into our lives. If we are experiencing fear, we delve into the nature and content of that fear, working to understand it, tearing it apart piece by piece until there is no more fear. Our Buddhist faith needs to be invoked. If we're feeling... Read more
A Conversation on Zen and God
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jan 05, 1999
Some Buddhists may say they believe in God, others may say otherwise, but the reality of God is independent of anything anyone may believe or disbelieve. Religions the world over testify to the universal urge for our mind to realize that which is greater than itself. How do we describe... Read more
Lessons from the Dark Side of the Moon
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Dec 22, 1998
Sometimes we descend into darkness so gradually that we're unaware of the diminishing light. We don't realize that we can't clearly see where we're going since, as the light grows dimmer and dimmer, our eyes keep adjusting to the loss. People who are watching our descent may shout warnings, but... Read more
Dangerous Zeal
by Chuan Zhi
Published Dec 08, 1998
In meditation we enter the realm of selflessness (or egolessness). When we meditate there is no urge or desire for meditation, there is only beautiful meditation. Problems occur only when we stop meditating to return to the ego’s realm of desires and opinions about what is and what is not... Read more
Snapping and Zeno's Paradox
by Chuan Zhi
Published Oct 15, 1998
Religion always presents us with extraordinary paradoxes. Is the person's experience going to diverge and take him into infinity's stratosphere or is it going to converge to that nice, desirable finish line? Luck has a lot to do with limits: that sane boundary. Consider a fraction. We know that the... Read more
Cultivating Buddhi: The Dharma of Right Action
by Chuan Zhi
Published Sep 24, 1998
Anyone who spends time around Zen people will hear references to "practicing." Whenever we're asked to explain what it is we're practicing, we make either vague comments about Buddhic Nature or, as if we were mystical attorneys, we say simply that we're "practicing the Law of Dharma." There is a difference... Read more
Delving Into Dharma
by Chuan Zhi
Published Jul 13, 1998
If there is one word with which we can summarize the beauty of Buddhist thought, that word is Dharma. We cannot read a book about Buddhism without encountering this term, yet its definition is as slippery as its appearance is ubiquitous. In which sense is Master Han Shan using it... Read more
Performance Anxiety
by Chuan Heng, OHY
Published Jul 06, 1998
It begins with a fearful thought that shatters your confidence the way a siren shatters the peace of a Sunday Morning. You'd like to think about other things but the wailing sound of pain and loss commands all your attention. No matter how well you've rehearsed what you've planned... Read more
First Practice: The Healing Breath
by Chuan Zhi
Published Feb 02, 1998
Everyone who enters Zen's Gateless Gate, has a story to tell. Mine begins one summer evening when I received a call from a friend who had recently moved to another state. "I found a Buddhist Priest who teaches Zen." He told me. "Last night she gave me a pranayama exercise... Read more
Dreams and Visions: Part II
by Chuan Zhi
Published Dec 10, 1997
As barnacles to pilings, we often grasp at our notions of things with a fear that letting go of them could only end in annihilation. What if the ideas we take as ultimate truths are flawed, or only partially true, or even altogether false? What if the anchor of security... Read more
Dreams and Visions: Part I
by Chuan Zhi
Published Oct 16, 1997
Dreams and visions have a special significance in Zen Buddhism, for it's through them that we often see the fruits of our spiritual labor. While consciousness speaks in recognizable words and images, the unconscious communicates with mysterious "symbols" of creatures and objects quite unknown to us: oceans, snakes, thunder, wind,... Read more