Nothing-ness is pure. It is the great void and its value lies in its ability to beyond value, beyond the capabilities of the mind and imagination as it can only be experienced and not analysed. It is in everything for it is everything. So how can it be that nothing is everything?

Well if it is beyond the capabilities of the mind and imagination,that question in unanswerable because that question is the answer.

In zazen (meditation) nothing-ness can eventually be discovered by intensely asking the question, “what is nothing?”. But one must never settle for a descriptive answer, as the answer lies in one’s whole being.

My Zen tells me that if I want to realise that all is one, I need to allow all experience to happen, but how can this be done whilst there is any form of competition where there are winners and losers, better and worse, and other forms of dualistic thinking? The slightest resentment, the slightest feeling of me versus others, will block this consciousness. It is so easy it can happen in an instance, yet so difficult it can take millennium.

Just focusing on the breathing, the inhalation and exhalation in zazen (Zen meditation), is an antidote to dualistic thinking. And then in Zen, as usual, I see that everything is paradoxical. That if in my zazen I resist dualistic thinking, I am pitting myself against another part of mind and I am back in dualistic thinking!

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I see forgiveness as another word for closure.  When whatever has happened, and whoever was involved in a life-event, to be released from the karma of that situation, we need to be OK with the fact that it has happened; for if we are not OK we will just continue to beat ourselves up about it, whether we direct our discontent to self or other, makes no difference, all attack is on the Self.

As I look back over my life and come across old grievances, I see it as my task to find closure on those situations, as difficult as it may be at times. The experiences I have had through my life, I would not change; for these experiences as learning processes and if I had had a soft life with lots of easy living, I wouldn’t have found Zen as an attraction, for it was my desire to “make sense of it all” that led me to Zen with all it’s paradox and struggle which has taken me so far down the path to enlightenment. 

At this point I am reminded the words of that little gem of a book, *Zen Flesh, Zen Bones -  “If you like sweets and easy living, skip this book”. The book is about Zen, about “men tremendously intent on being reborn”. And to me this sums up Zen beautifully. And I maintain that I wouldn’t have had my life any other way.

*USA Link

Technorati Tags: enlightenment, paradox

Do we not dream our life? Is not everything we create, created through visualization and imagination? When our dreams manifest in the physical are they as real as we think they are? What sort of dream can our reality when the moment we experience it, it is past?

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Has society has gone mad getting us to focus more on the future and completely out of the moment of now?

For example, back in the mid summer time whenever I opened a newspaper or magazine, there were adverts for local stationary and clothing retailers that open with “Back to School” (the kids had only just started their long summer break) and then there were shopping channels talking about “Christmas in July” selling decorations with a Xmas tree on the set!

Is it me or is the world really that crazy? Isn’t anybody interested in enjoying the moment? Is this propaganda to drive the economy by boosting consumerism? It seemed to be getting very pressurizing.

I have discovered that some clients I see for stress management, are living out of the moment, full of anticipation of what’s to come or regret of what has been, of needing to be “ready” for whatever future event is in vogue. It is quite amazing what a simple question like, “what about here and now, this instant?” can make to improve matters, when asked several times.

An excellent exercise to do is to sit in zazen (meditation) for about 20 minutes, just earnestly focussing on the question, “what about here and now?”

In such zazen the responses will either bring up strong resistance in the form of a negative feeling (e.g. irritation), or a feeling of peace and well-being. Whichever comes up will tell you that such a question about the here and now is having an effect.

Technorati Tags: here and now, meditation, zazen

In meditation, I need to be unconcerned with any perceived setbacks for they are illusions and tricks of the ego. Letting them go is an act of forgiveness that allows me to be here now and transcend the idea of separation.

There are certain words that are avoided in our judgement of what and what not to say to others. This is because we each live with the illusion that we need approval from others.

But how can we need approval from those with whom we are at one?

I see approval/ disapproval is a state of inner turmoil that opposes the calmness of unity that is our spiritual birthright, that which we can reclaim through forgiveness.

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In this world of opposites it appears that we are all in a state of flight. We try to flee from where we live, what we do, and even who we are… Thinking that the grass is greener on the “other side”. 

In Zen it is said that total liberation from this flight, has to be total acceptance of what is here and now in our experience. Forgiveness of all that is held in resentment, if you like Then we can heal and move on…. Naturally.

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Meditation can often be like checking in with my karma in order to resolve it. 

This life, past life, imaginary - it makes no difference. Karma is karma and we react to it until it is resolved and we can see if for the illusion it really is and transcend it into enlightenment which can happen in an instance, with all our karma. Meanwhile, in our quest for spiritual awareness, our meditation practice can teach us the art of patience. 

Technorati Tags: enlightenment, karma, spiritual consciousness

So…. If meaning can be realised, would it be permanent, or subject to decay? Is there anything in our experience that has been permanent? Those little satoris (insights) experienced in zazen (meditation) become meaningless as soon as contemplated by the rational mind.

A Zen master once said, “If you find the Buddha, destroy him (meaning move on as the Buddha is not so much a person as an ideal state of being)”. So does that mean that enlightenment is impermanent? Does impermanence have no meaning? Do we search for enlightenment which is impermanent and meaningless? If we can say we are enlightened, (apparently) it is not so, as a true Zen master never claims enlightenment.

So is Truth meaningless? It must be surely? Can we laugh at all this? How very Zen!

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This is what came up in my zazen today.

The beginning of transformation may be when we begin to see the world as a place of illusion. When we begin to see that the moment we are experiencing right now, it gone the moment we notice it and that phenomenon shows us time for the illusion that it is.

It is at this recognition of the illusory world that we tend to enter an impasse and this can be extremely uncomfortable. Like the Zen story of the man who was chased over a precipice onto a narrow ledge by a tiger, was clinging on by his fingertips and noticed another tiger below him. There was a strawberry and he risked his life further because he let go with one hand to pick. But he really enjoyed it.

The impasse is a place of learning. But learning what?

Technorati Tags: illusion, impasse, zazen