understanding zen

[classic]

First i would liek to say a big hello to all my shaolin brothers & sisters its been a while & i have missed you all.

i wanted to start a discussion about zen.
anything at all about zen , acheveing an awakening , a glimse of cosmic truth , tips on meditation , anything at all .

i have been practising qigong from Sifu Wong for the last 6 weeks are so now.... maybe longer.
i am now generating a very strong chi flow everytime i practise , and get great results .

but i would like make my meditation deeper due to the fact the i enjoy the standing meditation the most ....

i have already realized that qigong works best through direct experience like Fleur told me " u can be told the taste of an apple through description , but can only really understand the taste of an apple if you taste it yourself."

so this is just a discussion.

Please feel free to offer any thoughts , experiences , book links , history ,
and possible shaolin wanham courses.

Thanks in advance
im already smiling from the heart just by being on the forum once again.

Rob

[Andrew]

Just be.

[Jordan]

Just do it.

[Darran]

I guess then that you are after "Satori"? Its seems something that one just can't "do" or "be".......I venture it's a little more complicated and altogether more simple than that.
Truthfully, I know very little of Zen and have not directly read any real Zen texts. I Know of Suzuki's Introduction to Zen Budhissim only though the foreword to that book by C.G. Jung, a not insubstantial little work in itself.
In this little foreword he says that Satori (or enlightenment) is a special kind of, or way of enlightenment which is practically impossible for the European mind to appreciate. He gives some nice examples. Here is one:

A monk once went to Gensha and wanted to know where the entrance to the path of thruth was. Gensha asked him, "Do you hear the murmering of the brook?" "Yes I hear it", answered the monk. "There is the entrance", the master instructed him.


Jung makes some very good points - not least that Satori is something that is almost impossible (if not impossible) to encapsulate in words, which does not stop him nor countless others from writing on the subject! He says of the Zen anecdotes for example that it is exceeding difficult to determine about what or by what one is enlightened. He does warn against Western paralellism, whilst nevertheless indulging in copious amounts of it himself by drawing paralells from ancient Western mystics and some more modern spiritual teachers. His general advice, however, is to let oneself become imbued with the 'exotic obscurity' (I guess he was writing in 1950!) of the Zen anecdotes and to bear in mind the whole time that satori is a mysterium ineffable and that it is something so very simple, a natural occurence that is so simple that it cannot be found because one fails to see the wood for the trees.

[Ken Wong]

Hello all,

I've been lurking in the forums for awhile but thought I'd reply to this thread ...

In my current meditation practice, I've found many of the insights from Adyashanti quite helpful. He is largely focused on awakening.

--
Ken

[Zach]

I've read Sifu's book, "The Complete Book of Zen" three times now, and I'm only beginning to feel like I've open it!

I highly recommend it.

Best,

Zach

[AndrewBill]

Forget about yourself

[Nick Jones]

Forget about yourself

Or conversely, remember yourself.

[Maxime]

Don't think.
Don't discuss.
Don't read my words.

Simply be aware in the moment of Now.

Without judgement.

Did you read my words?

[Adam Kryder]

I still dont understand, what is this zen you speak of?

[AndrewBill]

I still dont understand, what is this zen you speak of?

maybe there is no zen...???

[Kingmonkey]

Don't think, just walk....

[Casper]

[ ]

[Kingmonkey]

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[classic]

thanks to everyone for your insights ....

zen is like looking for the suns light at night,
you can not find Zen , Zen will find you .
when your mind is open enough , and peace and calmness is second nature.

i will look up adyashanti ,
thanks again to everyone who got involved.