Zazen Notes

I wrote:

When the impact of consciousness opens the ability to feel, and what is felt enters into the place of occurrence of consciousness, then the mind remains waking up or falling asleep even as the place of occurrence of consciousness shifts.

A friend writes, “It’s the shift part that in my understanding is more flow than what shift ...  read more

On a match box: “Strike Anywhere”.

Kobun’s literal translation of the elements in the word shikantaza strings together as: “pure hit sit”.

Here’s one from “Zen Letters, Teachings of Yuanwu”:

If you want to pass through easily and directly right now, just let your body and mind ...  read more

Be like a person who has ‘died the great death’; after your breath is cut off, then you come back to life.

(“Zen Letters- Teachings of Yuanwu”, trans. Cleary brothers pg 84)

I have this experience often when I sit (my breath is “cut off”), particularly in the transition from exhalation to inhalation, and the focus ...  read more