My Master's Robe: Memories of a Novice Monk

"From morning till night, all little beings look after yourselves. If unluckily by accident I step on you, I pray that you will be reborn in the Pure Land." I was very moved when I recited these verses; I saw that both mindfulness and loving kindness were being nourished in me.

Another method is to look at a glass of water that is three or four yards away from you and concentrate your mind on that glass for ten to thirty minutes.

"Does that mean the practitioner has to meditate on the koan with each action, while eating, drinking, sitting, standing, walking, and lying down?""Precisely. But you must not think, Brother, that this effort to understand uses the reasoning mind. Rather, the practitioner focuses his mind on one thing, each action, in order to silenc

If there was no taking care of the cows, no collecting of twigs and leaves, no carrying water, no growing potatoes, then there would no means for the practice of meditation.

Perhaps the safest outfit to wear is made from loving kindness and compassion, and to live accordingly.

Novices could learn all of this from the manual of Fine Manners, the second volume of the Lesser Vinaya. According to its teaching, every time we moved our body, we allowed a wholesome thought to arise in our mind in order that our movement would be right action. If we do this throughout the day, we will always dwell in mindfulness.

Even when we are not meditating, if we remain focused, the work of our mind still has the energy to cook the koan in our store consciousness. During sitting meditation we learn how to be mindful of ourbreath and our body; and during our daily activities, we focus our mind on what we are doing."

Records of High Monks and The Gateless Gate

The contemplation we used when we went to the bathroom was, "May all beings be free from anger, greed, and delusion and from all wrongdoings."

At that moment I was usually studying the manual of mindful verses.