Sublime
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The meaning is that no distinction is to be made between the realization of awakening (satori) and the cultivation of Zen in meditation and action. Whereas it might be supposed that the practice of Zen is a means to the end of awakening, this is not so. For the practice of Zen is not the true practice so long as it has an end in view, and when it
... See moreAlan W. Watts • The Way of Zen
To put it in another way: one does not practice Zen to become a Buddha; one practices it because one is a Buddha from the beginning–and this “original realization” is the starting point of the Zen life.
Alan W. Watts • The Way of Zen
when asked about seeking for the Buddha nature he answered, “It’s much like riding an ox in search of the ox.”
Alan W. Watts • The Way of Zen
Zen
Andreas Vlach • 2 cards
buddhism
Stuart Evans • 6 cards
If you think Zen is something lofty and esoteric, the master will give you a shout or slap for an answer. If you think it is abstract, you’ll be told it’s three pounds of flax or the oak tree in the garden. If you think it is beyond words and abstractions, the master may quote the sutras or a poem by Han Shan. If you think Zen is nothing but our
... See moreBarry Magid • Ending the Pursuit of Happiness: A Zen Guide
The Buddha is not attached to the appearance of buddhahood but manifests a buddha’s lack of self.
Red Pine • The Diamond Sutra: The Perfection of Wisdom
however much za-zen may have been exaggerated in the Far East, a certain amount of “sitting just to sit” might well be the best thing in the world for the jittery minds and agitated bodies of Europeans and Americans–provided they do not use it as a method for turning themselves into Buddhas.