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Here are three more koans to consider:
-Is emptiness empty?
-What does not exist?
-How can I stop thinking by thinking about stopping thinking?
When you're finished meditating on these koans, write down your answers. Later in the day, tell the koan to a friend or two, asking them for their answers. Then you can compare and see how different personalities can have completely different explanations.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
-Is emptiness empty?
-What does not exist?
-How can I stop thinking by thinking about stopping thinking?
When you're finished meditating on these koans, write down your answers. Later in the day, tell the koan to a friend or two, asking them for their answers. Then you can compare and see how different personalities can have completely different explanations.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
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Koans do not have one right answer and can actually have various interpretations. They are excellent ways to challenge the mind. Here are more Zen koan statements.
-How does a goose escape from a long-necked bottle?
-What is in an empty mind?
-Is stillness still?
Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
-How does a goose escape from a long-necked bottle?
-What is in an empty mind?
-Is stillness still?
Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
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A koan is a short statement or story which is much like a riddle. Koans are often used in Zen Buddhism and are designed to force a meditator to "think outside the box." Because a koan statement is odd, unusual, ridiculous and even bizarre, the meditator must truly focus to come up with an answer.
Here are three to choose from:
-What is the sound of one hand clapping?
-How do you step from a 100-foot pole?
-Can a dog or a cat become enlightened?
Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
Here are three to choose from:
-What is the sound of one hand clapping?
-How do you step from a 100-foot pole?
-Can a dog or a cat become enlightened?
Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
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What is the correct way to deal with some human beings who are especially obnoxious, unkind and unlovable because of their actions? As citizens of the planet are we obliged to love them? . . .
According to Buddhist teaching, every person--regardless of how disgraceful and disgusting his or her behavior may be--has Buddha nature, has the potential to emerge into full Buddhahood. While we may not need to love them, we must work to see and respect their inner Buddha nature. And, when possible, do what we can to support its growth. Every human being, through practice and with some assistance from others, can become an enlightened one.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
According to Buddhist teaching, every person--regardless of how disgraceful and disgusting his or her behavior may be--has Buddha nature, has the potential to emerge into full Buddhahood. While we may not need to love them, we must work to see and respect their inner Buddha nature. And, when possible, do what we can to support its growth. Every human being, through practice and with some assistance from others, can become an enlightened one.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
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Some people go through life believing they are serving when they are merely helping. Why? Because serving arises out of humility while helping can emerge from superiority.
Some people go through life believing they are kind when they are merely nice. Why? Because niceness often emerges out of a need to be liked. . . . Kindness arises spontaneously and without motive. . . .
Some people go through life practicing tolerance but never inclusiveness. Why does this happen? Because tolerance contains judgment. If someone says to us, "I am tolerating you," we would not feel that as a warm affirming position. However, when we hear the phrase "you're included!" we recognize that as welcoming.
Become mindful of these mind forgeries.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
Some people go through life believing they are kind when they are merely nice. Why? Because niceness often emerges out of a need to be liked. . . . Kindness arises spontaneously and without motive. . . .
Some people go through life practicing tolerance but never inclusiveness. Why does this happen? Because tolerance contains judgment. If someone says to us, "I am tolerating you," we would not feel that as a warm affirming position. However, when we hear the phrase "you're included!" we recognize that as welcoming.
Become mindful of these mind forgeries.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
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The remarkable man known as Buddha (his original name was Siddhartha Gautama) was an immensely likeable and attractive individual. Unlike other spiritual leaders who claim to receive their wisdom as direct revelations from God, Buddha was rather ordinary. Basically, he said, "I'm a regular person who through considerable struggle, managed to become enlightened." By "enlightened" he simply meant he understood suffering and how it could be ended. In various ways, he also told those around him, "If I can do this, anyone can." . . .
The message he taught is condensed in the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is suffering. To be human is to experience pain.
2. Suffering has a cause. All suffering is rooted in craving and attachment.
3. Craving and attachment can be overcome. When that is done, suffering ceases.
4. The way to overcome craving and attachment is the Eightfold Path: right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. . . .
One truly inspiring aspect of all Buddhist paths is the Buddha's immense confidence in us all. He emphasized over and over that like himself, each one of us can experience enlightenment, which is boundless wisdom and infinite compassion. Every time you look into a mirror, let your reflection remind you of the powerful truth: There's a Buddha in my mirror!
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
The message he taught is condensed in the Four Noble Truths:
1. Life is suffering. To be human is to experience pain.
2. Suffering has a cause. All suffering is rooted in craving and attachment.
3. Craving and attachment can be overcome. When that is done, suffering ceases.
4. The way to overcome craving and attachment is the Eightfold Path: right understanding, right purpose, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. . . .
One truly inspiring aspect of all Buddhist paths is the Buddha's immense confidence in us all. He emphasized over and over that like himself, each one of us can experience enlightenment, which is boundless wisdom and infinite compassion. Every time you look into a mirror, let your reflection remind you of the powerful truth: There's a Buddha in my mirror!
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
- Published on
1. Do it with a group. It's the easiest way to do meditation because the energy of several people sitting together is motivating and makes it possible to sit longer.
2. Do it with a friend. This way you both support and encourage each other to deepen the practice.
3. Do it alone. Tap your inner Buddha and find a quiet place to sit.
4. Do it with a teacher. Take some private instruction from a meditation teacher.
5. Do it outside. Nature nurtures the spirit and stimulates the senses creating a sense of peace, awe and unity with the planet.
6. Do it with children. Children are naturals for this practice when given user friendly instructions.
7. Do it at work. Instead of taking that coffee break and adding caffeine to work stress, use the break time to meditate.
8. Do it with a student. Many people want to learn meditation but don't know how to get started. Open that door for them.
9. Do it at a temple. You are welcome at the local Hindu or Buddhist temple. Visitors can go inside and simply sit.
10. Just do it! Keep it short or keep it long or somewhere in between. Remember that a few minutes of meditation is better than no meditation at all.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
2. Do it with a friend. This way you both support and encourage each other to deepen the practice.
3. Do it alone. Tap your inner Buddha and find a quiet place to sit.
4. Do it with a teacher. Take some private instruction from a meditation teacher.
5. Do it outside. Nature nurtures the spirit and stimulates the senses creating a sense of peace, awe and unity with the planet.
6. Do it with children. Children are naturals for this practice when given user friendly instructions.
7. Do it at work. Instead of taking that coffee break and adding caffeine to work stress, use the break time to meditate.
8. Do it with a student. Many people want to learn meditation but don't know how to get started. Open that door for them.
9. Do it at a temple. You are welcome at the local Hindu or Buddhist temple. Visitors can go inside and simply sit.
10. Just do it! Keep it short or keep it long or somewhere in between. Remember that a few minutes of meditation is better than no meditation at all.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
- Published on
If you're like most people, the chances are good that you've spent far too much time trying to fit in. It's a huge waste of time which brings nothing but irritation, frustration and disappointment, because ultimately, we can never fit it no matter how hard we try.
Why? Because it's impossible to be everything we think everyone else wants, needs and demands that we be. Trying and trying and trying to fit in and be acceptable to others leaves us feeling compromised, emotionally and intellectually weak and completely lacking in authenticity. Our true voice may not get lost but may become a quiet whisper.
How about doing this instead: stop trying to fit in. While continuing to be intentional about extending kindness, civility, compassion to all those you meet and relate to, decline the pressure to fit in. Allow yourself to follow paths that speak to your spirit, regardless of the culture around. This simple decision will serve you well.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
Why? Because it's impossible to be everything we think everyone else wants, needs and demands that we be. Trying and trying and trying to fit in and be acceptable to others leaves us feeling compromised, emotionally and intellectually weak and completely lacking in authenticity. Our true voice may not get lost but may become a quiet whisper.
How about doing this instead: stop trying to fit in. While continuing to be intentional about extending kindness, civility, compassion to all those you meet and relate to, decline the pressure to fit in. Allow yourself to follow paths that speak to your spirit, regardless of the culture around. This simple decision will serve you well.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
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"If you place your mind on thoughts that are based upon compassion and wisdom, that's what the mind will become familiar with." -Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
The above quote is provocative because it raises this vital question: "What's my mind 'familiar' with?" If you'd like to begin with our culture, ask the question differently: "What's familiar to the mind of people in our society?"
The answer is as quick as it is obvious: violence, anger, greed, frustration, even rage. These are so "familiar" to the mind that they are easily, quickly, and readily triggered by the smallest of issues. The concepts that are not familiar to the minds of many people in our culture are wisdom, compassion, kindness, civility, etc.
The concept that we become what we think was first taught by the Buddha, who succintly said, "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become." . . .
Here is a meditation to explore mind familiarity.
- Sit comfortably and quietly.
- Focus on your breathing for a few moments by saying "In" on the inhalation and "Out" on the exhalation.
- Ask yourself, "What is my mind 'familiar' with?"
- Pause to see what comes up: anger or acceptance, greed or geerosity, cruelty or kindness.
- Conclude with the resolve to make your mind more "familiar" with virtues associated with compassion and wisdom. Do this by repeating affirmations like these:
--- I act compassionately to all.
--- I respond with kindness to all.
--- I see the best in each person.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
The above quote is provocative because it raises this vital question: "What's my mind 'familiar' with?" If you'd like to begin with our culture, ask the question differently: "What's familiar to the mind of people in our society?"
The answer is as quick as it is obvious: violence, anger, greed, frustration, even rage. These are so "familiar" to the mind that they are easily, quickly, and readily triggered by the smallest of issues. The concepts that are not familiar to the minds of many people in our culture are wisdom, compassion, kindness, civility, etc.
The concept that we become what we think was first taught by the Buddha, who succintly said, "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become." . . .
Here is a meditation to explore mind familiarity.
- Sit comfortably and quietly.
- Focus on your breathing for a few moments by saying "In" on the inhalation and "Out" on the exhalation.
- Ask yourself, "What is my mind 'familiar' with?"
- Pause to see what comes up: anger or acceptance, greed or geerosity, cruelty or kindness.
- Conclude with the resolve to make your mind more "familiar" with virtues associated with compassion and wisdom. Do this by repeating affirmations like these:
--- I act compassionately to all.
--- I respond with kindness to all.
--- I see the best in each person.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
- Published on
For those of us who live in the West and who have been shaped largely by European intellectual tradition, a good way to understand Buddha is through a comparison between Martin Luther and the Buddha. European history and Christianity itself were completely transformed when a monk named Martin Luther proposed alternatives to the Catholicism of his day. At the time, Catholic Christianity was largely a religion of rituals with an elite priesthood ruling over a complex theology. Luther was regarded as radical because he advocated individual effort, plain language, and a simple approach to life and faith.
Buddha acted in much the same way. Buddhism arose in northern India around 500 BCE in response to complex Hinduism. Like the Catholicism of Luther's day, Hinduism was a religion of rituals, an elite priesthood, a complex theology, many gods, and a caste system whereby people were rigidly divided and severely restricted to predetermined roles. Like Luther, Buddha stressed the importance of individual effort and direct personal experience, rather than relying on a priest to be an intermediary.
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
Buddha acted in much the same way. Buddhism arose in northern India around 500 BCE in response to complex Hinduism. Like the Catholicism of Luther's day, Hinduism was a religion of rituals, an elite priesthood, a complex theology, many gods, and a caste system whereby people were rigidly divided and severely restricted to predetermined roles. Like Luther, Buddha stressed the importance of individual effort and direct personal experience, rather than relying on a priest to be an intermediary.
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds