List of original works of Zen believers

Publishing originated from a completely free man.

Foreword initial heart

The first practice of body and mind

1 meditation posture

I breathe, so I exist.

3 Get complete freedom

Ripple is your practice.

5 pull out the weeds in your heart

Making mistakes again and again is Zen.

7 color is empty, and empty is color.

Kowtow, kowtow, kowtow again.

Nothing special about enlightenment?

The second part is the road to practice.

1 Li Long Rail Life Road

Meditate day after day.

3 Stay away from stimulation

Try hard and don't be proud.

leaving no trace

Give nothing.

7 avoid mistakes in practice

Restrict one's activities

9 Learn Buddhism and study yourself.

10 Sit quietly in the predicament

1 1 Emptiness makes you understand everything.

12 Just say what you want to say.

Everything is practice.

14 new experience of death

The third part is understanding with heart.

1 meditation is not for enlightenment.

2 accept impermanence

3 that lightning

4 conform to nature

5 Pay attention to "nothing"

6 Current thoughts and ideas.

7 believe that "out of thin air"

Everything is one.

9 Meditate quietly

10 Buddhism is an experience.

1 1 true Buddhist

12 heart also needs rest.

Everyone can become a Buddha.

Postscript Zen mind

order

He is among us.

There are two Suzuki Zen masters in Japan who have the greatest influence on the West. Half a century ago, Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz brought Zen to the West. The historical importance of this transplant is considered to be comparable to Aristotle and Plato. Their works were translated into Latin in 13 and 15 centuries respectively. Fifty years later, Shunliu Suzuki has made a contribution that cannot be underestimated. In the only book he left, those Americans who were interested in Zen found what they needed.

Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz's Zen is vigorous, while Suzuki Long Jun's Zen is dull. "Enlightenment" is the core of Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz's Zen, and this dazzling concept has contributed a lot to the charm of his works. But in shunryu suzuki's book, "Wu" or its synonym "seeing nature" never appeared.

Four months before the death of Zen master Suzuki Shunliu, I found an opportunity to ask him, "Why don't you talk about enlightenment in this book?" Before the Zen master could speak, his wife leaned over and whispered mischievously, "Because he hasn't enlightened yet!" " The Zen master pretended to be scared, patted his wife with a fan, put a finger in his mouth and said, "Shh, don't tell!" " "Everyone laughed badly. When the laughter died down, the Zen master said the real reason: "Enlightenment is not unimportant, but it is not the part that Zen needs to emphasize."

Zen master Suzuki preached in the United States for only 12 years (12 years is a cycle in East Asia), but he achieved fruitful results. Through the efforts of this quiet little man, a good-priced Zen master in Dongshan (see the note 1 in Volume 1, I Breathe, So I Exist) and his student Cao Shanbenji (840 ~ 90 1) created a Cao Dongzong in Cao Dongzong. The former put forward the convenient method of "five numbers", while the latter developed it and became Cao Dongzong, also known as "Cao Dong Zen". Our organization is booming in America now. His harmony with Cao Dongzong Zen Buddhism is a vivid manifestation of this kind of Zen Buddhism. As Mary Fallas said:

His egoless attitude is extremely thorough, leaving no strange words and deeds that we can exaggerate. Although he did not leave any great achievements in the secular sense, his footprints led the intangible world history forward.

The achievements left by the Zen master include the Sagara Mountain Zen Center in the United States (the first Cao Dongzong Zen Temple in the West) and the San Francisco Zen Center; For the general public, what he left behind was this book.

Without any luck, he has made psychological construction for his disciples so that they can face the most difficult moment, that is, the moment when he witnessed his body disappear from this world and return to nothingness:

If I die in pain, it doesn't matter, I don't care; That's a bitter Buddha. Don't be confused by this. Maybe everyone has to struggle for physical pain and mental pain, but it doesn't matter. This is not a problem. We should be deeply grateful that we have a limited body … just like my body and yours. If we have infinite life, that's the real big problem.

He also arranged the dissemination of the law in advance. At the "groundbreaking ceremony" held on 197 1 year 1 month 2 1 day, he made Richard Baker his successor. At that time, his cancer had deteriorated to the point where he had to rely on his son to help him walk. However, at every step, his mord is banging, revealing that although this man is gentle in appearance, he has an iron Zen mind in his heart. Richard took the cassock and presented it with a poem:

This wick is fragrant.

I persisted for a long time.

Now we have to use hands-free

To my host and friends.

The founder of this temple.

Master Suzuki Toshiyuki.

Your contribution is incalculable.

Walking with you in the Buddha's light and rain

Our robes are soaked to the skin.

But on the petals of the lotus flower

Not a drop of rain has stopped.

Two weeks later, the Zen master was silent. At the funeral held on February 4th, 65438, Master Baker recited the following compliments to the attendees:

It is not easy to be a master or a disciple, although it must be the greatest happiness in this life. It is not easy to preach Buddhism in a land without Buddhism, but he transformed many disciples, monks and laymen into Buddhists, made them walk on the road of Buddhism, and brought life changes to thousands of people all over the country. It is not easy to create and maintain a Buddhist temple, let alone an urban meditation group and many meditation centers in California and other parts of the United States.

But these "hard" things and these extraordinary achievements are easy in his hands, because he relies on his authenticity, that is, our authenticity. His legacy is no less important than anyone else's: Buddha's heart, Buddha's deeds, Buddhism and Buddha's destiny. As long as we miss him, he is here, among us.

Houston Smith (Houston Smith)

Professor of philosophy at MIT,

The author of "Religion of Man"

Foreword initial heart

We don't need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even if you have read many Zen classics, you should read every sentence with a fresh heart.

People say that meditation is difficult, but there are many misunderstandings about why. The reason why meditation is difficult is not to sit cross-legged or enlightened. It is difficult because it is difficult for us to keep inner purity and practice purity. Since the establishment of Zen in China, many ways of practice have been developed, but they are becoming more and more impure. I don't want to talk about Zen or Zen history in China here, but I'm interested in helping you stay away from unclean practices.

Initial heart, that is, "initial heart"

The word "initial heart" in Japanese means "initial heart". The purpose of practice is to keep this initial heart forever. If you have only read the abbreviation of Heart Sutra (Heart Sutra: Buddha says Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra), there are seven Chinese versions of this sutra, among which Master Xuanzang's version is the most widely circulated. The thought of emptiness revealed in Heart Sutra is the essence of Mahayana Buddhism. "Maha" refers to greatness and Excellence, "Prajna" refers to true wisdom, and "Paramita" refers to the other side from the suffering of life and death to liberation. Once again, it may be deeply touched. But if you read it twice, three times, four times, or even more times, maybe you will lose your initial touch on it. The same will happen in your other practices. At first, you will keep your initial heart, but after two, three or even more years of practice, you may improve your practice, but the infinite meaning of your initial heart is quite easy to lose.

What Zen learners need to remember most is not to fall into double thinking. Our "initial heart" is self-sufficient. Always be rich and self-sufficient, don't lose your mind. A self-sufficient heart is different from a closed heart. Is an empty heart, a heart ready to accept. If your heart is empty, it will be ready to accept and open everything. The novice's heart is full of possibilities, but the veteran's heart has few possibilities.

Separation will limit you.

If you have too many thoughts of separation, you will draw your own boundaries. If you are too demanding or greedy, you will not be rich and self-sufficient in your heart. If you lose self-sufficiency, you will commit all kinds of crimes. When your heart becomes demanding, when you concentrate on what you want, in the end, you will violate the commandments you swore, including no talking nonsense, no stealing, no killing, no adultery and so on. But if you can keep your heart, the precepts will keep themselves.

Beginners will not have the idea of "what have I achieved", and all self-centered ideas will limit our broad mind. When our heart is merciful, it is boundless. Zen master Daoyuan, the ancestor of Japanese Cao Dongzong, has repeatedly stressed that we must return to our boundless nature. Only in this way can we be loyal to ourselves, sympathize with all beings and practice.

Therefore, the hardest thing is to keep the initial heart. We don't need to have a deep understanding of Zen. Even if you have read many Zen classics, you should read every sentence with a fresh heart. You shouldn't say "I know what Zen is" or "I am enlightened". This is also the real secret of all arts-always be a novice. This is a very important point. If you begin to meditate, you will begin to appreciate your initial heart. This is the secret of meditation.

Some chapters

The first meditation of body and mind is a direct expression of our authenticity. Strictly speaking, as a person, there is no other practice except this practice; There is no other way of life except this way of life. When I put my left foot on the right and my right foot on the left, I won't know which is the right foot and which is the left foot. Both can be left or right feet at the same time. Now I want to talk about meditation posture. When you sit in a lotus posture, your right foot is pressed under your left thigh and your left foot is pressed under your right thigh. When sitting cross-legged, although we have a left foot and a right foot, they will become one. This gesture shows the identity of duality: not two, not one. This is also the most important teaching method of Buddhism: neither two nor one. Our bodies and minds are neither two nor one. If you think that body and mind are one, then you are wrong; But if you think that body and mind are one, you are also wrong. Our body and mind are one. We always think that everything is either one or many, singular or plural, but in practical experience, our life is not only plural, but also singular. Each of us is independent and dependent. We'll all die in a few years. If we think that death is the end of life, it is a misunderstanding. On the other hand, it is also a misunderstanding if we think that we will not die. We will die, but we will not die. This is the correct view. Some people think that when a person dies, only when the body dies can the mind or soul live forever, which is not entirely correct, because both the mind and the body have a home. However, it is also right to say that body and mind exist forever. Although we have two different concepts of "mind" and "body", they are actually two sides of a whole, which is the correct view. So when we meditate, we sit cross-legged to symbolize this truth. When I put my left foot on the right and my right foot on the left, I won't know which is the right foot and which is the left foot. Both can be left or right feet at the same time. Sit up straight, keep your back straight, put your hands straight when meditating, and the most important thing is to keep your spine straight. Your ears and shoulders should be on the same level. Relax your shoulders, tilt your head up and face the ceiling. Your chin should be put away. When the chin is raised, the posture has no strength. Another way to gain strength in your posture is to press the diaphragm down to your abdomen, which can help you keep your body and mind balanced. Try to keep this sitting position. You may feel unnatural at first, but after you get used to it, your breathing will be smooth and long. Your hand should form a "meditation seal". The method is: palm up, right hand back on left palm, middle finger joint touching, two thumbs up, fingertips touching gently (like a piece of paper in the middle). In this way, your hand will form a beautiful goose egg shape. You should keep this handprint carefully, as if you were holding something extremely precious in your hand. Keep your hands close to your body and raise your thumb at your navel. The arms hang down naturally, leaving the body a little bit, as if each was holding an egg. Don't lean to one side and don't lean back or forward. You have to sit up straight, just like leaning against your head. This sitting posture is not just a form, it is the key to Buddhism and the perfect expression of your Buddha nature. If you really want to understand Buddhism, you should practice according to this posture. These forms are not the means to get the right attitude, and adopting these postures is the right attitude itself. But we don't need to have any special mentality. When you want something, your heart will wander elsewhere; When you don't want anything, what you will have is the body and mind here and now. A Zen master once said, "Kill Buddha when you meet Buddha." If you don't meet a Buddha at present, you should "kill" him, so that you can return to your Buddha nature. Doing anything is a manifestation of our nature. We live for nothing else, we live for ourselves. This is the basic teaching method of Buddhism, which is manifested through the forms we abide by. In addition, just like meditation, there are many rules that we must abide by when standing in the meditation hall, but the purpose of making these rules is not to make everyone exactly the same, but to let everyone express themselves most freely and freely. For example, each of us has our own standing posture, which is determined by the proportion of our bodies. When you stand, you should punch your heels apart, and your thumb should be in line with your nipple, just like putting some pressure on your abdomen when you meditate. Besides, your hands should also show yourself. Put your left hand on your chest, make a circle with your thumb and other fingers, and put your right hand on it. Right thumb up, two forearms parallel to the floor. In this way, you will feel that you are holding a cylinder, and your body will not wither or lean to one side. The most important thing to keep yourself is to have your own body. Once your body collapses, you will lose yourself, your heart will wander elsewhere, and you will not be in your body. This is not the right way. We must exist here and now! This is the key. You must have your own body and mind. Everything should be in the right place in the right way. That way, nothing will happen. If the microphone I am using now is placed elsewhere, it will not work. When we can put our body and mind in the right position, everything else will follow. However, we usually unconsciously try to change other things instead of ourselves, and we all try to make things outside ourselves suitable instead of ourselves. But if you are not suitable for yourself, it is impossible to make anything suitable. On the other hand, if you can do things in the right way at the right time, everything will be fine. You are the boss. When the boss dozes off, every employee in the shop will doze off with you. However, if the boss plays well with himself, then every employee will play well with himself. This is the mystery of Buddhism. Keep the correct posture at all times and places, so try to keep the correct posture not only when you meditate, but also when you engage in any other activities. You should keep the correct posture when driving and reading. If you read in a lazy posture, you won't read for long. This is the real teaching method, and the teaching method written on paper is not the real teaching method. Teaching in black and white is a kind of food in your mind. Of course, your brain needs some food, but it is more important to make you yourself through correct practice. This is why the Buddha could not accept the religion of his time. He has studied many religions, but he is not satisfied with their practice methods. He can't find the answer to life in asceticism or philosophy. What he is interested in is not some metaphysical substance, but his body and mind-the body and mind that exists in the present. When he found himself, he also found that all beings have Buddha nature. This is his enlightenment. Enlightenment is not a comfortable and happy feeling, nor a strange state of mind. When you meditate in the right posture, your mental state is enlightenment itself. If you are not satisfied with your state of mind during meditation, your heart will swing from side to side. We should not let our bodies and minds waver or wander. As long as you meditate in the way I say, you don't have to talk about the "correct" mentality, because you already have it. This is the conclusion of Buddhism. I breathe, so I have the so-called "I", just two movable doors that we open and close between one breath and another. During meditation, our hearts are always closely related to our breathing. When inhaling, qi will enter the inner world; When exhaling, the gas will be discharged to the outside world. The inner world is infinite, and so is the outer world. Although there is a distinction between "inner world" and "outer world", there is actually only one world. In this infinite world, our throats are like two movable doors, and the flow of qi is like someone passing through them. We say "I'm breathing", but the word "I" is redundant. There is no "you" for you to say this word. The so-called "I" is just two movable doors that we open and close between a breath and a breath. It just turned on and off, that's all. If your heart is quiet enough, you will realize that there is nothing in this door: there is no "I", no world, no body or mind, only two movable doors. Awareness of breathing is awareness of Buddha nature, so the only thing that exists in meditation is "breathing". But we should realize that every breath, every breath, should not be absent-minded. Being aware of breathing does not mean being aware of "self", but you should be aware of your universal nature, that is, your "Buddha nature". This awareness is important because we usually tend to one side. Our general understanding of life is binary: you and me, this and that, good and bad ... In fact, these differences are just a kind of understanding of universality. You perceive the universe with your body, and I perceive the universe with my body. "You" and "I" are just two movable doors. This kind of understanding is indispensable, even it should not be called "understanding", but the real experience gained through meditation. Meditation has no concept of time and space, so meditation should not have a concept of time and space. You might say, "We have been meditating in this room since 7: 45." This is the concept of time (7: 45) and space (this room). But all you do is sit and observe the activities of the universe, that's all. At this moment, the movable door opens in one direction, and at the next moment, the movable door opens in the opposite direction. Every moment, each of us is repeating this activity. There is neither a concept of time nor a concept of space. Time and space are one. You might say, "I have something to do this afternoon." But there is no such thing as one o'clock or two this afternoon. You will have lunch at one o'clock, and lunch itself is one o'clock. At that time, you will be somewhere, but that place is inseparable. For a truly grateful person, these are all the same. However, when you are tired of life, you may say, "I shouldn't be here." It might be much better to have lunch somewhere else. The lunch in this place is not very good. " At this time, you have created a space concept in your mind that is divorced from the actual time. There is no separation of time and space, no opposition between good and evil, or you may say, "This is not right, I shouldn't do this." In fact, when you said "I shouldn't do it", you had already done one thing, so you had no choice. When you separate the two concepts of time and space, you will think that you have a choice, but in fact, you have to do something. "Not doing" is a kind of "doing" in itself. Good and evil are just things in your heart. You shouldn't say things like "this is right" and "this is wrong". Instead of saying "this is wrong", you should say "don't do this!" When you have the idea that "this is not right", you will create chaos for yourself. Therefore, in the field of pure religion, there is no confusion such as time and space or right and wrong. What we should do is to do the right thing and do it well! We should live in the present. Therefore, when you meditate, you should give priority to breathing and make two movable doors for yourself. What we should do now and what we must do is meditation. In this practice, there is no confusion If you can build such a life, you won't be confused at all. You and I are one of the founders of Cao Dongzong, just like the famous monk with good price in Qingshan Baiyun Dongshan (807 ~ 869). After understanding the self-nature (Buddha's nature), we feel that the "epiphany" method advocated by Huineng, the sixth ancestor, is beyond the reach of ordinary people. He revealed the convenient method of the "Five-Year Plan" and recruited scholars with different roots. Later, with the strong support and promotion of the great disciple Cao Shanben, it developed into a immortal Cao Dongzong. ) said: "The father of Qingshan Baiyun, the son of Baiyun Qingshan, Baiyun leans all day long, Qingshan does not know." This is a thorough interpretation of life. The relationship between many things is similar to that between green mountains and white clouds, such as men and women, mentoring and interdependence. However, white clouds should not be disturbed by green hills, and green hills should not be disturbed by white clouds. They are both independent and interdependent. This is the way we should live and practice. When we become truly loyal to ourselves, we will become two movable doors, completely independent and interdependent with everything. We can't breathe without air. Each of us is in countless things in the world, but every moment, we are at the center of the world. So we are completely independent and totally dependent. If you have such understanding and existence, you will have absolute independence and will not be disturbed by anything. So when you meditate, your mind should be focused on breathing. This kind of activity is the basic activity of all beings. Without this understanding and practice, people can't achieve absolute freedom.