Let's Open the Box of ZEN
We often hear the word Zen, but what exactly is Zen? I remember a well-known monk at a Zen temple in Japan where has been cultivating Zen since ancient times, smiling and saying, Actually, I still don't know what Zen is.
Episodes
July 10, 2023 • 60 mins
The famous zen phrase Furyu Monji Kyoge Betsuden encapsulates the core principles of Zen Buddhism. It emphasizes the transmission of teachings through direct personal experience rather than relying solely on written scriptures. This concept, first introduced by Bodhidharma and further emphasized by Huineng, highlights the importance of transmitting teachings through the heart, from person to person, rather than relying on words or ...
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July 3, 2023 • 60 mins
Myoju Tanagokoro ni ari is a Japanese Zen phrase originating from the Blue Cliff Record with two meanings. The original meaning is there is a clear mirror in your hand, while the common meaning today is there is a beautiful pearl in your hand. The original interpretation suggests that the ability to perceive things accurately is within one's control, enabling one to distinguish between good and bad. The second interpretation highli...
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June 26, 2023 • 60 mins
“Let's seek for things that won't disappear. Let's acquire things that won't disappear. Although our bodies may return to dust, there are things that won't disappear. Those are love and sincerity. No matter how grand the temple, it will eventually crumble, as history has shown us. But there are things that will never fade away, like love and compassion. These two are like ether, never disappearing from the universe.” - This beautif...
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June 19, 2023 • 60 mins
The heart of the mountains, the heart of the clouds, the heart of the sea, and the heart of the moon. The heart of everything…. This famous Zen word is from Blue Cliff Record and it refers to the state of being able to talk openly about everything to the fullest. We are the Mountains, the Clouds, the Sea,and the Moon. Every one of us is unique and has a voice to express unique perspectives from our personal experiences. I am a prac...
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June 12, 2023 • 60 mins
Who do the flowers bloom so beautifully for when spring arrives? is a Zen phrase that questions why the flowers bloom so beautifully all at once in spring and for whom. We may think to ourselves, Oh, how beautiful! It's so wonderful to see something that can make people so happy, but that is only our own selfish view. Flowers do not bloom just to make humans happy or to show off their beauty. Rather, they delicately sense the chang...
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June 5, 2023 • 60 mins
Sitting quietly, doing nothing, spring comes and the grass grows by itself. This Zen dialogue is from the Keito Dentoroku, The Jingde Record of the Transmission of the Lamp. It means that by eliminating all unsettled minds and simply devoting oneself to Zen, one can allow things to unfold naturally and peacefully, without the need for excessive effort or control. This reminds us to be patient and allow nature to take its course.
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May 29, 2023 • 60 mins
“The sound of a pebble hitting bamboo can bring clarity. “ This Zen dialogue by Zen master Xiangyan means we can only learn our true nature by our own heart, not by knowledge or logic we have learned elsewhere. In the first part of today's show we will finish up with Jorge Figueroa speaking about Anger and closing with the 14 different types of anger, If you haven't heard his part 1, please feel free and go back now, you don't wan...
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May 22, 2023 • 60 mins
Hashu Kyoko. It is a very simple Zen phrase meaning to go hand in hand.” Walking hand in hand with a loved one or family member is a joyful and exciting experience. It is reassuring to know that someone is there to give you a hand.
But the Zen teaching hidden in this short phrase is to be on the same page as the others.”
There is no separation between ourselves and the other. I am you and you are me. It is truly a wonderful way t...
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May 15, 2023 • 60 mins
“The moon, shining in the sky, is unperturbed and shines majestically, even when the wind is blowing hard. The pine trees grown at the bottom of a valley, which are usually drenched by rain and blown by the wind, are not affected by heavy snowfall. They are still vividly green, shrugging off the snow. This zen poem from Keitokudentoroku, which was compiled by Dogen in the Baisong Dynasty era in China, expresses a firm belief that w...
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May 8, 2023 • 60 mins
The many grasses (and flowers) that I had planted and nurtured without resting my hands had no choice but to be left to the heart of the wind.This zen poem was written by Ryokan Taigu who was a quiet and unconventional Soto Zen Buddhist monk.In his later years, Ryokan planted various flowers around the family hermitage and grew them with great care. However, a strong wind blew in May and the plants and flowers fell over.- Surrender...
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May 1, 2023 • 60 mins
“Truth is not found outside the mind of the self, but only within the mind of the self, and if one sees the true nature of the self, which is truth, one can become a Buddha.” This famous zen dialogue is from Four sacred verses of Bodhidharma. Shortly after her birth, Annie crossed the ocean and spent her childhood in the exotic land of California. In a society that still remembered World War II, she was mistreated simply for being ...
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April 24, 2023 • 60 mins
“There are lines of tears on the coral pillow, half of me yearning for my love, half of me hating him.” What do you recall from this old poem by Li Xin, which at first glance sounds like just a love poem? This poem actually reveals the inner pain of the palace women with the unreasonable concubine feudal system in Tang Dynasty in old China. Zen Buddhist monk Shinsuke Hosokawa explained this poem in depth in his book “Zen Wisdom...
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April 17, 2023 • 60 mins
“The sound of a pebble hitting bamboo can bring clarity. “ This Zen dialogue by Zen master Xiangyan means we can only learn our true nature by our own heart, not by knowledge or logic we have learned elsewhere. In the first part of today's show we will finish up with Jorge Figueroa speaking about Anger and closing with the 14 different types of anger, If you haven't heard his part 1, please feel free and go back now, you don't wan...
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April 10, 2023 • 60 mins
“Once layers of mountains, once again layers of mountains.” This Zen poem from Blue Cliff Record means, In life?, difficulties come one after another. Overcoming them, our mind and body are gradually strengthened, our heart stronger and bigger, and our life becomes more profound. Continued from last week, Shifu Yan Lei the 34th generation of Shaolin fighting disciple, among the most respected teachers of authentic Qigong and Kungf...
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April 3, 2023 • 60 mins
The heart of the mountains, the heart of the clouds, the heart of the sea, and the heart of the moon. The heart of everything…. This famous Zen word is from Blue Cliff Record and it refers to the state of being able to talk openly about everything to the fullest. We are the Mountains, the Clouds, the Sea,and the Moon. Every one of us is unique and has a voice to express unique perspectives from our personal experiences. I am a prac...
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