FOCUS...


"By beholding we become changed".  It has been said that , "Everyone's intelligence is on average the same - it is our concentra-  tion span that differs."   Many systems using different styles and types of techniques have been created to help the interested practioner of these paths to develop great focus and concentration.  Many of these ideas find their roots in ancient systems of philosophical and spiritually based systems.  If we look at the similarities of the elements found in these systems of thought we will recognize the deep intuitive longing we all have to know and experience the mysterious.  It is like we, as humans, are hard-wired to venture out and explore the unknown.  We love to learn.  We love to share new ideas with those around us.  We are the makers of our own destiny.


To know which ideas to discard and which ideas to hold on to is the key to all success.  Here is where the rubber meets the road.  The rise and fall of nations depends on it.  Our own mark in the world will be created by what we accept as true and what we reject as false.  Our thinking begins with our hearts.  It begins with the quiet knowing that all things work together...


Blending new and old - hard and soft.  Right and left - up and down.  Step by step we must venture into uncharted territory.  We must pick up where others have left off.  Begin anew.  It's not good enough to accept the easy way out, or to ignore the challenge which is before us.  It is with undivided attention that we must focus on the task at hand.


So, let your breath rise and fall - keeping rhythm with the ebb and flow in the universe.  Relax... Knowing that all things in time will find a way to meet the challenge which is here now.  Keep going...  Never stop.  Find the Light which awaits your desire.  Ever reaching for the prize which is set before you.  Now, just let go... 

                                                     ZEN BEAUTY


Emotional integrity - true to our feelings, is often misplaced by all the baggage we carry around in which we hide from the very nature of our make-up.  The gut, core reaction - that first impulse.  The one that takes your breath away...

In a world where everything seems to be analyzed and categorized beyond recognition it is well for us to step back from all pontification and just take in the beauty, the raw reality of what we see and what we feel.  Bask in the sunlight of a new day.  Feel the moment.

When all that we see makes us shudder - with the sheer negativity of the situation - the tragic reality of the moment, even in these moments we need to step back and let the world unfirl in tones of gray or hues of sadness and unutterable pain.  Then slowly allow the silence to shape our thoughts.  Allow the mystery in life to unfold, one step at a time.  Even now... we smile.

What is Zen?                               




Zen is a practice; a way of living that is focused on being awake, finding joy, happiness and enlightenment in the present moment. It is a practice that measures its success by the degree of peace one experiences in their life. Zen is a 2600 year old method, evolving from Gotama the Buddha in India, which then spread to China, Vietnam, Japan, and all over the far east. From the Zen practice one attains enlightenment, which is the total eradication of suffering from our present lives, while peace and joy are the fruits of its core practice.



The core practice of Zen (a.k.a. Chan, Thiền) is the most direct method to attain deep understanding of the true nature of human existence. Zen emphasis is on the practice of meditation, while one arrives at the eradication of suffering through the understanding gained from the intuitive wisdom of simply sitting and observing reality in the present moment without the filters of subjective interpretation.



The earlier Zen masters of China used methods of self-inquiry or a series of questions without logical answers (also called Koan or Công Án) in order to direct students to observe and focus on the question, which would eventually break the mind's barrier to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of consciousness. This breaking of the mental barrier, or the brief moment of awakening that occurs is called a Satori (or Kensho, Đốn Ngộ). Usually, the student would come back to the teacher and describe what s/he understood and the teacher would then confirm his or her understanding (also called Ấn Chứng) and direct the student towards further practice.



When the student's understanding and practice is solidified, the teacher then confirms proper transmission of the Dharma and the student is then authorized to teach and guide others of his or her understanding into the true nature of life through non-dual teachings and the practice of Zen.



The practice of Zen is usually called the "method outside of indoctrination of Buddhism" (giáo ngoại biệt truyền). It is sometimes seen as being secretive, or perplexing by the ordinary person. There are many examples of Zen masters acting strange or talking with each other strangely, which many find puzzling, however, the teachings were meant only for the person to which the words or actions are communicated towards. So others rarely catch onto the hidden meanings behind the teaching for a certain individual.



The reason for the confusion is because the Truth of the Zen practice (a.k.a. Enlightenment) is non-conceptual. It is not for the rational mind to comprehend otherwise one could simply read a book about Zen and be done with it. We know that one could not simply read a book about playing guitar and be expected to be able to play like the author of the book when s/he is finished reading. In fact, for those with no musical experience, the words might not even make sense and yet for some reason, we expect ourselves to be able to understand the Truth of existence rationally and conceptually, as if we could fit the infinite into the finite space of our minds. If you are confused by Zen, that is a good place to start.



For many years Zen was viewed as something that must be taught in secret by an individual master to a student. The reason for this is that each individual is unique with their own unique conceptual and perceptual clinging in life. The teachings are sometimes on a one to one personal basis so that the student can ask any personal questions or describe any unique experiences that may come up in order to fully benefit from the guidance of the teacher.



In our daily lives we are so busy with making a living and fulfilling life's many responsibilities that for the average person, the study of Zen seems inaccessible. Contrary to what many believe, Zen is a very simple practice that can easily be incorporated into our daily lives in order to enrich our experience of the present moment, every moment of our lives. One thing Zen is not is a practice removed from the reality of this world. Try it out and see for yourself.

Body In Balance

..Into The Wind

Nine years ago I remember sitting and watching as the world, without warning, seemed to have stopped in its tracks.  Everyone was trying to make sense of the tragedy which has come to be known as 9-11.  In a split second the world did not seem as safe.  Everywhere you looked there seemed to be police - soldiers standing guard, especially from my vantage point at one of the world's international airports where suddenly no one seemed safe and everyone was a suspect just waiting to be checked through a growing line of chaos and fears not knowing what to expect around the next unattended bag.  The fear was real and people were glued to the tv screens for any new news which might bring some sense of calm to the situation.  None came.  It was as if nature herself had lent a deathblow to the world of sanity and calm.  It was as if the entire world was slowly spinning out of control.  And yet here we are nine years later...

What have we learned?  Where do we stand?  Is it ok to look out of our hiding place and feel safe; knowing that we have survived the biggest event in our lifetime to date?  The experiences we call living, can help us to understand each other or drive us deeper into the well of unknowing and isolation.  The ideas embodied in our minds with all of the emotional attachments we carry around can propel us in many directions.  It's all depending on how we decide to accept or reject the truth which lies hidden within those life experiences. 

Into the wind... Let the Great Spirit be your guide.

                   That's The Way Love Goes...

Deep in the heart of humanity lies the desire to come full circle and realize all that we have lost in the process of becoming civilized humans - people with an education devoid of those things which we all once possessed and cherished.  Things like honesty and true understanding.  Things like the wisdom to know the difference between need and greed.

In all our modern training and skill sets developed for speed and ease of living - we have ignored the disciplines of caring and respect.  Of course these words and all that they convey have also lost much of their true meaning and intent. 

The old ways of the wise ones has been distorted in such a way that even their memories are tainted by the modern spin which is woven into the stories we tell of the not so distant past.  The past which had so much spirit and genuine love to share. 

Yes, there have always been problems.  There have always been those who would stand in defiance of all that is right and good.  There have always been those who would trouble the waters.  Even so, the modern departure from the ways imbedded in the very fabric of nature - the calm before the storm - the wind rustling in the grass, whirling around our head letting us know that the rain is coming; has left us shattered.  Shattered pieces of broken clay - people without a true spirit. Without a vision which only comes from the essence of knowing the True Way.

If only we knew how to take back the time.  The time lost.  The times we would have, could have, should have...

Yet deep in our inner being there lies the will, the desire to rise again.  To rise above the hurt and pain we dish out in anger and despair.  To rise above the broken path we walk - in this modern, intellectual, artificial creation we call living.  Take back the old ways - align ourselves with the true way of being human.  Wake to the realization that life is only one go - around.  One chance to get it right.  Realize that in this moment we have the will - the desire and the strength of mind to take it all back, and find our true destiny.  Our destiny which calls us to accept our Divine right to be truly human.  Truly free... Truly in love.  

To study the Buddha way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things, your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of realization remains, and this no-trace continues endlessly.  Dogen