The Methods and Process of Zen Meditation

Author: Song Zhiming (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Zen is the path of life and the book of wisdom. Zen begins in silence and completes in non-action. The methods and process of Zen will be the path beneath the feet of those who practice it! The practice of Zen requires first, intuition, and second, methods. If you lack intuition and merely understand the principles, or view the world from different perspectives—such as treating practice as one thing and worldly matters as another—you will develop dualistic views, meaning opposition. When a person's mind has an opposing tendency, they cannot practice well. For example, if you feel you have delusions yet also desire tranquility, that is opposition. If you consider daily life, such as household responsibilities, children, social engagements, and worldly affairs, and then use practices like reciting mantras or bowing to Buddha as the means of transcending worldly concerns, this is also opposition. Once opposition arises, your mind will oscillate between these two states. If this oscillation becomes ingrained, you will feel restless, complicated, and troublesome, constantly seeking a place of peace to settle down. However, these matters prevent you from finding the middle way, and thus the middle way remains elusive. Therefore, intuition is extremely important.