Words on
the way of Zen
Reflections on practice, tradition, and the everyday path of Zen.
The Ten Kinds of Spiritual Freedom Possessed by the Buddhas
Let's look to the Avatamsaka Sūtra, the "Chapter on Inconceivable Dharma," in its thirty-third fascicle. Some of our fellow practitioners are currently reciting the Avatamsaka Sūtra, and in this passage we learn that the Buddhas, the Wor...
ReadFor the vast majority of people, the heaviest thought is the thought of sexual desire
Only when you have a deep, abiding awareness of this body’s impurity—when you turn that awareness to yourself, and to all men and women, seeing that every one of us is exactly the same—can genuine revulsion and weariness well up from wit...
ReadSeeing Amitabha Buddha Is Equal to Seeing All Buddhas Across the Ten Directions
Pratyutpanna Samādhi means the state in which all Buddhas appear directly before us in the present moment. The practice centers on walking meditation for periods of one, seven, or up to ninety days, during which practitioners remain stan...
ReadVen. Gangxiao: Dharma Lecture — Benefiting from the Buddha-Dharma
Benefiting from the Buddha-Dharma — People often say the Dharma is hard to encounter, yet here we are — we've encountered it. From here on, all we need is faith, receptivity, and practice. What does it mean to have faith and receive it? ...
ReadProf. Lin Chong-an: Essentials of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā in the *Yogācārabhūmi·Śrāvakabhūmi*, Part 2 — The Four Types of Vipaśyanā (Insight)
(2) The Four Types of Vipaśyanā (Insight)
ReadVenerable Gangxiao: Buddhist Lecture on Hearing, Contemplation, and Practice
Earlier I covered right faith in the Three Jewels and the building of right view. Now let's talk about the four factors of stream-entry. Of course, I'm just passing along what the elders before me have said. The four factors are: keeping...
ReadProfessor Lin Chong-an: The Essentials of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā in the *Śrāvakabhūmi* of the *Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra* 1: The Nine Mental Abidings for Cultivating Śamatha
The Essentials of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā in the Śrāvakabhūmi of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra
ReadMetta: Buddhists, Worldly Unwholesome Advisors, and the Three Refuges
In the Buddha’s teachings, taking refuge in the Three Refuges is a deep, abiding turning of the heart toward the path of liberation and awakening. It’s not blind allegiance to any inner circle or outer group, nor a lifelong vow of devoti...
ReadProfessor Lin Chong'an: An Inquiry into the Refutation of the "Self Identical with the Aggregates" in the *Entering the Middle Way*
An Inquiry into the Refutation of the "Self Identical with the Aggregates" in the Entering the Middle Way — Lin Chong'an
ReadMaster Gangxiao: Buddhist Lecture — Establishing Right View Through the Right Teaching
All of us live in ignorance, drifting along with its currents. Occasionally, we ponder where we're headed, get fired up for a while, and put in some effort. But lacking right view, we're like headless flies — buzzing around frantically, ...
ReadVenerable Master Gangxiao: Buddhist Lecture — Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels
We already mentioned earlier that in this world of suffering, only our Buddha World-Honored One can compassionately save and liberate all sentient beings. So now that we have the affinity to study Buddhism, what exactly should we do? We’...
ReadProfessor Lin Chong'an: An Explanation of the "Verse of Three 'Is'" on Dependent Origination
An Explanation of the "Verse of Three 'Is'" on Dependent Origination — Lin Chong'an
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