Words on
the way of Zen
Reflections on practice, tradition, and the everyday path of Zen.
The Three Treasures of Taoism Have a Multitude of Names—What Is Their Inherent Connection?
All who follow Taoism are well aware of its "Three Treasures". Within Taoist tradition, the "Three Treasures" are known by many names: they are referred to as the Dao, the Scriptures, and the Teachers; also called Compassion, Frugality, ...
ReadThe Zen Kōan of Opening and Closing
Mokuan Hōshi lived in a temple in Tanba. One of his followers came running to complain that his wife was far too stingy. One day, Mokuan went to visit the follower's wife, and held up a clenched fist before her. "What do you mean by this...
ReadGe Ming: Buddhism's Transcendence of Samsara — From Misunderstanding to Truth: Qian Zhongshu's Perspective
In many people's minds, Buddhism seems almost synonymous with the cycle of rebirth. The notion of wandering through the six realms after death, of karmic cause and effect, of being reborn into a next life, has come to be regarded as Budd...
ReadWu Cheng: Can Buddhist Modernization Count on Contemporary Mainland Chinese Buddhism?
The evolution of Buddhism has never been a rigid, unchanging monolith. As a product of history, every Buddhist school and every era carries the profound imprint of its specific time and place. Looking back at more than 2,500 years of Bud...
ReadGe Sheng: The Worldly 'Self-Other Distinction' and the Transcendent 'Unified Co-Existence'
A key root of human suffering lies in the natural division of people in this world into groups defined by differing nations, societies, viewpoints, and interests. This is an observable fact that gives rise to hostility and conflict. Quot...
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