Zen is NOT Meditation

            Perhaps the biggest myth about the word Zen is that it means meditation. People say it all the time, “Zen is meditation”. Book after book defines Zen as meditation. Even in Zen master Seung Sahn’s book, The Compass of Zen, the words again appear, “Zen is meditation”. 

Awakening is our Birthright

       Imagine a world in which every new baby was immediately strapped into a wheel chair shortly after being born. Every person in this strange world uses a wheel chair. They take perfectly good legs, strap them down, and pretend that they don’t exist. Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it?

People there have heard of a special thing called “walking” (awakening), but it is far removed from their experience. There are some ancient books that talk about the virtues of walking, but no one believes they can do it. They believe that walking is for special people, walking Buddhas, if you will. The wheel chair is all they know. It can be very useful, granted. It can also be a big hindrance.

“We Never Give Up on Anyone!”

Have you ever made a mistake, known it was mistake, and vowed never to repeat it, only to make the same mistake yet again? I know that I have made mistake after mistake seemly without end. When do we throw in the towel and accept defeat?

Questioning Reality

           In my early life I was living the American dream. I was the oldest of three children. I had two loving parents that were school teachers. We lived on a cul-de-sac in a quiet middle class neighborhood. We went to church on Sundays. I had a best friend, a girlfriend, and friends from school and around the neighborhood. Life was perfect.

The Universality of Awakening

           For many people, “today” is just an obstacle keeping us from “tomorrow”. Today is just another day, like any day, routine and boring, or perhaps stress filled. “I can’t wait until this weekend…” “I’m just killing time…” “I wish I could go to India to find a true guru…” How about you? Have you been killing time or looking elsewhere in order to get to something exciting or special?