GrumpyOne Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 You say "I focus on awareness." Where is the "I" located? Focusing on awareness. Who focuses on awareness? be Your being focuses on awareness. Awareness is being. So what is focusing on what? be Your minds "eye" is focusing on awareness/being. When the naming ends you will know. be Your mind is focused on awareness/being. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigJoni Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 To not let a thought go unnoticed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 You focus on having a beginners mind! In the beginner's mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgements and prejudices. Beginner's mind is just present to explore and observe and see "things as-it-is." I think of beginner's mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement. "I wonder what this is? I wonder what that is? I wonder what this means?" Without approaching things with a fixed point of view or a prior judgement, just asking "what is it?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Posted May 5, 2010 Share Posted May 5, 2010 Nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 5, 2010 Author Share Posted May 5, 2010 To not let a thought go unnoticed Hard to beat that one! But, we were just talking on that topic on the porch. I'll pare that down a bit. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 "Be" (nothing but) aware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Once again, Brian, you are conditioning us to think as you do! This might go back to last months Maku Mozo, with the James Taylor song.... To sing your own song, be aware of the conditioning around you and to cast it off, freeing your mind to not let any thought go unnoticed. Focusing on the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lensman Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Be here now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 Internal awareness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yagi Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 (edited) Similar to the Buddhist art of mindfulness...by giving it to my subconscious mind, and letting go of conscious control Edited May 6, 2010 by Yagi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 6, 2010 Author Share Posted May 6, 2010 Once again, Brian, you are conditioning us to think as you do! This might go back to last months Maku Mozo, with the James Taylor song.... To sing your own song, be aware of the conditioning around you and to cast it off, freeing your mind to not let any thought go unnoticed. Focusing on the moment. As I mentioned in my opening post, to me, the value of this thread will lie in the variety of its great replies. Please don't care about what I say. I certainly don't. Maybe I won't say anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 (edited) After ten years of apprenticeship, Tenno achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in, the master greeted him with a question, Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch? Yes, Tenno replied. Tell me, the master continued, did you place your umbrella to the left of your shoes, or to the right? Tenno did not know the answer, and realized that he had not yet attained full awareness. So he became Nan-ins apprentice and studied under him for ten more years. Brians Zen practice: To still the mind and attain absolute emptiness. Blow on the fire with the wind. (do much with very little) It is an established way in Buddha-Dharma to deny that birth turns into death. Accordingly, birth is understood as no-birth [fu sho, “unborn” in the Heart Sutra]. It as an unshakeable teaching in Buddha’s discourse that death does not turn into birth. Accordingly, death is understood as no-death [fu metsu, “ungone” in the Hearth Sutra]. Birth is complete in its distinctness this moment. Death is complete in its distinctness this moment. They are like winter and spring. You do not call winter the beginning of spring, nor summer the end of spring. Moonlight and the sound of pines are things we all know Zen mind and delusion distinguish sage and fool Go back to the place where not one thought appears How shall I put this into words for you? —Han-shan Te-ch’ing (1546-1623) Edited May 6, 2010 by GrumpyOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDean Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 So here's the question. If someone asked me what is my Zen practice, at all times, what would I say? A state of being which allows for both subconscious recognition and subconscious feedback to correct consciously-known deficiencies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 6, 2010 Author Share Posted May 6, 2010 After ten years of apprenticeship, Tenno achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in, the master greeted him with a question, “Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?” “Yes,” Tenno replied. “Tell me,” the master continued, “did you place your umbrella to the left of your shoes, or to the right?” Tenno did not know the answer, and realized that he had not yet attained full awareness. So he became Nan-in’s apprentice and studied under him for ten more years. I love that story - it's motivated me for MANY years. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beginner shooter Posted May 6, 2010 Share Posted May 6, 2010 I say awareness. As in "I am very aware that I will not be winning a book this month". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddler Posted May 7, 2010 Share Posted May 7, 2010 I think this thread will be interesting soley due to the variety of responses it will have. I've been reading a book that is in part the inspiration for this topic. So here's the question. If someone asked me what is my Zen practice, at all times, what would I say? And since it will be difficult to guess the exact sentence (the answer is not in the linked post) - the winner will be whoever is closest in meaning. (I'm pretty sure I've never posted it, so that will save you some searching.) If BigJoni wins, I'll give her 20 bucks instead of a book. be Please, when this month's contest is over if it will give away the answer, let us know what book you're reading. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scap99 Posted May 10, 2010 Share Posted May 10, 2010 Come on guys, don't give up! I can't believe no one has posted anything in here since Friday morning.... If I can win a book, no one should count themselves out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted May 10, 2010 Author Share Posted May 10, 2010 Please, when this month's contest is over if it will give away the answer, let us know what book you're reading. Roy It won't give away "the answer." It's Carefree Dignity, by Tsoknyi Rinpoche. be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ampegor Posted May 11, 2010 Share Posted May 11, 2010 to be IN the world not moving THROUGH the world. or in other words to fit into the world not fit the world to you. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUSHARP2 Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Be there. Most likely not the answer to the question, but reading the other topic it was the first thing I thought. Not because I am up to date on any Zen teaching, but from a short video called "FISH!". For me it is about being in the moment, being aware of everything in that moment. A conversation with your wife, a video game, meeting at work, an interaction with a customer, a stage with two drop turners. Focus on the here and now. Excellent way to learn to forget about a bad stage, as it is over and no longer in the now. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Gene Posted May 12, 2010 Share Posted May 12, 2010 Isn't zen really about "self"? Wouldn't you say zen is within, and you must find your own place? WG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HS101 Posted May 13, 2010 Share Posted May 13, 2010 Being is Living. Living is Doing. Doing is Interacting. Interacting is Awareness. So therefore, Being is Awareness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 to be aware Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiddler Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Brian, I don't know you but from reading some of your posts I would guess that your personal Zen practice is Attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lugnut Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 Notice everything.. subtle and obvious. Let the mind comprehend what the eyes see, the nose smells, the ears hear, the lips taste and the body feels. When you notice everything without clutter that is complete awareness. Not sure if it's possible though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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