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FOUR GREAT VOWS
Sentient beings are numberless. We vow to save them all.
Delusions are endless. We vow to cut through them all.
The teachings are infinite. We vow to learn them all.
The Buddha Way is inconceivable. We vow to attain it.
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BOWS
Prostrations are an
extension of formal practice and yet another way to cut off all
attachment to thinking and "just do it". Prostrations could be
likened to the 'emergency measure' for clearing the mind. They are a
very powerful technique for seeing the karma of a situation because both
the body and the mind are involved.
Bows are a gesture of humility. We do not bow to another, but rather
in the face of the "other". On the Buddhist altar is a figure
of Buddha, this is the other. Bowing acknowledges the other, but not as
something separate. The bow, and prostration come from the most profound
depths of our aliveness.
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CHANTING
Chanting meditation means keeping a not-moving mind and the
perception of the sound of your voice. Regular chanting makes our
center stronger and stronger. With a strong center, we can control our
feelings. When we are no more slave of our feelings and thoughts, we
become free and independent. Sitting is very wonderful, but by
itself it is not complete practice. It is easy to become self-absorbed
and not even realize it. When we act together, then we can see the walls
of self popping up as our mind reacts to what other people do and to
what we do or are afraid of doing or are proud of what we've done.
Chanting means acting together. It means listening to other people
without judgment. It means supporting each other. It means acting
completely, without hindrance and without self-delusion. It joins us to
the sangha, the community. Chanting is meditation in action.
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SITTING MEDITATION
We sit usually 30 minutes in the classical posture: legs crossed,
back straight, eyes half open, the hands in mudra and natural breathing.
Meditation is not really dependant on the form of the body, but rather
on the way you keep your mind. You can stand up or use a
chair, if your body hurts too much.
During meditation we ask our selves without interruption the question:
'What am I?' When this question is sincere, thinking stops and 'Don't
Know' appears. 'Don't Know' is the name of the mind before thinking. You
can call this point mind, Buddha, God, Nature, the Absolute, Holiness,
Energy or Consciousness, but originally this point has no name or form.
Cutting all thinking and returning to 'Don't Know Mind', you return to
your true nature. Our true nature is like a mirror. You become One with
the situation you are living. When the lights are red, you stop. When
the lights are green, you go.
SEON YU
Soen Yu is a type of Chi that is used in Kwan Um Zen School to help with their Zen practice by keeping their mind centered. The were developed by Zen Master Soung Sahn in the early 1980's based on his own experiementation and knowledge of Taoist breath excercises. These were passed on form his students by personal instruction.
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