Taking the Path of Zen

Taking the Path of Zen

Robert Aitken

Language: English

Pages: 149

ISBN: 0865470804

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


There is a fine art to presenting complex ideas with simplicity and insight, in a manner that both guides and inspires. In Taking the Path of Zen Robert Aitken presents the practice, lifestyle, rationale, and ideology of Zen Buddhism with remarkable clarity.

The foundation of Zen is the practice of zazen, or mediation, and Aitken Roshi insists that everything flows from the center. He discusses correct breathing, posture, routine, teacher-student relations, and koan study, as well as common problems and milestones encountered in the process. Throughout the book the author returns to zazen, offering further advice and more advanced techniques. The orientation extends to various religious attitudes and includes detailed discussions of the Three Treasures and the Ten Precepts of Zen Buddhism.
Taking the Path of Zen will serve as orientation and guide for anyone who is drawn to the ways of Zen, from the simply curious to the serious Zen student.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

right too. Just continue counting with that sad feeling. But ifyou seek out the cause ofyour sadness, the count disappears. Zazen has a therapeutic effect, but it is not itself therapy. Above all, don't say to yourself, "Oh, what's the matter with me! There I go again, dreaming when I should be counting!" Such recrimination is itself a delusion. Simply and quietly drop your train of thought when you notice that you are straying and come back to your count. The Zen Center Organization The

your room and the TV next door. Sit with those thoughts and don't let them master you. Count " one," "twO," "three," and all distractions will become unimportant . You are not, fundamentally, seeking " good condi tion" ofquiet , or avoiding "bad condition" of noise . Commonly, the Zen teacher will encounter questions that reveal a preoccupation with samddhi, or quality of meditation. With careful reading of Zen literature in Eng lish , you will find teachers who recommend various samadhi

vow than a prayer. The implication is that by finding my home in Buddha, Dharma, and Sang ha I can free myselffrom blind conditioning and realize true nature. Placed at the beginning of the service at the start of a day of zazen, the "Ti Sarana" is a renewal of devotion to the way of enlightenment, practice, and compassion. In Sino-Japanese, "Saranam gacchami" is translated kie, which means "to turn to and rely upon. " Ki, or return, also means "come down to , result in , belong to ." This

dimension, is possible. If not, then retreat is the only option. The roshi will have foibles, like any other human being. But faith in the roshi is not a matter of expecting perfection. Not interested in proselytizing, the roshi is glad ifa srudent finds a true home with another Zen teacher. Once you are established, however, there is a certain etiquette involved in changing teachers. See your roshi about this and request a How to Connect 91 referral. This is a matter-of-fact arrangement made

his time to deepen and clarify his insight in Dharma dialogues. When he started out on his pilgrimage, Chao-chou announced, "If! meet a seven-year-old child who can teach me, I will stay there and be that child's student. If! meet a 100year-old man who seeks my guidance, I will be his teacher." Against the background of Confucian veneration ofelders and patronage ofchildren, you can appreciate Chao-chou's modesty and resolution to become worthy as a disciple of the Buddha. Finally, at the age of

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