Quote of the Day: Enlightenment
“Enlightenment is intimacy with all things.” - Dogen
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Quote of the Day: Modesty on the Way
“One who brags about himself gets no credit; One who praises himself does not long endure… These things do not bring happiness. Therefore, followers of the Way avoid them.” – Lao Tzu
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Quote of the Day: On death
“Through the ages, the end for heroes is the same as for ordinary men. They all died and gradually faded away in the memory of man.” – Bruce Lee
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Quote of the Day: Mothers Day Edition – the courage to admit mistakes
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” - Bruce Lee “Moms are always there to forgive.” - Me Happy Mothers Day!
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Quote of the Day: No problems, no solutions
Zen reveals that there is nowhere for man to go out of this world; no tavern in which he can overcome anxiety; no jail in which he can expiate guilt. So, instead of telling us what the problem is, Zen insists that the whole trouble is just our failure to realize that there is no problem.… Continue reading →
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Quote of the Day: on Delusion
If you live the sacred and despise the ordinary, You are still bobbing in the ocean of delusion. – Linji Yixuan (Rinzai Gigen)
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Quote of the Day: Obstacles
When the worldly morons encounter a devilish, cock-and-bull fellow who babbles a demonic line, they come up with a demonic interpretation and us it as a compass. This is beneath contempt. – Bodhidharma
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Quote of the Day: The fist and Zen are one and the same
My conviction is that the fist and Zen are one and the same. Together, this balance cultivates intellect ahead of strength. – Chojun Miyagi Sensei
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Quote of the Day – Cinco de Mayo Edition
Everyone loves something, even if it’s only tortillas. – Chogyam Trungpa
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Quote of the Day: on the impermanence of life
Every moment is impermanent and the passing of the months is not unlike the flowing of a mountain stream. And are not bodies as bubbles on the water? Though there are rosy cheeks in the morning, by nightfall there may be whitened bones. – Suzuki Shosan (samurai-turned-Zen-monk)
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Quote of the Day: Study the Roots
Martial artists like the metaphor: “All schools are branches of the same tree.” To understand the growth of the branches, it is useful to study the roots. – an anonymous Shaolin Master
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Bonus Quote of the Day: Cherish One’s Teacher
To not value one’s teacher and not cherish the raw goods – Though one had great knowledge, he would still be greatly confused. – Lao Tzu
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Quote of the Day: Right and Wrong (plus a bonus)
I look upon the judgement of right and wrong as the serpentine dance of a dragon, and the rise and fall of beliefs as but traces left by the four seasons. – Shakyamuni Buddha I have taught a doctrine similar to a raft – it is for crossing over, and not for getting hold… Continue reading →
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Quote of the Day: Conquer Yourself
One may conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men, Yet he is the best of conquerors who conquers himself. – Shakyamuni Buddha
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Quote of the Day: Rules of the Martial Arts
For those who would study my martial art, there are rules for putting it into practice: Think without any dishonesty. Forge yourself in the Way. Touch upon all the arts. Know the Ways of all occupations. Know the advantages and disadvantages of everything. Develop a discerning eye in all matters. Understand what cannot be seen… Continue reading →
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Be Yourself
Unfortunately, most students in the martial arts are conformists. Instead of learning to depend on themselves for expression, they blindly follow their instructors, no longer feeling alone, and finding security in mass imitation. The product of this imitation is a dependent mind. Independent inquiry, which is essential to genuine understanding, is sacrificed. Look around and… Continue reading →
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Meditation is Enlightenment
Do not separate mediation as a means (dhyana) from enlightenment as an end (Prajana) – the two were really inseparable, and the Zen discipline consisted in seeking to realize this wholeness and unity of prajana and dhyana in all one’s acts. – Bruce Lee
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Bonus Quote of the Day: Mental Attitude
Mushin means an empty mind which is a state of total control and concentration…the mental attitude you need in your journey to find success in your life. – Hirokazu Kanazawa
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Quote of the Day: No-method
Ch’an is really the method of no-method. There is no bridge provided, because there is no river. If you let go of your attaching mind, at that very moment you are enlightened. – Sheng-yen, Ch’an Master
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Quote of the Day: Losing the ego
Self means ego. The reason why the sage meets suffering without being sad and encounters pleasure without being happy is that he has lost self. - Bodhidharma
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Bonus Quote of the Day: The Tao
The Tao that can be named is not the true Tao. – Lao Tzu
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During a dream there is no awakening; at the time of awakening there is no dream. – Yuan-chi, Buddhist nun
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If one is hungry, both char siu bow and pizza will satisfy. But if one is hungry for pizza, one must go to where the pizza is served. – Grandmaster Ben Ch’i Lo, Shaolin Priest
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What makes a great warrior is that he has no opinions; he is simply aware. – Chogyam Trunga The secret principle of martial arts is not vanquishing the attacker but resolving to avoid an encounter before it occurence. – Funakoshi Gichin
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Bonus Quote of the Day #2
Flowers in Spring. Cuckoos in Summer. The moon in Autumn. And chilly snows in Winter. – Dogen (The above represents Zen to me).
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Bonus Quote of the Day
Weak mind, weak fist. Strong mind, no need for fist. – Old Shaolin Saying
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Quote of the Day: a Death Poem
In the time of life There is none other than life. In the time of death There is none other than death. – Dogen
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The Nature of Truth – Quote of the Day
The two truths are like the simmering of heated air. Deluded people see the air waving due to the heat and understand it as water, but it is really not water. It is the simmering of heated air. – Bodhidharma
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Country great Willie Nelson to receive his 5th dan April 28.
We all know Willie Nelson for his music, his acting and his activism, but did you know that the country music statesman is also a black belt? On Monday, April 28, 2014, Nelson will receive his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul during a special ceremony at his martial arts studio in… Continue reading →
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Zen – The Life Of Zen Master Dogen
The film #Zen focuses on the life of Zen master Dogen, the prolific writer of The Eihei Koroku, a translation of which can be found in Dogen’s Extensive Record.
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Alan Watts Talk About Zen
Alan Watts Talk About Zen
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Shortcuts – Quote of the Day
When you have even a single thought of looking for a shortcut in Zen, you have already stuck your head in a bowl of glue. – Zen Master Dahui
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New Daily Feature from BudoZen.com
Beginning on Tuesday, April 22, 2014, we will make every effort to create a new post we are calling the “Quote of the Day”. This post will more likely than not be a short quote relating to martial arts, Bushido, Zen or Buddhism. Please check back with us soon! BudoZen.com
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The Four Great Vows
Ordinary-beings are innumerable, I vow to liberate them all Defilements are endless, I vow to eliminate them all Buddha’s teachings are unlimited, I vow to learn them all The ways of enlightenment are supreme, I vow to achieve them all I vow to liberate all ordinary-beings from my mind I vow to eliminate… Continue reading →
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How to Practice
I found the following information while on my travels on the Interwebs. Very brief, but I found it interesting. Following the article are credits. I hope you enjoy this short primer on Zazen. _/\_ With a mental bow. HOW TO PRACTICE “One way of meditation practice is consistently cutting off random, irrelevant thoughts, thereby… Continue reading →
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Bodhisattva vow
Just as all the previous Sugatas, the Buddhas Generated the mind of enlightenment And accomplished all the stages Of the Bodhisattva training, So will I too, for the sake of all beings, Generate the mind of enlightenment And accomplish all the stages Of the Bodhisattva training.
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Approaching Zazen
I found this video a couple of weeks ago. I think that it is a great, simple explanation of zazen. Enjoy.
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Heart Sutra in Japanese
This is a great version of the Heart Sutra in Japanese. It does not have music to distract or take away from the beauty of the chant. Enjoy.
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Me and Zen Buddhism
Post #1 As a martial artist I am constantly working to make my art better. As such I try to read as much as I can regarding the martial arts, whether it is technical, biographical or historical. Through my reading I have become exposed to Zen, the religion of the samurai. The samurai was exposed… Continue reading →