Daily Life

from JoeUser Forums
With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
 
In another day or so I will continue my brief commentary on the Faith Mind Poem.  I find this poem to be a clear reminder of how we should make our lives our practice. Its a challenging life, the Zen Way. Open, flowing, without attachment, yet at the same time, in the very midst of things. We practice to love without possessing, care without concern for being cared about, and do these with no self. A tall order in a materialistic, self-absorbed culture.
 
This is why it is practice.  No one can live it all the time and without fail.  What we can do is practice to stay self-aware.  This is the core of mindfulness practice. We lift a cup knowing we are lifting a cup, knowing the cup is not a cup, but just what we call a cup. We listen to others knowing we are listening to others, recognizing when our ears turn to our own thoughts and away from the person in front of us. We gently return our attention to the other.
 
This is excellent practice.  It is a practice that can, and should, be done every moment of our waking day.
 
Be well. 
religion
1,575 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

There is no reality only perception?  I just can't wrap my mind around it.  First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is a mountain.  I do think being aware and mindful is a good thing though. 

Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

Boudica,

:)  The question isn't whether reality exists without perception, but rather what that reality is without perception. What we call reality is really an interaction between mind and environment, but it is not reality itself. To get to reality without perception, we practice zazen.

Zen monks, like myself, use koans to help people consider these things.  For example:

What was your face, the face you had before your father and mother were born?

 

Be well.

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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
The question isn't whether reality exists without perception, but rather what that reality is without perception. What we call reality is really an interaction between mind and environment, but it is not reality itself. To get to reality without perception, we practice zazen.


You see this makes my head want to explode.  :SURPRISED: