Anger

Whenever the energy of anger comes up, we often want to express it to punish the person whom we believe to be the source of our suffering. This is the habit energy in us. When we suffer, we always blame the other person for having made us suffer. We do not realize that anger is, first of all, our business. We are primarily responsible for our anger, but we believe very naively that if we can say something or do something to punish the other person, we will suffer less. This kind of belief should be uprooted. Because whatever you do or say in a state of anger will only cause more damage in the relationship. Instead, we should try not to do anything or say anything when we are angry.

Thich Nhat Hanh

When you lose a loved one…

When you lose a loved one, you suffer. but if you know how to look deeply, you have a chance to realize that his or her nature is truly the nature of no birth, no death.

There is manifestation and there is the cessation of manifestation in order to have another manifestation.

You have to be very keen and very alert in order to recognize the new manifestation of just one person. But with practice and with effort you can do it.

So, taking the hand of someone who knows the practice, together do walking meditation.

Pay attention to all the leaves, the flowers, the birds and the dewdrops.

If you can stop and look deeply, you will be able to recognize your beloved one manifesting again and again in different forms.

You will again embrace the joy of life.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Tea enters the room

Tea enters the room
and asks for a seat
drink with me, pray with me
lets get ecstatic together
and be released from our forms.
Tea saiz, I have lived in the forest for
Hundreds of years
And felt the flashing passage of human life
A spark, carried off in the cosmic wind.
There is so much I want to share with you
Nature is all ears, listening, responding, harmonious songs,
But man has only two and it is hard for him to hear outside himself.
Nature made me to talk to you
Sip me, sit in silence with me and I will tell you many secrets
Let me unfold for you the deeper rythums of life
Let me whisper in your heart about the peace that comes from surrender
Listening is the key to drinking tea,
And the key to so much more.
Drink me and and feel the love
Nature has for you.

Olde Po

The Four Gates

1. The ice frog is flying into the sun.

2. The mud bird swims in the water, and returns home.

3. The kapok fish rides the bone of space and sings a spring song.

4. The wooden dog eats steel, shits fire, and runs far away.

One of these four gates has become the Buddha gate. Which one?

There are many ways to attain spiritual experiences. One method is the Zen Koan. These are phrases, stories or questions that have no easy answer. The Zen Koan is an invitation to go on a journey of spiritual discovery.

Take your time and explore. It is an invitation to slow down, breathe, look inward and return to what’s truly important.

Welcome home.

Vision

The emptiness in the seeing which is called Vision
Transcends definition as something or nothing;
When seeing, is there nothing there?
But if there is an object of sight, there is no Vision.

The profundity that is called Meditation
Lies beyond the presence or absence of mental images;
When there is no mental image there is no object of meditation,
And when there is a point of reference there is no act of meditation.

He whose moral action is called spontaneous activity
Has gone beyond the possibility of choice;
When there is no bias or discrimination, there is no perfect action,
And when there is no accepting or rejecting, where is moral action?

Padma Lingpa’s Dzogchen Song

Seperation is only an illusion…

Separation is only an illusion. Breathe. Allow your heart to open. It is the mountain top, it reaches to heaven. Your belly is the Earth, its fire heats your heart. They meet in unison. Your arm, your finger is the mountain stream. Now pour the tea from the place where heaven and Earth meet in silence. This space is love and can only be shared.

Tea Sounds

Pine winds and juniper rains first arrive;
Quickly I lift brass bottle to leave bamboo stove.
Waiting until after voices heard all fall silent;
One bowl of Spring Snow surpasses fine wine.

Luo Da Jing’s Song-dynasty poem Tea Sounds