practice Enter Sandman Exercises in Mindfulness May 28, 2023 What can we do about sleepiness during mediation? Seeing is Believing, Right? The iceberg story Apr 30, 2023 How do we become conscious of the unconscious? The Blind Men and the Elephant How Forms Shape Perspectives Apr 23, 2023 Why is it that we don’t see thing clearly? Empty the Cup How the inner narration prevents clear seeing. Apr 16, 2023 To empty your cup’ is a Chinese proverb that is also used in practice but what does it actually mean? We use it every day but are not aware of it A Zen Teaching Mar 16, 2023 Buddha Nature is closer than you think! The Foundation of Good Meditation and Mindfulness Practice Exercises in Mindfulness Feb 17, 2023 How do we create the mind body connection? This week we have some exercises to help experience why ‘the form’ is so important in Zen training. How is the Zen Practice going? Tips for 2023 Exercises in Mindfulness Jan 8, 2023 With the Winter break over it’s time to get back to the training. We have some tips and tricks to get the ball rolling again and how to identify areas that need a little bit more effort. What is Rohatsu? Exercises in Mindfulness Nov 24, 2022 The memorial to the Buddha's Enlightenment is a week long Zen retreat that tests the monastic's inner strength to the full. Bamboo on the Mountain: A story of patient endurance Exercises in Mindfulness Oct 30, 2022 How can we connect with the natural flow of things? Know Thyself and then Get a Move On! Exercises in Mindfulness Oct 23, 2022 While the Buddha taught the self is delusion, if we get to know this self instead of denying it’s existance we can find a powerful way to form new habits. The Seven-Part Worship of Shantideva Oct 9, 2022 How does Shantideva's formula for worship relate to the different parts of Zen Practice? The Story of Sanakavasa | Part 2 Oct 1, 2022 "In this lump of red flesh there is one who goes in and out of the sense gates a thousand times a day. Do you know him?” Tightening the Belt Exercises in Mindfulness Sep 25, 2022 Learn how to use the small, everyday things, to train a special kind of strength cultivated in Zen practice. What is Forest Bathing? Exercises in Mindfulness Sep 11, 2022 Relieve stress, reconnect with nature and also ‘The Way’ in this healing practice The Story of Sanakavasa | Part I Jul 17, 2022 What is the ‘great comfort’ that causes the remarkable transformation of the heart and how do we come to realise it? Cultivating being in the body and working with the emotional household Exercises in Mindfulness Jun 10, 2022 To create the mind-body connection we have to empty the heart, to empty the heart we need to fully come into the body. The Long & Short of It Exercises in Mindfulness May 16, 2022 While we tend to look at things in terms of good or bad, better or worse, light or dark, this separation of one thing vs another is what creates the delusion of 'me'. The Five Hindrances: 5 | Skeptical Doubt Exercises in Mindfulness May 7, 2022 'The Great Ball of Doubt’ is one of 3 great requirements of Zen, yet skeptical doubt is a hindrance to mindfulness and meditation. How can we differentiate between the two? The Five Hindrances: 4 | Worry and Flurry Exercises in Mindfulness Apr 17, 2022 By creating a subtle shift in awareness, we can begin to ease some of the worry and anxiety in our lives. The Five Hindrances: 3 | Sloth and Torpor Exercises in Mindfulness Apr 10, 2022 When apathy or laziness strikes, it can feel like our energy has suddenly been drained away. If however, we can become aware of the heart mind and its effects on the body, we may realise that this energy is still very much with us. Under the Bodhi Tree Exercises in Mindfulness Apr 3, 2022 How do we find the place inside ourselves which allows us to transcend suffering? The answer is much more straight forward than you may imagine. Sipping on Life Exercises in Mindfulness Mar 23, 2022 When Anxiety creeps in we may notice a kind of ‘hurry and flurry’, both in the mind and in our physical movements. We look at how this state unfolds and the opportunity it provides to reconnect to the eternal now. Walking Meditation Exercise in Mindfulness Mar 19, 2022 Through Kinhin we can learn to cultivate ‘stillness in motion’. We examine how to use the body effectively and how to incorporate the Hara into this practice. The Five Hindrances: 2 | Anger Exercises in Mindfulness Mar 10, 2022 How does Zen practice approach anger? We take a look at the mechanics behind this emotion, how it hindered us and how to integrate it effectively into our lives. The Five Hindrances: 1 | Sense Desire Exercises in Mindfulness Feb 25, 2022 As desire is such an integral part of the human experience, how do we change our relationship to such an inherent part of our existence? Willing Flesh Exercises in Mindfulness Feb 18, 2022 The body is the tree of enlightenment! By recognising the role the body plays in all aspects of Zen training, the practice can truly blossom. Rejoicing In Other’s’ Merit Feb 12, 2022 Although all ‘intentional’ actions are karmic producing, meaning further rebirth, 'intentional' actions are in some sense necessary part for liberation from rebirth. Martin takes a closer look at this tricky concept. On Hearing the Dharma Practice Feb 2, 2022 Despite all the best intentions, making big changes to longtime habits can feel like a battle with ourselves. This ‘battle’ however, can bring us closer to understanding how Karma works in our day to day lives. Studying the Hidden Essence Exercises in Mindfulness Dec 26, 2021 In Zen practice, being able to respond in accordance with the circumstances we find ourselves in, is a highly prized skill. By learning to do this effectively, we come to understand our own hidden essence. Introduction to the Six Paramitas The Six Paramitas Dec 8, 2021 This article discusses the six paramitas which form the central practice formulation for Mahayana Buddhism. How am I doing? By Dr Alan Sidi Oct 28, 2021 Often we enter into spiritual disciplines in the hope of becoming better people, achieving something or improving our lives in some way. While these desires can motivate us to practice, they can be the very things that prevent us from entering into an awakened state, that is here and now. Are Precepts Needed for a Mindfulness Practice Exercise in MIndfulness Oct 28, 2021 Has secular mindfulness missed a key ingredient by excluding ethics from its curriculum? Who Are You Really? Exercises in Mindfulness Oct 17, 2021 The masks we wear on day to day basis, allow us to participate in the many social interactions we find ourselves in. There may come a point, where I feel that I am no longer wearing a mask and am being my true self. However, can we ever be sure that this is not just another mask? The Constant Gardener Exercises in Mindfulness Oct 3, 2021 What do weeds, plants, Zen practice and the emotions, all have in common? The Lion’s Roar Exercises in Mindfulness Sep 24, 2021 The fierceness of the Zen Masters can leave us feeling uneasy, however what they are pointing us towards is the secret gift of Zen training, open to everyone. Ananda and the Untouchable Stories Retold Aug 20, 2021 Metta, sometimes translated as goodwill or loving kindness, is an essential aspect of the Buddha nature that reveals itself when ‘I’ am forgotten. Jumping at one’s own shadow! Stories Retold Aug 7, 2021 When the imagination becomes gripped by powerful emotions, we can find ourselves lost in fears and worries that may not be well founded. Observance Exercises in Mindfulness Jul 23, 2021 Rather than praying for guidance, Zen Buddhism has its own method for producing similar results. On the Contemplation of Nature Exercise in Mindfulness Jul 12, 2021 In the past Nature was something to be feared, later to be controlled and now to be saved. In Japan and other eastern countries however, nature is something to come into alignment with. In this article Martin gives us a practical exercise for how to do just that. Tasting the Bittersweet Exercises in Mindfulness Jul 10, 2021 ‘Between a rock and a hard place’ is probably the last situation we would want to find ourselves in. In Buddhist practice however, this may be exactly where we need be. Greeting the Divinity in the Other Exercises in Mindfulness Jul 2, 2021 When we are overun with the passions or our mind has simply run away with us, the simple act of bowing can go a long way. Isn’t it Morbid to Think about one’s own Death? Exercises in Mindfulness Jun 29, 2021 While death may seem morbid, facing up to its inevitability can be skilful means for practice. How are Koans supposed to work? Jun 15, 2021 Zen Koans are infamous for their cutting dialogues and confusing narratives. In this article we examine the principles behind them, and how we can integrate this practice into our daily lives. The Six Paramitas: 6. Wisdom Exercises in mindfulness Jun 9, 2021 Prajna (wisdom) has many names: Dharma, Buddha, Buddha-nature, Nature, Tao, Such-ness. It is the ‘informing information’ inherent in all things "Why I almost gave up Zen Training, and what kept me going." Dr Alan Sidi Jun 4, 2021 Sometimes we may wonder if this training will ever take effect, Dr Alan Sidi recounts how he almost gave up the practice and what it was that kept him going. The Six Paramitas: 5. Meditation Exercises in mindfulness May 12, 2021 In meditation or dhyana, we find the application of all the previous paramitas. The Six Paramitas: 4. Devoted Energy Exercises in Mindfulness Apr 29, 2021 Buddhist practice is about transforming the forms that the life energy takes: from the greed, hatred, fear and delusion of ‘I’ to the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha. The energy of life flows from the heart every moment that we are alive. The Six Paramitas: 3. Patient Endurance Exercises in Mindfulness Mar 31, 2021 If we can 'sit' with our impulses, we might find that they leave of their own accord. The Six Paramitas: 2. Discipline Exercises in Mindfulness Mar 4, 2021 We examine what's really meant by discipline in Zen practice. The Six Paramitas: 1. Giving Exercise in Mindfulness Feb 11, 2021 How the practice of giving is essential for mindful meditation Series The Six Paramitas Exercises in Mindfulness Feb 10, 2021 The six paramitas form the central practice formulation for Mahayana Buddhism; just as the Noble Eightfold Path forms the Arhat path. The Medicine Buddha Meditations First Aid Meditations for Troubled Times Jan 20, 2021 The Medicine Buddha Meditations are a series of short meditations that can be informally used to help centre ourselves in times of upset, anxiety or disturbance. Cloud Water Exercises in Mindfulness Jan 7, 2021 The ideal practice for the Zen monk is to 'leave no trace'. This is a practice which develops both awareness and consideration for others and for the places through which the monk moves. The Zen Gateway Christmas Essay 2020 Resilience in Uncertain Times Dec 22, 2020 Our difficult year is almost over but the uncertainty isn't. How can the Buddha's teachings fortify us to meet the challenges ahead? But by the Leather of One Pair of Sandals will the Earth be Covered. Dec 15, 2020 Zen practitioner, Olwen Smith, tells of her own experiences of starting Zen training and what she found helpful along the way for lay practice. The Great Rohatsu Sesshin Exercises in Mindfulness Nov 26, 2020 The commemoration of the Buddha's Enlightenment runs from 1st to the morning of 8th December in the NE Buddhist tradition. It is a time of intensive training in the Zen monasteries with lay practitioners invited to join in with the spirit of the occasion either at a temple or at home. Getting Back Up to Speed An Exercise in Mindfulness Oct 22, 2020 Taking up a simple exercise in paying attention to one thing can help invigorate a daily mindfulness practice. Here are some ideas to try out. Sipping Life Sep 19, 2020 Daily life practice teaches us to de-clutch from the past and the future and to re-connect with the eternal now that is continually within us. The Buddha’s Advice to the Kalamas Aug 14, 2020 This popular sermon to the Kalama tribe is a call to action from the Buddha to us all to evaluate our practices carefully and recognise the importance of staying committed to the path. Taking a bit of time off practice can reveal just how much better we feel about life when we do practice and this increases our... Wisdom, Ethical Living and Meditation as One Practice Aug 6, 2020 Meditation as a 'stand-alone' practice has never been part of Buddhism. This article looks at a more holistic practice 'The Three Pillars' and how they derive from each other. Should I Go On A Retreat? Aug 6, 2020 As we are in the middle of the Rohatsu Sesshin week, now might be a good time to consider the pros and cons of going on retreat? This article looks at some things a potential participant might want to consider before making a decision. Know Thyself and then Get a Move On! Aug 6, 2020 We like to think we know who we are, but self-beliefs can cover up the fact that both body and heart are changing throughout our lives. Is it Morbid to Think about one’s own Death? Aug 6, 2020 Awareness of one's own mortality has always played a large part in religion and spiritual awakening. It was the reason that propelled Prince Gotama onto the path that led to Buddhahood. This exercise explores the wisdom of memento mori. Advice on Starting out In Daily Life Practice Aug 6, 2020 The fundamentals of Zen Buddhist practice are outlined in this article. It gives something to try for the first time for those beginning the practice and is a useful revision for those already on the Buddha's Way. Where is your energy at? Jul 28, 2020 In the past people would describe themselves as having 'high' or 'low' spirits. Now we talk about 'energy', which gives it an objective cause, but could it also be a cover for an avoidance tactic? How to Pull Myself Together Jul 28, 2020 Changing my own behaviour can be very hard. To do so requires harnessing the fickle energy of my desires into a unified force. How can this be done? Constructing a Wheel of Life Jul 25, 2020 How do we integrate this ubiquitous Buddhist symbol into our practice? This article provides some pointers for contemplation. Troubleshooting Zen Study & Practice Jul 7, 2020 Do you have a question about the study and practice of Buddhism, Zen, the teachings, meditation, mindfulness, the concepts or philosophy in Buddhism? On the Contemplation of Nature Jun 30, 2020 Views on 'Nature' vary from one culture to another. What does this mean to our understanding of 'True Nature' in Zen? Observance Jun 30, 2020 Religious observance usually refers to ritual practices; in the original sense of the word the aim was to be informed by the wisdom of the spiritual power whether conceived as 'deity' or 'original nature'. The Poems III Finding the Bull Jun 2, 2020 Continuing our series, this time the mythology of the Heart-Bull as the source of life, the Two Truths and the perspectivism of the Yogacara teachings. Your browser does not support the audio element. The Poems I - Searching for the Bull Jun 2, 2020 Entering deeper into this well-known Zen analogy of spiritual transformation this podcast examines the meaning of the poems associated with each picture as a window into the experience of the journey ahead. Home Shrines May 18, 2020 Being confined at home, why not consider making sacred spaces that can support our efforts walking the Buddha's Way. Topics EXERCISES IN MINDFULNESS GETTING STARTED POEMS SITTING MEDITATION (ZAZEN) STORIES TROUBLESHOOTING ZEN STUDY & PRACTICE NEW! Dharma Centre We have just launched our online Dharma Centre. All are welcome... Join our Community! Donate The virtue of generosity, charity or giving. Your donations are welcomed. Learn more
