As a kid I spent a lot of time thinking there was something wrong with me. I was totally convinced that my lowly opinion of myself was true, and there were plenty of so-called facts I could use to back up my claim. I wasn’t a happy bunny. It was only when I discovered psychology… Continue reading The Twin Fears that Shape our Identity
Whip, rope, Ox and man alike belong to Emptiness. So vast and infinite the azure sky that no concept of any sort can reach it, over a blazing fire a snowflake cannot survive. When this state of mind is realised comes at last comprehension of the spirit of the ancient Patriarchs. In earlier Ox Herding Pictures this was… Continue reading Ox Herding Pictures: Both Ox and Self Forgotten
The ox herding pictures represent the process of awakening as described in Zen Buddhism. Each image is a metaphor that reveals the internal stages of meditation – how awakening looks from the inside. In this series we’ll look at each picture and explore what they mean, but first a bit of background. The original drawings… Continue reading Zen Ox Herding Pictures: Introduction
Dateline 2003: It’s Christmas and I am alone again. Another relationship sacrificed to the god of my ego and my self-serving trek up the mystical garden path. Twelve years searching for liberation from my own stupidity, and I’m nowhere. I’ll never understand this. I’ll never be free. Maybe the whole thing is a lie. Maybe Buddha… Continue reading Stop Making Sense
