Search found 21 matches

by hungryghost
Mon Feb 15, 2010 9:15 pm
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: where to go to seek confirmation of attainment?
Replies: 48
Views: 13404

Re: where to go to seek confirmation of attainment?

in London, i cant seem to find a master to go to for confirmation of this state or what it means, or doesnt mean. i went to the Seung Sahn Ch'an temple this morning and was told... "there is no master here! why do you want to see a master?" "i want to know where i am!" "you...
by hungryghost
Sun Jan 31, 2010 5:31 am
Forum: Zen
Topic: Notable Zen Masters
Replies: 8
Views: 3683

Re: Notable Zen Masters

nowadays i'm really inspired by Hakuin, Dahui, Ma Tsu, and Ummon
by hungryghost
Wed Jan 27, 2010 1:16 pm
Forum: Zen
Topic: The Beginners Guide to Zen Buddhism?
Replies: 8
Views: 3760

Re: The Beginners Guide to Zen Buddhism?

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree. I really like Shunryu Suzuki's writing, dont get me wrong, but as a beginners book I don't see enough nuts and bolts stuff in any of his books. For Rinzai Zen I would choose Zen Training by Omori Sogen. On the soto side i'd go with Opening the Hand of Thou...
by hungryghost
Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:48 am
Forum: Meditation
Topic: importance of posture for zazen
Replies: 10
Views: 3344

Re: importance of posture for zazen

are you sitting on a zafu? if so, try adjusting the height you are sitting at. Putting a flat cushion under your zafu to make your self higher. And if you want to not be so high.......I dunno get a flatter zafu!?!?! I find that taller people need more height. Experiment. I put a old and fairly flat...
by hungryghost
Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:34 am
Forum: Meditation
Topic: importance of posture for zazen
Replies: 10
Views: 3344

Re: importance of posture for zazen

are you sitting on a zafu? if so, try adjusting the height you are sitting at. Putting a flat cushion under your zafu to make your self higher. And if you want to not be so high.......I dunno get a flatter zafu!?!?! I find that taller people need more height. Experiment. I put a old and fairly flatt...
by hungryghost
Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:41 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: What do you crave?
Replies: 9
Views: 2787

Re: What do you crave?

Too many things... recently the main thing has been music, namely expanding my dub collection. Metta, Retro. :) Hah..when I read the OP the first thing that popped up was 'reggae music'...including a mess of dub... also, dharma books, coffee Sometimes I crave zazen. Sometimes I hate it!! Seclusion ...
by hungryghost
Sun Nov 29, 2009 9:03 am
Forum: Meditation
Topic: importance of posture for zazen
Replies: 10
Views: 3344

Re: importance of posture for zazen

In the practice of shikantaza, one takes the posture as his object of meditation, letting all thoughts come and go as they will. There are other focuses in zazen, different skillful means for different people. In our sangha you start by counting your breath. There is 'following' the breath in and ou...
by hungryghost
Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:40 am
Forum: Meditation
Topic: importance of posture for zazen
Replies: 10
Views: 3344

Re: importance of posture for zazen

As far as the hands go, I wouldnt worry about it. There might be some benefit in learning to sit zazen with your eyes open slightly. After all, you dont walk around, work, and go to the bathroom with your eyes closed right? These things are also all zazen.
by hungryghost
Sat Nov 28, 2009 7:30 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: Eating Meat vs. Drinking Alcohol--Which is worse?
Replies: 90
Views: 24141

Re: Eating Meat vs. Drinking Alcohol--Which is worse?

As far as meat eating is concerned, i'm going to take all of the pali canon and mahayana sutras and :toilet: (sorry thats the ikkyu in me speaking) Meat eating in this day and age doesnt usually involve someone going out into the woods and killing an animal to feed his family. Its more about huge co...
by hungryghost
Thu Nov 19, 2009 5:29 am
Forum: Introductions
Topic: Welcome Huifeng
Replies: 16
Views: 5369

Re: Welcome Huifeng

:twothumbsup: :namaste:
by hungryghost
Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:38 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Great doubt, great enlightenment...
Replies: 37
Views: 11968

Re: Great doubt, great enlightenment...

It's said in zen/chan that you need three things to effectively pursue practice, great faith, great doubt, and great determination...Chan Master Sheng Yen wrote that they come in that order. Great faith in your Buddha Nature, your teacher, the method your using the method works to create great doubt...
by hungryghost
Thu Nov 05, 2009 4:26 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: The Survival of American Buddhism
Replies: 9
Views: 3683

Re: The Survival of American Buddhism

I can speak from my own experience...I was living in a halfway house when I began practice, only a few months from severe alcohol, heroin, and cocaine dependance. I went seeking for something (I know now I was seeking the Dharma), and the Dharma came gunning for me :shrug: I was on welfare and the z...
by hungryghost
Wed Nov 04, 2009 5:53 pm
Forum: Lounge
Topic: The Survival of American Buddhism
Replies: 9
Views: 3683

Re: The Survival of American Buddhism

I think that if we have more teachers of true wisdom, and monastic centers become larger and more entrenched, there will be no need to go and 'recruit' athletes, garbagemen, or hispanic people. True Buddhism doesnt need much proselytising. When people suffer bad enough, and conditions are ripe, they...
by hungryghost
Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:08 am
Forum: Lounge
Topic: The Survival of American Buddhism
Replies: 9
Views: 3683

Re: The Survival of American Buddhism

We have the first three in the US right now, even if its not in huge numbers. I think we are a long way off from #4. Maybe it will never happen and maybe its not necessary. We have a separation of church and state here, so maybe the best we can do is the tax exempt status for religious organizations...
by hungryghost
Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:00 am
Forum: Engaged Buddhism
Topic: A Challenge to Buddhists
Replies: 4
Views: 2344

Re: A Challenge to Buddhists

Sitting and meditating in public. Wow! What a way to spread Buddhism. Did anyone ever go up to you and what you are doing? Or start a conversation? I gotta try it. For me it would be a great challenge for putting my ego aside. Of course the environment counts. It's not the same thing sitting in Tim...
by hungryghost
Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:51 am
Forum: Meditation
Topic: Getting to Lotus Pose
Replies: 45
Views: 13658

Re: Getting to Lotus Pose

I've being sitting zazen for about 4 years now, mostly in the half lotus. I started out just getting into the half lotus and dealing with the discomfort, sitting for 25 minutes, 30 minutes. then with a sangha, 25 minutes twice, or 35 minutes 3 times with walking meditation in between. The pain was i...
by hungryghost
Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:32 am
Forum: Zen
Topic: Three Methods used in Zazen (Zen Meditation)
Replies: 6
Views: 4034

Re: Three Methods used in Zazen (Zen Meditation)

What exactly do you mean when you say "modify zazen to suit yourself"? If your talking about posture, I would say yes, if you cannot sit in the usual full or half lotus postures, then you must find a stable, upright posture of some sort that you can maintain for a period of time. If you mo...
by hungryghost
Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:22 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: The Six Paramitas (Perfections)
Replies: 16
Views: 5474

Re: The Six Paramitas (Perfections)

I'll take a stab at the question. Compassion IMHO is a by-product of practicing the Bodhisattva path. That is, if your self consciously practicing compassion, it isnt pure compassion. I guess you could say that of any of these perfections. But what then? What would we do? This is all from my own vie...
by hungryghost
Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:59 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Who are your Top 5 Mahayana masters of all time?
Replies: 62
Views: 18515

Re: Who are your Top 5 Mahayana masters of all time?

i'm gonna be a rebel and do two lists, one for masters of the 'past' and one for recent history... 1.nagarjuna 2.Bodhidharma 3.Joshu 4.Hakuin 5.Dogen and more recently 1.Philip Kapleau Roshi 2.Sheng Yen 3.Thich Nhat Hanh 4.Hsu Yun (a borderline for the other list?) 5.Shodo Harada Roshi These 2 lists...
by hungryghost
Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:45 am
Forum: Mahāyāna Buddhism
Topic: Chinese Hermit Video
Replies: 1
Views: 1281

Re: Chinese Hermit Video

I'm going to agree! What a great video! beautiful and inspiring!

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