by SJZC Administrator | Mar 17, 2025
There’s a phrase, “mind like a steel trap”. What an image! It describes a mind that is sharp and quick to grab on. This sounds good, something we would want. Some of us have such a mind, snatching at every thought, every piece of information and holding on tight....
by SJZC Administrator | Mar 10, 2025
When you begin to practice Zen, you may notice more frequently that you drift off into both thinking and daydreaming more than you’d realized, even in the midst of your daily routines. If these routines are long established and/or humdrum, the mind has lots of...
by SJZC Administrator | Feb 18, 2025
Chan Master Yunmen taught: You have the one thing that matters, each and every one of you! Its great function manifests without the slightest effort on your part. What is the one thing that matters? One thing. He doesn’t put a name to it, but tells us what it does,...
by SJZC Administrator | Feb 4, 2025
The Buddha taught the Middle Way and explicated its meaning. The middle way reminds us to notice when we are caught in some fixed dogma and misunderstand the import of actual conditions. The Middle Way teaching reminds us to get caught neither in the search for...
by SJZC Administrator | Jan 27, 2025
We hear so much about practicing with breath, counting the breath, following the breath. It’s not uncommon especially when we first take up Zen practice to hear these words with half a heart, partial attention. We can easily be breathing half-heartedly while the other...
