Would you know happiness if you were happy?

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Tibetan Buddhism Mahamudra Teaching

Here is a great collection of teachings that span a couple of hours. As usual, these instructions are helpful and also told with a sense of humor which is what originally drew me to Tibetan buddhism. I hope these can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of your practice. The subject is vast.

Watch Part 1 here to get started.

Day 1 Teachings

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7

Day 2 Teachings

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9

Related posts:

1. Disaster Relief For Earthquake In Tibet
2. Meditation Instruction

Here are a couple of videos on basic meditation instruction and information.

For anyone who isn’t already familiar with meditation, it is a great way to reflect, relax and learn about yourself.  It doesn’t have to be a “religious” experience, just a personal one. It has health benefits too:

A review of scientific studies identified relaxation, concentration, an altered state of awareness, a suspension of logical thought and the maintenance of a self-observing attitude as the behavioral components of meditation;^[5] it is accompanied by a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry.^[59] Meditation has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. Meditation has also been studied specifically for its effects on stress. (From Wikipedia article on meditation.)

Introduction to Zazen (Zen Buddhism):

The Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche (Shambhala Buddhism):

Related posts:

1. A Woman Comes Out Of Meditation
2. Daitsu Chisho Buddha

Breaking News: Wednesday 14th April 2010

An earthquake has devastated the Tibetan county of Yushu, in a remote mountainous area of Qinghai province on the border of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Initial news reports indicate at least 300 people have been killed with more than 8,000 injured.

Tibet Relief Fund has set up an emergency fund; please consider donating to aid relief efforts.

You can donate here. (External site – Tibet Relief Fund)

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1. Help For Haiti

It’s been a busy April (no fooling!). Updates galore.

I’ve added the 48 stories of the Mumonkan (also known as the Gateless Gate).

I’ve set up our Twitter account for @101ZenStories, so please follow us here.

I’ve tweaked a few things and tried to make everything more user-friendly.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions.

I am busy reworking the site design to be more friendly for reading and printing I’ve been working on creating a custom theme for the site and all that good stuff. I don’t have any planned date to unveil it, but follow us on Twitter or subscribe to the RSS news feed to get the latest.  I promise it’ll be worth your while.

Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā

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I’m excited to announce that we will be also adding publishing the 48 Zen Koans from the Mumonkan starting this week.

I have been a big fan of these stories for awhile and I hope their addition will help anyone trying to learn more about the Zen literature and Koans.

I am removing the comment option from these stories as I haven’t seen anyone leave comments yet.  If you have any comments, you can leave them here or contact me here.

Enjoy,

-Mu

Related posts:

1. Update for April 2010

Bodhidharma sat facing the stone wall. The Second Patriarch of Chinese C’han (Zen), Suika, stood long in the thick snow. Finally, he severed his own arm and presented it to Bodhidharma. He said, “Your student cannot pacify his mind. You, the First Patriarch, please, give me peace of mind!” The First Patriarch replied, “Bring that mind, I will calm it down!” The Second Patriarch said, “I search for it everywhere, but I cannot find it!” Bodhidharma replied, “I have already pacified it for you!”

Mumon’s Comment:

That toothless old chap from India proudly travelled ten thousand li over the ocean (to China). This was indeed as if he deliberately raised waves where there was no wave. At last, he got only one disciple, who was maimed by cutting off his own arm. Alas, he was a fool indeed.

The First Patriarch from India taught straight forward,
A series of all the troubles has initiated from him.
The one who disturbed the calm world,
Is Boddhidharma, you indeed!

Related posts:

1. Nansen’s No Mind, No Buddha
2. Eno’s Flag
3. Baso’s Very Mind

A monk asked Joshu, “Has the dog the Buddha nature?”
Joshu replied, “Mu”

Mumon’s Comment:

For the pursuit of Zen, you must pass through the barriers (gates) set up by the Zen masters. To attain his mysterious awareness one must completely uproot all the normal workings of one’s mind. If you do not pass through the barriers, nor uproot the normal workings of your mind, whatever you do and whatever you think is a tangle of ghost. Now what are the barriers? This one word “Mu” is the sole barrier. This is why it is called the Gateless Gate of Zen. The one who passes through this barrier shall meet with Joshu face to face and also see with the same eyes, hear with the same ears and walk together in the long train of the patriarchs. Wouldn’t that be pleasant?

Would you like to pass through this barrier? Then concentrate your whole body, with its 360 bones and joints, and 84,000 hair follicles, into this question of what “Mu” is; day and night, without ceasing, hold it before you. It is neither nothingness, nor its relative “not” of “is” and “is not.” It must be like gulping a hot iron ball that you can neither swallow nor spit out.

Then, all the useless knowledge you have diligently learned till now is thrown away. As a fruit ripening in season, your internality and externality spontaneously become one. As with a mute man who had had a dream, you know it for sure and yet cannot say it. Indeed your ego-shell suddenly is crushed, you can shake heaven and earth. Just as with getting ahold of a great sword of a general, when you meet Buddha you will kill Buddha. A master of Zen? You will kill him, too. As you stand on the brink of life and death, you are absolutely free. You can enter any world as if it were your own playground. How do you concentrate on this Mu? Pour every ounce of your entire energy into it and do not give up, then a torch of truth will illuminate the entire universe.

Has a dog the Buddha nature?
This is a matter of life and death.
If you wonder whether a dog has it or not,
You certainly lose your body and life!

Related posts:

1. Tosotsu’s Three Barriers
2. Joshu’s Oak Tree In The Garden
3. Nansen Cuts The Cat In Two

Master Tosotsu, setting up the three barriers, always tried the pursuer of the Way:
“To search for the Way, the Zen student tries to grasp one’s own nature and be enlightened.”
“Now where is your true nature?”
Secondly,
“Once having grasped one’s own nature, one is free from birth and death. If then, one’s eyeballs have dropped dead, how can one be free from life?”
Thirdly,
“Being free from birth and death, one instantly knows where to go after death.”
“Being dead and the body dispersed into the four elements, where then does one go?”

Mumon’s Comment:

Whoever can pass these three barriers will be a master anywhere. Whatever happens, this person should be able to become the founder of Zen. Should one be not yet capable of answering these three questions, this person must diligently chew them well to finally comprehend them. Humble meals fill one’s stomach, and chewing them well, one will never starve.

To instantly realize is to see endless time.
Endless time is this very moment.
If one sees through the thought of this very moment,
At this very moment, one can see through the one who sees through.

Related posts:

1. Joshu’s Dog
2. Zuigan Calls Himself “Master”
3. Hyakujo’s Fox

Master Sekiso said, “You are at the top of the 100 foot high pole. How will you make a step further?” Another Zen Master of Ancient Times said, “One who sits on top of the 100 foot pole has not quite attained true enlightenment. Make another step forward from the top of the pole and throw one’s own body into the 100,000 universes.”

Mumon’s Comment:

Should there be any who is able to step forward from the top of the 100 foot pole and hurl one’s whole body into the entire universe, this person may call oneself a Buddha. Nevertheless, how can one step forward from the top of the 100 foot pole? Know thyself!

Should one be content and settle on top of the 100,000 foot pole,
One will harm the third eye,
And will even misread the marks on the scale.
Should one throw oneself and be able to renounce one’s life,
Like one blind person leading all other blind persons,
One will be in absolute freedom (unattached from the eyes).

Related posts:

1. The One Road Of Kempo
2. Kashapa’s Flag Pole
3. Tosotsu’s Three Barriers