Why Zen?
I’m not interested in worshipping the Buddha or Bodhisattvas. I’m not even really all that interested in revering them.
When the Buddha attained awakening under the Bodhi tree he said, “I and all beings have attained Enlightenment.” I want to actualize that statement. Zen isn’t about bowing to statues, it’s about bowing to our true nature.
I don’t want to follow the Buddha or anyone else. I seek what the Enlightened ones sought. Zen is about dwelling in this moment, rising above or stepping away from the delusions that are a constant part of our lives.
Bodhidharma, the man who brought Zen to China, said it was: A special transmission outside the scriptures;
No dependence on words and letters;
Direct pointing to the mind;
Seeing into one’s nature and attaining Buddhahood.
Zen is not an intellectual study. It’s not something we learn about. It’s something we do, a direct pointing to our true nature. It’s just the practice of stopping our minds and seeing reality as it is.
Zen is an exploration into our true nature. For those of us that practice it involves stepping out of our thoughts and the labels we try to put on reality. It involves introspection and contemplation, going to the place where we are able to slow down our chaotic minds enough to explore the inner self. In time, seeing our true nature can come naturally.
I can’t really tell you. I can only show you.
Come sit with me and see what it's all about.