Objectives
Goal setting is practiced by most individuals with a passion to achieve their objectives. The main premise of goal setting is that unless we know what we want, we can never achieve it.
Destination
Without a defined destination, it really doesn’t matter what we want to do or where we go — our activity essentially lacks purpose.
Enlightenment to Go
David Michie
Tea Ceremony
There is an old Japanese story about the Zen tea master Sen no Rikyu…
One day, a Sakai tea man invited Rikyu to a tea ceremony in the hope of impressing him with an antique tea jar from China. But despite being served from the jar, Rikyu didn’t seem to notice it, commenting instead on the simple scenery outside the tea hut. When Rikyu left, the trader smashed the precious jar to pieces and withdrew in anger. Luckily, all was not lost. One of the other guests gathered the pieces and glued them together with golden lacquer. When he came next, Rikyu recognized the mended jar. ‘Ah’ he said, ‘now it is magnificent!’
The Secret to Everything
Neel Burton
Qigong, literally translated means energy (qi) work (gong). Qigong consists of sets of exercises that couple movement with deep breathing and focused mental concentration.
Practices of Qigong play a significant role in Daoist practice, but also Chinese Buddhist practice. While Chinese Buddhism is best known for meditation and Shaolin-style Kung Fu rather than Qigong and it’s the emphasis on internal energy work, Chan Buddhism has a rich history of Qigong.
Bodhidharma is credited with initiating Chan with it’s blending of Indian (Theravadan) Buddhism with Daoism and Chinese culture. Bodhidharma is said to have introduced a number of Qigong sets into Chan, and Chan continues to emphasize these Qi-based exercises as part of it’s authentic lineage and practice.
Cultivating Qi: The Root of Energy, Vitality, and Spirit
David Clippinger
Transformation
It is only by changing the way we treat others that we can hope to change the world and make it a kinder, more peaceful, compassionate, and hopeful place. We can help others by touching them with gentleness, kindness, and forgiveness. But before we can do that, first we must touch ourselves in this way. We need to begin our own inner transformation.
Chan Master Guo Jun
Essential Chan Buddhism
Chan Master Guo Jun
Root of Compassion
Compassion arises out of our own experience of suffering. We all know what it’s like to be sick or in pain, to be lonely or have our feelings hurt, to fear the unknown or grieve the loss of a loved one. When we see or hear of others going through similar experiences, our heart opens with a feeling of empathy and the wish to help.
Desire to Be Free
Compassion is the wish for oneself and others to be free of suffering, free from all painful, unwanted, unsatisfactory experiences. Compassion acknowledges that everyone wants to be free of suffering, deserves to be free, and has the capacity to be free.
Awakening the Kind Heart
Kathleen McDonald
Who Knows Anyhow? 