soul
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Temper
A Zen student came to Bankei and complained: “Master, I have an ungovernable temper. How can I cure it?”
“You have something very strange,” replied Bankei. “Let me see what you have.”
“Just now I cannot show it to you,” replied the other.
“When can you show it to me?” asked Bankei.
“It arises unexpectedly,” replied the student.
“Then,” concluded Bankei, “it must not be your own true nature. If it were, you could show it to me at any time. When you were born you did not have it, and your parents did not give it to you. Think that over.”
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Michio Kaku – Are There Extra Dimensions?
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How To Meditate For Beginners – A Definitive Guide
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The Real Miracle
When Bankei was preaching at Ryumon temple, a Shinshu priest, who believed in salvation through repetition of the name of the Buddha of Love, was jealous of his large audience and wanted to debate with him.
Bankei was in the midst of a talk when the priest appeared, but the fellow made such a disturbance that Bankei stopped his discourse and asked about the noise.
“The founder of our sect,” boasted the priest, “had such miraculous powers that he held a brush in his hand on one bank of the river, his attendant held up a paper on the other bank, and the teacher wrote the holy name of Amida through the air. Can you do such a wonderful thing?”
Bankei replied lightly: “Perhaps your fox can perform that trick, but that is not the manner of Zen. My miracle is that when I feel hungry I eat, and when I feel thirsty I drink.”
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Stingy in Teaching
A young physician in Tokyo named Kusuda met a college friend who had been studying Zen. The young doctor asked him what Zen was.
“I cannot tell you what it is,” the friend replied, “but one thing is certain. If you understand Zen, you will not be afraid to die.”
“That’s fine,” said Kusuda. “I will try it. Where can I find a teacher?”
“Go to the master Nan-in,” the friend told him.
So Kusuda went to call on Nan-in. He carried a dagger nine and a half inches long to determine whether or not the teacher was afraid to die.
When Nan-in saw Kusuda he exclaimed: “Hello, friend. How are you? We haven’t seen each other for a long time!”
This perplexed Kusuda, who replied: “We have never met before.”
“That’s right,” answered Nan-in. “I mistook you for another physician who is receiving instruction here.”
With such a beginning, Kusuda lost his chance to test the master, so reluctantly he asked if he might receive Zen instruction.
Nan-in said: “Zen is not a difficult task. If you are a physician, treat you patients with kindness. That is Zen.”
Kusuda visited Nan-in three times. Each time Nan-in told him the same thing. “A physician should not waste time around here. Go home and take care of you patients.”
It was not yet clear to Kusuda how such teaching could remove the fear of death. So on his fourth visit he complained: “My friend told me when one learns Zen one loses the fear of death. Each time I come here all you tell me is to take care of my patients. I know that much. If that is your so-called Zen, I am not going to visit you any more.”
Nan-in smiled and patted the doctor. “I have been too strict with you. Let me give you a koan.” He presented Kusuda with Joshu’s Mu to work over, which is the first mind enlightening problem in the book called The Gateless Gate.
Kusuda pondered this problem of Mu (No-Thing) for two years. At length he thought he had reached certainty of mind. But his teacher commented: “You are not in yet.”
Kusuda continued in concentration for another year and a half. His mind became placid. Problems dissolved. No-Thing became the truth. He served his patients well and, without even knowing it, he was free from concern over life and death.
Then when he visited Nan-in, his old teacher just smiled.
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everything is an illusion yes? so when ego is stressing and thinking shit like “oh its gonna take so long” or “i dont have it yet,” its all just fake.
did you forget that you are consciousness playing the role of a human?
consciousness = the movie screen and the human / the illusions = the movie thats playing
consciousness is bigger than the human bc consciousness is everything. thats why consciousness is not just the movie screen but also the movie itself and the human watching the movie and the popcorn on the floor etc. if your real identity is bigger than the role your playing, why do you keep taking helpless feelings, negative thoughts and that victim mentality as real? since its all an illusion and its all not real, might as well enjoy the movie right? nothing is serious and nothing is real (like ego and the idea of a 3d etc).
you are consciousness that only observes so things SEEM hard bc when you are aware of them/observing them, ego categorizes things as “hard” or “easy” etc. but rly, nothing is rly happening bc everything is just harmless, peaceful consciousness. it seems real bc while being in the role of a human, ego believes all of this is real when its not (thats why its an illusion bc its just consciousness appearing as separate).
ego labels and judges things while consciousness only observers without opinions. so nothing is “hard” and “you” arent “not getting/manifesting” what ego wants.
laugh at the illusion and realize none of it is ever real. laugh at the idea that you dont have it bc you know that once you imagine it, you just observed it…like you just made the proof that its already here and you ARE the proof thats its already there.
“nothing is ever real and things only exist when you become aware of them” – @msperfect777
continue to be aware of what ego wants and realize that it already exists instantly. forget about all the other illusions and just ride them out bc as consciousness, you know its all only a game. play the game and have fun not taking anything seriously. find peace in not giving a fuck about the negative thoughts n feelings bc they were never real in the first place. break free from the illusion.
