Zen Anybody

[winter light]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Another angle---

Speaking is an attempt of the heart as a brush is an attempt
of the artist to take part somehow in the wonder and beauty of
the Creator and His magic.
Waxing eloquent is a wonderful endeavor for another's ear...that can go
into his heart and inspire him to dream and reach for more...to soar as he was meant to.

My take anyway...so speak, try to express what you see, sit down right here next to me.

A vision of beauty when the unseen becomes seen
Brought into form by caring

The brush moves gracefully
Following the sound of the unseen
With each glance there is the slightest pressure
Offering a message while it moves

There is great concern though barely noticeable
With great effort but without strain
Just enough remains to leave a true mark

As the form completes the brush gently rises above the surface
In the moment a work seems complete
The heart knows peace

A memory carries forward to inspire the next
Who shall offer themself
As a vessel for the unknown

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by sky123

' There are sages who communicate without words '

Your Mum I presume was one of those Sages, mine was, one look was enough if I was misbehaving

That is indeed another aspect of communicating without words.

Can you imagine the "look" I am giving you as I am reading your last post?

[sky]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

That is indeed another aspect of communicating without words.

Can you imagine the "look" I am giving you as I am reading your last post?

You can't see me to look .
Your using your imagination to give me a look and now you want me to use mine to imagine what you imagined...
That's enough to give me a imaginary headache.... Lol

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by sky123

You can't see me to look .
Your using your imagination to give me a look and now you want me to use mine to imagine what you imagined...
That's enough to give me a imaginary headache.... Lol

I can only imagine what your imaginary headache feels like !

[sky]

Originally Posted by Still_Waters

I can only imagine what your imaginary headache feels like !

Abhutaparikalpo’sti

[Joe Mc]

Two paths or one ?

The inner and outer paths appear to be. Even I recognise what I'm saying so I'm sure you do lol ..So the outer world appears fixed and positioned without a backdrop, it is factual and self actualising, I drop a weight and it falls to the ground. I blow on the dandelion ( we called them jinny joes as kids) and the tiny spores take to the air. So does this mean there is no Heaven ?

[sentient]

Originally Posted by Joe Mc

Two paths or one ?

The inner and outer paths appear to be. Even I recognise what I'm saying so I'm sure you do lol ..So the outer world appears fixed and positioned without a backdrop, it is factual and self actualising, I drop a weight and it falls to the ground. I blow on the dandelion ( we called them jinny joes as kids) and the tiny spores take to the air. So does this mean there is no Heaven ?

Inner and outer paths? Not sure what you mean.

Does Zen work with Mandalas – or is it just Vajrayana?

I’m of course a Trungpa parrot, sometimes getting the meaning, sometimes not …

In Mandala-speak there are 3 worlds. Outer, Inner and Secret.

THE OUTER MANDALA
Our relationship with the world of perceptions, the external world …
We are constantly engaged in relationships with the ordinary world, that is, the world of the six sense perceptions: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, feeling, and thinking, the process which coordinates the other five. In Buddhism thinking is considered to be one of the senses.

INNER MANDALA
The second type of world is the body, which is known as the inner mandala. This mandala is connected with how we handle our bodies in terms of our awareness, or sense of reality. Developing awareness is quite deliberate. In the beginning we might feel that working deliberately with the body is too exaggerated a form of behaviour. However, it seems to be necessary. We have never regarded our bodies as sacred property. The attitude of sacredness has been neglected, particularly in the Western world.

SECRET MANDALA
Then we have the third world, which is the secret mandala, or the mandala of the sacred realm. The sacredness and secretness of this mandala.

The outer mandala is connected with the external world: how to relate to society, politics, organizations, domestic relationships, and so forth. The inner mandala is connected with our body, and how to handle it. The secret mandala is connected with how to deal with our emotions. We have to incorporate all three mandala principles simultaneously in our experience. We can't separate them; we can't practice each of them separately, at different times. We have to do it all at once. In that way things become much more real. The mandalas are reality. It is as simple as that.

Whenever there is a third element – like in a triangle – you have got that which both unites and divides.

Emotions are considered to be energy – you feel your emotions more in the heart area – no?
“Feeling the world” is also dealing with energies …. (open mind, open heart listens the) … 'lower tantien' area …

*

Where attention goes – energy flows.
From the net:

“The chi flows where the mind goes.”
A fascinating feature of Tai Chi. “Where you focus your life energy is what you create in your life. This is a fundamental idea for living your life with energetic awareness.

Body Mandala is an inner body meditation, just like Tai Chi — except now the focus is on the divine Enlightened presence ……

You take the ‘Wu Chi’ stance and then you dance …

Bringing stillness and movement together.
Not doing and doing together ….

http://forevertaichi.com/wp-content/...one-circle.png

Well, that is my ‘sketch’ - sky123 might correct me here ….

*

[sky]

Originally Posted by sentient

Inner and outer paths? Not sure what you mean.

Does Zen work with Mandalas – or is it just Vajrayana?

I’m of course a Trungpa parrot, sometimes getting the meaning, sometimes not …

In Mandala-speak there are 3 worlds. Outer, Inner and Secret.





Whenever there is a third element – like in a triangle – you have got that which both unites and divides.

Emotions are considered to be energy – you feel your emotions more in the heart area – no?
“Feeling the world” is also dealing with energies …. (open mind, open heart listens the) … 'lower tantien' area …

*

Where attention goes – energy flows.
From the net:


You take the ‘Wu Chi’ stance and then you dance …

Bringing stillness and movement together.
Not doing and doing together ….

http://forevertaichi.com/wp-content/...one-circle.png

Well, that is my ‘sketch’ - sky123 might correct me here ….

*

Life is a dance balance is there whether we choose it or not....

[Joe Mc]

Originally Posted by sentient

Inner and outer paths? Not sure what you mean.

Does Zen work with Mandalas – or is it just Vajrayana?

I’m of course a Trungpa parrot, sometimes getting the meaning, sometimes not …

In Mandala-speak there are 3 worlds. Outer, Inner and Secret.





Whenever there is a third element – like in a triangle – you have got that which both unites and divides.

Emotions are considered to be energy – you feel your emotions more in the heart area – no?
“Feeling the world” is also dealing with energies …. (open mind, open heart listens the) … 'lower tantien' area …

*

Where attention goes – energy flows.
From the net:


You take the ‘Wu Chi’ stance and then you dance …

Bringing stillness and movement together.
Not doing and doing together ….

http://forevertaichi.com/wp-content/...one-circle.png

Well, that is my ‘sketch’ - sky123 might correct me here ….

*

Very good thanks for sharing. Some good pointers. I was just coming back from an almost overwhelmingly powerful meditation and I thought there it is again " The outside world. " I mean I opened my eyes from the meditation and the world didn't look ephemeral or wavy or hazy either. Not that the world has to look wavy hazy or insubstantially dreamlike even though it is recognised in part at least to be so.

I suppose also you could get this in Tai chi, after an amazing flowing harmonious one with the universe form, to be gradually lost perhaps by increments of not so harmonious energy exhibiting itself in the 'outside world' and taking you back into its orbit ? I know that is too simplistic a view but that kinda thing ? In this light there appears to be two worlds, two paths.
Zen doesn't have the same concept of the Mandala as Vajrayana but I am reminded it has the concept and symbol of the 'Enzo' ...The perfectly imperfect circle that you often see made by Zen practitioners, especially masters, with a spontaneous movement of Hand, brush and ink. Yes indeed thanks for the reminder ! And i've had the experience, rarely though, of making circles in tai chi, and realising that the circles i'm am making practicing the form are part of or are the circle of life, the circle of the universe !!! voila ! Thanks for your reply and help.

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[sky]

Originally Posted by Joe Mc

Very good thanks for sharing. Some good pointers. I was just coming back from an almost overwhelmingly powerful meditation and I thought there it is again " The outside world. " I mean I opened my eyes from the meditation and the world didn't look ephemeral or wavy or hazy either. Not that the world has to look wavy hazy or insubstantially dreamlike even though it is recognised in part at least to be so.

I suppose also you could get this in Tai chi, after an amazing flowing harmonious one with the universe form, to be gradually lost perhaps by increments of not so harmonious energy exhibiting itself in the 'outside world' and taking you back into its orbit ? I know that is too simplistic a view but that kinda thing ? In this light there appears to be two worlds, two paths.
Zen doesn't have the same concept of the Mandala as Vajrayana but I am reminded it has the concept and symbol of the 'Enzo' ...The perfectly imperfect circle that you often see made by Zen practitioners, especially masters, with a spontaneous movement of Hand, brush and ink. Yes indeed thanks for the reminder ! And i've had the experience, rarely though, of making circles in tai chi, and realising that the circles i'm am making practicing the form are part of or are the circle of life, the circle of the universe !!! voila ! Thanks for your reply and help.

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" I was just coming back from an almost overwhelmingly powerful meditation and I thought there it is again " The outside world. " .


You wouldn't have your inner world without your outer world , Yin/Yang in harmony.