Date: 01/18/2025 01/19/2025
Location: Star Lake Meditation Center
Teacher: Shilin Long
Sitting Meditation
Understanding the True Nature of Zen
Zen is not a mysterious philosophy nor a religious ceremony. It is a direct path to the mind—returning to the present moment and awakening to the true nature of life.
1. The Core Spirit of Zen: Direct Pointing to the Mind
1.Zen Works Directly With the Mind
Zen avoids complicated rituals and focuses directly on observing the mind—its arising, its confusion, and its wandering.
2.Zen Prioritizes Experience Over Theory
Zen is not a system of concepts but an experiential realization of life’s nature, emphasizing that only through one’s own practice can truth be known.
3.The Real Meaning of “Seeing One’s Nature”
To “see one’s nature” is not to witness supernatural visions; it is to realize that the mind is originally pure, inherently wise, compassionate, and free.
2. Methods of Zen Practice: Returning to the Present and Observing the Mind
1.Living Fully in the Present Moment
Zen practice begins with awareness of the present, free from the burdens of past memories or future anxieties.
2.Observing Thoughts Without Interfering
Zen trains individuals to see thoughts arise and dissolve naturally, without judgment or suppression.
3.Practicing Zen in Daily Activities
Zen is not limited to seated meditation; everyday life—eating, walking, working—can all be moments of mindfulness.
3. Misunderstandings About Zen: Not Escapism, Not Emptiness, Not Sensation Seeking
1.Zen Is Not Escaping Reality
True Zen increases clarity, resilience, and the ability to face life—not to avoid it.
2.Zen Is Not a Void or Blank State
Zen speaks of “emptiness,” not as nothingness, but as the insight that things lack inherent nature, freeing the mind from attachment.
3.Zen Is Not Chasing Visions or Extraordinary States
Seeing lights, hearing sounds, or experiencing lightness of body are distractions, not the goal of Zen practice.
4. The Value of Zen in Modern Life: Clarity, Stability, and Freedom
1. Maintaining Mental Stability in an Age of Stress
Zen helps individuals remain centered amidst rapid pace and overwhelming information.
2.Strengthning Awareness and Insight
By observing the mind, people better understand their emotions and motivations, making wiser decisions.
3.Living With Ease and Building Harmonious Relationships
Zen nurtures compassion, focus, and gentleness, improving relationships with oneself and others.
5. Entering the Gate of Zen: Awareness First, Life as Practice
1.Beginning With the Breath
Knowing “I am inhaling, I am exhaling” anchors awareness in the body and in the present.
2.Not Resisting or Reacting to Thoughts
Recognizing thoughts without following them is a key Zen attitude.
3.Bringing Zen Into Every Movement
Eating, walking, speaking, listening—every moment becomes Zen when lived with awareness.
Conclusion
To truly understand Zen is to see that it is not philosophy nor mysticism, but a path of awakening.
Zen brings clarity amid confusion, freedom amid attachment, and compassion amid fear.
To understand Zen is to understand the true state of life itself.
