Miracle of Mindfulness

[Shiju]

I'm a big fan of the Hanh!


Oddly enough, though, what may be my favorite book of his is actually an intense mind-blower of a philosophy book he wrote called Transformation At The Base that might surprise those familiar with only his "lighter" stuff. A very nice book to read in conjunction with Red Pine's treatment of the Heart Sutra. (And of course, TNH's treatment of the Heart Sutra is a classic as well.)

Stephanie, you might also appreciate Thich Nhat Hanh's more recent book, Nothing to Do, Nowhere to Go, which is a detailed commentary on the Rinzai Record. Master Rinzai (aka Master Linji) emphasized direct experience and sudden realization, and the episodes reported in the Rinzai Record contain many instances of violence (i.e., the Master hitting his disciples) as well as Rinzai's famous shout, which Thich Nhat Hanh likens to a sword cutting off the head of a question and returning the disciple to immediate experience. Thich Nhat Hanh's manner is gentle, and his commitment to non-violence is radical and absolute. But his practice is rooted in the teachings of Linji and the rigors of Vietnamese Rinzai Zen, and its core is anything but soft or sentimental. Not all of his followers are aware of that.

Regarding the half-smile that Thich Nhat Hanh advocates, I think it is best understood as a means of cultivating compassionate attention, whether to oneself or others. It is a component of "mindfulness of feelings," or the second Foundation of Mindfulness, and its origin may be traced to the Sattipathana Sutra. In tandem with mindfulness of breathing and directed to parts of the body, the half-smile brings kind attention to whatever it touches. In Thich Nhat Hanh's practice, the intent is not to be continuously happy or to whistle a happy tune but to nourish and restore parts of the body that may have been neglected or abused.

Gassho,

Ben

[Jenifer]

This is a wonderful thread and it's fascinating to read everyone's take on TNH. I haven't read anything by him yet, but after reading this thread, I have a list and am on a mission to go to the book store tonight after work.

Jenny, I am LOVING your stories and the poem you shared is simply lovely. I have a 5 year old daughter that I will be sharing it with. Thanks so much!

I often struggle with how to share Zen and Buddhism with her, being that she is 5 I figure maybe the best thing is to just set an example. And explore more when or if she becomes more interested.

I got off topic didn't I? DOH! ops:

[will]

No Jenifer. That's right on topic. A lot of people around here are in the same situation. If you have any questions try posting a new topic or talk to Jundo or Keith (he teaches children).

And don't forget to sit

Gassho Will

[Ankai]

That being said, I have reservations about the Practice (gee, I am so critical of every darn thing today!!!) if it means that we associate Buddhist Practice with having to feel happy happy happy.

I don't know if I read that the same way. When I read TNH's words about the half smile, or his breath excersise in "Peace Is Every Step," (Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out I smile. Dwelling in this present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment.) I sore of see it more as being about contentment an being in and accepting the present as it comes.
I had a great t-shirt idea the other day. It says, in big letters, "Zen." Then in small letters under that it says, "It is what it is."
I really think that's the heart of TNH's smiling thing... the simple acceptance that "it is what it is." How one responds from there is up to them... but approaching it with that half smile's got to be a good start.
Just my own thoughts.
With a smile...

[Lloyd Kilmer]

. I have a 5 year old daughter that I will be sharing it with. Thanks so much!

I often struggle with how to share Zen and Buddhism with her, being that she is 5 I figure maybe the best thing is to just set an example. And explore more when or if she becomes more interested.

Jenny, glad to have you with us - I lived in Omaha for many years. Five year olds have the mindfulness, being in the moment, that adults hope to recapture. I remember my daughter being so into her drawing that she would forget to eat

[Shiju]

Zen practitioners who wish to learn more about the Vietnamese roots of Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh's practice can find explanatory remarks at:

http://www.mindfulnessbell.org/articles ... owers2.htm


Here is an excerpt:

The meditation that I share in the West has its roots in Vietnam of the third century. We had a very famous Zen master, Master Tang Hoi, whose father was a soldier from India and his mother a young Vietnamese woman. When his parents passed away, the child Tang Hoi went to a temple in northern Vietnam to become a monastic. He translated commentaries on the sutras in that temple in Vietnam, then went to China where he became the first Zen master teaching meditation in China — three hundred years before Bodhidharma. I wrote a book about Zen Master Tang Hoi, and I said that Vietnamese Buddhists should worship this Zen master as our first Zen master of Vietnam. An artist drew his picture for me so we could have it on the altars at our different centers.

In Vietnam we have the Mahayana tradition and the Hinayana tradition. I was lucky that when I was trained in the Mahayana tradition I also had time to research the stream of original Buddhism. I discovered that Zen Master Tang Hoi had used the original Buddhist sutras with a very open view of the Mahayana tradition. That is why when we organize retreats in Europe or North America, many people come from different traditions and they feel very comfortable. Our practice combines both Mahayana and Hinayana traditions and the basic sutras we use in meditation are present in all different schools — in the Pali, Chinese, Sanskrit, Korean, and Tibetan Canons of Buddhist scriptures. I have translated and written commentaries on sutras about meditation like Learning the Better Way to Live Alone and The Mindfulness of Breathing. Even though I didn’t talk about them tonight, the spirit of my talk was based on the insight of these sutras.

Gassho,

Ben

[Fuken]

Zen practitioners who wish to learn more about the Vietnamese roots of Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh's practice can find explanatory remarks at:

http://www.mindfulnessbell.org/articles ... owers2.htm


Here is an excerpt:

The meditation that I share in the West has its roots in Vietnam of the third century. We had a very famous Zen master, Master Tang Hoi, whose father was a soldier from India and his mother a young Vietnamese woman. When his parents passed away, the child Tang Hoi went to a temple in northern Vietnam to become a monastic. He translated commentaries on the sutras in that temple in Vietnam, then went to China where he became the first Zen master teaching meditation in China — three hundred years before Bodhidharma. I wrote a book about Zen Master Tang Hoi, and I said that Vietnamese Buddhists should worship this Zen master as our first Zen master of Vietnam. An artist drew his picture for me so we could have it on the altars at our different centers.

In Vietnam we have the Mahayana tradition and the Hinayana tradition. I was lucky that when I was trained in the Mahayana tradition I also had time to research the stream of original Buddhism. I discovered that Zen Master Tang Hoi had used the original Buddhist sutras with a very open view of the Mahayana tradition. That is why when we organize retreats in Europe or North America, many people come from different traditions and they feel very comfortable. Our practice combines both Mahayana and Hinayana traditions and the basic sutras we use in meditation are present in all different schools — in the Pali, Chinese, Sanskrit, Korean, and Tibetan Canons of Buddhist scriptures. I have translated and written commentaries on sutras about meditation like Learning the Better Way to Live Alone and The Mindfulness of Breathing. Even though I didn’t talk about them tonight, the spirit of my talk was based on the insight of these sutras.

Gassho,

Ben

I think this is interesting, and may be along the same lines, Suzuki Roshi once described Soto Zen as being Hinayana Buddhists with Mahayana Minds.

Gassho,
Jordan

[Jundo]

Hi,

Ven TNH is a marvelous teacher of meditation and the Precepts. Although my understanding is that Master Naht Hanh's teachings tend well toward the Ch'an/Zen side of the mixture, folks new to Zen might want to know that Buddhism in Vietnam tends to be a mixture of North Asian (mostly Chinese) and Southeast Asian (Cambodian and Thai) Buddhism. Ch'an/Zen in Vietnam is in the Rinzai tradition, and is actually a mixture of Zen and Pure Land teachings (and some indigenous traditions). So, the flavor can be quite different sometimes from the flavor of the Japanese Soto tradition (although the universe is still the same). A bit like the difference between Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese food? Pure Land Buddhism preaches faith in the Buddha Amida, a cosmic savior, who will take believers who intone his name to the "Pure Land" heaven upon death (sound generally like another religion we know??)

Here is a little article about Vietnamese Buddhism ...

http://buddhismtoday.com/english/medita ... reland.htm

Since Zen is more a methodology than a system of thought, although it certainly does have a system of thought, the self-power of Zen, contains the other power of Pure Land. Once you have self power, you must have other power. After all, the Recitation of the Buddha's name is used as a concentration exercise. This is where Chinese/ Vietnamese Pure Land differs from Japanese forms. The Vietnamese Pure Land adherents also meditate whenever they have the time to, whereas Jodosinshu says that meditation is a mere psychological trick, where you think you are capable of saving yourself. They say we must drop meditation and all thoughts of saving ourselves, and rely only upon Buddha Amitabha to save us. Their practice is to realize exactly who and what they are, without any rosy constructs placed upon their realization.

If your practice is to devoid everything in your mind, does it matter is you use a koan, shikentaza or recreating the Buddha in your mind? All of these techniques work if they are done with great diligence and bring the meditator to the same point, to the satori experience (that is to insight, which Theravadans praise so much.)

When you begin Pure Land practice, you think of the Buddha and his Pure Land as being apart from you. But as you practice it, slowly you come to realize that you and Amitabha are one and the same. You can experience the Pure Land right here and now.

Gassho, Jundo