Archive for the 'Buddhism/Zen' Category

Attachment to Stories and Fear

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Breaking the Chain of AttachmentWe can be physically in this world, but mentally trapped in a world of stories. When we get attached to stories in our mind, we drift away from reality. It’s through this drifting that Fear surfaces. The mind keeps building the story, adding twists, turns and doubts, pulling us further away from reality. The further away from reality we get, the stronger our Fear grows.

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Your Thoughts: A Buddhist Response to the Economic Crisis

The current global economic crisis is easily understood through a Buddhist framework. The institutions saw the world as self and other. They saw, and see, it as something to “win”. They focused on Profits and the Trickle Down Theory of economics.

Buddhism teaches us about no self, no other. It teaches us that the “I” thing we grasp isn’t real. It opens us to the world of interconnectedness and interrelatedness. That’s all well and good but the thing is, we’re here now.

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What Is The Middle Way?

Dharma Wheel 8 Fold Path

And what, monks, is the Middle Way realized by the Thus-Come-One, which gives vision and understanding, which leads to calm, penetration, enlightenment, to Nirvana?
 
It is just this Noble Eightfold Path, namely: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. – The Buddha, Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta

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Happiness is for All Time, Not Just the Future

Laughing Buddha – MaitreyaWe get told to work hard for future happiness. When does this future happiness arrive? People work hard their whole lives, saving, so that they can have a good retirement. When we retire is when we’re meant to be relaxed and happy. This is the wool being pulled over our eyes. I feel that as a society, we’ve been brain washed to work, instead of enjoying our lives.

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Beyond Words and Phrases

Zen Master Dogen“Explanations of mind and explanations of the nature are not affirmed by the Buddhist patriarchs. Seeing the mind and seeing the nature is the animated activity of non-Buddhist. Staying in words and staying in phrases is not the speech of liberation. There is a state which has got free from states like these.” – Master Dogen, Shobogenzo, Sansuigyo

What is Dogen discussing here? ‘Not affirmed’? How does the speech of liberation sound? How does one access the states beyond Explaining and Seeing?

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Keep Sitting

Manjusri, Keep SittingSitting is hard. Sometimes you feel good, but often you feel a little stiff or sore. You don’t notice how it affects your life. You get busy. Stuff comes up. Somehow daily sitting becomes less of a priority. Somewhere along the line you pick up the saying that “a few moments of mindfulness each day is good enough”. “Good Enough” is different to “Good”. We need to Keep Sitting.

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Support The Middle Way - An Enso, For You to Own

An Enso is the Zen symbol that represents enlightenment. It’s generally considered an output of enlightened activity. It’s both the symbol and reality of enlightenment. It’s a brush stroke from a master, that in a single thought-less breath captures the moment of non-thought. The brush stroke is a record of reality, the whole world is contained within the stroke.

The Middle Way has been using the Enso as part of the rotating mast header for a while. The Enso runs deep through this site, and through me. I’ve been wanting to share this Enso with the world for a while, Now I can, with you.

I created a stencil based on a Enso seen on Alan Watt’s houseboat. You can see this Enso in a digital version of Alan’s work called Prickles and Goo. There’s a lot of history behind this Enso.

Now it’s your chance to get 1 of 20 limited edition, hand printed, signed Enso for your walls. 4 have already sold.


Black Enso Print #8/20, on A1 Size White Archival Stock


Close up of Black Enso Print #8/20, on A1 Size White Archival Stock

Prints are $50 +S&H, in your local currency. If you are interested in buying a print, please e-mail me, wade@themiddleway.net.


By buying an Enso, you’re donating to The Middle Way. You’re enabling me to send out more Free Buddhist Books. This isn’t for profit, your Dana goes back to ship out books. You not only help me, but around 10 readers of this website who are after a book by purchasing an Enso.

Each print is carefully looked over to ensure no defects are shipped out. They are made in a dust-free environment, after I’ve entered into a deep state of meditation. I have incense burning, far away from the print. No two prints are the same, they are all unique.

By Buying an Enso, not only do you get a fantastic print, but you are helping me cover costs of sending out free books throughout the world. You are also enabling me to spend more time focusing on The Middle Way, allowing more creations and writing. The Middle Way is still Not For Profit.

UPDATE 13/Oct: The draft canvas has gone, and I’ve also put better pictures up. I’ve drastically lowered the number of Enso I’m printing, now 20 in total, of which 4 have already sold. This is now seriously limited edition, and all profits still go to sending books back out.

Free Buddhist Books, for You

I’m in a very fortunate position to be able to send you a Free Buddhist Book. Any where in the world, no costs or strings attached.

Pictures of the books, as well as titles are listed below.

If you would like a Free Buddhist Book, please leave a comment down the bottom, and eventually, I’ll contact you for your address and book preference.

Gassho,

Wade


Free Buddhist Books, For you!


Free Buddhist Books, For you! - More Titles
I’ve got some more titles, as displayed above

There’s plenty of different titles at all levels. I’m reading through all of them, and have found them enjoyable and informative. They inspire practice, and contain lots of great information. If you’d like a book, please make a request from the titles below. I’ll try my best to get you out the right book, or will pick something similar.

The titles are:-
Liao~Fan’s Four Lessons—Changing One’s Destiny
The Awakening of Lovingkindness & A Path to True Happiness
The Sutra of Hui Neng—Sutra spoken by the 6th Patriarch on the high seat of “The Treasure Of The Law”
Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva
In One Lifetime: Pure Land Buddhism
Short Talks From Venerable Master Chin Kung
Awakening a Kind Heart
The Mind’s Journey to Ultimate Happiness
Buddhism as an Education & To Understand Buddhism

UPDATE 1/October/08 I now have more than 10 books. Thanks to another fantastic Buddhist Bookshop (link and details coming soon), I have an almost unlimited supply of book. I’ll be getting the new photos/titles up soon. At this point, I’d like keep it to 1 book per-person.

Please keep leaving me comments if you’d like a Free Buddhist Book, as I can send them to you. I’m going to start sending books out probably next week. I’m getting packaging on Friday.

UPDATE 10/October/08 The first batch of books went out a few days ago, and I’m hearing they are starting to arrive. I’ve sent out 8 packages so far, to Melbourne, America, and New Delhi. Feel free to leave a comment if you get a package from me. To those I’ve not sent out yet, I’m hoping to get another 8 or 10 packages out around the 19th. Thanks for your patience.

UPDATE 22/October/08 I’ve updated the titles, and have started collecting addresses for the second mailout.
My book supplier is Maha Bodhi Buddhist Centre, they are based in Surry Hills, Sydney.

UPDATE 3/November/08 Second Mailout’s taken place. I’ll be mailing you for your addresses for the third mailout soon. If you get a book, please leave a comment.

UPDATE 3/December/08 The 4th mailout’s just taken place. Books have been sent to the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canda, England, and Germany. Will be requesting addresses for a 5th mailout soon. If you get a book, please leave a comment.