More Meiho

About Zen Practice

Greed, Anger, Ignorance.

These are the three poisons. They are the property of Ego.

Ego

1. Ego is the controller. It wants to destroy anything that threatens its dominance.

It is attracted to anything that extends it’s power.

It forces Original mind into a sub-servant position.

It promises to provide money and material possessions.

It lies, cheats, steals and has no sense of morality, considers morality to be a weakness.

It hates Zazen because zazen threatens its dominance.

2. Skeptic - (The great doubt)

This is a great wall standing directly in front of you; you have to break it down. Don’t give up, do zazen like your hair was on fire.

3. Trust

Ego Releasing control.

Original mind takes its rightful place. There is no separate self. No separation between self and other.

4. Original mind

No form, no size, no color, no inside-outside, no right-no wrong. Your true mind is the same mind as all the Buddhas in the ten directions. Don't seek Buddha outside of your own mind. Outside of your mind there is no Buddha.

5. Non-seeking original mind

Accepting everything as it is, awaking in the moment.

Satori

6. Shu-sho-ichi-nyo

“Practice and enlightment are not two” Do Zazen, Do Zazen, Do Zazen!

7. Compassionate Heart

everyone has the fundamental wisdom of the Buddha.

Everyone has Buddha nature but realization comes through the practice of zazen.

8. Peace

No fault, no blame. No one is at fault, no one is to blame. Everything is perfect as it is. No need for desire, everything is already yours in it's own time and place.

9. Wisdom

Bright shining mirror mind (Original mind)

Only reflects that which comes before it, makes no judgment about right or wrong, good, evil, inside-outside, right-left etc. Mind and body are dropped away then dropping away is dropped away. No delusion, no enlightment.

10. Compassion

All living beings in the universe have Buddha nature.

11. Master (Ancient light)

Original mind. Bright shining silver moon reflected in a dewdrop.

Don’t let ego control original mind, original mind is the master, ego is the servant.

12. Integrated self

Composite of original mind and ego. Speak with one voice. Keep original mind in control and ego in its proper place.

13. Absolute

Your true nature. (Original mind)

14. Fundamental reality

Small mind. (Ego) (Sensory mind)

Keep an equal balance; don’t walk with both feet in the absolute or with both feet in fundamental reality. Walk with one foot in the absolute and one foot in fundamental reality. If you stay in the absolute you can’t relate to the world of fundamental reality. If you stay in the world of fundamental reality you are completely deluded.

Keep the Balance

Don’t pay attention to other peoples opinions. Those opinions are just products of their own personal karma and have nothing to do with you.

Don’t do zazen tomorrow, do it now, there is no tomorrow there is only now.

The past is remembered in this moment, the future is envisioned in this moment, all of time is contained in this moment. There is no time beyond this moment.

The purpose of zazen is to forget the self, drop off mind and body. When mind and body are dropped away then opinions are dropped away as well. The original mind is like an empty, bright shining mirror. It flows like water and takes the form of whatever comes before it; it does not stick with any form but realizes its connectedness with all sentient and non-sentient beings in the universe. I am not you and you are not me but we are the same. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

Only when you are completely detached from yourself can you realize what is common to yourself and others. Then “Self “ immediately opens into “Selflessness.” Selflessness is called “The true self” or “Original mind.”

The thought of enlightment.

You must arouse the “Thought of enlightment.” The mind that fully sees into the uncertain world of birth and death (impermanence) is called the “Thought of enlightment.” “Hishiryo” means “No goal or desire for gain.” If you have the thought of gaining from your practice you cannot attain the way. If you have the thought of fame or fortune, you cannot attain the way. Never enter this practice with your own ideas or opinions, if you do even if you sit in Zazen for thirty or forty years you will not be free from suffering.

Meiho Noel MacDonald

On a full moon night in June 2007