Tag Archives: zen buddhism

Jan 7 – “Nothingness is Infinite Possibilities”

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One last post on the excellent book by Cynthia Bourgeault, Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, (c) 2004.

Centering Prayer (CP) might better be called the “path to your most interior self” or the “abiding prayer of silence.” The name itself is not important it is the practice of meditation that makes a difference.

CP is the creation of inter-religious and interspiritual dialogue. Based on Hindu, Zen Buddhism, Jain, Christian (Catholic, Protestant, Quaker), 12 Step Program for Recovery to Addiction, Transcendental Meditation and Ken Wilbur’s 9-Level Fallacy.

Ultimately, committed daily sitting in silence will encourage you to:

  1. Renew your own tradition (e.g., Buddhist meditation)
  2. Be of service to others in the community
  3. Engage in and appreciate interspiritual dialogue

I highly recommend reading or listening to the audiobook for Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening and/or watching the 1hr/17-minute YouTube video linked above with special attention on the last 17 minutes.

As Thomas Keating said, the nothingness (of sitting in silence) leads to infinite possibilities.

High Coo – Oct 11 – Happy Birthday Thich Nhat Hanh

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Thich Nhất Hạnh in Paris in 2006

Zen Master and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, was born on this day in 1926. He died earlier this year, at the age of 95, January 22, 2022. Known mostly for his non-violent peace activism during the American/Vietnam War in the 1960s, he was lauded by such notables as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Father Thomas Merton.

Thich Nhất Hạnh, or Thay’ (which means “teacher” in Vietnamese), “published over 130 books, including more than 100 in English, which as of January 2019 had sold over five million copies worldwide. His books, which cover topics including spiritual guides and Buddhist texts, teachings on mindfulness, poetry, story collections, and scholarly essays on Zen practice, have been translated into more than 40 languages as of January 2022. In 1986 Nhất Hạnh founded Parallax Press, a nonprofit book publisher and part of the Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Nhat_Hanh

As one of his thousands of students, I have taken comfort especially in his books: Living Buddha, Living Christ, No Death, No Fear and No Mud, No Lotus published in 1995, 2002 and 2014 respectively. See https://www.parallax.org/authors/thich-nhat-hanh/ An inspiring quote from the first book mentioned is “Because you are alive, everything is possible.”

Today’s humble haiku: Happy Birthday Thich Nhat Hanh

Ev’ry moment counts,

relative and ultimate –

let’s pause, breathe and smile

https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/thich-nhat-hanh