[The Joker1]

��Lion's Gaze

“If sometimes we practice with diligence and at other times just take it easy, we will not be able to develop confidence in our meditation on the view. What must we do to develop this confidence? We must understand that day and night, throughout the entire dimension of our lives, there is no difference between the meditation experience and the post-meditation experience.
Initially we identify the fresh and naked state of uncontrived awareness through conditioned mindfulness, a natural state of awareness, will arise without our having to manipulate it trough a conditioned mindfulness. Through that innate mindfulness, the yoga of resting like a flowing river is maintained constantly, day and night, during deep sleep, in dreams – all the time. In order to recognize that, one should leave the mind uncontrived in the natural state. This unaltered stage of mind is free fro the very beginning. This is the view of primordial purity. While one is maintaining that unaltered nature, lots of thought projections will arise. These thoughts might be positive, such as faith, devotion, and renunciation; or negative, such as passion, aggression, and ignorance. However, both these types of thoughts are projected from the same basis, the intrinsic nature of sugatagarbha. It is not that there is a bad place from which negative thoughts arise and a good place from which positive thoughts arise.
Where does the root of our confusion come from? The Buddha Bhagavat said that there are two ways of relating with thought projections in meditation: that of the dog and that of the lion. If a dog in hit by a stone, it does not check to see who threw the stone, but runs after the stone. In this way, it will be hit by many stones and never find out where they are coming from. When a lion is hit by a stone, it pays no heed to the stone, but looks and finds out who threw it. Because of that, the lion is only hit once.”

Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche – (Oral Instructions on 'Three Words That Strike The Vital Point' – on Meditation – Collected Works, Vol III pp 622-23 – Shambhala)

[Stoner4Life]

I've read through here several times, so many honest & validating answers, I'm impressed with 'depth' of the members here.

However, I do find it somewhat curious and or suspect that nobody's fessed up (yet) to finding their zen @ porn hub .com ~ go figure

c'mon folks, it's not like your mom or preacher's reading this.......

[Gypsy Nirvana]

I used to find my Zen right there, throwing old sticks and/or coconuts into the Sulu Sea with my dogs.....Or swimming with them all trying to catch up with me in the water so that they could use me as an island. Or walking on the beach at night under a full moon with them scurrying all over the place trying to catch crabs...

Yes, I found more understanding and communion amongst these animals than I ever have done with humans.

These days....I long for those days, because I'm not finding any Zen here.

[Water-]

go to the water, its the only place i feel comfortable

[coldcanna]

Originally Posted by Gypsy Nirvana

These days....I long for those days, because I'm not finding any Zen here.

Keep your head up Gypsy, it has been my experience that life changes like the 4 seasons. For every beautiful sunny day there is a coldy wintery one. It is the hope that spring is on the horizon that we must hold on to.

Interesting how everyone's response involves nature. I've always thought that modern urban/ suburban life cuts your ties with our "ground state" which is to live harmoniously with the planet and its creatures.

[Mick]

Cool little trippy chill-out session with Deepak and friends from the movie The Reality of Truth, a journey into the Rain Forest in search of ayawaska. Good stuff.
Maybe off topic, maybe not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNW-...m8aOXe&index=2

[Kaskadian]

Ah... zen...

Fly fishing out in the rivers and not seeing another living soul for the entire day.

Sitting in the deer stand with my bow and listening to the sounds of the forest... no cell phone, no talking, just peace and quiet.

Hiking; I gotta get away from the cities to release the pressure that builds up from the daily grind of living around a concrete jungle -- traffic, people, noise, etc. F**K city living! If I could find a way to make it work living back in the country I'd be gone tomorrow.

Taking my son to the family farm in the middle of nowhere (closest neighbor is about a mile away) and laying on a massive hay bale staring at the stars together. I forget how bright the sky is after living near cities for too long.

Smoking a few bowls with the wife and cooking together on a Saturday afternoon knowing I still have plenty of time to spend with her before I have to go back to the work grind.

Hanging out with the boys, smoking bowls, and watching classic boxing matches that we've each seen 20 times... just laughing, bullshitting, and enjoying each others company.

Be happy y'all and make time for yourselves and your family.

[Wendull C.]

Originally Posted by Kaskadian

Ah... zen...

Fly fishing out in the rivers and not seeing another living soul for the entire day.

Sitting in the deer stand with my bow and listening to the sounds of the forest... no cell phone, no talking, just peace and quiet.

Hiking; I gotta get away from the cities to release the pressure that builds up from the daily grind of living around a concrete jungle -- traffic, people, noise, etc. F**K city living! If I could find a way to make it work living back in the country I'd be gone tomorrow.

Taking my son to the family farm in the middle of nowhere (closest neighbor is about a mile away) and laying on a massive hay bale staring at the stars together. I forget how bright the sky is after living near cities for too long.

Smoking a few bowls with the wife and cooking together on a Saturday afternoon knowing I still have plenty of time to spend with her before I have to go back to the work grind.

Hanging out with the boys, smoking bowls, and watching classic boxing matches that we've each seen 20 times... just laughing, bullshitting, and enjoying each others company.

Be happy y'all and make time for yourselves and your family.

That post brought a smile to my face...