Hell

Maybe I should see the buddhist precepts of living not as rules, but traffic signs. As I undestand there is no Hell as a physical place or punishment for bad actions in Zen. Hell, in Zen, is a state of being, again, as I undestand. Therefore, if I find myself breaking a precept, it doesn't mean that I am going to be punished by God or whatever. It just means that I am living in Hell already. If I find myself lying, stealing, being violent, intoxicating myself or sexually abusing somebody, it just means that I am acting guided by fear, greed, hate or ignorance. If living that is not living in Hell in itself, I don't know what else could be.

Happiness and Perfection

I don't feel like Happiness has anything to do with perfection, because perfect is not even always alive. Perfection feels more related to wholesomeness.

The Only Hell.

Attachment is the only hell. And attachment is no more than the lack of the hability to renew ones option, move on and grow up.

Life's Journey

Wherever one is going, one is going back towards oneself.

Change

When I change myself, I change the world around. When I change the world around, I change myself.

The Center of the Universe

You are not the center of the Universe, but you are the center of what the Universe is to you.

Prejudice and addiction

Zazen feels to me like a process of disintegration of prejudices and addictions, mainly, the prejudice of what one is supposed to be and the addiction to what one is.

Shoes and the foot

Samsara is the shoe. Zen is the foot. Which one would I rather live without?

Wearing shoes is necessary and can also be fun, but only when one has feet.

Before death comes.

As it seems to me, Zen is not about achieving Heavens but realizing earth with plenitude. Zen is not about reincarnation concerns but fully incarnating in this body. There is no preoccupation about life after death, but practicing being completely and meaningfully alive before death comes. When one's life is fulfilling and has sense death is impossible and Heaven is everywhere.

the Ultimate Answer

Sometimes it comes to me the idea that Zen is a process of eliminating the question that leads to the ultimate answer. The question may be an unnecessary loop, because, as it seems to me, who asks and the answer are the same.

Playing is serious business

If you aren't playing and having fun is just because you aren't being serious enough about life.

Unity

Loneliness - Aloneness - Alone - One - Unit - Unity