buddha statues
September 2007 
Aloof, zen.
Posted on Jan 19th, 2006
by 
Yuri
Yuri
Life is a bustling energetic busy bee. We come and go from this place to that place, we rush to work, rush to eat, rush to play, rush to rest. Well, we don't get much actual rest times. Some people are so good at juggling their activities while others are in such disarrayed that the slightest noise can break them into a headache or irritability. Stress really can weigh us heavily and our "field energies" can bounce off and effect others as well as ourselves.
Yesterday, I forgot to bring an utensil for my supper at work and knowing I had arrived early enough, I went around the building hunting for a plastic fork. The experience was journey in itself. My first arrival was a sandwich deli. There should be some in there I assumed. The man questioned my question on the availability of forks, gave me a strange look and said "goodbye" ignoring my every existence. Okay, I shuffled across the long hallway pass a convenience store. I didn't bother to go in, if they had utensils, I would have had to buy it in packages so I continued on my way upstairs to the fourth floor cafeteria. I asked again, the lady stared bright eyes as though I am asking for sushi or a fishing boat. I repeated my question again and she said "Twenty-five cents". I walked over and pay for it but in the back of my mind, it is interesting to notice people's edgy and crankiness just for a plastic fork.
I guess, in the past, I would have let out steam but I guess I mellow out as the years gone by. If we look at it from a bird's eye point of view, it is just a speck..if we look at it from a satellite from space, we can't even locate it. There are so many people out there, and just because they are irritable does not mean I have to be in that state. Freedom is choice and some choices give us freedom and peace of mind and others give us frustrations, anger and suffering. What would you choose?
From an episode of the 70"s show, Jackie learns about dealing with prickly people (laurie). Hide tells Jackie, "We have to be zen." When Jackie questions about it, he says, the strategy is to be "aloof, be zen." Hides gets Jackie to insult him and he illustrates his zen to her. No matter what people say to push our boundaries, we are zen about it and response with "whatever", "that's cool" and be ambiguous. Of course, the humorous part of this episode is that Jackie takes the journey into zen, loses it, beats up the other girl in a cat fight and repeats "Whatever, that's cool". We got to give her credit for trying the zen path. It was a blast to watch because some part in me wanted to copy her actions and kick ass but then that is TV. Full drama, full emotions, full actions and full of false sub-conscious beliefs and identities.
Usually, we can sense our stress, fatigue, nervous, crappy shrewish self. So if we can sense when it comes, we can resolve it at that moment. For me, meditating or looking at Buddha statues can bring peace. The Buddha statues does not fuss or care about my glaze, it stares back happily. I look again and it seems to be welcoming me with his grin. The Buddha statues seem to have a healing magic that completely sooth my worries, tensions, and fears away. The face full of serenity and equanimity that I can't help but smile and enjoy the Buddha's smile reflected back. There is something in that smile that I noticed, it has a sense of mysterious qualities making me wonder as though it knows something we do not and if we want to know, we have to discover it ourselves.
A smile that is not full yet not small but a tad rising up at the rim. And at certain times when I see Buddha statues such as on retreats, I swear that the Buddha statues appears to be returning my smiles and watching me with protection . The Buddha statues are tools of reminder and guide. Sticky notes that suggest a consciousness of high position that keeps us on track of the path towards mindfulness until enlightenment. The Buddha statues are the reflections of all the Buddhas' beauties: compassion, peace of mind, creativity, imagination, concentration, wisdom, humour, playfulness, light-heartedness, and wondrous joy that is within all of us. They are one of our many teachers that allow the infinite extension of space within us to input as little or as big as positive or as negative as the world universes. Whatever our mind consist of, whatever it creates; becomes into reality, it becomes our nature, our habits, and our personalities. The mind reflects from the heart and the heart reflects on the mind. A cycle of karmic energies flowing from one state to another. Isn't it better to hammer away ill - temper, anger, hostility, hatred, greed, jealousy, ill-will etc..? What kind and how many footprints do we want to leave in our sub-conscious?
Yesterday, I forgot to bring an utensil for my supper at work and knowing I had arrived early enough, I went around the building hunting for a plastic fork. The experience was journey in itself. My first arrival was a sandwich deli. There should be some in there I assumed. The man questioned my question on the availability of forks, gave me a strange look and said "goodbye" ignoring my every existence. Okay, I shuffled across the long hallway pass a convenience store. I didn't bother to go in, if they had utensils, I would have had to buy it in packages so I continued on my way upstairs to the fourth floor cafeteria. I asked again, the lady stared bright eyes as though I am asking for sushi or a fishing boat. I repeated my question again and she said "Twenty-five cents". I walked over and pay for it but in the back of my mind, it is interesting to notice people's edgy and crankiness just for a plastic fork.
I guess, in the past, I would have let out steam but I guess I mellow out as the years gone by. If we look at it from a bird's eye point of view, it is just a speck..if we look at it from a satellite from space, we can't even locate it. There are so many people out there, and just because they are irritable does not mean I have to be in that state. Freedom is choice and some choices give us freedom and peace of mind and others give us frustrations, anger and suffering. What would you choose?
From an episode of the 70"s show, Jackie learns about dealing with prickly people (laurie). Hide tells Jackie, "We have to be zen." When Jackie questions about it, he says, the strategy is to be "aloof, be zen." Hides gets Jackie to insult him and he illustrates his zen to her. No matter what people say to push our boundaries, we are zen about it and response with "whatever", "that's cool" and be ambiguous. Of course, the humorous part of this episode is that Jackie takes the journey into zen, loses it, beats up the other girl in a cat fight and repeats "Whatever, that's cool". We got to give her credit for trying the zen path. It was a blast to watch because some part in me wanted to copy her actions and kick ass but then that is TV. Full drama, full emotions, full actions and full of false sub-conscious beliefs and identities.
Usually, we can sense our stress, fatigue, nervous, crappy shrewish self. So if we can sense when it comes, we can resolve it at that moment. For me, meditating or looking at Buddha statues can bring peace. The Buddha statues does not fuss or care about my glaze, it stares back happily. I look again and it seems to be welcoming me with his grin. The Buddha statues seem to have a healing magic that completely sooth my worries, tensions, and fears away. The face full of serenity and equanimity that I can't help but smile and enjoy the Buddha's smile reflected back. There is something in that smile that I noticed, it has a sense of mysterious qualities making me wonder as though it knows something we do not and if we want to know, we have to discover it ourselves.
A smile that is not full yet not small but a tad rising up at the rim. And at certain times when I see Buddha statues such as on retreats, I swear that the Buddha statues appears to be returning my smiles and watching me with protection . The Buddha statues are tools of reminder and guide. Sticky notes that suggest a consciousness of high position that keeps us on track of the path towards mindfulness until enlightenment. The Buddha statues are the reflections of all the Buddhas' beauties: compassion, peace of mind, creativity, imagination, concentration, wisdom, humour, playfulness, light-heartedness, and wondrous joy that is within all of us. They are one of our many teachers that allow the infinite extension of space within us to input as little or as big as positive or as negative as the world universes. Whatever our mind consist of, whatever it creates; becomes into reality, it becomes our nature, our habits, and our personalities. The mind reflects from the heart and the heart reflects on the mind. A cycle of karmic energies flowing from one state to another. Isn't it better to hammer away ill - temper, anger, hostility, hatred, greed, jealousy, ill-will etc..? What kind and how many footprints do we want to leave in our sub-conscious?
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Hey Yuri……………..This will prolly shock you……..but what is Zen? I see it all the time here at Zaadz…..but don’t know what it is!
But I hear you …….lately I have been practicing …….staying in my own “emotional state” ……no matter what is going on around me. Used to…..if someone else was sad, I was sad……….if someone else was angry, I became angry………and so on. It is so easy to do and such a bad habit to break. But the more I practice staying in my own chosen “emotional state” the more enjoyable life has been. Because I choose joy…..looking for the silver lining in any given situation. If there is something positive in the day ………I shall find it.
Heidi
Good for you Heidi. Thanks for sharing. You are doing great! Zen is one of many tradition of Buddhism paths in Japan. I do not know too deeply about it. Here is my bits: In meditation, zen is focus of no thoughts and stillness by doing sitting medtation and watching our breath and remaining in the present moment. They usually like to engage practioners by asking zen questions to test their wisdom. “Zen is intuitive understanding”.
I found one zen questions: from a Hindu story.
A Hindu story tells of a fish who asked of another fish: “I have always heard about the sea, but what is it? Where is it?” The other fish replied: “You live, move and have your being in the sea. The sea is within you and without you, and you are made of sea, and you will end in sea. The sea surrounds you as your own being.” The only true answer is the one that you find for youself.
Found a great site for a sample of zen meditation!
Experience Zen Meditation Enjoy =)
I love this. I so often come to that moment of “watching” myself rush around in a tizzy instead of being immersed in the anguish of the experience. Then laugh laugh laugh at myself like the simple smiling Buddha-ha
Did you try out the online zen meditation? It was neat..at first, I didn’t know what I was suppose to do when a Big zen’s master’s face is on the screen and the fly buzzing..heheh how many second did I last? hehehe.