Enter Zen
From There
A story. A question. A practice.
A quieter you.
01The Threshold
Scroll
A young disciple
sought enlightenment
A Zen Master was walking in silence with one of his disciples along a mountain trail. When they came to an ancient cedar tree, they sat down under it for a simple meal of some rice and vegetables.
The disciple was a young monk who had not yet found the key to the mystery of Zen. After the meal, he broke the silence. “Master,” he asked, “how do I enter Zen?”
He was, of course, inquiring how to enter the state of consciousness which is Zen.
A way of being, not a set of beliefs. Nothing here is asking to be agreed with.
The Master remained silent. Almost five minutes passed while the disciple anxiously waited for an answer. He was about to ask another question when the Master suddenly spoke.
02The Parable
“Do you hear the sound of that mountain stream?”
The disciple had been busy thinking about the meaning of Zen. He stopped. He listened. At first he heard nothing. Then his thinking gave way to a heightened alertness, and suddenly he did hear the hardly perceptible murmur of a small stream in the far distance. He wasn’t thinking about enlightenment. He was simply… aware.
Not a concept, but a direct experience. It was his first satori, and he knew what Zen was without knowing what it was that he knew.
03The Awakening
Enter Zen
From Here
The Master raised his finger and, with a look both fierce and gentle, said: “Enter Zen from there.” The story was about him. Now it’s about you. Step into the experience. Sit. Breathe. Be here.
04The Transition
In the end, there is no place to go and nothing to become. Only this moment, more alive.
Enter Zen from here