Exercises and reflections for Thursday

Mindfulness of our thoughts in meditation

Yesterday we looked at how our craving or aversion towards how the worldly winds are blowing often takes the form of a “story” – an on-going mental commentary which seeks to justify our emotional response. We did an exercise in trying to spot those stories as they arise in our minds as we go about our day. Was this easy or difficult? Thoughts are fast and fleeting, so maybe it is hard to spot them arising. Perhaps...

Exercises and reflections for Wednesday: the stories we tell

We’re now making use of all three sections of the practice diary – resolve, remind, and review. Have another look at your diary today, and reflect on how the practice is going.  You can print more pages, if you need to, here.

Today, we’re going to have a bit more “Dharma input”. We’re going to look a bit more closely at what is happening when we’re caught by the worldly winds. We’re going to look at the ‘stories’ that...

Ch'an Story

‘There was a well-known scholar who practiced Buddhism and befriended a Chan Master. Thinking that he had made great stride in his cultivation, he wrote a poem and asked his attendant to deliver it to the Master who lived across the river. The Master opened the letter and read the short poem aloud:

“Unmoved by the eight worldly winds, * 
Serenely I sit on the purplish gold terrace.”

A smile broke up on the lips of the Master. Picking up an ink brush,...