Just What Is Spirituality?
Many books are being written by sociologists and psychologists, in which they glibly speak of “higher consciousness” and “Enlightenment,” without in the least knowing what they are talking about. It is fashionable to make reference to ancient concepts and use terms that are just vaguely [...]
Notes On Movements Just Learned
Now you have learned the movements of T’ai Chi Chih. It is necessary to practice them regularly, not hard to do when you begin to realize how joyous such practice can be. Here are a few tips on what to remember as you do each [...]
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a term used by the Buddha, and he said that it is the first of seven factors of enlightenment. We have already examined our state of mind and watched our breath; we are now to mindfully note our sensations and feelings (not our [...]
Mind Control: Zen
Everything that happens in Zen is meditation in its true sense. One not only does zazen (Zen “sitting in meditation”) at formal meditation times, with his mind properly controlled he is also doing zazen while brushing his teeth or plowing the field. The word Zen [...]
A Zen Story
A monk asked a great Chinese Chan (Zen) Teacher, “Where will you go when you die?” “Straight to hell!” was the unexpected answer. Surprised, the monk pressed on, “Why would you, a great Chan teacher, go to hell?” “If I didn’t go there, who would [...]
Introduction and Preamble for Climb the Joyous Mountain
There is, in this writer, a sense of unworthiness in writing a book called Climb the Joyous Mountain. Once, when I mentioned the many errors in my life to the Bengali teacher, Rammurti Mishra, he immediately snapped, “Those are not your mistakes.” This statement really [...]
Important Points on Moving Correctly in T’ai Chi Chih
For the beginning student the most important aspect is to learn how to move. It is of utmost importance that T’ai Chi Chih be practiced correctly in accordance with the principles of yin-yang so that results will be maximized. Knowing where to place the arms [...]
Many Meditations, Many Effects
Meditation is a healing force. It enables the meditator to harmonize his outer life with the deepest levels of consciousness, to probe the unknown levels of the subconscious and to express, or manifest, the joy and Vital Force that are inseparable from his being. There [...]
Foreword for Heightened Awareness
In truth there is no such thing as higher consciousness. There is only consciousness. But in individuals, the pure consciousness is usually blocked in varying degrees, so we speak of higher or lower states of consciousness. The sun is always the same, but when we [...]
