What are the concerns of a Zen student?
Robert Aiken, author of the book "Taking the Path of Zen", he wrote- first, being alive is an important responsibility;second,we have little time to fulfill that responsibility; and third,rigorous practice is necessary for fulfillment.". He wrote further:"Delusions and attachments consisting of sel-centered and conceptual thinking obscure the living fact. The Zen path is devoted to clearing away these obstructions and seeing into true nature....Zen is noetic...it originates in the mind.It is not intellectual,but involves realization,the purest gnosis of 'just this' ".
I just finished reading John Hersey's A Single Pebble.One of the passages I underlined-...almost perfect concord between perception and action.What could be more civilized than that harmony?-
The short novel was a tender, simple story of self-discovery of the engineer in the story.
I am reading Hugh MacLeod's book- Ignore Everybody and 39 other Keys to Creativity.Number 2 key-The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.He writes-"It was so liberating to be doing something that didn't have to impress anybody, for a change. It was so liberating to be free of ambition for a change."
Number 3 key-Put the hours in. He writes-"Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. Ninety percent of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina."
