Here is a very brief teaching I would share with you. It came about when a Zen student asked me if I could explain the requirements for Bodi (Enlightenment; Awakening) without using specifically Buddhist concepts or technical terms. I pondered the question for a moment and then gave this teaching in response.

Stable Concentration

Keep your eye on the ball. We practice meditation in order to develop focus. With sufficient focus, we can begin to notice things that we could not when our attention was easily distracted. You do not need perfectly unwavering concentration. You just need sufficiently stable concentration.

No Guilt

Are you doing something you are ashamed of? If so, then stop doing it. Have you done things that you regret because they hurt others? Make amends if you can. You do not need to become a saint. Just stop doing things that make you feel guilty. Start helping others in little and big ways.

Simple Life

Henry David Thoreau wrote “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” If we are busy all the time getting and using things, when will we have time to discover Reality as it is, which is NOT one thing among others? Simplify your life. You do not need to retire to a cave to do this. You can enjoy an ordinary, pleasurable modern life while doing this practice.

Devotion-Inquiry

The heart and the mind must be engaged deeply in this practice of understanding Reality. The heart is all about devotion, faith and love. The mind is all about inquiry, close examination and understanding. Heart and mind must both be engaged in this practice for it to become fruitful.

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