Quotes About Consciousness

As long as we make the Truth and the Absolute our primary objects without transcending the duality of subject and object, we are not said to be in zazen, even if we formally sit in strict conformity to its requirements.

Where were you facing yesterday?" "Well, my nose doesn't hurt a bit today." This answer must have highly pleased Baso. He praised Hyakujo, saying, "Now you understand. You know about today very well." He meant that Hyakujo truly realized the whereabouts of life.

Seeing one's true self-nature in itself is samadhi, and samadhi in itself is seeing one's true self-nature.

However, this Land of Lotus Blossoms does not exist outside us.

nirvana, which is another name for samadhi.

The lay Zen Master Kawajiri Hogin also warns against this empty type of sitting: To begin with, most people who practice zazen consciously try to make themselves empty. This is a grave mistake because you have thoughts about becoming empty, and it is futile to sit however long you may try to do so.

As long as you are conscious of your wish to be empty, you will never succeed in becoming empty.

in the true sense of the word, "no-thought and no-thinking" means flowing steadily and endlessly in the pure experience of the oneness of self and other.

The eighth consciousness is called Alaya-vijnana, which is translated into Japanese as "zo-shiki." It alludes to the storehouse of life, where all of our past experiences are imprinted and where the possible motivations of all of our conduct are also said to be stored. Thus, we may safely regard Alaya-vijnana as equivalent to what Jung calls "collective unconsciousness.

The original cause of all our actions is stored in the eighth consciousness which is called Alaya-vijnana, but the seed of that original cause is by nature neither good nor bad. It is indeed deemed to be the operation of the seventh consciousness called Mana-vijnana that tinges the originally pure Alaya-vijnana with evil by involving it in the life of egocentric desires and passions.

Now, when we go into samadhi through meditation, our thoughts become pacified. This means that the first five kinds of consciousnesses and the sixth consciousness have stopped their operations. When the operation of the conscious mind stops, that of the seventh consciousness called Mana-vijnana prevails to create makyo. Therefore, makyo may be regarded as something resulting from the power of concentration.

SAMADHI AND ATTACHMENT There is a question which must be taken into consideration now. That is, whether living unconsciously in "no-self" from morning to night is in accord with the principle of Zen or not.

Collective unconsciousness corresponding to Alaya-vijnana is regarded as the "Eighth Consciousness" embracing all possibilities, and yet it is not proper to identify it with the true self.

Everything in your world is created by what you think.

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.

Every act I live while I am fully awake can not help but be both prayer and lovemaking.

If we have based parts of our lives on lies, or truths that no longer hold, however well intentioned or unconscious, the changes that deep intimacy evokes can look very dangerous.

Wisdom is knowledge which has become a part of one's being.

We don't admit it to ourselves, not until the very moment of death, but in that moment, we see all life before us and we understand how we chose, every day of our lives, the manner of our death.

Nuestra vida es, en todo instante y antes que nada, conciencia de lo que nos es posible. Si en cada momento no tuviéramos delante más que una sola posibilidad, carecería de sentido llamarla así. Sería más bien pura necesidad.»

Todo vivir es vivirse, sentirse vivir, saberse existiendo, donde saber no implica conocimiento intelectual ni sabiduría especial ninguna, sino que es esa sorprendente PRESENCIA que su vida tiene para cada cual; sin ese saberse, sin ese darse cuenta, el dolor de muelas no nos dolería.

Because man's being is made of strange stuff....

Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be. WILLIAM HAZLITT

The philosopher Marar writes, "As our hearts can't stop pumping blood, so our minds can't stop pumping illusions.