Archive for Clearly Zen
Hidden Passageways
Posted by: | CommentsHidden Passageways
I’d like to express a deep empathy for those submissives that search so hard to find someone who can take them where they long to go & still they may never find that person. The submissive energy is like the energy of Yin, & Yin cannot move without its equal counterpart of Yang. It appears to be the case that a good Dominant is hard to find & on both ends it really takes more than most are willing to give to reach the depths of authentic Dominance & submission. Still, so many try because something deep within us propels us to do so. Is it the egos endless search for self-satisfaction? or an inner calling to move beyond ourselves through some profound exchange with another?
For me, the power Mastery lies in virtuous qualities, not in manipulation. How can someone else get you to let go when they themselves fear letting go? How could one teach another to be selfless in action when they themselves have yet to discover their own selflessness? You of course must be wholeheartedly ready or no matter how skilled the Dominant is, they can do nothing for you. There is a back-door to Dominance & I have entered through a hidden passageway.. I have Mastered my own mind & therefore am capable of Mastering others. I have lost all fear therefore am able to push others past their own fears.. I have found the ecstasy inherent in every moment therefore am able to show it to others. I have broken through my own shell & dropped away therefore am able to break the shell of others, allowing them to drop away…. I am like a mirror into another… I spontaneously see what needs to happen & go there… but you yourself at least in part, must be ready to go there.
This approach I speak of is what I refer to as Positive Power Exchange; thusly it is based on help not harm. This is a call to all Dominants & submissives, Masters, Mistresses, slaves, & everything in-between.. Do not base your workings on the exterior appearance but look deep within. BDSM & Power Exchange is very powerful human expression. It can be a positive or negative expression or in rare cases it may be completely neutral.
Although an activity may appear identical on the surface, it may be entirely different underneath, either expressing a positive charge or negative charge which will determine its effect of help or harm. Imagine yourself as a cup. Is your cup filled with nourishing liquids or toxic poisons? You must look inside with great honestly & clarity, for all things are connected & whether you see it or not, this is the cup that you share with yourself, everyone close to you & the entire World.
-Master Dvnt
Being Present in Relationships – Eckhart Tolle
Posted by: | CommentsEckhart speaks about being present in relationships that have a past, relatives, spouses, and parents…….
For more from Eckhart Tolle go to: www.eckharttolle.com
Haikuku for you ~
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Breathing…
Posted by: | CommentsBreathing
Words from Plum Village
Our breathing is a stable solid ground that we can take refuge in. Regardless of our internal weather- our thoughts, emotions and perceptions- our breathing is always with us like a faithful friend. Whenever we feel carried away, or sunken in a deep emotion, or scattered in worries and projects, we return to our breathing to collect and anchor our mind.
We feel the flow of air coming in and going out of our nose. We feel how light and natural, how calm and peaceful our breathing functions. At any time, while we are walking, gardening, or typing, we can return to this peaceful source of life.
We may like to recite:
“Breathing in I know that I am breathing in.
Breathing out I know that I am breathing out.”
We do not need to control our breath. Feel the breath as it actually is. It may be long or short, deep or shallow. With our awareness it will naturally become slower and deeper. Conscious breathing is the key to uniting body and mind and bringing the energy of mindfulness into each moment of our life.
Article from plumvillage.org
Plum Village is the Sangha of Zen Master Tich Nhat Hanh
a yellow voice
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The youngest nightingale that can rejoice calls to its parents in a yellow voice. ~ issa
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Now, you are not to be worried about what is said; these words are very indicative. Issa must have been in deep meditation and he heard the nightingale rejoicing and calling to its parents in a yellow voice. He is not saying anything about the nightingale, he is saying something about his silence. When you are in silence and a cuckoo from the bamboos starts singing, it deepens your silence. |
Dogen, The Zen Master:
A Search and a Fulfillment
sharing from www.osho.com..please visit for more insprational readings from a wonderful Master … Osho .
From Breakdown to Breakthrough
Posted by: | CommentsZen Card of the day … just a coincidence ? you be the judge !!

To transform breakdowns into breakthroughs is the whole function of a Master. The psychotherapist simply patches you up. That is his function. He is not there to transform you. You need a meta-psychology, the psychology of the buddhas.
It is the greatest adventure in life to go through a breakdown consciously. It is the greatest risk because there is no guarantee that the breakdown will become a breakthrough. It does become, but these things cannot be guaranteed. Your chaos is very ancient – for many, many lives you have been in chaos. It is thick and dense. It is almost a universe in itself. So when you enter into it with your small capacity, of course there is danger. But without facing this danger nobody has ever become integrated, nobody has ever become an individual, indivisible.
Zen, or meditation, is the method which will help you to go through the chaos, through the dark night of the soul, balanced, disciplined, alert. The dawn is not far away, but before you can reach the dawn, the dark night has to be passed through. And as the dawn comes closer, the night will become darker.
from Osho’s
Walking in Zen, Sitting in Zen
A Letter To Mother
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I wrote this in honor of Earth Day …Deep Bows to all you Earth beings*
Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Let’s do our BEST to take care of your Home. It takes care of us.. let’s return the favor!
-Master DVNT
-
A Letter to Mother
Great Earth
I bow to you.
The sun,
nourishing all.
The night,
nourishing all.
The wind & air bring life to this body.
The water filling everything,
Pushing this flow of life forward
Each particle, each wave, continuously in action
Each element, each phenomenon, expresses itself & fulfills its destiny
as a cord, a note in the song of existence
From this ultimate Dance of Life, noting is excluded.
From this sacred Dance of Life, nothing is separated.
Untouchable by mind, the depths of this harmony
Immeasurable this Web of Life we take so much for granted.
When the separation dissolves, I see…
I too am this harmony
& this is the wisdom you have given me
If I may have the opportunity
I would like to thank you Mother Earth
for all you are
I would like to take this moment to thank every plant, every animal, & every life-form that has ever existed
& express my deepest gratitude
I would also like to deeply apologize to you Great Mother Earth,
For all the destruction which we humans have brought onto you
We have forgotten our Mother..
We have separated ourselves from you & know not who we are.
We have created religions which justify rule over you
We have built Nations which declare ownership of you
We have built civilizations that are not in harmony with you
We have chosen ideals which disregard you
& motives which perpetuate the rape & destruction of you
All of us in the modern world are involved
& I would also like to personally apologize for the damage which I have caused you.
I am listening to your lessons
& I see…
Tears for you Great Mother.. I will not abandon you.
A deep Love for you Great Mother
I see nothing which is not sacred..
I can find no enemy within you.
Such a Joy!
Such a Wonder!
I vow to do my best to express your harmony & to help others find harmony with you.
I know it may be too late for us to change our direction
for we humans are so lost in self-centeredness.
But no matter what happens…
I vow to remain unconditionally in harmony with you
Thank you Mother Nature
On this beautiful day
Love and gratitude, each & every moment
Thank you
~
Master DVNT
~ Fugon~
Windy City MAsT Meeting / Feb 14th – Meditation & Finding The Presant Moment
Posted by: | Comments2-14-2010

So this is slightly exiting…
Our local Chicago MAsT (Masters & slaves Together) Pansexual Chapter which has decided to do tonites meeting on the subject of “Meditation & finding the present moment”.
I wasn’t even present when this choice was made :p & I was asked to do an intro & instruct on zen meditation & another fellow will be instructing on a non-Buddhist orientated meditation of some kind. Sorry for posting this last minute for anyone who’d like to attend.. Ive been busy with work & thus have had the chance to post it only as of now. This will be my 1st time doing formal zazen instruction… So wish me luck!
-DVNT | Fugon
———————————————————————
Web Site: www.WindyCityMAsT.com – for updates and meeting notices!
The next MAsT meeting is Friday, February 19th at 8:00 P.M. and will run until approximately 10:00 P.M. The doors will be open at 7:00 P.M. if people want to come earlier ~as always, bring snacks
This Month’s Topic:
Meditation and finding the Present Moment!
There are many motivations for meditating. For some it’s to lower one’s blood pressure, for others to reduce stress… some want to gain knowledge, others wish to use it to give up compulsive actions… and the list goes on.
Both Masters and slaves Dominates and submissive’s can benefit from meditation and finding the present moment.
Reduced Stress and Create Inner Peace
Meditation helps to reduce stress by teaching us to switch off from the worries and thoughts that can plague us through the day. Meditation is an opportunity to spend time by ourselves. Spending time quieting the mind and focusing on the present moment makes us more relaxed and effective decision makers allowing us to focus.
Control Your Own Thoughts
Man has conquered space, and numerous other challenges, but are we able to conquer our own mind and thoughts. How often do you find yourself victim to your own negative thoughts? Meditation teaches that not only is it possible to control our thoughts, but we can learn to stop them completely. Through meditation we can bring our unruly mind under control.
Is there anybody who does not, in some way, seek after happiness? Meditation takes us to the source of happiness, which is to be found in our own peace of mind. If we have no peace of mind and are constantly attacked by negative thoughts, happiness will remain elusive, no matter how successful we are in daily lives. It is perhaps hard to imagine that happiness can occur from the simple act of being. However, if we can meditate with a still mind, we will discover an unexpected source of happiness within our own self. Meditation shows us that happiness is not dependent on outer circumstances, but on our inner attitude.
Spontaneity and Creativity
When we live in the thinking mind, we are usually preoccupied with the past or future. When we spend our energy on the past and present we cover up our natural spontaneity and creativity. We may feel we have neither creativity or spontaneity, but, if we can learn to silence the mind, we realize that we have far more potential than we currently believe. To access this source of inspiration we just need to quiet the mind. Some of the great thinkers and scientists were able to make important discoveries when they could absorb themselves in their work, to the exclusion of all else. Meditation helps us to live in the current moment, and thus can help us to unlock our creative potential.
Note
Master DVNT and Sir Jim will offer a few meditation practices and we will practice some of the methods, please bring a pillow to sit on for meditation session.
at the Brink of a Cross-Roads….
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Back in Chicago….
Nice to be here*
Work has currently calmed down for me right now.
At the brink of a cross-roads….
Life is utterly beautiful… with endless probabilities…
Abandoning all barriers of self…
….the shadow drops away.
No fears.. No doubts… No longing.. No anger or anguish… No regrets.. No anxiety, mental afflictions or disturbances… No anticipations or expectations.. No unfulfilled desires… No wishes, no wants, or not-wants…
A living verification that underneath it all, you are the Buddha.
I feel translucent…
Just here.. All embracing…
With open hands,
Open Heart,
Open Mind.
With nothing to cling to, this body is clear like sunlight shining through untainted waters.
I see this light in all things…
I see no-thing at all.
I am the birds..
I am the blade of grass…
I am the Cosmos…
..in the spiders web.
I am the voice residing in every heart…
I am the darkness you can not see…
I am everything you have known, & not known…
I am like the captive, yet completely free.
Just let the current flow*
Like a leaf in the wind,
Life carries this body wherever it may go.
Actually every moment is a Grand Cross-Roads….
Actually every moment is only one moment….
Actually there is no moment at all…
no time at all.
No cross-roads at all.
Unfathomable to the human mind…. such awing power this holds.
How can I express to you what I see? It is such an impossible task…
Nothing to know…
Yet I know…
I know it must be.

-Master DVNT | Sou Fugon
a spiritual life…
Posted by: | Comments11.23.09
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” -Shakyamuni Buddha

Weather we recognize it or not, we are each essentially living a spiritual life.
The difference between an ordinary person & an awakened one is that ordinarily people put tremendous energy of body & mind into fighting against their own spirit & the spirit of others, or in some cases they harness the spirit to fight against body & mind… Whereas an awakened beings are not fighting themselves, they are living in complete harmony with the body, mind & spirit of themselves & others.
Because in the West we have a particular notion of what the “spirit” is, it is important to note that when I mention spirit, I am not referring to a separate “ghost” self contained solely within the body, rather, I am referring to an endless river of life, flowing through & made up of all existence.
For an awakened being, with body mind & spirit, they are holistically functional, holistically harmonious. They are not doing anything special… they have simply discovered the original state… the natural state… This state is no different from walking with the feet or blinking with the eyes. It is our natural truth, our original nature.. the order of harmony. This state does not require being or doing anything in particular, but it does require realization… in other words, waking up to ourselves… When this happens, harmony is actualized.
For the ordinary being, there is an immense amount of energy being harnessed & applied in this effort of fighting themselves & others. They are in fact very powerful beings continuously exercising this power. If only they can learn to express this same energy in harmony with mind, body & spirit, the search would be over…. they could could be truly happy, truly at peace, they could replenish the World.
All I can do is offer my heart.
The rest is up to you.
-Master DVNT | Sou Fugon
…off to face a wall for the weekend.
Posted by: | CommentsThis weekend is the celebration of the 60th year anniversary of the Zen Buddhist Temple Of Chicago, which is where I practice at. I am attending the “Founders Sesshin’ which is basically 3 days of zen meditation, then on Sunday is a special service with some talks including Taiun Sensei from Atlanta Soto Zen Center. He is a great guy & I enjoy his talks. W/we have visited the ASZC several times & it is just wonderful there. The last time I entered (July 4th 09) it just felt like home. If I was a “normal” person, I suppose I would be partying for the weekend seeing that its my birthday weekend… but “normal” & I are often 2 different things.
I’m looking forward to this Sesshin & as always, furthering my zen practice. Yes I am practicing in the Soto Zen tradition which emphasizes zazen as it’s central practice.. But I did not enter zen practice because I was interested in parroting some lineage dogma.. I entered zen for one purpose only, because I know in my heart, I am to help awaken all beings. This process can take countless forms & can be expressed in countless ways… in fact it IS. Although I do not put zazen on a pedestal as many in this tradition tend to, I do feel it is a wonderful & profound practice. It is definitely a practical way to support personal growth, as well as inner & outer exploration of life…. which of cores go hand & hand. For me, I’m not to sure of HOW helpful it is but I can see how helpful it could be for the average person & would suggest it for most people. But to have this attitude that zazen is the only method of awakening is a vary closed view. If this were true then how would one explain the 6th Patriarch Huineng? He never practiced formal meditation.. & yet he received the lamp of transmission as a fully awakened being. The Bodhisattva Vow stated “Dharma gates are boundless”.. thus my way of practice is ceaseless.. it does not start when i sit down for zazen & it does not end when the bell rings. True zen practice completely fills your body & mind.. or rather, you loose everything once & for all. This practice does not come & go.. it is like the sky behind the clouds. Many spend much time riding the clouds & calling this “zen practice” though they have not once become the sky. When the heart becomes the sky, you enter the life of a Buddha. I feel if one is ready for this leap, life will simply take us there with or without zazen. Of course if one is suffering & desires to take steps toward awakening, I would say zazen is probably the best tool for the job. Ultimately, I say.. Listen to your HEART.. & then act upon it or make the changes… if your heart is telling you to take up
meditation, then do it…. If your hear is telling you to sell everything you own & travel… then do it…. & what if you cant hear your Heart?.. Well, then take up zen meditation.
The main point is… the true us is berried under all kinds of junk, nonsense, & delusion… We each have to unbury our true selves if we are to end our self created suffering. Only you will truely know how to accomplish this….. & it is also true that zazen is a powerhouse tool made for the job.
Be well Friends,
-DVNT / Fugon
Dharma gates are boundless….. enter here.
Disiderata
Posted by: | CommentsNot exactly sure what “Desiderata” is but I happened upon this & though it was nice & worth sharing… Not denying the negativity but not succumbing to it… Though I will say, one must find a way to embrace all things & not reject them including what is seen as negativity, while in the same breath, not supporting, condoning or fueling such fields of negativity. The key word here is BALANCE. Ultimately universal balance is unchangeable… & yet greater still, there is no balance nor imbalance at all.
Hope this is helpful to people out there!
Thanx to Sir Adam for posting this link!
-Master DVNT
Zen is Understanding Yourself
Posted by: | CommentsOne day a student from Chicago came to the Providence Zen Center and asked Seung Sahn Soen-Sa, “What is Zen?”
Soen-sa held his Zen stick above his head and said, “Do you understand?”
The student said, “I don’t know.”
Soen-sa said, “This don’t know mind is you. Zen is understanding yourself.”
“What do you understand about me? Teach me.”
Soen-sa said, “In a cookie factory, different cookies are baked in the shape of animals, cars, people, and airplanes. They all have different names and forms, but they are all made from the same dough, and they all taste the same.
“In the same way, all things in the universe – the sun, the moon, the stars, mountains, rivers, people, and so forth – have different names and forms, but they are all made from the same substance. The universe is organized into pairs of opposites: light and darkness, man and woman, sound and silence, good and bad. But all these opposites are mutual, because they are made from the same substance. Their names and their forms are different, but their substance is the same. Names and forms are made by your thinking. If you are not thinking and have no attachment to name and form, then all substance is one. Your don’t know mind cuts off all thinking. This is your substance. The substance of this Zen stick and your own substance are the same. You are this stick; this stick is you.”
The student said, “Some philosophers say this substance is energy, or mind, or God, or matter. Which is the truth?”
Soen-sa said, “Four blind men went to the zoo and visited the elephant. One blind man touched its side and said, ‘The elephant is like a wall.’ The
next blind man touched its trunk and said, ‘The elephant is like a snake.’ The next blind man touched its leg and said, ‘The elephant is like a column.’ The last blind man touched its tail and said, ‘The elephant is like a broom.’ Then the four blind men started to fight, each one believing that his opinion was the right one. Each only understood the part he had touched; none of them understood the whole.
“Substance has no name and no form. Energy, mind, God, and matter are all name and form. Substance is the Absolute. Having name and form is having opposites. So the whole world is like the blind men fighting among themselves. Not understanding yourself is not understanding the truth. That is why there is fighting among ourselves. If all the people in the world understood themselves, they would attain the Absolute. Then the world would be at peace. World peace is Zen.”
The student said, “How can practicing Zen make world peace?”
Soen-sa said, “People desire money, fame, sex, food, and rest. All this desire is thinking. Thinking is suffering. Suffering means no world peace. Not thinking is not suffering. Not suffering means world peace. World peace is the Absolute. The Absolute is I.”
The student said, “How can I understand the Absolute?”
Soen-sa said, “You must first understand yourself.”
“How can I understand myself?”
Soen-sa held up the Zen stick and said, “Do you see this?”
He then quickly hit the table with the stick and said, “Do you hear this? This stick, this sound, your mind – are they the same or different?”
The student said, “The same.”
Soen-sa said, “If you say they are the same, I will hit you thirty times. If you say they are different, I will still hit you thirty times. Why?”
The student was silent.
Soen-sa shouted, “KATZ!!!” Then he said, “Spring comes, the grass grows by itself.”
From Dropping Ashes On The Buddha: The Teaching of Zen Master Seung Sahn
edited by Stephen Mitchell (Grove Press, New York, NY, 1976)
Copyright © Providence Zen Center
Text taken from The Kwan Um School of Zen website
This book and others are available from our Primary Point Press
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