fredag 30 december 2016

Finding it

Hi.


One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
”Buddhism is all about finding the discovery of the sacred in the midst of the humble and ordinary.”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

onsdag 28 december 2016

Poem

Hi.



One morning while drinking tea Monkey wrote:
Body like morning mist
Mind like empty sky
Thought like summer breeze
Just like me


Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 23 december 2016

Perfect moments

Hi.

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
"Life may never seem to be the way we want it, but if we live it the best way possible, we can fill it with perfect moments."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 19 december 2016

Smiles


Hi.

One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
"Consider smiles. They are your gift to the world and further, if you smile enough eventually it will reach your heart."



Mtfbwy
Fugen

söndag 18 december 2016

Question everything


Hi.

One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
” As you sit down and step into the silence it is an good opportunity to think about the question ”What am i doing here and why?”
In a sense its a good opportunity to question everything.”
 

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 15 december 2016

A house of bricks

Hi.


One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:

"Our practice is like building a house of bricks.
You put down brick by brick until you have a finished house, yet at same time, once you put down your first brick your house is built."


Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 9 december 2016

Easier to smile on sunny days


Hi.



One day when out travelling Monkey told Turtle:
"Its much easier to smile on sunny Days, but we must remember to keep on smiling everyday."
 
Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 2 december 2016

Students talking

Hi.


One day Owl and Turtle was talking.

"Have you realized, " Turtle said "that zenmasters like Monkey is just like riddles?
They make an apparently nonsensical statement and then, one day, you suddenly realize "aha, so thats what it meant!""


Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 29 november 2016

Birth, youth and Beauty

Hi.

Birth, youth, beauty

One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
”It is true that we talk alot about old age, sickness and death around here but we must not forget about birth, youth and beauty.”


Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 25 november 2016

Lotusfertilizer

Hi.

One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:

"Consider the lotus, it is one of the most beautiful of flowers yet it grows in a pond where the bottom is a dirty mass.
Do not despise the dirty side of life as it can be an great fertilizer for your own blossoming flower, its all good practice."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 17 november 2016

Man on a mission

Hi.

Man on a mission

One day a missionary came to the clearing.
”If you worship false gods you will experience rebirth.”
Monkey leaned over to Turtle and said with a smile: ”Shall you tell her or should i?”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

söndag 13 november 2016

Everyday superheroes


Hi.

One evening a long time ago Monkeys exwife, cat, picked up her things and left him alone with their mutual son.
That night, after he had put his son to bed, he cried.
The next day he got up and took care of everything in the spirit of everyday hero he and every other good father is.

Mtfbwy
Fugen


lördag 12 november 2016

Leonard Cohen interview

Hi.

"There is a crack in everything, thats where the light get in."

Thank you for your practice and may the force be with you Leonard Cohen.

https://youtu.be/nky_3iwJxic

Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 11 november 2016

Debating

Hi.

Debating

Owl was in the habit of always debating with Monkey. One day Turtle approached him and asked why he kept up this behaviour.

"Havent you seen that he is not content with just winning the argument but also leaves you understanding/seeing something you hadn't understood/seen Before?" replied Owl, "I have learned more from this than all the books i have read."


Mtfbwy
Fugen

 
 

onsdag 9 november 2016

Busy, busy, busy doing nothing at all

Hi.

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:

"Meditation is a funny thing in that you are busy, busy, busy doing nothing at all."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 7 november 2016

Blowing out a candle

Hi.

Turtle was demonstrating rebirth to some of the animals by showing how one candle could be used to light another when Monkey came by took the candle, blew it out and handed it back with the words: "Now do it."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 1 november 2016

Handle with care

Hi.

One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:

""Handle with care" is a good way to view time."


Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 28 oktober 2016

The most important job

Hi.

One evening by the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:

”There is nothing that cant be alleviated by half an hour spent doing some good cooking.
That is one of the reasons one of the most important jobs in the monastery is that of the cook.”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 25 oktober 2016

The power of words

Hi.


The power of words

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:

"Words have power. They have the power to hurt, heal, open minds, open hearts and change the world. But never forget that with great power comes great responsibility.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 20 oktober 2016

Dumbphones

Hi.


Dumbphones

One day Monkey and Turtle was out walking.

”You know”, Monkey said to Turtle, ” I´m really fascinated by these new phones that capture everyones attention. They´re truly captivated by them, so much that they even miss out on life.  I call them dumbphones, because thats what they make people.”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 18 oktober 2016

Doing good comes back in unexpected ways

Hi.

One evening Monkey spoke to the animals:
"Always do good. It will come back in sometimes unexpected ways."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

A great day today

Hi.

One evening by the fire monkey spoke to the animals:
"Even if you might get a new chance tomorrow, have an great day today."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 11 oktober 2016

That smile

Hi.

That smile
One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
”When i was younger, i used to go and listen to a lot of Jazz.
One day, when i went to a jazzsession, i was feeling miserable and probably looked terrible.
In the middle of the session, the leadplayer lowered his clarinet, caught my eye and gave me an enormous smile and a wink before he did the best clarinetsolo i have ever heard.
That smile is always with me."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 6 oktober 2016

En hydda av gräs

Hi.

A swedish translation of Shitou's poem "Inside the grasshut".
En svensk översättning av Shitou's dikt "Inside the grasshut".

En hydda av gräs

Jag har byggt en hydda av gräs i vilken det inte finns något av värde.

Efter maten tar jag det lugnt och njuter av en tupplur.

När hyddan var klar dök ogräs upp.

Nu är den bebodd- täckt av ogräs.

Personen i hyddan lever ett lugnt liv,

Inte fast i utsidan, insidan eller mittemellan.

Där världsligt folk lever, lever inte han.

Världar världsligt folk älskar, älskar inte han.

Även om hyddan är liten, innehåller den hela världen.

På 10 kvadrat bekräftar en gammal man former och deras natur.

En Mahayana Bodhisattva litar utan tvivel.

En medelmåtta undrar om hyddan är förgänglig eller ej.

Förgänglig eller ej, är mästaren här,

utan att fastna i nord eller syd, öst eller väst.

Stadigt rotad kan den inte överglänsas

Ett lysande fönster under de gröna träden-

Jadepalats och Cinnobertorn bleknar i jämförelse.

Sittandes med huvudet täckt är allt stilla.

Därför, denna bergsmunk inte alls förstår.

Levandes här jobbar han inte längre för att bli fri.

Vem ska stolt arrangera stolar för att försöka locka till sig gäster?

Rikta ljuset inåt och bara återvänd.

Den stora ofattbara källan kan varken vändas emot eller ifrån.

Möt de uråldriga lärarna och var familjär med deras instruktion,

Bind gräs till en hydda och ge inte upp.

Släpp hundratals år och slappna av totalt.

Öppna dina händer och gå, oskuldsfull.

Tusentals ord, myriader tolkningar är endast till för att befria dig från hinder.

Om du vill lära känna personen i hyddan, separera inte ifrån skinnpåsen här och nu.

tisdag 4 oktober 2016

Time



Hi.

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
"Consider time. Where does it come from and where does it go? 
It is one of the most precious things we have, yet it is ok to waste..."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 29 september 2016

Ants

Hi.


Ants

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:
"Consider the ants. Though they are small in stature they work together and accomplish wonders."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

söndag 25 september 2016

Differences are not important

Hi.

One day Owl asked Monkey about the differences between the branches of the Buddhist tree to which Monkey answered: " The differences are not important. Concentrate on the essentials. While they may differ in form, they are at heart the same."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 22 september 2016

Everyone is different

Hi.

Everyone is different

One morning over breakfast turtle asked how it was that so many different animals could practice the way to which Monkey replied:
”Everyone is different so everyone has to find their own way, but in the end its all good pratice.”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 19 september 2016

Talk about relationships

Hi.

One of th
e many pranks of life is that not until you no longer have anything anymore you really understand, and treasure, what you once had. At the same time, these stumbling on the road of life is something we can learn alot from. And without them, what would we be then?
It is an constant process working with relationships, of all types, and probably the thing i talk with the most when i ”talk” with people. No matter who and situation, after a while we always land in the ”relationship”-discussion.
”I have met this guy…”
”My boss is no good…”
”She’s really good looking..”
”Do you think i should…”

Interesting, and very instructive. A large part of working with people is the ability to listen.

The ability to listen is something that some people seem to have automatically but you can ”train” it as well. Working with people is both fulfilling and fun when achieve in making some good.
I usually say that you can tell if a person is a good peopleperson (and teacher) by his ability to say sorry, thank you and make people smile.
How do you rate your ability in those aspects?

Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 16 september 2016

Thank you

Hi.


Thank you

On one of his travels Monkey was approached by an stranger with an wide, friendly grin.
"Do you remember me? Some 30-40 years ago you told me to start meditate, which i did, and in fact, i still do, so i just wanted to thank you."

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 13 september 2016

Smiling

Hi.

Smiling
Everytime one of the animals met Monkey, he was Always smiling. One evening when they were all sitting by the fire they asked him about it.
Monkey smiled even wider and said, ”Every day is a good day, so why not smile?”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

torsdag 8 september 2016

A handshake

Hi.


A handshake

One of hare´s sons was a constant trouble at school. He never went to classes but instead hanged around in the hallway doing mischief.
Monkey started coming to school and every time he met Hare´s son he extended his hand.
In the beginnning, the son didn´t take it but eventually he did and soon Hare´s son started running around to greet Monkey whenever he came by. One day, he started attending classes and eventually finished school with full grades.

To this day he comes back to the clearing to shake Monkeys hand.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 5 september 2016

Equally possible

Hi.


Equally possible

One day squirrel, an avid collector, asked Monkey: ”How can you be so happy? You have almost no things at all.”
Monkey smiled and replied ”When you have nothing everything is equally possible.”
 
Mtfbwy
Fugen

lördag 3 september 2016

The smallest things

Hi.

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals:


" Even the smallest things can have big impacts.
Ever tried sleeping with a mosquito flying around in the room or a pebble in your bed?"

Mtfbwy
Fugen.

tisdag 30 augusti 2016

That smile

Hi.


That smile

One evening at the fire Monkey spoke to the animals.
”When i was younger, i used to go to a lot of jazzsessions. One day i was feeling miserable and probably looked terrible when i went to one. In the middle of the session, the leadplayer lowered his clarinet, caught my eye and gave me an enormous smile and a wink before he did the best clarinetsolo i have ever heard. That smile is still with me."
 
Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 23 augusti 2016

1 peter 4:10

Hi.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

- 1 Peter 4:10

To serve another, to really serve, is the ultimate act of love. 
To really serve means that you do everything you can for that person/s you are serving. 
The mindset should be much like that of faithful stewards. 
Once you really commit to that which you do for them, you are truly serving. 
Serving can take many shapes, we are all different,
Much like the drops in the rain, as different as they are, serve the earth with the rain,  we can all serve to the best of our ability.
Life is our temple and it's all good practice.

Thank you for your service.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 22 augusti 2016

A question about books

Hi.

One day, Owl, who was an experienced reader, asked Monkey: Why do you have so many books?
”Because i benefit from and enjoy reading them.”
”Why do you give them away then?”
”So that others may benefit from and enjoy them.”

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 9 augusti 2016

Finding Nemo

Hi.

Marlin: How do you know that nothing bad won't happen?
Dory: I don't.


-Finding Nemo


People today are scared of doing anything on the basis that something will happen. In Buddhism that is called Karma, the law of cause and effect.
When you do something, something will happen.
Period.

Doesn't say whether it will be good or bad, just that when you do something, something happens.

It is an misconception that karma is about good or bad.

And, who's to say which is what?

There is an Buddhist story about a man and his son who loses their horses, horse comes back with more horses, the breaks his leg asf. And all through the story the man won't state if it is good or bad when people confront him with what happened.
And for a good reason.
If we drop this notion of good and bad and just see that something happens, period, we would be able to live an fuller life not going around worrying about the consequences of living.

One of my friends was really scared of doing new things.
And when she got a boyfriend, a new problem arose, Sex.
It was so scary and got to be such a big problem for her that she was ready to end it all.

Luckily the boyfriend understood the predicament and through a loving communication, they were able to, together, solve the issue.
Not only did it solve that issue, but it untied a number of other knots in her life, enabling her to live an much more full life in all aspects.

Sometimes it's good when bad things happen..


Thank you for your practice.


Mtfbwy

Fugen

tisdag 2 augusti 2016

A circle of friends

Hi.


A circle of friends is an infinite number of friends with everybody in everybody's corner and all together in a ring.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

tisdag 26 juli 2016

On the beach

Hi.

Looking around standing on the beach by the ocean of suffering you see land.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

fredag 15 juli 2016

kafkaquote

Hi.

Learn to be quiet

You need not do anything.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
You need not even listen, just wait.
You need not even wait,
just learn to be quiet, still and solitary.
And the world will freely offer itself to you unmasked.
It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.

~ Franz Kafka



This is an very good description of Shikantaza, which is just being with everything just as it is. 
One of the main mistakes in speaking of this meditation form is that you have to be seated in a “meditationposture” to do it, but that is not true. 
It is about being here, now, doing whatever in whatever posture, letting the world unravel itself without you tampering with it.
Are you ready for it?

Mtfbwy
Fugen

onsdag 20 april 2016

Bookreview: The net of indra

Hi.

Sante Poromaa has been practising Zen since 1983 and teaching full time since 1998. He started practice as a student of Roshi Philip Kapleau, and he later became a student of Kapleau's successor, Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede.
Together with Kanja Odland, he has been instrumental in the creation of a full-time training temple in rural Sweden called Zengården, as well as the growth and development of a network of City Zen Centers in Sweden, Finland and Scotland.

The book, The net of indra, is, more or less, an exploration of the question of whether the concept of rebirth can be incorporated into our modern, scientific worldview.
The book is divided into four parts, he starts off with testimonys, moves on to scientific and Buddhist theory and ends up with “questions”-section at the end.
The questionssection has rebirth as an common red thread, although the questions range from abortion, murder to quantumphysics and rebirth as an Buddhist pillar. I think there could have been more questions asked, as it is such an broad topic, but those asked were cunningly answered.
The theorysections show a sign of great knowledge on the authors behalf. He has gone to great lenghts to make an wide display of all there is to show in the subject, while, at the same time, keep an inquiring, almost critical, mindset to it all. I think now, looking back, this mindset is what made the book so great..
The witnesssection is a caleidoscope of different recounts, both his own and others, mixed with scholarly dissertations. It serves both to recount what people have experienced but also what has been written about the separate “cases” brought forth. These cases range from neardeathexperiences to parapsychology and even his own experiences. The fact that he brings up his own experiences brings another depth to an already almost fathomless sea, and, in hindsight, I would have liked to see that section more elaborated upon, as it is very good in and off itself.

The book The net of indra is an book about rebirth, science and the self.
As such it is an good attempt. It has very good ground to state its views from, and it also implores the reader to inquire everything more. The things you lack, such as an more elaborated survey and other small things, is well counteracted by the fact that it is well put together, well written and implores you to do the questioning yourself, to find out yourself.

Thank you Sante Poromaa for a good book and for your practice.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

onsdag 13 april 2016

Caught in tree

Hi.



One day when I was out fishing I saw a man arrive and on the first throw got his lure caught in a tree.

Caught, just high enough and far out over the water so that he couldn't reach it.

He built an small raft, got some long branches and started beating after after it. He couldn't quite reach it, so he went and came back with an longer branch, but it was murky and snapped at the first strike, so he went for the next branch and on it went, until he finally got the lure down, packed everything up and went on home, with out ever having thrown his lure once into the water.

For me, its significant how some live their lives.

You throw the lure, get stuck, work to get it loose, and once its loose give up and go home.

So, here's the hard truth, Shit happen and thats a good fertilizer.

Thats life.

Sometimes shit happens. 
And lest be honest, if nothing ever happened in life, wouldn't it be a bit boring?

Thank you for your practice.

Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 22 februari 2016

Bookreview: Buddhist bootcamp

Hi.
 
Just the name of the author says it all, Timber Hawkeye.
This book is an treasure-trove of oneliners packaged as one paged letters for the reader. They are smart, witty and above all piercing like the sight of an hawk.
According to the author it is based on letters sent to people over a period of time, which they might be, some of the writings have that lettery air over them,. The airiness makes it an great book to read out loud in Company of your spouse, or in the Comfort of your favourite chair...
The book is not about Buddhism per se, no lengthy discourse on its history or anything but more on one of the basic tenets of Buddhism, training the mind to see the truth. 
In the book we are given thoughtful texts, which can be read in any order, and practices, which we can use or let go of. All of this gives you a basic starting ground for our own practice, a Buddhist bootcamp if you like.
 
The downside of the book, to me, is that it is sometimes a bit simplistic, almost shallow, and a bit moralistic at other times.  
This book is more of an selfhelp/lifecoachbook than it is an book about Zen/Buddhism. Further, the author talks a lot of what he believes and what he does, and in a sense what you should do, which it should be given that it is excerpts of letters, but it might turn some people off.
Nevertheless the content rings true and i like it so much that I recommend it heartily to anyone who might find benefit in it. 

Thank you for your practice
Mtfbwy
Fugen

måndag 15 februari 2016

"I feel infinite"

Hi.

“ I feel infinite”

-Perks of being a wallflower

Sometimes you get the feeling of being infinite, to contain everything.
The sense that You are the universe, the universe is you, and you know it.
In Buddhism this is a sensation which, in some traditions, has beeen called an “enlightenment experience”, a “Kensho”. It is in a sense, an initial awakening to the true nature of things.
This is nothing special, a lot of people have them all the time and they can come in all manners of magnitude, from big to small, but Trust me when I say, you will know when you have a big one.
Not all realize what it is and miss it, but if you are open to them and realize them for what they are, they will shake the foundations of you. The thing is that not all realize what it is all about. It is a pointer to what the Buddhists call oneness, that you are the universe and the universe are you.
In a sense, that YOU are infinite.

One of the things that the Buddhist scriptures do say, if you look at them, is that we are infinite. Everyone of us.
All the time.
One of the effects of us being infinite all the time, is that there is no time and no infinity, as we are everything and everything is we. This is, maybe, most profoundly stated in the Prajnaparamita sutra, The heart sutra, which says, Emptiness is form, form is emptiness.

 
O/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, form/ is/ no/ o/ther/ than/ emp/ti/ness/,
Emp/ti/ness/ no/ o/ther/ than/ form/;
Form/ is/ pre/cise/ly/ emp/ti/ness/, emp/ti/ness/ pre/cise/ly/ form/.
Sen/sa/tions/, per/cep/tions/, for/ma/tions/ and/ con/scious/ness/ are/ al/so/ like/ this/.
O/ Sha/ri/pu/tra/, all/ things/ are/ ex/pres/sions/ of/ emp/ti/ness/,


So, now, when you are it, what are you going to do about it?

May the force be with you
Fugen

Thank you for your practice.



Mtfbwy

Fugen

söndag 24 januari 2016

Måltidsvers

Hi.

Swedish rendition of an mealverse.

Svensk version av en en måltidsvers.

Denna mat är resultatet av alla varelsers insatser, 
och är näring för vår praktik. 
Vi erbjuder denna måltid av många dygder och smaker 
till Buddha, Dharma och Sangha, och allt liv i varje sfär av existens. 
Må alla varelser i universum få tillräcklig näring.

May the force be with you
Fugen