Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica. Photo Credit: Benn Bell
“Before practicing Zen, rivers were rivers and mountains were mountains. When I practiced Zen, I saw that rivers were no longer rivers and mountains were no longer mountains. Now I see that rivers are again rivers and mountains are again mountains.” Zen Master
Cumberland River, Kentucky. Photo credit: Benn Bell
As part of my daily Buddhist practice, I study the scriptures and the writings of other Buddhist teachers. Every once in a while, I run across a teaching that really resonates. Today’s bit of wisdom comes from Pema Chodron and is called “shenpa.” Loosely translated it means, “attachment.” Attachment in this sense means, “taking the hook.”
Example: Let’s say someone criticizes you for something. You immediately feel a tightening sensation as the blood rises in your body and you want to strike out and take revenge. Then you speak or act. This is taking the hook.
If we catch this shenpa early enough we can deal with it through patience and not react on autopilot. We can develop patience through meditation. If we acknowledge the feeling early on and equate it with loving kindness, we can avoid being triggered into acting out against the person who criticized us.
Meditation teaches us how to open up and relax with whatever comes our way. When we learn patience, we learn how to interrupt the chain reaction of habitual responses that tend to rule our lives. This is a hard lesson to learn and is something I strive for every day.
Ghost Dog 