Not a Theory

A student of Tendai, a philosophical school of Buddhism, came to the Zen abode of Gasan as a pupil. When he was departing a few days later, Gasan warned him: “Studying the truth speculatively is a useful way of collecting preaching material. But remember that unless you meditate constantly your light of truth may go out.

ZEN FLESH ZEN BONES
101 ZEN STORIES

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“The spiritual life is not a theory. We have to live it.”(Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 83)

 Sit in meditation emptied. It is what I do to equip myself for the day. The first few minutes are occupied with a parade of thinking. Thinking about this or that… things I want to get done… an idea of what I want to write in my morning meditation for this blog… grocery lists and so on. My mind gets muddled and stagnates… I fight off sleep…It is useless to fight it with my mind only. This is my experience… I let go and breathe…clear the stale air from my lungs… the simplest things are there for me to do to awaken me. Straighten my back… keep my eyes open… raise them… stay vigilant and as watchful as I can
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    I love Google Maps. I can peer into places I have never been. I can even get street level views in some places. It is almost as though I have been there but I haven’t. I believe it was the words of Marshall McLuhan that apply here; “The map is not the territory.” I have to go there and take to the road if I am to know it at all, referring to the map only as a guide and not a Bible.

Experience trumps theory or opinion every time.